Book picks similar to
Hero's Best Friend by Scott M. SandridgeLisa Hawkridge
animals
anthology
fantasy
historical-fiction
Lovecraft Country
Matt Ruff - 2016
When his father Montrose goes missing, twenty-two year old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his Uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite—heir to the estate that owned Atticus’s great grandmother—they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours.At the manor, Atticus discovers his father in chains, held prisoner by a secret cabal named the Order of the Ancient Dawn—led by Samuel Braithwhite and his son Caleb—which has gathered to orchestrate a ritual that shockingly centers on Atticus. And his one hope of salvation may be the seed of his—and the whole Turner clan’s—destruction.A chimerical blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of one black family, Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism—the terrifying specter that continues to haunt us today.
The Only Harmless Great Thing
Brooke Bolander - 2018
Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island.These are the facts.Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history of rage, radioactivity, and injustice crying out to be righted. Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey that crosses eras, chronicling histories of cruelty both grand and petty in search of meaning and justice.
Prickle Moon
Juliet Marillier - 2013
It contains eleven previously published stories and five new ones. Included are the Sevenwaters novella, "’Twixt Firelight and Water", the epic Nordic story, "Otherling", and "In Coed Celyddon", a tale of the young man who would one day become King Arthur. The title story, especially written for the collection, concerns an old Scottish wise woman facing an impossible moral dilemma. Other new stories in the book include "By Bone-Light", a contemporary retelling of the Russian fairy tale "Vasilissa the Wise", and "The Angel of Death", a dark story about a puppy mill rescue.
Dark Metropolis
Jaclyn Dolamore - 2014
Her mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club, attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, who agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets - even while he hides secrets of his own.Together, they discover a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. Soon, Thea and Freddy begin to realize nightmarish truths about the city's dark underbelly, and that time is running out for Nan. And if they're not careful, the masterminds behind the disappearances will be after them, too.Jaclyn Dolamore weaves a chilling tale with a touch of magic in this lyrical thriller, where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.
Clive Barker's First Tales
Clive Barker - 2013
The second tale, "The Candle in the Cloud", is a novella of dark fantasy which follows three children who discover a magical candle that transports them to a world where a plague-cloud is destroying everything in its wake. These two tales, the first ever written by Clive, are offered here for the very first time. Their production has been lovingly supervised by Clive himself to ensure that these are not mere books, but works of art to be cherished. Complete with original illustrations and appendices on select editions, First Tales is sure to delight everyone from longtime fans to new readers. In his own words: "These two stories represent the two essential structures of fantastique literature. ’The Wood on the Hill’ is about an incursion of unearthly elements into an approximation of our world. ’The Candle in the Cloud’ is about a journey taken by people from our world into another reality. Yin and Yang, if you like. Forces pulling in opposing directions but to achieve the same end: Revelation." Clive Barker (2013)
The Bloody North
Tony Healey - 2014
But first he'll have to make it across the bloody north and that is easier said than done when there's a price on your head . . . For fans of gritty, action-packed fantasy in the vein of George R. R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. Bestselling independent author Tony Healey presents The Fallen Crown series, a hard-hitting sword & sorcery epic that will blow you away and leave you gagging for the next installment!
Leaving Pimlico
P.B. North - 2014
I can never get used to this, Alexi. Having you, that is. How did I deserve you? Deserve me? You don't have to do anything to deserve me. I love you. It's as simple as that. I love you for what you are. All you need to do is love me back. You don't earn love, as a payment in return.Peter Kingsmill's life had run into the sands since the death of his wife. What was a glittering London career had lost its shine. Until, that is, his life is turned upside down by an unexpected collision of events. He inherits the family estate, meets a girl seventeen years his junior and receives an anonymous letter which casts doubt on all the certainties on which he has built his past life.What follows is a journey of discovery which takes him back in time to war-torn Europe. To a story of betrayal in the secret world of spies and double agents, and ultimately to redemption and a bright new life.The narrative moves at speed from the dusty plains of pre-war Poland to the frozen winter landscapes of German-occupied Norway and finally to the gentle pastoral of the north Yorkshire hills. It is a story of a search for the pieces that make up a human life; and of the love that binds those pieces together....Do you remember the Snow Queen story? I can complete the pattern now. I have everything I need.
