Book picks similar to
TruthStone by Mike Shelton
fantasy
young-adult
fiction
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The Unwilling Adventurer
Heidi Willard - 2014
An old man, a young armor-wearing girl, and a farm boy walk into a story, and this is what you get; a fantasy series of monsters and mayhem where each day leads them into new troubles and intrigue. Fred is the farm boy, a serf bound to his lord by the debt of his deceased parents. He’s thrown out into the world against his will and into the company of an armored young woman by the name of Pat and her cloaked, bearded companion, Ned. Together they make an unlikely group as they wind their way through troubles with perilous plant monsters, dangerous dog-beasts, and a good book that refuses to be put down. Literally. The Unwilling Adventurer is a fantastical fantasy for lovers of sword and sorcery, action and adventure, panic and pandemonium, and a bunch of other epic adjectives.
Island of Fog
Keith Robinson - 2009
Atmospheric and mysterious, ISLAND OF FOG is the story of eight children living in a dismal, perpetually foggy community on an island just off the north east coast of America.Increasing curiosity leads these 12-year-olds to question what lies "Out There" beyond the fog. Is the world really as dead as their parents insist? Are they truly the last surviving humans on the planet? Or are the children the subject of a dark scientific experiment?When the friends begin to experience frightening physical changes, they realize that their parents are keeping secrets. And when a stranger arrives on the island, it seems clear that the world beyond the fog can't be as dead as they've been led to believe. Convinced of a conspiracy, the children resolve to find out the truth once and for all... and discover a secret far greater than they could have imagined.
Child of the Ghosts
Jonathan Moeller - 2011
She learns the secrets of disguise and stealth, of assassination and infiltration.But even that might not be enough to save her.For the evil that destroyed her family seeks to devour the entire world...
Shadows of the Gods
S.M. Schmitz - 2016
When they trap Selena in an alleyway in New Orleans, she is ready to admit defeat. But an unfamiliar demigod rescues her, and the more she learns about Cameron, the more she discovers their common bonds may be the key to unraveling her own mysterious history. In the first book of The Unbreakable Sword series, Selena and Cameron must not only evade the New Pantheon, which is ruthlessly hunting the remaining gods and their descendants, but an angry Aztec god that wants Selena’s power to himself. And they will discover in the impending final battle of the gods, no one can be trusted.
The Stolen Kingdom
Bethany Atazadeh - 2019
When she begins to hear the thoughts of those around her, she hides it to the best of her ability. But to her dismay, the forbidden Gift is growing out of control.When a neighboring king tries to force her hand in marriage and steal her kingdom, discovery becomes imminent. Just one slip could cost her throne. And her life.A lamp, a heist, and a Jinni hunter’s crew of thieves are her only hope for removing this Gift--and she must remove it before she’s exposed. Or die trying. THE STOLEN KINGDOM is a loose Aladdin retelling. Set in a world that humans share with Mermaids, Dragons, and the elusive Jinni, this isn’t the fairytale you remember… **Grab your copy today!*****Fans of fairy tale retellings like The Lunar Chronicles, supernatural fantasy worlds like The Cruel Prince, and stories with a crew of thieves like Six of Crows will be drawn to the romance, tension, and magical surprises of the Jinni and human worlds colliding in Bethany Atazadeh’s The Stolen Kingdom Series.*** PRAISE FOR THE BOOK: "A dainty princess and a friendly genie are replaced with a tough heroine who fights back and a magical race everyone fears in this addicting fairy tale twist on Aladdin." - Vivien Reis, author of The Elysian Prophecy“A beautifully whimsical story in a new fantasy retelling series, which pays lovely homage to its predecessor. The Stolen Kingdom is a creative take on a classic that is sure to enrapture readers.” - Jessi Elliott, author of Twisted Fate“The Stolen Kingdom is a spellbinding story that pulled me in from the first page. Atazadeh has created a fantasy world that’s both beautiful and frightening, and this Aladdin retelling will capture the hearts of readers who enjoy the beloved folktale.” - Natalia Leigh, author of Song of the Dryad"The Stolen Kingdom takes a completely new direction to the classic fairy tale, one that is familiar, refreshing, and unlike anything in the current YA genre.” - J. L. Willow, author of Missing Her“The Stolen Kingdom series is a fresh breath of air into the fairy-tale retelling genre. Bethany has a unique way of intertwining her characters into one story that will leave you begging for the next book in the series.” - Mandi Lynn, author of She’s Not Here"The Stolen Kingdom is an immersive, heart-pounding suspenseful experience that will have you reading as fast as you can. Atazadeh delivers characters that you will fall in love with and root for until the very end." - Bri R. Leclerc, author of Beaconfield THE STOLEN KINGDOM SERIES READING ORDER:Book 1: The Stolen Kingdom: An Aladdin retellingBook 2: The Jinni Key: A Little Mermaid retellingBook 3: The Cursed Hunter: A Beauty and the Beast retelling (releasing June 30th & available for preorder)Book 4: The Enchanted Crown: A Sleeping Beauty retelling (coming Fall 2020)
Chronicles: The Library of Illumination
C.A. Pack - 2014
What makes this library even more unusual are the two teenagers chosen to oversee its operation. Johanna Charette and Jackson Roth must use their wits to deal with the sometimes humorous, sometimes dangerous situations that arise when enchanted books spring to life. As the teens learn about the library, themselves, and each other, their fates become intertwined, and when they stumble upon a scheme by someone in a distant realm to take control of all knowledge in the universe, Johanna and Jackson are forced to put their lives on the line to battle an ancient foe.
