Book picks similar to
Voice of Darkness by A.G. Houser


coming-of-age
fantasy
page-turner
near-death

Midlife Witch Unexpected


Melle Amade - 2021
    But since my husband announced he was gay and my daughter left for college, I don’t really have a choice.If I’m going to get my "Happily Ever After" I have to start making new choices, starting with picking guys who like women rather than women’s makeup would be a good start. Next! I’m way past the point of caring what other people think. I’m 49, about to turn 50 and I’m pretty sure I’m entering the prime years of my life. It’s time to make my mark and do things the way I want to do them.Like move.I am sooooooo leaving the city that has sucked me dry with the commute and the executive position. There’s no way I’m doing that anymore. I have enough money from the divorce to buy a house, almost any house, outside of California. I take one suitcase and my jeep, and I leave town, not stopping until I get to Cougar Creek, which is so small I think it’s barely a town, but I’m all about it. This is where I will get my fresh start.I inherited my Aunt’s home here years ago and never even visited, but the renters just moved out and I might as well make it my home. For now. But Cougar Creek has a lot more in store for me than I ever imagined. There is a load of eligible young men from the local ranches, a couple of new BFFs in similar situations, and a strange invitation to a local secret society who think I’m the new high priestess of their local coven. I didn’t stop laughing until I realized they wouldn't take “no” for an answer. They have a massive problem in the cemetery and they expect me to solve it.But I didn’t trade in one life of rules for another one, so if they want me to be high priestess, they’re going to have to accept that I make the rules.

Hunted


Jen L. Grey - 2020
    I never knew my parents, let alone that I was some menace to society... a half-breed.Not only am I trying to navigate my newly found identity, but now I'm torn between a handsome guard and dangerously sexy inmate.I'd rather die than conform to what all the others want, and that's exactly what I'm afraid may happen.If you can't get enough of books by K.F. Breene, Kelly St. Claire, Annette Marie, Shannon Mayer, Leia Stone, Jaymin Eve, and Laura Thalassa, then you'll be sucked into this paranormal romance.

The Backbenchers: The Missed Call!


Sidharth - 2012
    She seeks revenge on the girl she suspects to have caused it all, Ananya. She is not going to take her downfall lying down. And now that she has her hands upon something that can ruin Ananya’s life, she can’t wait to have her vengeance. To gain back her pride, she aims to come out on top in the most prestigious quiz competition in the city and accidentally teams up with her once upon a time best friend, Shreya. Shreya stays at a distance and sees Natasha destroy herself in hatred, revenge and pain. It aches her to see her throw her life away like this. But what can she do about it?The Backbenchers - The Missed Call! traces the story of Natasha Malhotra, as she struggles with depression, suicidal tendencies, vengeance and the loss of social equity. Will she get her old life back? Or will she destroy herself in the process?

Ashwatthama vs Parashuram: The Immortal Force


Gunjan Porwal - 2022
    A secret Nazi experiment in the Wieliczka salt mine of Breslau goes wrong, annihilating the entire research team.Decades later, at the foothills of Dhauladhar ranges, the immortal warrior Kripacharya is brutally attacked by a mysterious beast and goes missing. His peer Vyasa, the old sage, tasks Parashuram to find and bring their fellow immortal back.As Parashuram adjusts himself to this new world and uncovers the plot, he crosses path with an old nemesis, one who not only matches him in power and intellect, but also in ferocity.Ashwatthama.Parashuram has to race against time, and Ashwatthama, to unravel the conspiracy behind Kripacharya’s disappearance to protect not just their identities, but also something much larger at stake, something which has the potential to change history forever.

The Curse of Time


Andreea Pryde - 2019
    Do not shut your eyes to the gifts with which the Gods have endowed you."☆Greek mythology,☆Cursed artefacts☆A connection that shatters the time barrier.☆A sassy, talking kittenI never believed in paranormal. Curses, enchantments, lucky amulets, evil spirits, angels, demons, Heaven, and Hell - all this meant nothing more than fantasies found between the covers of a book.What changed my mind? A new job at a museum.Getting used to the new place was at very least awkward, but life went back to normal-more or less.Things become genuinely complicated with the discovery of a very unlikely connection — me, from the present, and a young woman from the 19th-century named Leah. Capable of taking over her body when Leah agrees, l get to discover hidden lies, mistakes, and foolish ambitions, which if left alone can destroy the future.But, how can I face this situation when my own heart is about to get stolen by the surprising charm of the past?Only Time can tell...

