Book picks similar to
Catching Cinders by Kendra Merritt


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Charmed and Dangerous


Debbie Herbert - 2016
    She falls for classmate James MacLauren and struggles to keep her magical abilities a secret from him. Then there’s the even trickier problem that her rogue warlock father and his coven will kill anyone who prevents Callie from joining them in dark magic. Someone like James . . . But James has a secret of his own. He’s part of a hidden race of immortals living in the Appalachian hollows and the last thing he needs in his life is a witch who could imprison him with a binding spell. But it will take all of his superhuman physical strength, and all of Callie’s extraordinary magical skills, to survive when two covens and an army of immortals engage in battle. Should they fail, they face either death or utter domination by the power of dark magic. **This is a complete novel at approximately 76,000 words**

Slumber


Becky Bird - 2019
    Though the problem isn’t his lack of suitors but his refusal to marry a princess that is less than perfect. The cardinal presents him with an opportunity: a quest to find the most beautiful princess in the land who has been in slumber for a century. But, unbeknown to the prince, the cardinal plans to kill him as soon as the prince embarks on his quest, and take the throne for himself. Luckily, Prince Thomas’s path crosses with Lucy, a spirited orphan runaway, who saves his life and convinces the prince to continue the quest. When they eventually find Princess Aurora, they also find another contender – Prince Philip – vying for the princess’s heart. Despite their mutual disdain for each other, Lucy agrees to assist the prince, and Thomas accepts her help to keep him alive long enough to beat out his competition and return to rule his kingdom alongside his perfect bride. They just don’t count on falling for each other in the process.

The Look of a King


Tom Dumbrell - 2021
    One with a dark past, the other with a bright future. Cyrus is a storyteller frustrated by the mundane trappings of village life, while Prince Augustus struggles to meet high expectations after an upbringing of royal privilege in the bustling capital. As both try to forge their own paths, a royal assassination unexpectedly closes the gap between them. The nation of Easthaven is thrown into war with their oppressive neighbours, and so begins a conflict from which neither can walk away. Will a young prince finally measure up to his destiny? Will a storyteller create a legend of his own? Cyrus and Augustus's lives may seem worlds apart, but perhaps they aren't so different after all...

Retreat of the Kell


Christopher Mitchell - 2020
    

Fatemarked


David Estes - 2017
    Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come.An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him.A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.Enter a world of magic and dragons, kings and queens, and victory and defeat, during a time when honor and valor still meant something.

Before the Midnight Bells


Jessica Woodard - 2011
    In fact, she's determined to save not only herself, but her entire family from her stepmother's headlong plunge into financial ruin. The situation is dire, though, and her work as a seamstress isn't going to keep her stepsisters from the poor house. That is, until the king declares a month long celebration in honor of his daughter's engagement. Suddenly everyone needs new outfits for the royal ball, and Eleanor begins to feel some stirrings of hope.Max Wellesley is a loyal and true blue friend, which is the only reason he let Princess Vivienne talk him into this mad scheme of a fake engagement in order to outsmart her father. He hasn't really considered the consequences of his actions, though, not to himself, his father, or his friend--and certainly not to the mysterious young woman he meets, ironically, at a ball for his own fake engagement.Before the Midnight Bells is a fresh look at the Cinderella story, filled with humor and intrigue, and a modern sensibility about how fairy tales ought to go.

Defiant


M.J. Haag - 2019
    Maas and/or Melanie Dickerson are sure to enjoy.Magic can have deadly consequences.When the sudden and suspicious death of Eloise’s mother points to forbidden magic, Eloise is determined to bring her mother’s murderer to justice. She will stop at nothing to find the killer…even if the clues lead right to the palace gates and the prince’s manservant, Kaven. He is irrational, volatile, and prone to knocking women off horses. Given his personality, it should be easy to find the proof she needs to place him in irons. However, when dark magic is used, nothing is as simple as it seems, and Eloise is about to learn that nightmares often hide behind fairy tale lives. Fans of the Beastly Tales will not want to miss this new addition to the same world. Filled with magic, unexpected foes, and brooding, impossible men, this Tale of Cinder is sure to leave you burning for more!

Familiar Spirits


Sara Christene - 2020
    Adelaide O’Shea runs the Toasty Bean, imbuing her coffee and tea with warm, cozy magic. When a black cat crosses her path, she worries her new pet might be unlucky, and her suspicions are confirmed when the next thing in her path is a dead man with her phone number in his pocket.And the cops aren’t the only ones breathing down her neck over it. There’s an old, dark magic in town, and it has its sights set on Addy. With the help of her two witch sisters, a handsome detective, and a charming veterinarian, can Addy solve the murder and escape the darkness? Or will she and her new spooky pet have to turn tail and run?