A Thread in the Tangle
Sabrina Flynn - 2013
Isiilde knows this more than most. She is a nymph - a faerie in a realm of humans. Coveted by men and gods alike, she is destined to be sold when she comes of age. Threatened with imprisonment, her formidable guardian, Oenghus Saevaldr, flees with her to the Isle of Wise Ones to beseech a mad seer for refuge.A secret sways the seer, but his choice comes at a cost. A thousand wars have been fought over possession of a single nymph, and this one's mere presence proves disastrous. Isiilde's strange affinity with fire, stemming from Chaos itself, makes her a dangerous prize.As Oenghus strives to carve a future for the nymph, Isiilde trembles on a precipice, caught between the lust of men, the greed of kings, and an eternal struggle for dominance. As three powerful kingdoms vie to own her, the fire in her blood awakens, sparking a cataclysm that spirals into disaster."Storytelling at its finest.""Riveting and epic!""An extremely original tale."
Whill of Agora
Michael James Ploof - 2012
Such is Whill of Agora, Michael James Ploof’s action-packed fantasy that visits strange new lands as it unveils how one exceptional young man named Whill makes full use of fierce wits, superior skills, and relentless will to help defend the land of Agora from the monstrous Draggard. With plenty of drama and action packed battle scenes, Whill of Agora will enthrall anyone on the quest for great adventure, good times, and an infectiously optimistic outlook on even the darkest and most dangerous of days. It is the year 5170 in the land Agora, where humans, dwarves, and elves have existed in peace for centuries. Now, however, the human King Addakon has invaded and waged war on neighboring Isladon. The once peaceful Kingdoms of Agora are on the brink of continental war. The Dark Elf Eadon, Addakon's master, and his army of Dragon-Elf crossbreeds, the Draggard, threaten to conquer all kingdoms. The final hour has arrived. Enter young Whill, a nineteen-year-old ranger with battle savvy and untapped abilities. Having spent years roaming Agora and training with his mentor Abram, Whill has become a bright intellectual and a master of combat. What he seeks most, however, is the identity of his birth parents. Instead, he finds a tumultuous terrain and a prophecy placing him in the center of the struggle. Along the way, Whill encounters an equally inspired group of companions that are matched in skill and mission. These include Rhunis the Dragon Slayer, the young Tarren, the fearless Dwarf Roakore, the beguiling warrior Elf Avriel, and the powerful Zerafin. As Whill joins forces, he forges bonds far mightier than their escalating travails. With high adventure and fierce friendship, Whill of Agora will capture your imagination and grip your heart during every super-charged escapade that Agora’s bold and grinning brotherhood embraces.
Dead Radiance
T.G. Ayer - 2012
And she knows all too well what psychiatrists do to people who claim impossible powers. She's always stayed below the radar, but when she discovers the meaning of the beautiful auras, she's not sure why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead and be unable to do anything about it. But Bryn is on the brink of the unbelievable truth - she is a creature from myth. Valkyrie- a warrior maiden of the God Odin. And a Collector of Souls. Aidan Lee just can't do what he's told. Visiting Craven was not supposed to be a time to fall in love. He's just helpless when faced with the beautiful Brynhildr, but there is more to the biker dude that either Bryn or Aidan himself knows. Can their fledgling love survive the secrets and intrigue, the reality of Odin's realm of Asgard, the pressures of being a warrior of the gods, But Bryn lucks out when the Trickster god Loki sets his sights on her. Can Bryn hold her own against the charmingly manipulative god long enough to discover what Loki is really planning?
