Book picks similar to
Keeper of the Unicorns by Sahara Foley


fantasy
short-story
not-vampires-zombies
perfect-for-halloween

In the Mirror


Robin Lythgoe - 2011
    "With the help of Lythgoe's spot on descriptions - not to mention the beautiful cover art - I could practically feel the mirror under my fingers. I own an old mechanical typewriter that I used to write many a poem on when I was younger. It belonged to my father and the clack and clatter of it when he used to write was a well-loved sound to me. Lythgoe's story brings to mind many memories of my youth and childhood and how the simple things were very special. In the Mirror is well crafted, full of deep emotion, wonder, loss, hope and most of all, magic."--Kristie Kiessling, Reviewer

Spirit of the Fallen


T.J. Green - 2020
    He has a violent history that haunts him, and a father he wants answers from - if he ever finds him.When they set up in business together with the Orphic Guild, they’re expecting adventure, intrigue and money.But their first job is more complicated than they expected.When they break fey magic that seals an old tomb, they find it contains more than they bargained for. Now they’re hunting for a rogue spirit, but he always seems one step ahead.The fight leads them in a direction they never expected.Gabe could leave his past behind, or he could delve into the darkest secrets of mankind. Shadow has no intention of being left out.If you enjoy action, intrigue, humour, and dark secrets that won’t stay buried, you’ll love this first in series spin-off from the White Haven Witches.

How to Flunk Magic


Elena Bryce - 2013
    Until all spell broke loose! Cool party? Check. Boy of my dreams? Check. First kiss? Not so fast.Because that’s when I discovered I was a witch. And not a very good one.Just ask Peter, the ghost I can now see haunting my bedroom, or the zombies I accidentally raised from their graves.And then there’s Fletch.GorgeousBroodyWerewolf!And he wants me to lift his curse.Am I ready for this? No.Do I hesitate? No.Does it go well? Big fat No!And now, instead of being at the party, I’m dancing naked on the town common with a coven of witches and my new familiar, in a race against time to put things right.Sounds crazy. Is crazy. But I kinda heart crazy… Author note: 2018 Edition. Previously released as Halloween Magic & Mayhem by Stella Wilkinson.

Beneath the Willow


Gemma Farrow - 2013
    He'll do anything for her...at least he believes that. But all it takes is one shattering moment to change a belief; a few nights is more than enough to kill the belief. The world Thomas knows changes one night when he gets a phone call. It's Keziah. She's hurt. She's scared. She needs him. He gets Keziah home, but the horror has just begun. From that moment a darkling world embraces him. Keziah believes she has been bitten by a vampire. Thomas doesn't believe it. At first. But when one belief dies, it's because a new one is forming. As he fights to discount her story, Thomas tries to nurse her back to health, but it isn't working. He can no longer ignore the truth. She isn't solely Keziah anymore. Heartbroken, maddened, and hollow, Thomas has to make a difficult choice. Accept what his girlfriend has become or turn against her. Both choices demand a high price, but which is Thomas willing to pay?

'50sVille


Paul Ibbetson - 2014
    In this strange place, only a select few people ever leave the city limits and even then, they leave reluctantly. This is what fifteen and a half year old Benjamin Granault faces as, through a string of amazing events, he finds himself living in a town where he can never talk about modern technology or current events, a place where being an outsider can cost a person his life and being part of the community may very well cost more. Follow the adventures of Benjamin Granault in ‘50sVille, the strangest town Indiana has ever been unaware of.

Thirteen


Anya Allyn - 2014
    This free story also includes five chapters of DOLLHOUSE, the first book in the bestselling horror series tinged with gothic romance. (less)A hidden mansion. A silent carousel. Missing girls.Hunted by her uncle, a thirteen-year-old girl flees into the woods and stumbles into a secret world of nightmarish horrors: a basement full of life-size toys and kidnapped girls forced to dress as dolls — a place where escape only exists in dreams.In the days before she knew a toy box could be a place of dread; before her hair was curled in ringlets and her lips were painted red; before she forgot her name — she was Molly Parkes.

Witchmark


Meredith Medina - 2017
    Usually when accusations of witchcraft fly around, the accused are just regular women, but sometimes they get it right... and this time we can't run away. They've taken everything away from me, and now I'm all alone with nothing but my memories to keep me company, and my thirst for revenge to keep me warm. Witchmark is a prequel novella in the "Daughters of Hecate" series. Follow Ophelia Turner's quest for revenge through modern day New York City in "Sticks & Stones." Available Now: Book 1 ~ Sticks & Stones (published October 31st 2017) Coming Soon: Book 2 ~ Moonlight Burns (November 30th 2017) Book 3 ~ Power of Three (December 30th 2017)

The Witch of Duva


Leigh Bardugo - 2012
    But it's just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo's debut novel, Shadow and Bone.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Sympathy for the Bones


Marjorie M. Liu - 2014
    from An Apple for the CreatureClora, a girl of particularly gruesome talents, must choose to defy her teacher and the woman who raised her—or else risk losing her soul.