Princess of Shadows


Olivia Hart - 2021
    Except that normal girls don’t walk through mirrors and meet the man sent to kill them. Now I’m being dragged kicking and screaming into a world where nothing makes sense.Sebastian, my dark and mysterious captor, promises to protect me. But how can I trust someone who can sneak into my dreams?Someone who hungers for the untouched parts of me.Sebastian claims I could be the next Dark Queen of the Fae. He says I have powers, that I’m immortal… and that he’s the only one I can trust.He’s arrogant and bossy, but I might have to trust him in a world where shadows are gateways to other worlds. Where every gift has a price, and where the man in black might turn out the hero.Everyone in this new world is trying to murder me. If I’m to survive, I have to embrace the shadows and become more than human. I have to become something stronger. Something darker.Something they’re afraid of.

Murder, Forgotten


Deb Richardson-Moore - 2020
    Even this is not something Julianna’s mind can hold on to, and every day her assistant has to break the heart-wrenching news all over again.Julianna is desperate to know what happened to her husband. As she battles her failing mind to investigate, a detail of the murder surfaces that makes Julianna question everything she’s ever known. Somehow she must fight to find the truth, even though her grip on reality is fading…

Black Dragon Boxed Set


Jada Fisher - 2020
    And so has the Black Dragon.An epic dragon riding adventure from Jada Fisher, author of the popular Brindle Dragon series. Blessed with a magic she doesn’t understand, Ukrah must find her way in a world that doesn’t always embrace her and her gifts. Accompanied by a talking bird and a strange young man who took her in, she must find the legendary dragon rider who saved the world from the Blight. Can Ukrah escape from those who would enslave her, or worse, and find the only person who can help her realize her destiny? The Black Dragon Boxed Set contains the first three stories in the Rise of the Black Dragon series which follows the story of a young girl blessed—and cursed—with a magic she doesn’t understand and a dragon who will save—or destroy—the world. Stories Included: Escape New Beginnings Black Dragon

The Spiritus Dagger


Allie Rose - 2021
    It’s destiny.Ever since she was little, Maise has known about the battle between light and dark. The light mages of Nualia and the dark mages of Darkmoor have fought for millennia, but Maise has never fully understood why.When the man she believes to be her father is gravely injured in an attack, he reveals why he spent so much time training her to fight; she is the prophesied savior of Nualia. In order to fulfill the prophecy, Maise needs to find the Spiritus Dagger; one of five powerful weapons the light mages can use to defeat the dark. With the help of her adoptive sister Raina, Maise sets off to find her dagger. She has no idea what awaits her, but when she meets a mysterious stranger, she is drawn to him in a way she can’t understand.Is he destined to help her on her quest? Or is he just someone to help pass the time as she discovers who she really is; who she is destined to be?--A medium burn paranormal reverse harem read. The harem is built throughout the series.This story is meant for readers over the age of 18 due to mature content.-MFMMM (by the end of the series. Book 1 will just be MF)-Single POV (for now)Potential Triggers- Graphic sexual scenes- Mildly graphic fight scenes- Swearing- Rape content

Kings and Sorcerers Bundle


Morgan Rice - 2015
    Fans of Young Adult Fiction will devour this latest work by Rice and beg for more.” --The Wanderer, A Literary Journal (regarding Rise of the Dragons) The #1 Bestselling series! A bundle of the first three books in Morgan Rice’s #1 Bestselling fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS (RISE OF THE DRAGONS, RISE OF THE VALIANT and THE WEIGHT OF HONOR). Here are three bestselling novels, all in one convenient file, which offer a great introduction to the KINGS AND SORCERERS series. Over 200,000 words of reading, all for an incredible price—a great deal, it also makes the perfect gift! KINGS AND SORCERERS tells the epic coming of age story of Kyra, 15, who dreams of becoming a famed warrior, like her father, though she is the only girl in a fort of boys. She struggles to understand her special skills and mysterious inner power, and comes to realize she is different than the others. But a secret is being kept from her about her birth and the prophecy surrounding her, leaving her only to wonder. When Kyra comes of age and her father tries to wed her off, she refuses and journeys out on her own, into a dangerous wood, where she encounters a wounded dragon—and ignites a series of events that will change the kingdom forever. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, KINGS AND SORCERERS is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. “If you thought that there was no reason left for living after the end of the Sorcerer’s Ring series, you were wrong. Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of trolls and dragons, of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “[The novel] succeeds—right from the start…. A superior fantasy…It begins, as it should, with one protagonist's struggles and moves neatly into a wider circle of knights, dragons, magic and monsters, and destiny.…All the trappings of high fantasy are here, from soldiers and battles to confrontations with self….A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.” --Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer (regarding Rise of the Dragons)