Orpheum
D.S. Murphy - 2016
Even though I rebelled against the marathon forced practice sessions that turned my adolescence into a prison camp, there were moments--even in the mechanical repetition of practice--where I stopped being a robot and felt a kind of transcendence, a connection to something deeper. But that was before I learned what music really was, and that it was capable of more than just pretty feelings. That it was a weapon, which could cause great pain and destruction; that it was deeper and older than humanity; and that there were forces in the world that wanted to reclaim it for themselves. And there's something beyond the music, something darker and more violent. Something waiting to be invited, something only I can control. I'm more powerful than I ever could have imagined, but the price is something - and someone - I can't bear to lose.(This is PART ONE of the first book in the series.)Orpheum is a young adult dark fantasy romance based on Eastern European history, the myths and literature of Orpheus and Pythagoras' theory of the music of the spheres. Readers who loved This Savage Song and Strange the Dreamer will love this hypnotic mythological thriller. ♬☠♪♩♫♬☠♪♫♩☠♬☠♪♫♩☠♬☠♪♩♫I spent a decade becoming the best violinist in my state - but a single letter dashed my hopes of a musical career. Desperate to escape my sheltered existence, I took a mysterious offer from a music school in Bulgaria. The culture and my new classmates seemed magical at first... a little too magical. My blood runs dark and hot as new emotions awaken within me, along with supernatural abilities that take my music farther than I'd ever imagined. They tell me I'm the key to everything, but only if I can keep my head.That should have been easy. Instead, I follow my heart and kill everyone I loved.Now I'm going to get them back.Orpheum is a young adult dark fantasy romance based on Eastern European history, the myths Apollo and Dionysus, and an alchemical magic based on planetary music. Readers who loved This Savage Song and Strange the Dreamer will love this hypnotic mythological thriller.A gripping dark fantasy romance for anyone who loves...music and stories with violinsepic stories full of history and mythologymagical powers and supernatural creaturesGothic themes and literaturetragic romancesThis book was updated in 2018 and now contains the FULL novel.Read the epic conclusion now!
Winemaker of the North
J.T. Williams - 2015
A desolate mountain city holds a secret and he is the key to unlocking it. This time, he goes not as an assassin but under guise as a winemaker. In the age before, magic was destroyed but an ordained city, a last hold for dwarves, elves, and all folk of the old world and of the old gods, stands as a refuge for those deemed evil... a haven for the enemies of his masters. Sviska is the last key in a great crusade against magic but the evil is not as he understands. An awakening is coming, darkness is on the horizon, and learning of his forgotten ancestry confuses his convictions. His masters would answer his betrayal with death. Now he must choose to follow their will and live or accept his true path and the consequences that come. Saints of Wura Books Book One: Winemaker of the North -Available Now!- Book Two: Arcane Awakening -Available Now!- Book Three: Coming fall 2015! Make sure to sign up for my mailing list here: eepurl.com/bvt03D
The Shaman's Curse
Meredith Mansfield - 2014
In his isolation, Vatar finds some comfort in daydreams. He knows the strange girl he sometimes imagines is just that--a dream. She’d better be.Because, if she’s real things could get even worse for Vatar. The accepted magic of Vatar’s plains tribe wouldn’t enable him to see or communicate with a girl he doesn’t even know--or know where to find. That would be more like the magic passed down in certain, closely-guarded bloodlines among the ruling class of the coastal cities. And that’s bad. Very bad.Unlike their own, Vatar’s people think the city magic is evil. If the shaman ever found out, it could be the weapon he needs to destroy Vatar. And yet, finding a way to accept the other side of his heritage may be the only way Vatar can ultimately defeat his enemy.The two kinds of magic have always been totally separate. Until now.
The Electric Kingdom
David ArnoldDavid Arnold - 2021
Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and love in a world gone dark. The Electric Kingdom is a sweeping exploration of art, storytelling, eternal life, and above all, a testament to the notion that even in an exterminated world, one person might find beauty in another.
Twisted: The Girl Who Uncovered Rumpelstiltskin's Name
Bonnie M. Hennessy - 2016
An old tale tells the story of how a little man named Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold and tricked a desperate girl into trading away her baby. But that’s not exactly how it happened. The real story began with a drunken father who kept throwing money away on alcohol and women, while his daughter, Aoife, ran the family farm on her own. When he gambled away everything they owned to the Duke, it was up to her to spin straw into gold to win it all back. With her wits and the help of a magical guardian, she outsmarted the Duke and saved the day. Well almost… Her guardian suddenly turned on Aoife and sent her on a quest to find his name, the clues to which were hidden deep in the woods, a moldy dungeon, and a dead woman’s chamber. Her feelings for one of the men who tricked her from the start threaten to complicate everything. Not the tale of a damsel in distress, this is the story of a tenacious, young woman who solved a mystery so great that not even the enchanted man who spun straw into gold could figure it out. Not until Aoife came along.
Children of a Broken Sky
Adam J. Nicolai - 2013
In its wake, everything changed. Now the sun rises in the south, if it rises at all. Animals go mad. Crops ripen and die overnight. The Church - a body of miracle-workers who can heal the sick and walk through fire - warns that God's final judgment is at hand. THE WORLD WILL SOON END.Now, stories tell of men that speak with beasts and peasants who work their own miracles. The Church decries these heretics, hunting them like animals and demanding the same of the faithful. In a remote village, a small group of childhood friends are caught in the crossfire. Accused of heresy by the Church and sentenced to death, they escape their village as it burns behind them.BUT SOME MAY FIND HOPE.Their Church hunts them. A cursed world assails them. To survive, one of them will learn the true meaning of her beliefs; another, that some portents can be deceiving. But only one revelation has a chance to save them:That they are not forsaken. They have each other.Bestselling Kindle Suspense author Adam J. Nicolai invites you to a land beneath a broken sky, where sorceries clash with miracles, mountains are crowned with lightning, and faith - true faith - can topple empires.