Grantville Gazette, Volume IX
Eric Flint - 2006
Clavell* Mail Stop by Virginia DeMarce* Those Daring Young Men by Rick Boatright* Those Daring Not So Young Men by Rick Boatright* A Matter Of Taste by Kerryn Offord* Those Not So Daring by Rick Boatright* Anna the Baptist by Terry Howard* Fly Like a Bird by Loren Jones* Gearhead by Mark H. Huston* Water Wings by Terry Howard* Under the Tuscan Son by Iver P. Cooper* Wings on the Mountain by Terry Howard* Pocket Money by John and Patti Friend* Moonraker by Karen Bergstralh* The Minstrel Boy by John Zeek* Ultralight by Sean Massey* Tool or Die by Karen Bergstralh* If at First You Don't Succeed . . . by Paula Goodlett* Waves of Change by Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff* Try, Try Again by Paula Goodlett* Little Jammer Boys by Kim Mackey* Safe at First Base by Mark H. Huston* The Order of the Foot by Richard Evans* Trip to Paris by Kim Mackey* At the Cliff's Edge by Iver P. Cooper* A 'Merican in Moscow by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett* Radio in 1632, Part 3 by Rick Boatright* The Sound of Mica by Iver P. Cooper* A Tempest In a Baptistry by Terry Howard* The Daily Beer Anette Pedersen* White Gold by Kerryn Offord
Speak Easy
Catherynne M. Valente - 2015
Down inside the Artemisia it’s this mortal coil all over. Earthly delights on every floor."The hotel Artemisia sits on a fantastical 72nd Street, in a decade that never was. It is home to a cast of characters, creatures, and creations unlike any other, including especially Zelda Fair, who is perfect at being Zelda, but who longs for something more. The world of this extraordinary novella—a bootlegger's brew of fairy tales, Jazz Age opulence, and organized crime—is ruled over by the diminutive, eternal, sinister Al. Zelda holds her own against the boss, or so it seems. But when she faces off against him and his besotted employee Frankie in a deadly game that just might change everything, she must bet it all and hope not to lose…Multiple-award-winning, New York Times’ bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente once again reinvents a classic in Speak Easy, which interprets “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” if Zelda Fitzgerald waltzed in and stole the show. This Prohibition-Era tale will make heads spin and hearts pound. It’s a story as old as time, as effervescent as champagne, and as dark as the devil’s basement on a starless night in the city.
The Immortal Chronicles, Volumes 1 - 5
Gene Doucette - 2018
All of the stories are interesting, many involve alcohol, and five are collected for the first time in The Immortal Chronicles! The books in this collection take Adam from the Barbary Coast of the 1500's, to England at the turn of the 19th century, Vienna of 1815, Chicago in the 1930's, and 1950's New York. He spends time with pirates and assassins, a succubus, a shape-shifting monster, a madman who can see the future, and Santa Claus. The Immortal Chronicles is an ongoing series of novellas from Adam, the star narrator of the Immortal Novel trilogy (IMMORTAL, HELLENIC IMMORTAL and IMMORTAL AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.) Collected here for the first time: IMMORTAL AT SEA, HARD-BOILED IMMORTAL, IMMORTAL AND THE MADMAN, YULETIDE IMMORTAL and REGENCY IMMORTAL. Catch up with Adam now!
The Time Traveler's Daughter
Emma Strike - 2021
In the box is also a medallion that can take her into the past, and he has left her breadcrumbs to the largest pirate treasure that has ever been lost, a treasure her ancestors have sought for generations…Sebastian Talbot is a disgraced former Duke who trades in antiquities. He meets the alluring Catherine at The Great Exhibition of 1851, unaware that she is 80 years before her time and is laying a trap for the pendant he always wears around his neck. She seduces him, gets her hands on the necklace and plunges them both into the past…As Catherine and Sebastian embark on the adventure of a lifetime, the pull of their desire is as magnetic as their magical medallion. The closer they get to finding the lost treasure, the closer they get to each other. But Sebastian still doesn’t know who she really is. Will Catherine reveal her secret and give them a chance at love?This is the first book in the All Who Wander series, time-travel romance novels that sizzle with passion and adventure. If you are a fan of love stories that are a wild romp, you’ll love The Time-Traveler’s Daughter.
Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings
Mary Jayne BakerAngela Wren - 2018
With her ever-changing stock, Miss Moonshine has a rare gift for providing exactly what her customers need: a fire opal necklace that provides a glimpse of a different life; a novel whose phantom doodler casts a spell over the reader; a music box whose song links love affairs across the generations. One thing is for certain: after visiting Miss Moonshine’s quirky shop, life is never the same again...Nine romantic novelists from Yorkshire and Lancashire, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have joined together to create this collection of uplifting stories guaranteed to warm your heart. This intriguing mix of historical and contemporary romances will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the happy-ever-after.
Thirteenth Werewolf and Other Stories
Aimee Easterling - 2019
Visit with fantastical friends new and old in this collection of short stories by USA Today bestselling author Aimee Easterling.From werewolves to witches, from Wolf Camp to isolated beaches, this anthology will transport you to page-turning new worlds in:Thirteenth WerewolfBloodling SongTough as NailsBiological ClockMop MagicSalamander in the BasementDon't miss six bite-size adventures by an author who has been described as a “good choice for Patricia Briggs fans.”
The Itemancer 2
Forrest Minter - 2019
All is not lost though, as clearing the local ant infestation has freed up a lot of space. Perfect for founding his very own kingdom! Now he just needs to deal with pesky neighbors, colonists from the other side of hell, a serious mold infestation, a budding romance, and a very demanding dragon.
River of Teeth
Sarah Gailey - 2017
This is true.Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two.This was a terrible plan.Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.