Book picks similar to
The Gauntlet by Karen Chance


urban-fantasy
fantasy
paranormal
vampires

Dream Dark


Kami Garcia - 2011
    But returning home to Gatlin, South Carolina was just the beginning...Wounded during a climactic battle, Link discovers that tending his injuries won't be as simple as visiting a doctor and that healing his arm should be the least of his worries. For being bitten by a Supernatural does more than break the skin -- it changes a person, inside and out, turning Link into someone more and more like the dark creature who injured him.In this never-before-seen short story by New York Times bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, listeners witness Link's heart-racing transformation. Dream Dark is set before the much-anticipated third Beautiful Creatures novel, Beautiful Chaos, and as a special bonus includes an exclusive sneak peek at the first five chapters.Dream Dark word count: ~10,000

Warrior


Zoe Archer - 2010
    But for Capt. Gabriel Huntley, it’s become quite real and quite dangerous… IN HOT PURSUIT…The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn’t be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.IN HOTTER WATER…Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…

Bloodlust


Larissa Ione - 2011
    He's been captured by an evil vampire queen who wants to use him as her newest blood slave. But Brynn doesn't have a submissive bone in his body, and he intends to fight her every step of the way.Can Brynn's willpower remain intact when pitted against Sorla's superior vampire strength, seductive skills, and underhanded cruelty, or will she ultimately take possession of both his mind…and body?CONTENT WARNING: This is a VERY graphic erotic horror/fantasy novella. Expect blood, sex, some M/M content, and bad, bad words.

Blood, Smoke and Mirrors


Robyn Bachar - 2010
     Even a bad witch deserves a second chance. Catherine Baker stopped caring about magician politics after the witches threw her out four years ago, convicted of the “crime” of using harmful magic in self-defense. Life as an outcast was nothing new, thanks to her father’s wicked reputation, but the injustice left her heart scarred. Especially since she’d been turned in by the man she loved. Alexander Duquesne has never faltered in his duties as a guardian—until now. He still suffers lingering guilt over his role in Cat’s exile, and when the old Titania is murdered, Cat is in line to be the next victim. Lex will do anything to keep Cat alive, even if she hates him for it. Hunted by a powerful stranger intent on drawing her into an evil web, Cat reluctantly accepts Lex’s protection and the resurrected desire that comes along with it. Lex faces the fight of his life to keep her safe…and win her back. If they both survive. What reviewers are saying about Blood, Smoke and Mirrors: “For a debut book, this story has an incredibly strong and funny main character ... and a strange and interesting world of characters. ... If I had to grab one word to describe this book, it would be refreshing. Not like a diet Coke or something that’s saccharine and only satisfying in the short term, but refreshing like thinking to yourself, ‘Oh, that’s new, that’s different’ while reading a plot that could have turned on a dime into well-trod cliché-land. Bachar keeps the story firmly in the present with a quick and witty narrator, and I kept reading.” –Sarah Wendell, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books “Blood, Smoke and Mirrors was a compelling read. Catherine ‘Cat’ Baker was an authentic and endearing heroine – big butt and all. ...overall, I was impressed and glad that I had the opportunity to discover Robyn Bachar. I’ll be looking forward to what she does next. But first I have to get something to eat. I have this insatiable craving for chocolate chip pancakes…” –Paul Goat Allen, Explorations: The Barnes & Noble SciFi and Fantasy Blog

Once Bitten


Kalayna Price - 2009
    She was expected to accept her role as her father’s successor whether or not her cat was up to the task of leading the clan. She disagreed. Now she’s less than a step ahead of the hunters, bone-tired, cold, and living hand-to-mouth in the city of Haven. And that’s the high point of her day. She’s also drugged, "accidently" turned into a vampire, and sentenced to death for recklessly creating a rogue shifter who tortures its human prey. She’s got seventy-two hours to find the rogue, evade a city full of hunters, prove she’s not responsible for the rogue, and keep the vampire council from killing her. All while sorting out an apprentice mage, a married ex-boyfriend shifter-hunter, and the vampire who made her.

