Book picks similar to
Temple of Indra's Jewel by Rachael Stapleton
time-travel
fantasy
first-reads
free-ebooks
Broken Skies
Theresa Kay - 2014
A disillusioned alien boy. They were never meant to meet…When Jax Mitchell’s twin is kidnapped by Earth's alien settlers, the E'rikon, she'll do anything to get him back—even form an alliance with a teenage E'rikon left behind by the same ship that took her brother.Jax agrees to act as a guide, and in return, the alien agrees to sneak her past the human-proof barrier surrounding the E'rikon city. Too bad it's not that simple. Jax soon finds that she's drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales on his back—and he's equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn't know the alien's true motives, and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.With the aliens and the humans at odds, the connection forming between the two teens has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets in motion a chain of events that threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.
Half-Blood Descendant
Natasha S. Brown - 2018
and more. Jax never stays anywhere long enough to put down roots. He’s a shapeshifter—the only one of his kind, or so he thinks. While prowling on his landlady’s property, he is stunned to find a man feeding on her neck. Although he frightens away the blood-sucker, Jax leaves behind a paralyzed woman and a trail of blood in his wake. Aerilyn teaches high school and doubles as a guardian for the Genus Society, an ancient underground shifter organization. After learning of a cougar attack in her own mountain neighborhood, she suspects a rogue shifter is to blame. When the Society accuses Jax of the “animal attack,” he is ordered to stick around until he can clear his name. Desperate to regain his freedom, he must put his trust in his beautiful guardian. Their forbidden attraction leads Aerilyn to wonder if the blue-eyed drifter is innocent. And if he is, the Society has an even bigger problem on its hands—one that feeds on blood. The next in the series, Half-Blood Secrets coming December 2018
Trespassers
Todd Wynn - 2014
Medallion Winner 2015When four alien visitors arrive on Earth and disappear into the cornfields of Indiana, it is Stewart Faulkner’s job to find them. Who they are, where they’re headed, and what’s important enough to make them jump from a moving spaceship are all questions that Stewart must uncover. And he will have to do it all while 1) training a new team member named Mindy—who is developing a crush on him; 2) flying under the radar of his boss to make sure he’s not removed from the case; and 3) staying one step ahead of a government agent named Karl Bruner, who is determined to expose the presence of aliens on Earth.
Mark of Fire
Richard Phillips - 2017
A young woman’s destiny.
Lorness Carol, coming of age in the kingdom of her warlord father, Lord Rafel, aspires to wield magic. But she’s also unknowingly become the obsession of Kragan, an avenging wielder as old as evil itself. He’s waited centuries to find and kill the female prophesied as the only human empowered to destroy him. However, dispatching the king’s assassin, Blade, to Rafel’s Keep, ends in treason. For Blade arrives not with a weapon but rather a warning for the woman he’s known and loved since he was a child. With a price on his head, Blade flees—as Carol and her family are urged away on their own desperate route of escape.Now, traversing the lawless western borderlands, Carol struggles to understand the uncanny magic she possesses and must learn to master. Though separated, Carol and Blade are still united—not only by the darkness pursuing them both but by a quest toward destiny, revenge, and the revelations of an ancient prophecy that signal the ultimate war between good and evil.
Breach of Peace
Daniel Gibbs - 2019
Merchant ships operating in neutral space near the Terran Coalition and the League of Sol are disappearing without a trace. The latest report has something the others didn’t.
A survivor.
When news reaches the planet Lusitania during a cargo offload, Captain Henry and the Shadow Wolf’s crew are hired to extract the surviving operative before she’s silenced and the information she has is lost.But too many opposing forces are at work within the faction-torn republic – and they all want a piece of the prize.With directives from multiple government contacts, Captain Henry concedes to protect his ragtag crew. Years ago, he surrendered to dishonor and dismissal from the Coalition Defense Force in order to protect his fellow officers. This time he knows how to play the game.To save his band of brothers and sisters, Jim must walk a fine line between the operative’s survival and the threats against his crew from the League of Sol.
Before the time to negotiate runs out.
