Book picks similar to
Skeleton with a Heart by Michael Chatfield
fantasy
dnf
litrpg
magic
Sixpence & Whiskey
Heather R. Blair - 2018
It's not easy being a witch. Especially when you're the youngest and least talented of four sisters. But Persephone Gosse manages the same way she manages her Duluth bar, Toil & Trouble. With hard work, a smart mouth—and a lot of whiskey. Seph likes her quiet life...as quiet as it can be when the king of the bears wants her as his queen, a werewolf (or three) wants her dead, and her cold-as-ice ex, Jack Frost, wants... Well, she hasn't quite figured that out yet. But with a bounty on her head and time running out on a half-forgotten prophecy, Seph better get a clue before this witch's brew blows up in her face. *The first three books in the Toil & Trouble series compose a three-part serial.
Omnimage: Infinite Potential
Simon Archer - 2020
Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Life, Death, Mind Control...What if you had one magical power and one power only: the ability to use all other forms of magic?The catch is, you need to level each and every one of them up first.What would you do?
Flame in the Mist
Renée Ahdieh - 2017
Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.
The Sorcerer’s Quest
Rain Oxford - 2016
In a world where sorcerers only practice dark magic and wizards only practice light magic, Ayden has a problem; he is very bad at being bad. Try as he might, all of his spells to cause mayhem go awry. When he finds out that his family has had enough of his mistakes, he decides to take destiny into his own hands. He has one chance to prove to his family that he is worthy of the sorcerer name or he will find himself on the unfortunate end of his mother’s wrath; he must defeat the greatest wizard of all the lands. There are only two problems: he doesn’t know how to fight with magic, and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. If he’s going to survive this quest, he will have to rely on the most unlikely allies.
Histaff
Andries Louws - 2019
Will the floating, freezing skeleton find out what happened? Or will that wrecked spaceship on a collision path be the last thing going through his empty skull?Come join Douglas the magical skeleton as he tries to live a fulfilling life in a sci-fi universe!
Welcome to Ludus
Blaise Corvin - 2016
Their kidnapper, the vain, self-styled god Dolos refuses to send them back unless they can accomplish an impossible task. Oddly, Dolos doesn’t seem to care if they succeed or not.Luckily, Henry and Jason studied Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) on Earth. Unfortunately, a Japanese American EMT and a geeky IT programmer don’t have many other useful skills on a sword and sorcery world like Ludus.Stranded in the middle of nowhere on an alien world, the friends have no real direction and only a few possessions including magic-granting orbs from an apathetic god. Undaunted, the two begin their insane adventure to return home, but basic survival and eventually paying rent will have to take priority.
Monster Hunting 101
Andrew Karevik - 2020
A mere nurse, I had no business going out into the sun where all kinds of monstrosities roamed. But what other choice did I have? All our scouts had already perished on previous surface runs, leaving us few other options. It was either take the gamble or let my people die of hunger.As if to prove my fears right, I was only out in the open for a few minutes when a pack of Kinru spotted me. Standing absolutely no chance, I started to run for my life but was quickly cornered by one of the fearsome beasts.In a last desperate attempt to defend myself, I managed to hurt one in the face…right before the creature was snatched by an even bigger monster that turned it into a snack. Then everything became a blur.When I came to, I wasn’t the same anymore. As it turns out, wounding the Kinru had earned me some mystical energy called “Bloodpoints” which gave me access to the “Hunter’s Sight.” Now, wherever I look, I have strange words floating before my eyes urging me to assign those Bloodpoints to gain incredible skills and abilities. Moreover, if I manage to kill a monster in the future, it would seem that I could use its bones to craft powerful talismans and its organs to brew magical potions.As I’ll learn, there’s a name for people like me who’ve unlocked the Hunter’s Sight: Venators. But if those new talents give me a chance to survive on the surface, I still am very much a green and weak Venator. I will need to keep hunting monsters if I want to increase my points and provide for my people. Who knows, someday, I might even grow strong enough to reclaim the surface from those foul beasts and the worst of them all: the Titans, the dreaded giants which drove humanity underground in the first place…
Chantress
Amy Butler Greenfield - 2013
Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.
Gridlinked
Neal Asher - 2001
Unfortunately Cormac is nearly burnt out, "gridlinked" to the AI net so long that his humanity has begun to drain away. He has to take the cold-turkey cure and shake his addiction to having his brain on the net.Now he must do without just as he's sent to investigate the unique runcible disaster that's wiped out the entire human colony on planet Samarkand in a thirty-megaton explosion. With the runcible out, Cormac must get there by ship, but he has incurred the wrath of a vicious psychopath called Arian Pelter, who now follows him across the galaxy with a terrifying psychotic killer android in tow. And deep beneath Samarkand's surface there are buried mysteries, fiercely guarded.This is fast-moving, edge-of-the-seat entertainment, and a great introduction to the work of one of the most exciting new SF talents in years.
