Book picks similar to
Gatebreaker by Michelle Wilson


fantasy
young-adult
1st-in-series
04k-trilogy

Demon Rogue


D.N. Erikson - 2016
    I've been around for longer than you could know - and most people don't want to know me, being half-demon, and all - but right now I've got a big f'in problem. A woman just came into my office, and I gotta say, from the photo she slipped me, someone's got a serious issue with the supernatural. Life expectancy is looking kinda low if I don't figure out who's kidnapping magical creatures, selling their blood and trying to reveal magic's existence to the mortal world. Last time that happened it didn't end well. I'm not optimistic about this time, either. Joke's on me, anyway, for setting up a magical salvage and retrieval business. 50% of an item's magical essence and a per diem can't cover the damages this job is gonna inflict. Money and magic aren't of much use to a dead man. And If I didn't have a code (yes, I'm a demon with a code), then I would jet out of Texas faster than a vamp at a sorority party (you don't want to know). But I agreed to the gig, she paid the cash, so I gotta see it through. Did I mention the super-powerful wiccan - who I used to have, ahem, relations with - just returned from a long hiatus in a place worse than hell? And she's still obsessed with finding a certain god's spear that I may or may not have. Seriously. This situation is code red. I'm almost willing to accept help from wizards. On second thought, no wizards. I hate you guys. I'd rather die. So um, if I don't make it through the next three days, anyone want a talking dog that's read too much for his own good? Because the way things are going, Argos is gonna need a new home after the spells stop flying...* *His only request is that you suck less than Odysseus. Apparently the epic poems got that all wrong, and that guy was a major asshole. Or my dog might just be bitter. Tends to rub off when you live with a demon.

The Beast Within


Jonathan Yanez - 2013
    Concealed throughout the pages of time, there has been a powerful race of human-like creatures manipulating mankind. This Elite race is made up of five ruling families, who have obeyed The Law and remained content to keep their identities a mystery. Now after centuries of secrecy, an ancient foe is forcing them out of hiding. When a dark-haired mystery woman named Laren crosses Connor’s path his life is turned upside down. Soon Connor is taken on a heart-pounding journey that leads to a startling discovery of who he really is and a daunting future of what he is to become.

Shades of Valhalla


Ellis Logan - 2016
     There is an unseen war going on between the Light and the Dark, and seventeen year old Siri Alvarsson holds the fate of the world in her hands. Her whole life has been leading up to this moment -- training in martial arts and parkour with her mom, learning the legends of old and traveling from town to town. Now, she's in a new town, she's met a gorgeous guy she'd like to trust, and she's having strange visions. The pressure is on to choose a side. Both sides need her if they want to win. The futures of humanity, the fae, and the entire planet all depend on Siri. Which side will she choose? Can one girl really save the world alone? Ellis Logan’s new YA Fantasy series, Inner Origins, is action-packed with magic and romance. The books combine fairies, Celtic/Norse mythology, and hollow earth theory to create an adventure you’ll never forget.(This is an alternate cover edition, ISBN 978-1-944396-11-4)

Kiss Me, I'm Irish


Bella Street - 2011
    But it's more loneliness than rebellion that motivates her to escape her certain fate. Liam Jackson is going nowhere fast in modern-day Tennessee. Playing his Dobro in seedy bars and backward dives along with his fiddling sister, Tinker, is doing nothing for his music career--and even less for the dark places in his soul. Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.

Raven's Sight


R.L. Weeks - 2018
    L. Weeks, a story of murder, deadly secrets begging to be revealed, and a paranormal romance that will leave you breathless.Raven has been locked away from Victorian Society since she was nine. Now, eighteen, a secret comes out of the darkness that will pull her from the safety of her Grandmother’s mansion and into a world where the very thing that makes her unique, is also a curse.Girls who can see ghosts and memories are locked away for being insane, so Raven must keep her secret while communicating with the dead to hunt a serial killer, one that’s a little too close to home.Armed with her best friend, a ghost, and a man she’s unsure if she can trust, Raven is forced onto the gas-lit streets of London. She must solve the string of murders that’s almost identical to a case from before she was born before she becomes the next victim.With her family tree rotting at the roots, creatures of the night slithering from the shadows, and a romantic interest that’s more confusing than ever, can Raven make the ultimate sacrifice to save the ones she loves? Or will the darkness take her forever?Revised second edition: November 30th, 2019

A Highlander's Redemption


Aileen Adams - 2020
     In early 1746, Alasdair Macintyre is headed home after the rout at Culloden on Drummossie Moor, in sight of Inverness. The battle has been lost and scar on his face that makes him so ferocious-looking that even children run from him in terror. He learns his father has betrothed him to a local lass—a nearly blind woman—in exchange for a sizeable dowry and a chunk of land. The woman brings with her a companion that hates him immediately. He has no interest in having a chain around his neck, not even in the form of a woman he once knew as a girl—a gangly, twig of a girl. But Beitris is no longer the girl Alasdair Macintyre remembers. She’s blossomed into a stunning woman, though one that is terrified of the scarred Highlander she’s betrothed to.

Chalk it up to Love


Jill Haymaker - 2018
    Recently divorced, she struggles to cope with being a single mom. Fortunately, her hometown of Aspen Ridge, Colorado, provides the perfect place for her to heal. BOYD GARRETT’S life changed the day his wife was senselessly killed by a texting driver. No longer fulfilled by his life in the big city, he accepts a new teaching job in the tiny, mountain town of Aspen Ridge, hoping to find an escape from the memories that haunt him. Can Peak Elementary School’s new, handsome instructor teach Erin to believe in herself again? Can Boyd find the happiness he thought he’d lost forever? Or are the walls they’ve built around their hearts too high? Two people who’ve learned that with love comes pain. But, sometimes—we get a second chance.