The Keys of the Watchmen
Kathleen C. Perrin - 2014
Once there, she is confused when she experiences sensations of déjà vu as she and her younger brother explore the medieval village and abbey. She is even more disturbed when she is confronted by two unusual young men, one who insists she has a sacred mission, and the other who will stop at nothing, even murder, to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. When the oddly-dressed but alluring Nicolas slips Katelyn a strange medallion, she is whisked back through time where her Watchmen hosts tell her she is the only hope to save Mont Saint Michel. Even worse, she learns that those trying to destroy the mount are led by a fallen angel intent on learning the mount's closely-guarded secret. Katelyn is torn by feelings of anger at being taken back in time, inadequacy at finding a modern solution for a medieval problem, and responsibility for the mount’s starving inhabitants. She is also perturbed by her surprising attraction to the ill-tempered Nicolas. Will she stay to learn why she was chosen by the Archangel Michael and find a way to save his mount?
Harry Watt Bounty Hunter: 2150 AD - And Harry's Life Just Got More Complicated
Rob Guy - 2015
The book is very well written, without a lot of unnecessary detail. All in all, Harry Watt, Bounty Hunter is a very entertaining little book that will appeal to fans of detective novels and science fiction alike."Raanan Geberer - Reader's Favorite"What becomes immediately evident in reading Rob's books is that not only has he a fine sense of imagination to create unusual stories, but that he accompanies that with a fine tuned sense of humor that is too often lacking in sci-fi novels and indicates that he may just have a strong hold on a fruitful career In his chosen genre."5 Star rating - Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Reviewer2150 AD.The Earth is running out of water. On Mars, civil war is looming, which is a pity because there's enough of the wet stuff out there to last the human race for a thousand years.Eager to get their hands on it is Hansel & Gretel, a multi-planetary corporation hell bent on owning every resource in the solar system.WHEN an employee of Hansel & Gretel is accused of theft and then high-tails it to Mars, enter Harry Watt, a would-be bounty hunter who doesn't much care for the water crisis as long as there's enough of the stuff to put ice in his bourbon. Now, a trip to the Red Planet sounds like fun, but our man soon discovers something stinks about his latest case, and it's not one of his socks. To try and find the answers, Harry must first travel to Venus Station. But it's not easy to be in two places at once, and getting framed for murder doesn't help, either.AS the case unravels, Harry must call on all his skills and charm to crack the secret of Mars. His dead partner, an erstwhile assistant, and a host of lady friends lend a hand too.IDEAL for fans of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or The Stainless Steel Rat, Harry Watt Bounty Hunter will take you on a non-stop thrill ride across the solar system. With a few laughs and the odd bourbon-on-the-rocks thrown in along the way.
Ms. Never
Colin Dodds - 2019
Never – a new science-fiction novel by Colin Dodds – takes on (and possibly answers) in startling fashion. THE STORY Farya Navurian seems like an ordinary young woman trying to get ahead in the city while struggling with depression. But her depression is anything but ordinary - it has the power to destroy time and space. Growing up the moody daughter of a space-faring hero of The Greater Anointed Imperial Ohioan Commonwealth, Farya annihilated most of that world and its history, leaving behind the husk-like Buckeye State. One day at a record swap, she meets Bryan, a divorced telecom CEO. More than record collecting, what they share is that they each carry a howling secret. Bryan’s business is a cover for a bigger operation that buys human souls and sells luxury afterlives using shady terms of service in mobile-phone contracts. The two of them fall in love, and as they start a life together, their secrets back them into a corner where they have to come clean - and take drastic steps - to save themselves, and possibly reality itself. Ms. Never is a distinctly 21st-century vision of consent, memory, and the ways we create and destroy the world every day. REVIEWS! “(A) transfixing, fantastic narrative… The author executes the story with exacting, direct prose and characters who live and breathe in the mind… an exceptional work. Existential dread takes on new meaning in a fantastical tale…” – Kirkus Reviews “Ms. Never is a big-picture novel, which encompasses the nature of reality, the universe, and life after death… a crazy world, but even the craziest parts of it have a ring of truth to them… Dodds’ prose is exquisite… Farya’s battle is the battle we all face: to impose a meaning on a world we only partially understand by fighting to retain what is worthwhile and battling against those people and events that cheapen everything around us… Ms. Never is a soaring novel, an imaginative, creative triumph and one that has some power to change the reader” – Lost Coast Review “Smart and mysterious… With themes uniquely developed and a musicality to the prose… this is a great story with a powerful theme and just about enough mystery to keep you asking questions. It introduces a really unique concept on understanding depression and its impact… this one is sure to satisfy” – Independent Book Review “MS. NEVER is a vast, multifaceted undertaking… adjectives like ‘riveting, complex, detailed, skillfully crafted’ come immediately to mind… delves into comparisons between worlds imagined and worlds that were… manipulating spiritual infrastructures, making a fast buck from knock-off universes… chock full of intriguing ideas” – IndieReader Reviews
The Breeders
Katie French - 2012
When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches-- moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders' long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society. And they're hunting Riley.When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender-- a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley's affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico-- escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is shot and forced into the Breeder's hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she'll share unless she can find a way out.
