fantasy – dark fantasy

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Summary: This horror collection graphic novel contains the following stories: “And They Lived Long Enough to Bury Their Dead” is a dark fantasy comic zine about a group of Gen X goth/punk folks growing older and processing the deaths of loved ones. A paranormal urban fantasy, it centers around Billie, a nonbinary African-American alternative rocker from Oakland who develops the psychic ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Their nesting partner, Davis, a formerly homeless African-American transgender man, their twin brother Sean, a ghostcat, and the ghost of their mother are other central characters. In the story Billie, Davis, and their Gen X circle of friends are coming to terms with aging, the declining health (and loss) of their parents, and adjusting to a new post-pandemic world. It is an urban fantasy taking place in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area “Agrippa” is a dystopic near-future tale that takes place in an unnamed industrialized nation very much like the United States. When foreign creditors demand that the nation repay its considerable international debt or face war it enacts the Dulcetta Reforms, ultra-restrictive laws establishing debtor’s prison, and causing a large number of people – many of them seniors – to go to jail or even face execution if not continuously working to pay off their personal debts to the government. Dr. Tine, an expert in geriatric medicine, is desperately searching for employment at the beginning of our tale, having lost her useful functioning in society as the elders she once treated were rounded up and hauled off to the prison camps. Things were so bad she didn't think they could possibly get any worse. How very wrong she was. Dreamworlds: Beyond Somnalia - the author is plagued by a series of increasing demands from their fictional characters who come to take over the writer's life.

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Summary: In volume three of this widely-praised dark fantasy anthology series, the Night Bazaar, a secret marketplace of the rare, strange, occult, and dangerous, journeys to 19th century London. There, as usual, its vendors will purvey curious services, forbidden wares, and rare objects which cannot be had elsewhere, for any price. The midnight market has operated throughout history in various locales, appearing in a city for one week only, never to return. This time the Bazaar’s proprietress, the enigmatic and unflappable Madame Vera, escorts the reader on an eerie, fantastical British tour in ten linked short stories by various authors. Some tales feature such recognizable luminaries as Sherlock Holmes, occultist Madam Blavatsky, and Queen Anne Boleyn. Several take place during the Bazaar proper, while others occur earlier or later, tied to its 1880 London appearance by a curse or spell – or, by an object found, inherited, purchased, or stolen during the decades since, by the unsuspecting, foolish, or greedy (though seldom the completely innocent). Together, these ten linked stories take readers on a fantastical journey into astonishment, dread, and dark delight. The Night Bazaar still holds everything you’ve read about but thought had passed away, or perhaps never existed at all. How wrong you were! But be warned: as usual, each object or service comes with a gift, a curse, or a haunting. NOTE: THE VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES MAY BE READ IN ANY ORDER YOU LIKE!

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Summary: Taste the magic of the gods! Sisters Kisare and Belili uproot an ancient box in their owner’s orchard and find a miracle inside: a fifth godfruit in a society that knows only four. It is punishable by death for non-nobles to eat godfruit, so the sisters hide the discovery and plot to escape servitude for good. With the power represented in the box, they could live as nobles themselves. But Kisare finds her new freedom more difficult than she imagined, and Belili has many secrets she strives to keep hidden. With the help of a people slowly losing their culture and technology to the powerful nobles, the sisters lead an infiltration of the highest levels of noble society. While Kisare finds she cares for the captured leader of the people helping them, Belili comes to love her noble suitor’s guard—a fierce woman with a similar past to her own. In the end, the fifth godfruit may bring harmony to the world, but the sisters’ only hope of succeeding lies in deciphering ancient mythologies surrounding the gods’ original plan for their people.

