Book picks similar to
The First Kingdom by D.N. Meinster


fantasy
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young-adult
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Destroyer of Planets


L.A. Johnson - 2017
    She has never actually destroyed any planets, but getting to choose your own title is one of the few perks you get when you work against your will for an evil Octopus Overlord.In an attempt to regain her freedom, Kirian defies her tentacled boss and secretly saves Ari, the human she is supposed to kill. Can the two of them and a band of misfits join forces to thwart the Neon Octopus Overlord? And can a revolutionary rock song from an illegal grunge band save a planet?

Escalante


Andrew Vaillencourt
    He may have wanted a quiet place to hide, but instead he will team up with the last good cop in Dockside to try to stop a gang war and protect the hard-working folks just trying to make an honest living.It's good cop vs, bad cop, gang leader vs. mobster, and Roland Tankowicz vs. everybody in a high-stakes contest for control of Dockside. He may be brand new to the job, but the smart money is on everybody's favorite Army surplus cyborg as he doubles down on the deadliest game in Dockside:ESCALANTE.

The Rules for Lying


L.A. Kelley - 2017
     No good comes from this book. The story has magic, mayhem, theft, murder, sass talk, demons, animals committing felonies, gleeful revenge, and bad things happening to good people for no particular reason. It won’t encourage good habits and probably fine tune bad ones. The only lesson learned is don’t lie unless you know the rules. Teenager Peter Whistler lives at the Little Angels Home for Orphan Boys. Life in New Jersey is harsh in the Great Depression, but Peter has an exceptional ability to lie. He hones his talent, convinced it’s the ticket to easy fortune. He certainly doesn’t foresee the arrival of a murderous conjurer with mysterious designs on a little blind girl named Esther. Drawn into a nefarious plot to unleash a demon, Peter leads Esther and an enchanted terrier on a desperate escape to New Orleans and meets Amelie Marchand. Like all well-bred southern girls she’s trained in deadly martial arts, but with a murderous stepmother, Amelie has troubles of her own. Peter and Amelie’s one chance for survival is to head deep into the bayou and seek help from a mad shaman known as the Frog King. Welcome to an alternate 1930s where both jazz and magic fill New Orleans’ air. Can a little luck, mystical lies, and a dash of Cajun crazy help Peter harness the power to kill an immortal demon? If not, the Depression will be a picnic by comparison when hell arrives on Earth.

The Problem with Black Magic


Karen Mead - 2012
    Sam, a mysterious co-worker at The Daily Grind, seems to have taken an instant dislike to her, but for Cassie, the looming specter of the SAT Verbal section is a much bigger concern.After a freak accident nearly leaves Cassie and her co-workers dead, a spell cast in desperation transforms her from a regular teen to a valuable familiar: a magical well a demon can tap. As if she didn't have enough problems, now every demon (and their monstrous minions) seems to be after Cassie's latent magic, and will stop at nothing to possess her.Blending a hint of gothic romance with wry humor, The Problem With Black Magic is a tale of one young woman's struggle for independence in a brand new world of sorcery, intrigue, and wonder.

A Shaper's Promise


Karen MacRae - 2018
    They might be Musicians or Artists, gifted with the Elements, like Stone, Light or Air, learn a language in minutes or have Speed, Strength or a million other possibilities. They’re not mutants. They’re not aliens. They’re just extraordinarily talented.One of the rarest gifts is Reading the auras that surround every living thing: understanding the patterns of light that reveal a person’s thoughts and feelings, their very being. The rarest gift of all, though, is the ability to not just Read an aura but manipulate it, control it or even destroy it… to Shape it. It’s no wonder ancient lawmakers decreed Aura Shapers be wiped out or that Shaping is still punishable by death.A Shaper’s Promise begins with Anna. She’s just eighteen and possibly the first Aura Shaper born in The Kingdom in centuries. Her Healer mother's always warned her to never let anyone know what she is, but she's determined to head to Ionantis to try to join the Quorum of Gifted. Fate seems to think she should follow a different path and she soon finds herself embroiled in events beyond her wildest dreams. For there is evil heading towards The Kingdom and Anna's gift might be the only weapon that can save them."An entertaining and exciting tale from a convincing and attractive fantasy world”“The finale is crashingly epic. I read it at the speed of sound. People! This is an excellent read!”“Absolutely loved this book. Cost me some sleepless nights cause I couldn’t drag myself away from it!""The whole concept of this magical world is enchanting. Would thoroughly recommend and can’t wait for the next instalment!!”“The first in a trilogy, that draws you in to a wonderful world of fantasy. Great characters, well thought through plot, page turning.”The Aura Shaper Series is dedicated to the author's friend, Ann Clark, who passed away much too early after a lifetime dedicated to healing others.Please note that Karen MacRae is a British author who writes in British English.

Fireseed One


Catherine Stine - 2010
    Varik Teitur inherits a vast sea farm after the mysterious drowning of his marine biologist father. When Marisa Baron, a beautiful and shrewd terrorist, who knows way too much about Varik's father's work, tries to steal seed disks from the world's food bank, Varik is forced to put his dreams of becoming a doctor on hold and venture with her, into a hot zone teeming with treacherous nomads and a Fireseed cult who worships his dead father, in order to search for Fireseed, a seemingly magical hybrid plant that may not even exist. Fans of Divergent will likely enjoy this as well as those who like romance with their page-turners. ***Indie Reader notable, YA finalist in sci-fi & YA in USA News International Book Awards and Amazon bestseller. Includes discussion questions for book club or classroom.