Crossing in Time
D.L. Orton - 2015
The future isn't hidden, it's a trap. If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk.
Fall into this "Funny, Romantic & Harrowing" (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) dystopian love story and prepare to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely NO ditzes!)When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present--and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that's a heart breaker, save the world or not.This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it's the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn't have the proper footwear. It's a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist.Alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here
Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror
Rachel R. Smith - 2015
Nerissa, the Heiress of Chiyo, prepares for the masquerade celebrating the twentieth anniversary of a thwarted assassination attempt on her family. Longing to be admired for herself and not her title, she arranges to switch costumes and enjoy the ball in blissful anonymity. But, when the fateful night finally comes, a prophetic warning of a second attack arrives too late, and the evening turns from revelry and romance to violence. After being pulled from the chaos by an enigmatic guardian, Nerissa learns that the Royal Family has been concealing a formidable secret for generations--and it is only one of many that are about to be revealed. Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror is Book 1 of 4 in the first story arc of the Records of the Ohanzee series, which is written in a serialized style with a story line that flows continuously between books.
Firebloods
Casey Hays - 2017
It all started when the boy next door made her hear music—inside her head. All the time. It was torture. She didn’t think things could get worse. But then one hot summer, her best friend Kane O’Reilly decides to tell her how he really feels about her. Music inside her head? That’s nothing compared what happens next. Things only turn stranger when she and her lab partner Frankie Melmack begin a project to prove the existence of the Vatra u Krvi—a race of people tied to the mythical Phoenix. Add in a neglectful mother and a magic ring, and the insanity that defines Jude’s life is pretty well complete. Heat surges across the Nevada desert, and the best and worst parts of Jude Gallagher’s life collide as myth meets reality. In the middle of the chaos, she begins to hear more than just music. And she has to wonder… Maybe... just maybe… she really is crazy after all.
Hallows Gate
Michelle Erickson - 2012
New Years Eve changed Angelina ‘s lifeShe got lost and fell in love – with a ghostNow she needs to save him by becoming his wifeThe problem?If she succeeds, she frees him, but loses him forever.Love is more complicated than she thought...And that doesn’t include the elves.
Lady of Devices
Shelley Adina - 2011
Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin’s son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world. At 17, Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, was expected to do nothing more than pour an elegant cup of tea, sew a fine seam, and catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, Claire’s talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the chemistry lab, where things have a regrettable habit of blowing up. When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses, Claire finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It’s not long before a new leader rises in the underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices . . . When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his . . . if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals . . .
Patent Pending and Death
Patti Larsen - 2019
At least this time she’s actually legit. Acting as local investigator for her co-owned Fleming Investigations private eye firm while her father, John, takes care of things more far flung, Fee not only uncovers the wrongdoings she's been hired to solve, but stumbles yet again over death, mayhem and murderers bent on keeping their secrets to themselves. Welcome back to Reading, Vermont, the cutest (and deadliest!) town in America!