Book picks similar to
Risen Gods by J.F. Penn


fantasy
thriller
fiction
supernatural

Helix


Nathan M. Farrugia - 2016
    A rogue operative.A secret war that could destroy them both.Olesya hunts the augmented operatives she was trained to become. But when a clandestine mission takes her from the illegal bio-clinics of Brazil to the icy borderlands of Kaliningrad, she encounters a rogue assassin with a dangerous secret. As operatives and hunters start vanishing, one thing becomes clear…They aren’t the only players in this deadly game.This is the first episode in the new USA Today bestselling series of cyberpunk thrillers by Australian ex-recon soldier Nathan M. Farrugia. Do you like conspiracies and genetically-enhanced operatives? You’ll love this action-packed cross between Jason Bourne and Altered Carbon. Find out why readers are calling it “the most addictive action series” they’ve read.

Essential Beginnings


Kennedy Layne - 2015
    He also had every intention of extinguishing the fires that arose between him and a certain local woman he couldn’t get out of his mind until the unthinkable happened. Nothing is as it seems… Henley Varano loved the simple anonymous life that her remote hometown provided. She’d had the wealthy existence of a fashion model and the fame that came with it only to find it lonelier than she could have ever imagined. Unfortunately, men only saw the fictitious person she appeared to be in the magazines and not the real woman she was—even the one man she’s wanted for years. Surviving is just the beginning… An apocalyptic event changes the course of their lives when the massive Yellowstone Caldera erupts. Panic ensues among the small town, causing Mav and Henley to witness the best and worst of humanity. They must work as a team to create a new existence before the fallout of harsh and fiery elements overtakes their safe haven. Along the way, they might just find that they need each other more than ever.

Skinwalker


Faith Hunter - 2009
    But now she’s been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own...

Married with Zombies


Jesse Petersen - 2010
    But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things -- the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.Meet the Zombies.Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

Balanced on the Blade's Edge


Lindsay Buroker - 2014
    Until he punches the wrong diplomat in the nose and finds himself issued new orders: take command of a remote prison mine in the inhospitable Ice Blades Mountains. Ridge has never been in charge of anything larger than a flier squadron — what’s he supposed to do with a frozen fortress full of murderers and rapists? Not to mention the strange woman who shows up right before he arrives...Sardelle Terushan wakes from three hundred years in a mage stasis shelter, only to realize that she is the last of the Referatu, the sorcerers who once helped protect Iskandia from conquerors. Their subterranean mountain community was blown up in a treacherous sneak attack by soldiers who feared their power. Everyone Sardelle ever knew is dead, and the sentient soulblade she has been bonded to since her youth is buried in the core of the mountain. Further, what remains of her home has been infested by bloodthirsty miners commanded by the descendants of the very soldiers who destroyed her people.Sardelle needs help to reach her soulblade — her only link to her past and her last friend in the world. Her only hope is to pretend she’s one of the prisoners while trying to gain the commander’s trust. But lying isn't her specialty, especially when the world has changed so much in the intervening centuries, and if Colonel Zirkander figures out who she truly is, he’ll be duty-bound to sentence her to the only acceptable punishment for sorcerers: death.

Moon Dance


J.R. Rain - 2009
    Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire.Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn't exactly what he appears to be; after all, there's a reason why he survived five shots to the head...

Against the Clock: the clock is ticking...


Charlie Moore - 2014
    Determined to kill the men responsible for her husband’s death, she finds herself torn between her all consuming vendetta and the consequences her actions have on those she cares about. Unrelenting. Unstoppable. Uncompromising. Shirin ruthlessly hunts down each man, working her way to the top, never realizing she has penetrated the inner sanctum of a covert operation - entangled within an explosive web of scandal, treason, murder and government corruption.

Bones: The Complete Apocalypse Saga


Mark Wheaton - 2009
    In Bones, our hero must battle a plague of dangerous parasites that brings the dead back to life with the goal of destroying the planet. Shepherd finds Bones delivered to earthquake-devastated Los Angeles to hunt for survivors only to run afoul of armies of rage-driven rats and birds emerging from the rubble. And when mankind reaches its final hour and a pocket of surviving Indians are all that's left of humanity, it falls on Bones to save the species before civilization is wiped out forever in Alpha.Three Apocalyptic novellas of nature run amok, three interwoven stories that feature a German shepherd at the center of the things, three stories with so much action you might just explode reading them. Includes prequel short story, Mongrel.Praise for Wheaton's Four Nails in the Coffin: "Remarkably character-driven...Wheaton convincingly showcases his talents as a writer of horror prose, taking his time to craft characters who are thoroughly fleshed out and engaging without holding off too long on the suspense...proves here to be a quite gifted storyteller undeniably worthy of an interested reader's time and attention." - Michael Compton, Fangoria "Genuinely twisted and engrossing...may just leave you shaken for days." - Jessa Sobczuk, Rue Morgue [referring to Sunday Billy Sunday] "This is muscular, original fiction that marks the debut of an exciting new voice in the speculative/dark fantasy genre." - Michael Rowe, editor of the Queer Fear anthology series and co-author of Triptych of Terror "His tales are visceral, intellectual, and often grisly, but Wheaton never forgets that touch of humanity and wry humor which allow true horror to cut that much deeper to the bone." - Ken Plume, author, There's a Zombie In My Treehouse "Wheaton's writing is haunting. Days, weeks, even months later, you will find your mind returning to his worlds. Stephen King is no longer my only addiction." - Todd Farmer, screenwriter, Drive Angry"Mark Wheaton is a magician.  He misdirects you with accessibility while performing tricks of genius.  Don't try to figure out how he does it - just enjoy the show.  Four Nails in the Coffin is a shotgun blast to the brain. In a good way." - Gary Dauberman, screenwriter, Swamp Devil

Girls of Brackenhill


Kate Moretti - 2020
    It’s been seventeen years, and though desperate to start a new life with her fiancé, Hannah is compelled to question the events of her last summer at Brackenhill.When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories.Fueled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts.