Blackwick Falls: The Marked Witch


Celina Myers - 2019
    She was raised thinking she and her mother were all alone in the world. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Quickly Billie is thrown into a whole new world that she never could have imagined existed. Billie never believed in witches or magic. So, who was this new rich family? How did they know about her? Why are they telling her she is a witch? Why did her mother never tell her about them? Everyone starts to act strange soon after she arrives, little does she know their actions will change her forever.

Demon Cursed


Sadie Hobbes - 2020
    For the last hundred years, demons have been a plague upon our world. And in each attack the only outcome is the death or disappearance of the victims. Untrained humans do not survive clashes with these creatures. And in the last few years, these attacks have only increased. No one knows why. The Seraph Force protects the residents of Sterling Peak. They patrol at night, allowing the citizens to sleep soundly. Across the bridge, the residents of Blue Forks only have me. But I have to fight in secret. I can't draw attention to myself or my two wards. A chance encounter, though, changes all of that. Now my skills have caught the demons' attention and the attention of Graham Michael, the leader of the Seraph Force. And I'm not sure which one is more dangerous.

Below


Lee Gaiteri - 2017
    Brenish, a mediocre highwayman but a brilliant liar, always dreamed of finding riches in the deeps himself. Since his fascination has earned him a reputation as a lore master, he’s the perfect man to sell a forger’s masterpiece: the wizard’s lost treasure map. His boss Gareth St. James is dangerous to disappoint, and equally obsessed with the ruins. His fury after a botched robbery is abated only by his untimely discovery of the map, forcing Brenish into a desperate bluff that it might be real. But the forger did his job too well, stoking Gareth’s desire and leaving Brenish and the other thieves no choice but to join his quest. Gareth’s expedition includes his best henchmen, and an extra hostage for insurance against Brenish. In the dark realm of monster-infested tunnels and abandoned cities below, both men need each other’s wits to keep the company alive. But Brenish knows the search for the wizard’s hoard is doomed—and if he can’t divert Gareth before the truth comes out, so is everyone he cares about. About 118,000 words.

Changeling Justice


Frank Hurt - 2019
     She does her job and keeps her true abilities secret—that is, until she discovers a dark conspiracy.They never should have underestimated her.Ember Wright hates high heels, steep staircases, and having to cook for herself. She lives mostly on instant noodles and old western novels. She sometimes chats with dead people.Newly-promoted to Associate Investigator, Ember is sent undercover on her first assignment to rural North Dakota. Mages and changelings have been living in harmony, hidden in plain sight among humans for centuries. But now a shadow is upsetting the balance.With time running out for the infected residents, she must root out the source of dark magic—or become its next victim. Ascending Mage 1: Changeling Justice is page-burning modern urban fantasy with a kick-ass heroine and magic that will grab you by the throat. WARNING: this story is written for mature audiences; it contains adult language and graphic depictions of violence.

Waters of Salt and Sin


Alisha Klapheke - 2017
    But when a madman enslaves her sister, Kinneret must make a deal with the local ruler: Find the island to secure the ruler’s place in history. In return, the woman’s fighting sailors will rescue Kinneret’s sister.Using Salt Magic to navigate cursed waters, Kinneret and Calev struggle to hide their taboo, caste-breaking feelings, knowing if the ruler witnesses the attraction, she will cancel the agreement. But when Calev makes a terrible mistake, Kinneret must choose between the life of her only remaining family member and saving the boy she loves from a traitor’s death.

Cursed Beauty


Dorian Tsukioka - 2014
    Adelaide has lived her entire life cursed with a birthmark that makes people shy away. When an invitation to the Elder Prince’s ball falls in her lap, she knows attending would only cause people to shun her more. A fairy godmother feels her pain and offers her a pair of glass slippers that not only transform her ragged dress to an elegant gown, but also removes the mark that covers her face. However, Adelaide soon learns that the beautiful slippers can steal away more than just her birthmark, leaving her cursed in a far worse way. This retelling of the classic Cinderella story will resound with readers of young adult fiction who love paranormal fantasy, fairy tales, and a splash of romance.

Honor at Stake


Declan Finn - 2015
    The other is a vampire.College freshman, Amanda Colt knows few people and wants to know fewer still. She enjoys fencing and prefers facing a challenge every once in a while. She is beautiful, smart, and possibly the most interesting person on campus.Then she finds tall, intense Marco Catalano in her fencing class. With a mind like a computer and manners of a medieval knight, he scares most people - but not Amanda.They both have secrets, for they are both monsters.As they draw closer, they must find the line between how much they can trust each other, and how much they can care for each other. Each carries a secret that can destroy the other. But they must come to grips with their personal drama soon, because a darkness rises around them. Bodies keep turning up all over New York, and an army of vampires closes in on all sides. They have only one hope - each other. The Love at First Bite Series Honor at Stake (ASIN B07CS11F97) - 2016 Dragon Award nominee for Best Horror Novel! Demons are Forever (ASIN B07D2DF4TM) Live and Let Bite (Coming July 10th!) - 2017 Dragon Award nominee for Best Horror Novel! Good to the Last Drop (Coming August 14th!)