Book picks similar to
Liminal Lights by J.M. Bogart


fantasy
fiction
morning-rain-books
recommendations

Wicked Sense


Fabio Bueno - 2012
    Things get complicated when Skye meets a charming new classmate, Drake. Skye’s job becomes even trickier when she clashes with Jane, an intimidating rival witch.Drake falls for the mysterious Skye, but odd accidents, potion mix-ups, and the occasional brush with death kind of get in the way of romance. Once he discovers Skye is a witch, he goes to war for her, even though his only weapons are a nice set of abs and a sharp sense of humor.Fighting off wicked Jane and the other dark forces hell-bent on seizing the Singularity's immense power, Skye and Drake will risk everything to save the covens.Going on a date has never been harder.

Meghan's Dragon


E.M. Foner - 2016
    Her sole ambition is to bring a warrior’s soul from Dark Earth to become her dragon and protect her while she develops into a mage. When her interpretation of a Dark Earth death vision goes awry, Meghan gets both more and less than she bargained for.

Boone Shepard


Gabriel Bergmoser - 2016
    You might have heard the rumours—whispers of an evil plot involving time travel, dangerous experiments, a secret fortress, a terrible book, famous authors and, regrettably, murder. You might also have heard of heroes who were caught up in this plot, fighting to do the right thing. That sounds a lot more impressive than it actually was. My name is Boone Shepard. I’m here to set the record straight.”Boone is taking a break from writing for The Chronicle newspaper to hunt down and destroy every last copy of a very rare, very dangerous book. But then his editor calls to demand he investigate a missing persons case deep in the Scottish Highlands—in the company of his rival, photographer Promethia Peters—and he is forced to abandon his personal goals and get back to work. Restless and begrudging, Boone is unprepared when this hunt leads him back to the one story that won’t stop chasing him—his own. Boone Shepard is the first in a series of young adult novels following the adventures of an Australian expat, errant journalist and accidental hero.

Sunset Rising


S.M. McEachern - 2013
    Welcome to the Biodome, where steel, rock and armed guards separate the privileged from the slaves ...Born and raised as a slave in the Pit, Sunny O’Donnell has always accepted that she'll spend her life working to keep the Dome running and, if she lives long enough, willingly meet her end in the annual Cull when she reaches the age of thirty-five. This was the price her ancestors paid for their place inside the Biodome, the only haven from the global nuclear war of 2024. But when Sunny’s mother is killed in the Cull, the hopeless reality of her existence becomes painfully clear. Bereft and disillusioned, she heads down a reckless path that sets off a riot in the Pit and leaves her accused of treason. Her only way of escaping public execution is to make a truce with her prison mate, who happens to be the heir to the dictatorship and hated enemy of the Pit. Now caught between two worlds on the brink of war, Sunny must weigh her own survival against risking everything to save the Pit. S.M. McEachern delivers the action and adventure of The Hunger Games, the intrigue of The City of Ember", and the romantic philosophical notes of Les Misérables in her debut novel set in a future that is disturbingly plausible.

The Kingdom Lights


Steven V.S. - 2014
    Living in the shadow of his talented cousin, his powerful aunt and uncle, Celes is resigned to his future of soot, factories and well, more soot.But on the night of his twelfth birthday everything changes. A blinding light, a whispered voice and in an instant Celes becomes the first ordinary child in all of history to develop magic, sending him on a fast track ticket to Gardarel, the greatest of the floating cities.Though some welcome Celes others want the dirt-ridden up-start off their city – preferably head first. Nowhere is this clearer than in beautiful and haughty Lady Ban and her sneering nephew Marcus Blackwood. But Blackwood, with his gang of goons and unimaginative one-liners, is soon the least of Celes’s problems.With a little magic and a lot of detective work, Celes unravels the dark truth behind Lady Ban’s prim, perfect smile – an alliance to the villainous Wardens and the masked man who leads them. But in his bid to expose Lady Ban, Celes unwittingly stumbles on to an even darker conspiracy – the complete destruction of Gardarel itself.

The Butterfly Bruises


S. Palmer SmithS. Palmer Smith - 2021
    It is a meditation on miscommunication, childhood, Northeastern vs. Southern American culture, family, nature vs. technology, and the imagination of the introvert."From sonnets to somnambulance, from algae to oxytocin, from manatees to Manhattan, Stirling Smith rides the riptides of memory’s fictions and frictions in this prolific debut. Butterfly Bruises is a gem mine of poems and stories that write through grief and growing up, personal and planetary survival, with words rugged and glistening like seashell shards..." -Poetry Critic and Scholar, Professor Robert Dewhurst, PhD.

Isle of Blood and Stone


Makiia Lucier - 2018
    The map curled into itself. "It's bound to be a goose chase. You know that?""Or a treasure hunt," Ulises countered, "and you've always been good at those."Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar's oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way...until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear.The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias's father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king's beautiful cousin by his side—whether he wants her there or not—Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried...and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.

Poisoned


Jennifer Donnelly - 2020
    Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman pulled out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart.It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . . With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.

Halloween Jack and the Devil's Gate


M. Todd Gallowglas - 2011
    In the old stories, the mythical figure Jack of the Lantern has supposedly protected humanity on All Hallow's Eve for centuries upon centuries because the demons and dark creatures fear him too much to approach any jack o' lantern. One Halloween night, John learns the truth when the demons come for him, leading an army of steam-powered soldiers. With these steam soldiers, The Devil and his kin have finally gotten the better of Jack of the Lantern and broken through the Devil's Gate to wreak havoc, mischief, and misery throughout the world. With the help of his cousins, Moira O'Neil who knows the special ritual to close the Devil's Gate, Daniel McRory the inventor, John must take up the mantle of Jack of the Lantern and create a new legend great enough, and terrible enough, to scare the Dark Lord and his dark legions back into their dark realm. The Halloween Jack books are part swashbuckling adventure, part steampunk fantasy, that twist and turn the traditions of old tales and legends upside down and inside out. If you enjoy a rollicking tale with clever and cunning heroes, Halloween Jack and his friends are heroes for you!