Dark and Stormy Knights


P.N. ElrodCarrie Vaughn - 2010
    1. A Questionable Client (Kate Daniels, #0.5) by Ilona Andrews: Kate Daniels guards shifter Saiman, less trustworthy than the enemy.2. Even Hand (Dresden Files, #11.6) by Jim Butcher: "Gentleman" John Marcone, Chicago's most dangerous crime lord, fights water demon with defenses against White Council wizard Harry Dresden. 3. The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher: Hereditary fighter faces monster that killed his father and town, with a little girl that attracts said monster. 4. Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine: Liesl trains the new Dragonslayer before she faces the last dragon.5. Dark Lady (Vampire Files, #12.75) by P.N. Elrod: Vampire nightclub owner Jack Fleming promises radio to resident ghost.6. Beknighted by Deidre Knight: Artist tries to free knight painted in real gold.7. Shifting Star (Signs of the Zodiac, #4.6) by Vicki Peterson: Skamar, Tibetan for star, newly created tulpa, fights another vicious male of Tulpa. 8. Rookwood & Mrs King by Lilith Saintcrow: Vampire private eye is hired by wife to kill the woman's vampire husband. 9. God's Creatures (Kitty Norville, #0.8) by Carrie Vaughn: Cormac follows a werewolf to convent school.

The Summons


Shona Husk - 2011
    If he could grant her wish, she'd finally be safe. He would protect her. But what would he ask in return...?Enjoy this short free prequel and a sneak peek of The Goblin King, the first of a highly imaginative new paranormal series by Shona Husk.

Just One Taste


C.J. Ellisson - 2011
    In 1945 Dria runs an exclusive Paris hotel for the undead. A man from her past tracks her down, determined to win her over.This 2500-word short story (which equates to about ten pages) is for the fans who wanted to know how our characters from Vampire Vacation, Dria (Vivian) and Rafe, met. It's simply a taste of their tumultuous beginning, but their full story - including Dria's much asked about past - will be the sole focus of the full length novel, book four, in The V V Inn series.This ebook includes: A sixteen chapter excerpt from Vampire Vacation, book one in The V V Inn series. And two full chapters from each of the author's new erotica novellas, Johnny Living Dangerously and More Than Tolerable. Lots in a little bitty FREE ebook package!Warning: The excerpt from Vampire Vacation contains very explicit sex scenes in the bonus content and the two erotica novels are basically pure sex. These excerpts are not intended for readers under 18.

Blood Memories


Barb Hendee - 1999
    Then she usually kills them, since self-preservation comes first. So when an old vampire friend kills himself, Eleisha is shocked. And what she finds in his home shows how world-weary he had become; hoarding corpses and keeping records of vampires actual names and addresses. Now the police know who Eleisha is, and more alarmingly, what she is. But she soon realizes that being known may have its uses, even if it puts her and her kind at risk.

The Space Between


Diana Gabaldon - 2012
    Yet her decision is less a matter of faith than fear, for Joan is plagued by mysterious voices that speak of the future, and by visions that mark those about to die. The sanctuary of the nunnery promises respite from these unwanted visitations . . . or so she prays. Her chaperone is Michael Murray, a young widower who, though he still mourns the death of his wife, finds himself powerfully drawn to his charge. But when the time-traveling Comte St. Germain learns of Joan’s presence in Paris, and of her link to Claire Fraser—La Dame Blanche—Murray is drawn into a battle whose stakes are not merely the life but the very soul of the Scotswoman who, without even trying, has won his heart.