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Summary: RISE (noun / verb) Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) An upward slope or movement 2) A beginning or origin 3) An increase in amount or number 4) An angry reaction 5) To take up arms 6) To return from death 7) To become heartened or elated 8) To exert oneself to meet a challenge Rise features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

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Summary: Dark, quirky, urban fantasy heaped with magic, mystery, and all the feels. Protecting her secret and hunting demons is a matter of survival for possessed-practitioner Mira Fuentes. She's spent years learning to work with the snarky demon housed in her body, and it hasn't always gone smoothly. Nor has her recent partnership with an agent of the Paranatural Task Force. Ty Williams—uncomfortably-attractive and overly-protective—may never fully accept that his partner has a literal inner demon. But work-life-demon balance is the least of Mira's problems when a figure from her past drags her back to the hometown she's avoided for nearly a decade to investigate a string of potentially-magical disappearances. Someone or something is snatching teens from the local high school. Emotionally off-balance in a city full of old ghosts and new dangers, Mira will have to confront her past to discover what is hunting the innocent. Winner of the Colorado Author's League Award for Writing Excellence, Fantasy & Paranormal Killer Nashville Silver Falcion Award Top Pick and Finalist in Supernatural Chanticleer International Book Awards Finalist, Paranormal

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Summary: When yet another wave of colonizing Felters arrives to strengthen their fortress on the forest’s edge, Velu, an indigenous hunter, knows they bring only pain and death. But with them arrives an intriguing older woman who hunts legends. When Velu learns the woman, Lady Greyback, shares his terrifying visions of the ancient scorpion god, Ajakava, she invites him to research what they mean. But the Felters grow hostile, blaming Velu and the other hunters for deaths in a doomed expedition through the forest. Meanwhile, the visions become ever more persistent, hinting the god is awakening. When a second Felter expedition seeks to extend their reach to the capital beyond the forest, only Velu and Lady Greyback know they will walk straight into Ajakava's clutches. While the lady sees new destruction, Velu sees memories of a long-forgotten massacre. What vengeance does the old god have in store, and for whom? Find out what happens in Ajakava by Chaitanya Murali

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Summary: The collection of the Stolen series, including Stolen, Broken, and Chosen. Dive into the heartwarming young adult fantasy series featuring faeries, dragons, and a magical world filled with cruel queens and shadow wolves. Bonus short story: Protector of Dreams featuring Mawr the Living Statue. Stolen In the garden, nothing is as it seems It’s difficult taking care of a delusional father by yourself. Sixteen-year-old Shaleigh Mallet would rather explore and photograph dilapidated buildings than cater to her father’s dark episodes. But when she is kidnapped by a creature who carries her atop a flying bicycle into another world, she realizes this wasn’t the escape she wanted. In a kingdom known as the Garden where minotaurs pull carriages and parties are held in hot air balloons, Madam Cloom and her faerie servant Teagan rule over the land with incredible but terrifying magic. Shaleigh must prove that she is the reincarnation of a long dead ruler, not because she believes it to be true, but because it’s her only chance at survival. With the help of a trespassing faerie, a stoatling, and a living statue, Sheleigh thinks she has outwitted everyone. She’ll break bonds of servitude and finally make her way home. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s played right into the hands of a far worse enemy. Broken A land has fallen. An escape was made. It’s a victory of sorts, but at what price? Shaleigh has made a terrible mistake, one she may not ever be able to fix. Lost and in a strange land with anger and death all around her, she must navigate her way through treacherous lands on her quest for redemption. Along the way she’ll have to negotiate with the mercurial Queen of the Fae, survive the dangers of the Masked King’s realm, and seek out a terrifying fire dragon. With two powerful beings hot on her trail, Shaleigh has no choice but to keep moving, or else face the dangerous magic of the Madness that has already caused so much pain and heartache. With her sights on helping her friends and her heart longing for home, Shaleigh is determined, but will it be enough? Chosen Can she stop what she unleashed? How in the world did Shaleigh Mallett find herself standing on a volcanic mountain facing the fire dragon, Tanwen? She isn’t supposed to be here. She’s supposed to be in high school, studying for classes and exploring abandoned buildings with her best friend. But no, she’s stuck on the Peak of Gwern, hoping that the dragon will somehow show mercy and stop the Madness that plagues them. There is still so much to do, so many wrongs to right. She can’t abandon her friends after she’s come so far. She won’t abandon them. Not even Talek, who is all but consumed by the Madness. She must take down Keriam the Magician, she must face the Bloody Forest, and she must lead if she ever wants to see home again.