Life's a Witch


Skyler Andra - 2020
    Aka punishment for stealing a magical object. Now I’ve got to hunt down criminal supernaturals to pay off my sentence.The men in my new team don’t want me around. Neither do the other inmates. They just want to push me to my limits, test me, thinking that I’ll fail. But they have another thing coming. I’ll pass everything they throw my way, and I’ll prove I’m worthy.Life's A Witch is book 1 in the Guild of Guardians series, a 90,000 word supernatural prison academy reverse harem novel with plenty of action, swoon-worthy men, and a heroine determined to end up on top. Look out for WITCH HUNT the prequel available 23-6-20.

Dear Killer


Katherine Ewell - 2014
    Your arms are the weakest.Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible.Rule Five—The letters are the law.Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known.But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.Katherine Ewell’s Dear Killer is a sinister psychological thriller that explores the thin line between good and evil, and the messiness of that inevitable moment when life contradicts everything you believe.

Belzhar


Meg Wolitzer - 2014
    She’d be watching old comedy sketches with him. She’d be kissing him in the library stacks.She certainly wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English.But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.Until a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss.From New York Times bestselling author Meg Wolitzer comes a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.

Hidden in Plain Sight


Kat Blak - 2021
    She never thought her life was going to be entwined with that of a bird; certainly not that of five birds.When Scarlett’s world turns on its head, and strange occurrences begin, she realises these birds are anything but what she thinks.Thrown into crazyville, a world she didn’t know existed, Scarlett must work out who means her harm, who she can trust and who will save her.But, with a corrupt government, shifters she didn’t know existed, and secrets about herself that have been kept hidden in plain sight her entire life, will anyone really save her?Because Scarlett has always saved herself, so why should five alphaholes suddenly hinder her life now?Things for Scarlett are truly not as they seem…

Girl Island


Kate Castle - 2021
    One deserted island. Removed from civilised society, can they challenge class, identity and toxic femininity to pull together and survive? Or will they descend into savagery?This thrilling must-read adventure novel is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.***Seventeen-year-old farm girl Ellery is used to being alone; used to taking care of herself. After she wins an athletics scholarship to a prestigious new school, she finds herself facing her own personal nightmare – stuck on a plane with a bunch of mean girls, the school dork and her ex-best friend. But when the plane crashes and they find themselves alone on a deserted island, the real challenge begins.As they fight for survival, long-buried secrets are uncovered and – one by one – each girl’s true character emerges. Can friendships, like fires, be relit? And can Ellery survive on Girl Island?'Move over Katniss Everdeen, there's room for another teen heroine.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Mean Girls meets Lord of the Flies. I loved it.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A great read. I couldn't put it down!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Fans of The Hunger Games will love this book.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I didn't want it to end! A brilliant debut.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A wonderfully gripping, daring debut YA novel.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Totally absorbing...I couldn't put it down.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Ellery is the perfect protagonist...shy without being invisible, compliant without being subservient. But she’s also strong in her resolve and character.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A thrilling YA adventure.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This is the all-girl Lord of the Flies we've all been waiting for.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Read it in one sitting! Beautifully written.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A great story, with characters that took me back to being a teenager myself. Couldn't put it down.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A great read. I will be buying Girl Island for all the teenage girls in my life!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Dawkes is quite possibly my favourite side character in all of the books I’ve read in my life.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This book is amazing!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'Castle writes with flawless precision, she draws you in from the get-go with wonderful dialogue and a pace that never seems to falter. ' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I couldn't put this survival story down. Highly recommended.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A thrilling, quick read...I loved it so much that I read it in a day!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A thoroughly enjoyable adventure. It's fast-paced, exciting and totally absorbing. I read it pretty much in one sitting.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I loved this book. I basically couldn't stop reading it until I finished it.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This book was intensely wonderful…the writing, the characters, the storyline…all of it was phenomenal.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'What a way to finish the reading year! Just wow. I binge-read this in a day!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- Amazon and Goodreads reviews