fantasy – dark fantasy

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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: Shiver during the long nights with these dark tales Featuring stories by Brett Thomas Abrahamsen, Mike Adamson, Christopher Bond, John M. Campbell, Arasibo Campeche, Brandon Case, Elizabeth Cobbe, Ryan Cole, Sarina Dorie, Monica Joyce Evans, P.G. Galalis, Kara L. Hartz, Brian Hugenbruch, Andrew Rucker Jones, Andrew Kozma, Steven P. Mathes, Jen Mierisch, Iseult Murphy, Ira Nayman, Tarver Nova, Frank J. Oreto, Anthony Regolino, and Lauren Reynolds

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Summary: How do you control something that cannot be tamed? As magi apprentices, Everis and Wren have led a relatively peaceful life. But when the king dies under suspicious circumstances and Everis foils an assassination attempt on the princess’ life, the pair are sent by their master to investigate the only lead they have. In a city far away ruled by the dead king’s brother, they need to find answers—fast. As an unlikely group of allies forms around them in the chaos, the apprentices will have to tap into everything they’ve been taught while relying on the likes of assassins, an eccentric shopkeeper, and an otherworldly avian to go up against an enemy unlike any they’ve encountered before. But nothing about this plot against the royal family is what it seems. There’s blood magic at the root of it, and its seductive pull is something Everis has struggled to resist since he was a child. A struggle which makes things complicated…and dangerous. Wren has always pulled him back from the edge when he’s needed it, but what happens when they need fire to fight fire, and Everis is forced to bring out his darkness and learn to tame the untamable?

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Summary: Enter The Game is where it all begins for Justin. As the teenage son of an International Special Forces agent, Justin has seen the dangers in the world first hand. He's been to more high schools than he can count and can't talk to a girl to save his life. But now, when his dad is left for dead by the powers who employ him Justin must somehow find the courage to locate and rescue him by himself. To do it, he will have to infiltrate the Deceivers - the most covert and deadly Black Ops organization in the world. Based on the popular comic book Black Tide. The fascinating story combines science, history, technology, myth, metaphysics and tales of Atlantis with some of the same issues we face in our world today. Unlike the comic book, this novel is set in Justin’s formative teen years. Justin is an old soul and he is haunted by nightmares from what he thinks might be his previous life. If it was, can he forgive himself? How does a soldier go on after violence?

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Summary: “Birth, life and death—we have come full circle once again.” An 18th-century family portrait has been in the dining room of the Lewis family manor house for as long as anyone can remember. But who are the people shown in it? The children are known to be the founding members of the Llynhiraeth empire. But who is the woman depicted? Or the two men with her? And why do they look like Stewart Rygby and Michael Dougal? Stewart and Michael search through their memories of past lives to dig up the exciting tale of their scandalous life, love, family, and escape from France in the years and days leading up to the French Revolution. Along the way, many questions are answered about the origins of the prominent families of Llwyncudd and its most famous citizen. Join us where y Ddraig Goch meets his own tail in Green Hills and Prison Cells—the revolutionary final book of the Green Hills Series.

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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: Demons and sorcerers stalk the streets of Victorian London, searching for a magical treasure lost in the Opium Wars.

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Summary: A century ago, one Priestess left for the surface world. She vanished. This is her story. Irrwaer is an acolyte serving the Priestesses yet lacks the consuming urges which drive their ambitions. She would rather stay small, quiet, and avoid the bottomless appetites of her matriarchy but understands passively hoping leads to a short, miserable life. Or worse: a long one. In the Sanctuary of the Spider Queen, the only way to keep any choice for herself is to gain power over others without becoming addicted to them. 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 this question is dangerous. 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: “Aye, well, what is an angel, anyway?” At Samhain, things in Llwyncudd are taking a turn for the strange and bizarre. The red dragon is spotted around town trying to dig its own grave whilst his vessel is happily participating in life elsewhere. Did Stewart’s dragon spirit leave him? Michael, can’t live with the thought. Meanwhile, Dr Lilibeth Blackthorne, PsyD, has moved to town at her brother Sam’s suggestion. Many of its residents are in desperate need of her counselling services and she’s uniquely qualified—even if she’s never particularly seen multiple personalities quite like this. Fairy-halfling Arthen also joins the town after being raised in the local fairy village on the other side. Despite the odd cultural clashes of living in a society that requires silly things like clothing, he is making many new friends and is more special than his former masters would have him believe. Join our friends as they battle their demons from the darker side of the veil in Green Hills and Battlefields—the thrilling fifth book of the Green Hills Series by Celyn Kendrick!

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Summary: Let your imagination bloom with these mind-opening tales Featuring stories by Veronica L. Asay, Warren Benedetto, Jason P. Burnham, Michael D. Burnside, Laura J. Campbell, Arasibo Campeche, Jay Caselberg, Philip Brian Hall, Tom Howard, Tim Kane, Benjamin C. Kinney, Stephen McQuiggan, Mike Morgan, Sam Muller, Jason Restrick, and Elyse Russell.

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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: “Who but God could have created such a bewitching creature?” In the 6th century, Brother Elis was simply trying his best to serve God during a time of relative political peace and prosperity. But in a world full of rules written by man, how can he be at peace with the life that God has set before him? Now, in the 21st century, for the first lifetime in their ancient dragon memories, Stewart Rygby and Michael Dougal are free to marry one another. Is this finally their time to shine? When a messenger from the other side arrives on their doorstep, he brings more news from the fairy realm than the simple tidings from the Grand High Council of y Pentref Cudd. His presence demonstrates how little everyone truly knows about fairy society. As the mysterious and inexplicable spirit realm is revealed, retired vicar Father Aron is finally getting some very literal answers to his spiritual questions. Will he be able to keep such secrets to himself so that Stewart and Michael can live in anonymity? Join us for a wedding as esoteric mysteries are revealed in Green Hills and Holy Wells—the fourth book in the Green Hills Series by Celyn Kendrick!

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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.