MINDER


Jennifer Kabay - 2012
    If you knew what resided in that security blanket, you'd never throw it away. Childhood is governed from a sacred place between the trees, lit by fireflies, and overseen by ancient souls dedicated to the sanctity of youth. MINDER is a dark fairy tale about young siblings who inherit an old trunk from their grandfather. But not everyone sees the same thing inside. They experience joy and terror in equal measure learning the truth about security blankets, the tooth fairy, invisible friends, and terrible things that befall children who go poking in places uninvited.

Sisters of Sorrow


Axel Blackwell - 2015
    If the brutal machines don't kill Anna, her guardians' neglect and abuse probably will. The only thing this abandoned teen wants is out. But the factory is inside a stone fortress, on an island, where people are sent to be forgotten. It serves as a dumping ground -- both for orphans who are not welcome at finer institutions, and for nuns who have disgraced the Church. The walls of Saint Frances du Chantal's Orphan Asylum hum with secrets and buried scandal. In the catacombs below the factory, something long dead, something almost forgotten, stirs. It offers Anna a key, and promises freedom, if she will seek it out when she escapes. She knows her plan will endanger the other children, but Anna cannot resist the call of freedom. Her escape attempt triggers a chain reaction of chaos, shaking the orphanage to its foundation and laying bare its deadly secrets. As Anna flees into the night, she discovers that the evil nuns were the least of her worries. The swirling mist of the island hides terrors more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

Girl Soldier


T.R. Horne - 2016
    A small farming town, forgotten and missed by everyone. After learning that her estranged mother is missing, she embarks on a daring journey to find her. Unfortunately, she uncovers a trail of lies and deceit that makes her wonder...how far will she really go to save her mother? Before long, Rain realizes that even motherly love has its limits when America is at stake."Plenty of action ensues, and Rain transforms into a “blonde bombshell” who fills out a sequined dress nicely, becomes well-versed in espionage and torture, and learns that she can trust no one. The plot is exaggerated, yet fun in a Scandal sort of way." - Kirkus Reviews"A page-turning action and adventure novel with heart. Fans of high-octane action novels will enjoy the twists and turns of Girl Soldier. While there are plenty of heart-pumping scenes to keep diehard fans of thrillers engaged in the story, this is also a heartfelt novel. Rain isn’t unlike many teens, even if she has an unusual life. It’s her humanness that makes her a memorable character and transforms this novel into more than a spy thriller." Self-Publishing Review, 4½ Stars"Tension, action and suspense spill out of these pages – a story that would translate to film well." Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer "... a mystery suspense novel that takes you in from the beginning, the way it is written makes you want to keep reading until the end." - Amazon Reviewer

Eruption


Adrienne Quintana - 2015
    But a mysterious message from her future self sets Jace and her old friend Corey racing to piece together clues before Omnibus destroys their future—and their past. This fast-paced thriller will keep you guessing till the very last page.

When Ash Rains Down


Cecelia Earl - 2016
    She was so, so wrong.Julia's hardcore. She has no time for childhood nonsense like fairytales and romance--literally. She's too busy getting straight A's and working two jobs to get her family out of the mess her dad left them in. Despite the stupid necklace he gave her before he bolted--the one that supposedly contained protective powers and songs of angels--she knows the truth. He never cared about her mom, brother or her, and angels and heaven are a farce. Besides her family, she only lets her best friend, Mitch, get close to her, and even he knows how quickly she can put up walls. She won't even take a second (okay, maybe third) glance at the handsomely irritating guy at school who's been lurking around. But no matter how much she's tried to protect everyone, the life she's so painstakingly been rebuilding is about to come crumbling down.And that necklace might have some benefit after all.Will Julia and her family survive an explosion, a demon invasion, or even the beautiful strangers that want her to join some demon-hunting mission?There's no question about it, money and good grades aren't going to solve all her problems anymore. It turns out there may have been something more behind her dad's disappearance... It looks like Julia's demon-hunting days are about to begin.Fans of Cassandra Clare, Julie Hall, and Cameo Renae will love this young adult SUPERNATURAL series by author Cecelia Earl. Enter a world where ANGELS, DEMONS, and HUMANS collide, all battling to save their KINGDOMS.Read the ENTIRE Kingdom Come series. The Legend of Shady Creek trilogy and companion novels are all AVAILABLE NOW."This book packed a lot in and completed the urban-fantasy world-building in a way reminiscent of The Mortal Instruments series." ~Goodreads Reviewer"The battle scenes were epic, yes really." ~ OMG Books and More Books YA Book Reviewer"A fascinating first book in a series that kept me not only excited to read from one chapter to another but anticipating the next installment as well." ~ Amazon Reviewer

Glow of the Fireflies


Lindsey Duga - 2019
    After an unexplained fire gave Briony amnesia, her mother disappeared and her dad moved them to Knoxville.But now her grandmother needs a caretaker and Briony's dad volunteers her to help. The moment she returns, her whole world shifts. She feels a magical connection to this valley, as if it's literally part of her somehow.And when she meets a hot guy who claims he was her childhood friend but now mysteriously keeps his distance, Briony starts piecing together her missing past...and discovers her mother didn't leave to start a new life somewhere. She's trapped in the hidden world within the valley.Now, Briony will do whatever it takes to rescue her, even if it means standing up against dangerously powerful nature spirits. Even if it means giving up her first love.