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Summary: A healer just tries to keep her head down when a sorceress's son lands in her lap. No one is safe when surrounded by Priestesses... Irrwaer is an acolyte serving the Sanctuary, yet she lacks the consuming urges which drive their ambitions. She would rather observe and stay quiet, avoiding the bottomless appetites of her matriarchy. Unfortunately, in Sivaraus, passiveness leads only to a short, miserable life. Or worse: a long one. In the realm of the Spider Queen, keeping the smallest choice for herself means gaining power over others without becoming addicted to it. As the healer works among meek males, rowdy Red Sisters, and the sinister sons of demons, she asks a troubling question. In a place where power passes through daughters, why are the Priestesses only competing for sons? Even asking the question is dangerous when she delivers the most coveted son of all. Sooner or later, everyone disturbs the Queen's web. In "Sons to Keep," Etaski introduces the political sphere of Sivaraus through the eyes of the least ambitious. ~~~~ These events occur one hundred years before the birth of the protagonist Sirana in Sister Seekers #1: No Demons But Us. Their effects still ripple out from the center of a vast, interconnected story.

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Summary: Fourth of the Vyrdigaan Prophecies, telling the back-story of Andreas Cesario. As the illegitimate child of a Carpathian Lord and his favourite housemaid, Andreas has to contend with his violent and hateful half-siblings and various power-plays within the household. He is a product of two different worlds — the privileged upbringing of a Carpathian son and the freedom of the streets where his mother was born. As he grows up, he discovers that he is far more important than he ever imagined, being part of a two-stage prophecy which dates back to the origins of the Founding Families of the Inner Circle. Set up for a fall by his scheming half-siblings, he has to rely on his natural intelligence in order to stay ahead in the game. This novel follows the story of his life from birth to his mid thirties.

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Summary: In a world of wizards and walled cities, Galabras Nachecko is a necromancer in the seaport metropolis of Golathreon, connecting the living with deceased relatives and associates to answer questions left unresolved at the time of death. Then he is tasked by Duke Simisson’s conniving seneschal to capture the ghost of a notorious land pirate scheduled for execution.  He snags the spirit but finds that the assignment has made him a man who knows too much. Nachecko is propelled into a new career—secret agent segueing into diplomat—that leads him far from home, plunges him into perilous adventures, and brings him both true love and tragedy.

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Summary: Step into a world beyond the material realm with 'Noncorporeal, ' a spine-chilling anthology packed with haunting tales of ghosts and other ethereal beings. Prepare to be captivated as you journey through stories that will keep you wide-awake, make you question reality, and even elicit a chuckle or two. Get ready for an unforgettable ride into the realm of the supernatural with 'Noncorporeal' - your next stop for spooky delights.

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Summary: Two sisters born in the Red Desert, young Daughters of an ancient Queen. One seizes the delights of the present. The other sees and despairs for their future. Innathi and Ishuna, the heirs of the Dark Elf Queen of V’Gedra, travel the sand dunes with their entourage. In need of water, the sisters enter the sacred canyons of Koorul, where they interrupt a mystic rite of passage for the Human son of a Sorcerer-King. Negotiations fare well between the two desert peoples until powerful magic blends with the discoveries of youth which get quickly out of control. Incomprehensible joy crashes into a dark dread which cannot be named, and a schism begins between the sisters. Diplomacy is critical to avoid unnecessary conflict, yet the Queen’s daughters do not agree on the goal. Each has her version of the events at Koorul, and each is certain of the outcome should Innathi pursue the wild magic of the Zauyrian son. A close alliance with a Sorcerer-King could bring pleasure, prosperity, and new life thriving in the Desert, or it might corrupt a delicate balance to bring down the realms and all they had ever known. This second volume of Tales of Miurag is a standalone novel which can be read on its own. Dramatic events and mature themes weave into broad history and lore headed toward a cataclysm which will change the entire world. The Desert is also Etaski’s ultimate villains’ origin, featuring several antagonists introduced in the Sister Seekers series. This story takes place approximately 3500 years before No Demons But Us, where hints of these events past echo forward and impact future generations.

