Book picks similar to
Spark And Sorrow by Rachel A. Marks


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The Blood of Kings


M.K. Hume - 2015
    Their unlikely friendship leads to an ambitious plan to unite the tribal leaders and, once crowned the first High King of the Britons, Maximus casts his eyes on the throne of the Western Roman Empire. Leading a force of brave warriors to Gaul, Maximus is victorious in battle. But it is not long after his return to Britain that hubris gnaws at him once again. Despite Caradoc's pleas to exercise caution, Maximus is determined to march on Rome itself. But who will pay the price for his bloodthirsty quest for power?

The Icicle


Carolyn Marie Castagna - 2022
    Illustrator and writer's Carolyn Marie Castagna's first shared short story.A small icicle hanging from a roof peers inside a window at a small reading room, and learns about magical human qualities, and the importance of the one most special human feeling.

Initiate


Jon Auerbach - 2018
    [Author's note: If you're visiting this page looking for Guild of Tokens, entered in SPFBO5, go here instead: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...Initiate was released last year and only contains the first section of the book.]

Eli


Marc Alan Edelheit - 2021
    A war of the Gods. An epic destiny.When elven rangers Eli’Far and Mae’Cara are dispatched to hunt down the dangerous criminal Mik’Las, the mission seems simple enough. Mik’Las has committed the unthinkable crimes of murder and kidnap, and though he’s a former ranger and skilled in the deadly arts, Eli is confident they will bring him to justice.But after Mik’Las flees into the human kingdom of the Castol, Eli and Mae find their mission suddenly wrought with complications. Lord Edgun, an oppressive man grinding his people under the heel of his boot, has left its people desperate. Things grow even more complicated when the elves run into Jitanthra, a strange human girl being hunted by Edgun’s men, and who has connections to a mystical outcast, an elf currently imprisoned by Edgun.Soon, Eli and Mae find themselves unexpectedly drawn into the middle of a rebellion, a struggle between gods, and the opening stages of the dreaded Last War.Elven ranger Eli’Far, first introduced in Stiger’s Tigers, rapidly became one of the fantasy genre’s standout characters. With A Ranger’s Tale, Edelheit pulls back the shroud to reveal the shocking and exciting tale of how Eli starts down the path to a destiny he can scarcely imagine possible, a fate that sees him inextricably linked to Stiger.

Consular Times (The Primogenitor Saga Book 3)


Robert M. Kerns - 2021
    

Shoes: A Reluctant Fairy Tale


Elizabeth A. Reeves - 2014
     It’s pretty obvious if you think about it that it wasn’t a magical girdle that Aphrodite had. It was a pair of magic shoes. So where are those shoes now? Making the rounds with mortal women! Grace Gallagher would be the first to say she’s nothing special. Short, on the plump side, with a failing bookstore, she is the black sheep of her large family. More than anything she wants to live her own life, have an adventure, maybe even a little romance like in those books she hides from her parents. Then a strangely handsome man drops off a package at the shop, addressed to her. Inside are a pair of shoes.

Iron Edge


P.S. Power - 2016
     George Elder is a man torn between two worlds. In one, he’s a hard-working auto mechanic and wounded war veteran with a mysterious past. In the other he’s a young Weapons Master, just starting out in life. The problem is that he doesn’t know which is real. If either of them actually is. Regardless, if his home in either world is going to survive, George is going to have to become something that he’s never tried to be in either life. A hero.

The Path to Otherwhere: or How I Spent My Summer Vacation


T.S. Paul - 2018
    But there are secrets never discussed and she believes the key is through the garden gate. Join Agatha and Fergus as they travel to the realm of the Mystical Library and discover who and what they were meant to be. This long awaited story is a crossover of sorts merging two story lines into one. It takes place between Witness Enchantment (Book 4) and Night of the Unicorn (Book 5).

The Last Swordsman


Benjamin Corman - 2019
    What’s worse, they were traitors to the crown. At least that’s what he hears the village folk saying moments before he is whisked away to the castle of Highkeep. There he finds himself before the aged King Alginor, a man brought to a boil by his very presence. With his fate hanging in the balance, Nikolis accepts an apprenticeship with the castle’s master of arms, a decision that catapults him on a journey fraught with danger, treachery, self-discovery and burgeoning love, where his wit and the edge of a blade may be all that protects him from a world that is spiraling out of control.

Viking Blood and Blade


Peter Gibbons - 2021
    865 AD. The fierce Vikings stormed onto Saxon soil hungry for spoils, conquest, and vengeance for the death of Ragnar Lothbrok.Hundr, a Northman with a dog's name... a crew of battle hardened warriors... and Ivar the Boneless. Amidst the invasion of Saxon England by the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, Hundr joins a crew of Viking warriors under the command of Einar the Brawler. Hundr fights to forge a warriors reputation under the glare of Ivar and his equally fearsome brothers, but to do that he must battle the Saxons and treachery from within the Viking army itself...Hundr must navigate the invasion, survive brutal attacks, and find his place in the vicious world of the Vikings in this fast paced adventure with memorable characters.