Ethan's Mate


J.S. Scott - 2012
    Together with his three brothers and a few other unmated members, he fights with The Vampire Coalition to protect humans from fallen vampires. His life is fairly simple. If he has a problem... he solves it. If it's an evil problem... he kills it. But his uncomplicated life is about to end when his mate unexpectedly calls him to her.Brianna Cole is weak, her life force fading away. She thinks she is suffering from a rare form of leukemia. Little does she knows that her illness is much more complicated. She's dying because she has not united with her vampire mate and given him his soul that she has been guarding since birth.Ethan finds Brianna and knows he needs to convince her to mate or watch her die. He's waited for her for five hundred years and he has no intention of letting her go, but she is not in any shape for the dominate, volatile mating ceremony with a vampire. He will have to win the race against time to strengthen Brianna and a battle with a stalking fallen to claim his mate. He is also at war with his mating instincts that make him burn to dominate and conquer her. But Ethan is determined, and the stubborn vampire will do whatever is necessary to possess his soul bonded mate... forever.18+ ONLY - This book contains graphic sex, graphic language, rough sex, domination, bondage and other subjects that are intended for adults only. This is a romance but contains very erotic content. It is not a true BDSM novella, so if you prefer the SM element you won't find it here. There's no real pain inflicted. It is more romance with alpha male domination being part of the vampire nature and mating instincts. However, it does contain all of the above sexual content in the 18+ warning. Download only if you love a little (or maybe a lot) of kink and heat in you alpha male vampires romances. : )

Dragonswan


Sherrilyn Kenyon - 2002
    One evening delectable Sebastian Kattalakis appears -- a dragon slayer trapped between two worlds -- claims to hold the key to solving the tapestry’s mysteries. Channon follows him into a fantastic alternate world of magic, danger, and adventure.Also in:* In Other Worlds anthologyCollector's-edition.

The Clockwork Menace


Bec McMaster - 2014
    So just why is this case coming between them? In a Victorian London ruled by the blood-drinking elite, Perry Lowell is a logical and accomplished Nighthawk: a rogue blue blood who tracks murderers and thieves for the Guild. So when she and her charming-but-reckless partner, Garrett, are charged with finding a missing theatre starlet, it should be a simple solve. But with an entire theatre of suspects, including a flirtatious understudy and whispers of a Clockwork Menace haunting the place, tension is brewing between the pair of them. Can they come together to solve the case—or will it be too late, when the murderer turns his gaze on Perry herself? Don’t miss any of the London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy books! Book 1: Mission: Improper. Book 2: The Mech Who Loved Me. Book 3: You Only Love Twice. Book 4: To Catch A Rogue. Book 5: Dukes Are Forever What everyone is saying about Bec McMaster: "richly imagined, gritty and dark, and full of hot heroes and hot sex...utterly delicious." - Smart Bitches, Trashy Books for Kiss of Steel 'Dark, intense and sexy... A stunning new series with an intriguing twist on the vampire theme..." - Library Journal for Kiss of Steel The London Steampunk series: - Paranormal Romance - Steampunk Romance - Gaslamp Fantasy - Historical Romance - Victorian Era Romance - Action Adventure Romance - Friends to Lovers

Kitty's Greatest Hits


Carrie Vaughn - 2011
    Over the course of eight books she’s fought evil vampires, were-creatures, and some serious black magic. She’s done it all with a sharp wit and the help of a memorable cast of werewolf hunters, psychics, and if-notgood- then-neutral vampires by her side. Kitty’s Greatest Hits not only gives readers some of Kitty’s further adventures, it offers longtime fans a window into the origins of some of their favorite characters. In “Conquistador de la Noche,” we learn the origin story of Denver’s Master vampire, Rick; with “Wild Ride,” we find out how Kitty’s friend T.J. became a werewolf; and in “Life is the Teacher,” we revisit Emma, the human-turned-unwilling-vampire who serves the aloof vampire Master of Washington, D.C. This entertaining collection includes two brand-new works: “You’re On the Air,” about one of Kitty’s callers after he hangs up the phone; and the eagerly awaited “Long Time Waiting,” the novella that finally reveals just what happened to Cormac in prison, something every Kitty fan wants to know.Contents:Il Est NeA Princess of SpainConquistador de la NocheThe Book of DanielThe Temptation of Robin Green Looking After FamilyGod's CreaturesWild RideWinnowing the HerdKitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned Kitty's Zombie New YearLife is the TeacherYou're on the AirLong Time Waiting

Deadtown


Nancy Holzner - 2009
    Most humans stay far from its borders-but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.