Repatriate Protocol


Kelli Kimble - 2016
    But she soon learns that there is another path she can follow.In nearly a thousand years, only a few have seen the outside world, and virtually everyone inside is terrified of it. When Hillary is offered the chance to see it herself, she can’t help but want to jump into the adventure.But it isn’t just a matter of opening a door. Hillary must endure a rigorous education and brutal physical training to get outside. Can she pass through the grueling gauntlet to get outside? And what does she risk if she makes it?Part coming-of-age adventure, part survival horror, and part science fiction, REPATRIATE PROTOCOL is the gripping first installment in THE REPATRIATE PROTOCOL series by Kelli Kimble.

The Flawed Legacy


E.G. Bateman - 2020
    Working as a private investigator, her latest case takes her and her partner to Palm Springs, where a shifter is being harassed by a local businessman. But with pack politics and rivalries, this is far more than a property deal gone bad.Far worse, for Lexi, is that her local contact is her long-time nemesis, the gay vampire detective Dick. If the case doesn’t kill her, working with him again might!Note: This book was previously released as part of the Legacy of the Shadow’s Blood.

Star Soldier Episode One


Odette C. Bell - 2017
     Ami is a soldier, nothing more than cannon fodder in a war that’s threatening to tear her world apart. When creatures from a cross-dimensional rift spill over her world, society as she knows it shatters. All must fight to live. But when a creature with near limitless power choses her to save her world, Ami is swept into a fight for everything and everyone. … An action-packed sci fi, Star Soldier is sure to please fans of Odette C. Bell’s Axira.

Cradle of the Gods


Thomas Quinn Miller - 2013
    A thousand years later, the remaining humans eke out an existence on the fringes of a vast dwarven empire. In a human settlement known as the Cradle of the Gods, a young man named Ghile is preparing for a Rite of Attrition, used by the dwarves to seek out potential vessels for their god’s return. Meanwhile, Almoriz the Sorcerer and his apprentice Riff arrive in Ghile’s village for one of their annual visits, beginning a series of events that will change Ghile’s life forever. He is marked as the Stonechosen, and wields powers of the gods themselves. But Ghile is not alone. Others chosen to fulfill the prophecy are also traveling to the Cradle to seek out and destroy him. The time of the Stonechosen has come. First novel in The Soulstone Prophecy series, Cradle of the Gods is a well-crafted, gripping journey of fantasy, magic, discovery and peril.

The Traveller's Stone (The Haven Series, #1)


S.J. Howland - 2019
    Howland has created a wondrous fantasy world, inhabited by the creatures of myth and fairytale. Any fan of J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis or Philip Pullman will immediately feel at home in this fantastical place." - LoveReading Xander King does not believe in fairytales. He prefers rational explanations, keeping his head down and trying to avoid the inevitable comparisons with his genius mother. The last thing he expects is to have his life turned upside down by terrifying shadows and an encounter with a mysterious stone tablet, challenging his entire view of reality and catapulting him into the parallel world of Haven.Faced with extraordinary creatures, ancient secrets and a heritage he does not understand, Xander is drawn into the struggle to protect the border between his own reality and Haven, and prevent disaster overcoming them both. But, as darkness spreads, he must confront new questions. Where does he belong, and is anything in Haven really as it seems? Discover the mesmerising world of Haven and the truths long-hidden in the ancient stories in this gripping fantasy adventure.

Rune Scale


Devin Hanson - 2016
    In a world where all the power is held by the secretive Alchemists Guild, Andrew must scrounge for scraps of knowledge as he sets out on the most dangerous quest imaginable.When dragons fly the skies, the gods hold no sway over the fates of men.

Chimaera (Infinity Engines: Origins Book 1)


Andrew Hastie - 2018
    A time-cop with disturbing secrets of his own, Sabien takes on the search for the truth behind the seemingly motiveless murders.Can Sabien decipher the cryptic evidence that links the victims? Will Caitlin discover the truth about what happened on that fateful night and the terrible decision that her parents had to make? A prequel to the Anachronist, Chimaera is a fast-paced, fantasy thriller, which will take you on a journey into the dark paths of the Oblivion Order.

Final Life


Rose Garcia - 2012
    All she wants to do is make it to graduation, and then she can move back to Michigan for college. That's the plan. That is, until her new neighbor pressures her into playing a mystical card game.And this deck is like no other.With one touch of the cards, Dominique plunges into a vision of a crimson desert inhabited by a dark presence with murderous intent. She desperately tries to convince herself it’s all in her head, but the images refuse to be ignored. And when the apparitions include hints of past lives, Dominique realizes the darkness is really after her. Not only in her visions, but also in her reality. If she’s to survive, she must discover the secrets hidden in her past. If she doesn’t she’ll be dead. For real.

Earth's First


M.J. Caan - 2013
     Maura Riley learns this the hard way after a fateful first contact with an alien being that literally fell from the stars. She finds herself thrust into a world of shadowy government operatives, vengeful alien factions, and mutated human beings that suddenly have the ability to act on their darkest, most deprave desires. War is coming to Earth. War in the form of an invading alien horde known as the Anisari, that is bent on dominating or destroying our planet. They are seeking their lost property, the very being that fell to Earth and caused the massive genetic changes occurring on our world. After first contact, human beings are evolving into something that can either save our world, or hasten its destruction. Maura and her friends have to decide if they want to be Earth's defenders or give into the savagery and lust that their newfound mutation allows them to explore. Book one in the dark and gritty science fiction series Earth's First is not to be missed. All three books in the Earth's First saga are available for purchase, or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!