The Witches of Salix Pointe


Noelle Vella - 2020
    Simons Island and Jekyll Island, Salix Pointe is not a place that many people know of. As a part of the Golden Isles of Georgia, it’s never mentioned because of all the Weeping Willows that grow there. The surrounding town’s folk call it the Island of Death.Elisa Hunte never let the old suspicions bother her. Yeah, there had been some strange things that had happened in the town like floating objects and people disappearing in the night, but that happened everywhere, didn’t it? Even though every night, she dreamed of the same faceless man who did things to her body that were carnal sins, she knew most of the talk about Salix Pointe was just old folklore. Elisa also knew that she was different. She seemed to sense things before they happened. That was just good ole instinct, right?Tasmin Pettiford was a city girl through and through. She hated the country, particularly Salix Pointe. If it wasn’t for the fact that her favorite aunt had recently passed away, and willed her bookstore to her, Tasmin would have never returned to the island that disturbed her on so many levels. There were stories of townspeople practicing magic regularly, others seeming to vanish without a trace, and the bookstore seemed to be the epicenter of all things weird and unusual. Tasmin couldn’t offload the property fast enough. The sooner it was sold, the sooner she'd be back in New York, away from the mosquitoes, the bookstore, and the eeriness of a town that caused many a nightmare during her childhood. Or could it really be that simple?Not to mention, Elisa couldn’t explain why her body reacted the way it did to the town’s brooding vet, Dafari Battle. And when his even sexier brother Octavian Jerrod stepped into town, dragging otherworldly trouble along, Salix Pointe will never be the same.Elisa and Tasmin may not want to put too much stock into the folklore of Salix Pointe, but there is a reason that the universe has brought the two women together.

Dragons of Summer Tide


Robert Barton - 2014
    Elves and dwarves also had both passed into legend. And very few believed that any of the ancient tales were true or even could be true. There had assuredly never been dragons in the skies, or elves in the mountain forests and dwarves in their deep halls under The Elder Mountains – The Dragon Mountains. There were those from time to time who claimed to have caught a glimpse of a dragon but everyone knew that was as ridiculous as believing in real mages.Then a young man from the folk who live on the edge of the Kingdom in the hills at the feet of the ancient mountain finds that legends are coming to life. In a day he sees his first dragon, finds his home and family destroyed, sets out on a journey and is attacked by a dragon. Then he is bonded by another dragon and he finds that wondrous gifts are bestowed on him.In his journey he befriends other orphans and he is being followed by orphaned baby dragons and they begin to bond his new friends to save their lives. Each dragon bestows a special skill, magic, tracking, warrior, leader and more. Soon each orphan has a special skill. As their journey continues, their opponents mount and the odds of success seem to dwindle. And then new allies step out of legend……Show less

Stone Dragon


Klay Testamark - 2013
    Dwarves are mystical craftsmen, humans are big and strong, and halflings breed explosively, but none of them can match elves for sheer magical firepower.Angrod Veneanar is a young elf. He’s nearing the end of a long apprenticeship and looking forward to going home. As a nobleman he loves wine and women—he doesn’t care at all about shadow conspiracies, forgotten magics, or long-lost royal heirs. Unfortunately, there is a prophecy, and it looks like he’s in it.Now he’s on the run. Accused of murder, what seems like the entire kingdom wants him dead. He has knights, mages, and even arcane assassins on his trail. Worse, something is riding in his head and threatening to take over his body.To survive, Angrod must use all his skill in weapons and wizardry. He must find new allies and uncover fresh strength. And if he is to stand a chance of defeating his greatest enemy, he must rediscover a master spell that’s been lost for centuries. If he doesn’t, he’s just going home—to die.

Tales Around the Jack O'Lantern IV: A Mary O'Reilly Short Story


Terri Reid - 2017
    Read their stories about the hidden secret of an old Irish castle, the ultimate revenge of a high school teacher, the story of a ghost who travels overseas and the mysterious prom date. A perfect way to get into the Halloween season.

The Methuselah Treatment


T.C. Powell - 2015
    Not everyone can. Who decides? Desperate to save his daughter from a mysterious sickness, Daniel applies for the Methuselah Treatment. If she gets it, his daughter won’t just recover, she’ll live forever. But the drug is tightly controlled, and only the special, the talented, and the truly deserving ever receive it. There is nothing special about Daniel’s destitute ten- year-old girl—or is there?