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Summary: Mercy must bring justice to Kanta. After months of being held captive in her childhood home, Mercy returns to Farrell Mill, expecting a warm welcome from her friends. But there is none. Farrell Mill has been raided and left to rot. Everyone she knows and loves is missing and even her research is gone. Thomas and Andrei have been arrested, accused of reselling werewolves, a crime they did not commit. But if they declare their innocence and reveal their true purpose at the mill of curing and freeing werewolves, they could put many lives in danger. Mercy will need to face her most terrifying opponent yet: the people of Kanta. She will need to rally the goodwill of the werewolves she has helped and hope it will be enough to turn the tide in her favor. This time without masks, without lies, and without a disguise. Can Mercy find her allies and free her friends without losing everything? The clock is ticking. An execution date looms closer and Mercy is scrambling to keep from losing the only family she has left. Book 5 in The Wolves of Kanta series.

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Summary: The Dragon is awake, and he's ready to rejoin the game. When the Valsharess compelled the novice Sister Sirana to leave for the Surface, she also commanded the Lead Sister Jaunda to leave her beloved city for the dark labyrinth of the underground wilderness. Jaunda seeks the lair of a legendary creature who's been asleep since before she was born. After spans of searching, she approaches her goal at last, only to discover he just woke up ... and he wants to play. Meanwhile, Sirana waits for her bodyguard to rise out of an abrupt and powerful sleep. In the aftermath of the Temple City's fall, surrounded by battle-weary refugees and bustling Dwarves, she uncovers wounds among critical allies within the redoubt. The Red Sister must help them heal before they can continue her Queen's unspoken mission. Sister Seekers is dark epic fantasy for adults with an ever-broadening scope. The saga genre-hops a bit so things never get stale. Found Family is a core theme throughout, and fans of Dungeons & Dragons will find familiar grounds. Perfect for fans of entwined plots, challenging themes, immersive worldbuilding, and elements of erotic horror. Sexuality and inner conflict play into character growth with nuanced intrigue, intense action, and fantastical magic.

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Summary: When sisterhood by blood is pure misery, can sisterhood by trial be any different? My sister deserved to die, but I didn't kill her. If I take the blame, I'm next on the sacrificial altar. The Red Sisters know this. Now they're watching me. I'm about to find out why. ~~~ In their underground city, only the cunning and the bold thrive. Sirana Thalluensareci refuses to be cowed. Banished from everything she knew after surviving an assassination attempt, the abused dark elf finds delight in the sensual thrills of the court’s explicit intimacies. But she’s taken off-guard when one of the realm’s most powerful organizations steps out of the shadows to abduct her to their lair. Relying on her wits and nerve to thread her way through a controlling sisterhood, Sirana navigates passionate encounters, sharp-edged battles, and a series of initiation rituals where failure means a painful death. Even as the independent warrior-in-training discovers a taste for hidden pleasures, old scars threaten her ability to survive on the danger-strewn path when the Red Sisters' competitors, the Daughters of Braqth, turn their eyes toward her. As everyone around her pushes her to the edge, can she keep her balance and avoid falling into the spider's trap? If you crave found family, nuanced characters, bold and steamy scenes with touches of survival horror, then you’ll love A.S. Etaski’s Machiavellian matriarchy. Begin the intense first trilogy of the Sister Seekers series today!