Sisters of the Raven
Barbara Hambly - 2002
The wells are running dry, and the Sun Mages have been unable to call the rains. Frustrated Mages across the land can no longer work the magic that once ran their empire. Now the magic lies solely in the hands of a few women - the first ever to have developed magical powers.
Night Elves of Ardani: Part One: Captive
Nina K. Westra - 2021
Maas!Night elves stab first and ask questions later. Novikke has never seen one in person, and she’s inclined to keep it that way.As a member of the Ardanian army, Novikke has no love for night elves. Her people and theirs have been at odds for centuries thanks to the elves’ penchant for violence and hatred of humans. Every citizen of Ardani knows not to approach their land: a vast forest made of shadows and magic that eats outsiders alive.So when she’s taken prisoner by Aruna, a night elf with too-perceptive eyes and a frightening, otherworldly visage, she has little hope of surviving.But when he shows her unexpected compassion, Novikke begins to see her captor in a new light—and starts to question everything she thought she knew about his mysterious people. Beneath his quiet, cold exterior lies a wry wit and a surprising sense of honor—and she’s beginning to think that he feels the same troublesome attraction between them that she does.Now, as a deadly magic and the threat of war loom over them both, Aruna is the only person standing between her and death at the hands of his bloodthirsty kin.As the two of them grow closer, Novikke wonders: Would a night elf ever betray his own people to protect a human?————————————————————————Night Elves of Ardani is a trilogy with a HEA at the end of part three. This book is intended for adults and contains steamy scenes, violence, and mature themes. This book is also available in a complete trilogy edition. A print version is available on the complete trilogy edition page.PLEASE NOTE: This book is not a standalone. This is a three part series. Please see series page or complete trilogy edition for the complete series.
The Son of the Morning
Jacob Peppers - 2017
Thousands died and the kingdom of Entarna was brought to its knees. Then the Chosen came, six men and women endowed with powers by Amedan, the God of Fire and Light. The Chosen joined with the kingdom’s armies and together they managed to defeat the night’s creatures. At least for a time. Alesh, servant to Chosen Olliman, the greatest of Amedan’s priests, knows well what the darkness holds. He saw it, as a child, when his father and mother were killed, and he was left with a blackened, festering scar that refuses to heal. The day wanes and the night comes again, but when those chosen to protect the kingdom are unable or unwilling to help, when the fellowships of the past have crumbled, it is left to an orphaned servant—a man many believe to be cursed—to stand against the rising darkness.
The Wandering Inn: Book 1
Pirateaba - 2018
She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours. It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die. In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn. She’s an [Innkeeper].
Tech Duinn
Ryan DeBruyn - 2020
A prison planet designed for blood sport. The Sovereign Empire’s power was a lie.Brutally trained his entire short life to be a Sovereign Elite and defend the Empire, Azrael instead finds himself a prisoner. Not even eight years old, and without system access, Azrael is abandoned on Tech Duinn. He must rely on his hunting trainers to keep his identity secret. There is no doubt that if people learn his last name, he would wake up in the arena… if he woke up at all.While fleeing the takeover of Mur, the group discovers how deep despair can drag them. Soon, only the praise of the bloody mob in the Arena Pit Dungeon keeps them alive. Surviving seems impossible, yet Azrael vows to not only live, but to find a way off-world.Azrael lives only because of applause. Others will die for it. Death or escape is the only way out of the cycle.
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer
Jonathan L. Howard - 2009
Johannes Cabal, a brilliant scientist and notorious snob, is single-mindedly obsessed in heart and soul with raising the dead. Well, perhaps not "soul" . . . He hastily sold his years ago in order to learn the laws of necromancy. But now, tormented by a dark secret, he travels to the fiery pits of Hell to retrieve it. Satan, who is incredibly bored these days, proposes a little wager: Johannes has one year to persuade one hundred people to sign over their souls or he will be damned forever. To make the bet even more interesting, Satan throws in that diabolical engine of deceit, seduction, and corruption known as a "traveling circus" to aid in the evil bidding. What better place exists to rob poor sad saps of their souls than the traveling carnivals historically run by hucksters and legendary con men? With little time to lose, Johannes raises a motley crew from the dead and enlists his brother, Horst, a charismatic vampire (an unfortunate side effect of Johannes's early experiments with necromancy), to be the carnival's barker. On the road through the pastoral English countryside, this team of reprobates wields their black magic with masterful ease, resulting in mayhem at every turn. Johannes may have the moral conscience of anthrax, but are his tricks sinful enough to beat the Devil at his own game? You'll never guess, and that's a promise! Brilliantly written and wickedly funny, "Johannes Cabal the Necromancer" combines the chills and thrills of old-fashioned gothic tales like "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the mischievous humor of "Wicked," and the sophisticated charms of" Jonathan Strange &Mr. Norrell "and spins the Faustian legend into a fresh, irreverent, and irresistible new adventure.