Critical Dawn


Darren Wearmouth - 2014
    Archaeologists Pippa Quinn and Charlie Jackson find advanced technology in undisturbed 16th Century graves. A portent, the discovery precedes thousands of giant sinkholes opening up across the globe as extreme weather threatens the population. Charlie suspects the two are related. A centuries old plan unfolds. Pippa, Charlie, and the rest of humanity will have to fight for survival, sacrificing the life they’ve known to protect Earth from an ancient and previously dormant enemy. Even that might not be enough as this new enemy exacts a plan that will change the course of humankind forever. Critical Dawn is an apocalyptic ride to the very edge of human existence. Factions will battle for control of the Earth—if they can avoid the threat of extinction.

Sharp Shooter


Marianne Delacourt - 2009
    Fast. Feisty.WINNER of the Davitt Award 2010 Best Crime Novel and nominated for Ned Kelly Award 2010 Best First Crime NovelBook 2 - SHARP TURN, coming 2016!Book 3 - TOO SHARP, coming 2016! Book 4 - SHARP EDGE, coming late 2016!

Sapphire Nights


Patricia Rice - 2020
    . . a scientist haunted by her future. Samantha Moon arrives in Hillvale— population 325 lives and countless ghosts—in a fog as thick as the one circling the aging mountain town. Bereft of friends and family, money and memory, all she has to her name is a stray cat . . . but that's apparently enough for the people of Hillvale to take her in. L.A. investigator Chen Ling Walker's problem is too many memories. He's come to bury his tragic past in this remote California town, where his father vanished years before. Ever watchful, Walker sees how Sam's arrival disturbs the deceptive peace of Hillvale. Old bones lead to new death, stirring ancient fears and feuds. Sam will need Walker's help to uncover the truth of who she is and face the burden that brings. But how can he accept a reality that stretches beyond the borders of what he knows -- one that contains spirits, psychics, and imaginary voices—the weirdness that ruined his life before? And if they survive what lies ahead, will they find any way to make a future together? OTHER BOOKS IN THE CRYSTAL MAGIC SERIES: Book 1: Sapphire Nights Book 2: Topaz Dreams Book 3: Crystal Vision Book 4: Wedding Gems Book 5: Azure Secrets Book 6: Amber Affairs

Hater


David Moody - 2006
    Christened “Haters” by the media, the attackers strike without warning and seemingly without reason. Within seconds, normally rational, self-controlled people become frenzied, vicious killers. As the carnage mounts, one thing soon is clear: everyone, irrespective of race, gender, age, or class, has the potential to become either a Hater or a victim. At any moment, even friends and family can turn on one another with violent intent. In the face of this mindless terror, all McCoyne can do is secure his family, seek shelter, and watch as the world falls apart. But when he bolts the front door, the question remains: Is he shutting the danger out or locking it in?

Wicked Hungry


Teddy Jacobs - 2012
    But no one knows better than Stanley Hoff. It doesn't help that at night he wants to howl up at the moon.In his vegetarian household, Stanley has a horrible secret that makes it hard to sit down at the dinner table and bless the veggie burgers prepared by his Wiccan mother.As they say in New England, Stanley Hoff is WICKED HUNGRY.In fact, he's filled with forbidden cravings. And not for tofu pups. For meat. How much beef jerky, how many Slim Jims can Stanley hide in his room, in his locker at high school?When a very hairy showdown with a school bully sets in motion a great chain of events that include an invitation to cheerleader Meredith's Halloween party, Stanley has to ask himself some important questions. Can he overcome his shyness and get the girl? Save his family, his community and his friends from the growing supernatural threat? All while figuring out how to control the beast within?

The Dragon Seller


F.G. Ferrario - 2017
    Like one of the famous commercials says: “Thanks to advancements in genetic engineering, Dragons are finally out of myth, and in your local pet stores!” From playful Outbacks to unpredictable Jade Tangs, these little dragons usually don't burn much, they love fruit and don't molest young virgins. But they are still monsters, and Jack Ports knows this very well. He sells all kinds of varieties in his Flight Garden, including the most dangerous of all: the American Mustang, a species of battle dragon created by a failed experiment of the U.S. Navy. Dumped by his fiancee before the wedding and short on cash, Jack just wants to put his life back together, but after a colleague mysteriously disappears, he finds himself with a dragon egg of unknown origins. Set on raising it, Jack discovers that the egg contains a Primus, the First Dragon of a new species, whose genes hide a secret that many men are looking for. And some are willing to kill to have it.