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Summary: Watchers’ eyes track a miles-distant bird. Listeners’ ears hear a whisper a village away. ​Knowers, extinct for 500 years, possessed telepathic powers straight out of a nightmare. Alesea’s sole extraordinary trait is her musical talent. But when Watchers invade her tiny island on the night of her professional debut, she’s the only one who escapes—unwittingly using the powers of a Knower. Now, it’s up to her to save her people while coming to grips with her dangerous new identity, her pacifist beliefs, and only a traitor to help her.

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Summary: Captured! It didn’t matter that Mercy found a cure for lycanthropy or fended off bloodthirsty werewolves in Crowsmirth. Oscar the hunter still found her. Finding herself in a place she never wanted to return to again, her captor insists she play a twisted game. Oscar wants to be the father she never had, and Mercy his doting daughter. Refusal is not an option. Plotting to escape while playing along is dangerous, but Mercy is determined to get home. She must unravel the mystery of her parents’ past and conceal her growing fury if she hopes to see her friends again.   Book 4 of The Wolves of Kanta series

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Summary: “Now is the time to release the burdens you have been carrying.” The holiday season is traditionally one of reunions, homecomings, and family gatherings, but for the LGBTQIA+ community, it can be a time of anxiety and dread—a time we must hide our true selves in order to feel welcome. Too often, the holidays bring about loneliness and pain—a longing to be unequivocally accepted, seen, and loved for who we are. This season, we invite you to be Queer for the New Year! Enter nine fantastical worlds and witness rebirth and release as individuals let go of the past and welcome the new year with open arms and fearless hearts. In the final minutes to midnight, journey with us as we discover that acceptance can be found in the most unlikely of places, pain is not forever, and if nothing feels okay, then it is not the end. Move from the heartaches of old, make a fresh start with hope and renewal in your heart, and join us in being— queer for the new year.

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Summary: Our Fruiting Bodies collects stories of old growth and fresh decay, of stubborn rebirth and the faint but nonimaginary paths connecting life and nonlife. From the sharp, sweet confessional of their Peter Pan-inspired “Awfully Big Adventure,” through the melting ambitextualities of “Just Us” — from the early, dizzy-eyed quest at the heart of “Looking for Lilith” through the newly unfurling tendrils that pierce the grounds of “I Being Young and Foolish” — Nisi Shawl’s search for the power of fiction’s truth puts pure, precious gifts right here, right in your hands, ripe and ready for reading. Advance Praise Nisi Shawl’s Our Fruiting Bodies is a wilderness of untamed magic to explore, ever changing underfoot, beauty thorned and fertile with meaning, nurtured by the most talented of keepers. Shawl trusts their readers to be attuned to the mysteries of the imagined, rather than sated by formula or convention. —Indrapramit Das, author of The Devourers

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Summary: Dare to explore the darkest tales where sunlight never touches. Etaski's dark fantasy epic, Sister Seekers, begins underground with its denizens living and dying in eternal night. A novice Red Sister leads us through much of the series, but her Elven ancestors have their own stories to share. Tales of Miurag: The Deepearth is a same-world anthology exploring critical moments in the history for the Dark Elves of Sivaraus. This collection contains explicit and sometimes grim content, though we are never lacking all hope. Stories included in this collection: House Aurenthin - a novella on the dramatic origins of the lowest-ranking noble house in Sivaraus. Auranka the Keeper - a chilling horror tale on the monstrous Mistress of the Driders. Rohenvi - the tragic romance in the early reign of the Matron of the Twelfth House. Gaelan - a "dark slice of life," how future Red Sisters sometimes make connections long before their trials Sister Seekers is dark epic fantasy for adults with an ever-broadening scope. The saga genre-hops a bit so things never get stale. Found Family is a core theme throughout. Perfect for fans of entwined plots, challenging themes, immersive worldbuilding, and elements of erotic horror. Sexuality and inner conflict play into character growth with nuanced intrigue, intense action, and fantastical magic.