Dying with Her Cheer Pants On


Seanan McGuire - 2020
    Cheerleaders are seriously injured and even killed at a higher rate than other high school sports. Their stunts are performed in skimpy uniforms without the benefit of proper safety equipment…and yet they love them, glittery eyeshadow, spirit bows, and all.And then there are the Fighting Pumpkins, who take that injury rate as a challenge. Students of Johnson’s Crossing High School, they answer to a higher calling than the pyramid and the basket toss, pursuing the pep rally that is rising up against mysteries and monsters, kicking gods with the pointed toes of professional athletes chasing a collegiate career.Meet Jude, half-vampire squad leader; Laurie, who can compel anyone to do as she asks; Heather, occasionally recreationally dead; Marti, strong enough to provide a foundation for any stunt; Colleen, who knows the rule book so well she may as well have written it; and Steph, who may or may not be the goddess of the harvest. The rest of the squad is ready to support them, and braced for the chaos of the big game, which may have a big body count. Prepare to jump high, yell loud, and look pretty with the Fighting Pumpkins, those glorious girls in the orange and green, whose high kicks could still be enough to save the world.And if they’re not, it isn’t going to be for lack of trying.Dying with Her Cheer Pants On includes three stories appearing for the first time anywhere: "Tryouts," "Trial by Fire," and "Compete Me."

Click-Clack the Rattlebag


Neil Gaiman - 2012
    It's not available anywhere else, and for a limited time, each download from Audible benefits educational charities at DonorsChoose.org.A few words from Neil: "Why tell ghost stories? Why read them or listen to them? Why take such pleasure in tales that have no purpose but, comfortably, to scare?"I don't know. Not really. It goes way back. We have ghost stories from ancient Egypt, after all, ghost stories in the Bible, classical ghost stories from Rome (along with werewolves, cases of demonic possession, and of course, over and over, witches). We have been telling each other tales of otherness, of life beyond the grave, for a long time; stories that prickle the flesh and make the shadows deeper and, most important, remind us that we live, and that there is something special, something unique and remarkable, about the state of being alive. Happy Halloween!""'What kind of story would you like me to tell you?' 'Well,' he said, thoughtfully, 'I don't think it should be too scary, because then when I go up to bed, I will just be thinking about monsters the whole time. But if it isn't just a little bit scary, then I won't be interested. And you make up scary stories, don't you?'"So begins this subtle, witty, deceptive little tale from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and enjoy!Included in the anthology Impossible Monsters, edited by Kasey Lansdale.

Demons & Dracaena


A.L. Tyler - 2015
    She's about to graduate from high school in beautiful Bellmoral, Colorado, but she's caught the eye of the campus mean girl. In order to get back at her, Annie unleashes a little hell of her own when she discovers her late aunt’s grimoire. Now that there's a demon on the loose, things aren't so funny. Annie's best friend has been turned into a cat. She's doing her homework in hell. Her after school job at the greenhouse is punctuated by frequent demonic interruptions. But it's worse than that, because Charlie, the demon, claims that her aunt isn't dead, and she owes him a debt. And until Annie can find her, he's holding her life ransom.

War: A Four Horsemen Short Story


Dave Turner - 2019
    1965.  War's found himself deep in the glamorous yet lethal world of international espionage. Unhappy with both the treachery and restrictive dress-code, when a name from the past reappears in his life War realises he must risk everything to keep the world safe once again. This short story follows on from the How To Be Dead series and continues the tale of everybody's favourite grumpy Horseman of the Apocalypse...  What Amazon readers are saying about the How To Be Dead Comedy Fantasy Series: ★★★★★ “Dave Turner is a funny man and ‘How To Be Dead’ is a brilliant read.”★★★★★ “If Neil Gaiman and Simon Pegg sat down to write a story together they might come up with something like this.”★★★★★ “Hilarious and unexpectedly moving.”★★★★★ "Laughs and excitement combined!"★★★★★ “Laugh out loud funny… It’s been a while since an author has made me laugh more than Pratchett does.”★★★★★ "If you like Tom Holt, Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, Dave Turner's books will fit perfectly into your collection."

The MacKinnon Curse


J.A. Templeton - 2012
    As strange events begin to unfold in the forest beyond the castle where he lives, Ian grows more concerned about those he cares about the most…and with good reason.

Gifted


J.A. George - 2015
     Avery Gray was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to make a decision that altered her future forever. It happens to all of us every day. Avery is a size twelve university student with a penchant for dry humour, and she’s as normal as they come. Up until now, the biggest choice she’s had to make was glasses or contacts? At the moment, it’s stay and save, or leave and be saved. Allow me to explain. One rainy afternoon, Avery had to make a choice: go through the alleyway or around it. Two possible options. One would have had her future continue on as planned, the other would ensure that her future never remained the same again. She unknowingly went with the latter. But change is not always bad. Avery meets Theodore-James Connors, an enigmatic young man who takes her to Hayven, a city separated from the rest of the world, where only gifters – ordinary people with extra-ordinary gifts – can go. She soon finds herself in a close-knit group of friends she’d never have imagined herself in. Friends who are diverse in every possible way, from their ethnic backgrounds, to their personalities, from their gifts, to their life stories. Friends who make her laugh, who make her cry, who make her think and who make her…her. However, change is not always good. The beautiful, golden city of Hayven has its dark side – Cliders. Gifters turned rogue, aka, Cliders are determined to aid fallen Clider, Madrina, return to rule Hayven. They will stop at nothing to make that happen, including harming those Ava has grown to love. Again, Ava is faced with a choice: spend her days finding a way to inhibit Madrina’s return, or walk away. After all, she isn’t the chosen one. Yet, there exists a third option – rig the future itself and make it work for her.