The Perfect Brew


Jo-Ann Carson - 2019
    When Cassie is summoned to attend the funeral of her great-aunt, Ophelia, she finds the picturesque village on the edge of the ocean is not at all what it seems. Her benefactor’s death is suspicious, and to make matters worse, after Ophelia’s lawyer explains her will to Cassie, he drops dead in a plate of cookie crumbs. That makes two unexplained deaths, which is two too many for a good witch to swallow.Up to her neck in mysteries, and weighed down with a curse, Cassie canvases the town to find the murderer. Of course, there are many unusual suspects, a tall, dark and annoying human detective keeps getting in her way, and a seductive warlock offers his assistance.Will Cassie catch the villain before he kills again? Will she be able to free herself from the curse? Will Sid, her beloved cat familiar with a naughty mind, convince her to play dirty with the boys? This is the first story in The Perfect Brew paranormal, cozy mystery series, set in the modern world where magic remains hidden or at least tries to. There’s no sex or violence on the page, but be prepared for some serious romance, mystery, and magic. The Perfect Brew can be read as a stand-alone.

Stars Dark: Marooned


Joshua James - 2021
    If you're interested in hard science fiction look elsewhere. But if you're looking for action-packed adventures on strange worlds with even stranger aliens, this series is for you!

The Prince of Korin


Melody J. Bremen - 2021
    Nor does he want to be one.He spends his days in the royal library, poring over old manuscripts, studying archaic languages and playing chess. He’s never been like Krollis, his fearless twin brother, who is an expert swordsman and hunts wild beasts in the forests.When an army of vizzens, the fearsome old enemy of Korin, attacks from the east and Krollis disappears, Endomer is left in charge of the country. He struggles to find a way to save his people while his soldiers are dying and his citizens are forced to flee. As he fights to gain the respect of the palace court, he discovers a threat coming from within the palace walls. There is no one he can trust.He isn’t only fighting for his country – he’s fighting for his life.Fans of Megan Whalen Turner and Jennifer A. Nielsen will enjoy this story of political intrigue and betrayal.

Vampire's Quest


Alexa Dare - 2017
    Dangerous. Elusive. Tempting.Since medieval times, Ryder Judson has existed as a vampire. With his fellow knights scattered and on their final quests, he is forced to stand down as a Dark Knight while a prophecy unfolds. As a protector of mankind, he must never allow himself to accept a potential fated mate for to do so will threaten her very existence.Traveling nurse and touch healer, Jess Willowbook is targeted for her supernatural healing powers. Although she resists the label of witch, she’ll do anything to fight the unexpected evil that plagues the mountain community. When a stranger crashes into her life, she cannot deny her attraction for the injured man whose true nature defies reality. He’s not human, but something more.Passion entwined with peril, Jess must join forces with Ryder in an epic battle from which neither may survive unscathed.

Into the Wildbarrens


Christian Sterling - 2019
    Dumbledore. Merlin. We all love the legendary wizards who mentored the heroes of our favorite tales. It’s time we add a new wizard to that list. This is his origin story. Join Falin and his honorable (and not-so-honorable) Champions on his journey for the Gems of Elsana. Dragons, monsters, and even the dreaded Wildbarrens can’t deter this motley bunch of adventurers as they embark on one of the greatest quests Elsana has ever known. Into the Wildbarrens is filled with comedy, action, romance, and thrills making it the perfect read for those seeking a feel-good fantasy!

Dwarves of Elvenshore


Clark Graham - 2012
    He saves them from getting killed and rescues a Dwarf Prince. For these actions he is adopted by the Dwarves and helps them in their wars and battles to save the kingdom.Set in Elvenshore, A mystical place settled long ago by the Elves and later abandoned by them. This story tells the tale of battles with new and old foes as the Dwarves try and retake their kingdoms from the evil things that roam the forest and mountains of Elvenshore.

Queen of the Warrior Bees


Jean Gill - 2019
    Together they must change the world. As the Mages of the Citadel fight amongst themselves and prepare for war against the Forest, Mielitta, a despised servant, has her own battle to face. Bastien and Jannlou, the boys who terrorised her as a child, have grown into their status as Mages and she cannot escape them forever.In desperation, she flees to the forbidden Forest and its dangerous attractions. Her scent angers thousands of bees and, although she survives their attack, she has changed. A strange bee symbol glows on her thigh and her senses are altered. She learns that her connection with bees enables her to summon their aid and gives her the power to shift shape.This new-found bond works both ways and the bees need Mielitta's help as the rift widens between Forest and Citadel. Can one girl and a colony of bees reunite Man and Nature, or is the split irreversible?Block Nature out and she'll force a way in.

Legacy Marines


Jonathan P. Brazee - 2016
    When they are told that their father and mother have been assassinated, they are both devastated. Cut adrift, they each decide to enlist in the Corps—but for different reasons. Esther feels it is her duty to carry on the family legacy, confident that she can excel and reach the top. Noah simply wants to earn his father’s pride, even if it is too late. As children of General Lysander, they are not “normal” recruits. Seniors and peers are well aware of their background, and the twins can’t escape the public eye. From under their father’s heavy shadow, the two have to discover his or her personal path in the Corps, even when that seems to pull them apart from each other.