fantasy – lgbtq+

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Summary: Never look a mannequin in the eyes! Edi has collected antiques and ghost stories for as long as they can remember. Some old objects buzz with history, and when Edi touches them, they see fragments of the item's story. But are the visions real? Edi desperately wants to believe in the supernatural until a mysterious ghost transforms their mom into a mannequin. Helped by Delilah, a thirteen-year-old psychic, Edi researches local hauntings to untangle how and why their mom became a mannequin. When Edi finally employs their ability to see an artifact’s history, they learn the terrifying truth. The ghost that turned Edi’s mom into a mannequin wants to resurrect herself, and she doesn’t care how many people she murders in the process. If Edi doesn’t put her spirit to rest by the end of the summer solstice, dozens of people will be forever mannequinized, including Edi and Delilah’s moms. Find out what happens in Junk Junction by Sara Codair!

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Summary: Alan I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life. Jason I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells. It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this. Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.

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Summary: Drawing the short straw is bad luck…isn’t it? A treaty between three warring realms calls for a mass wedding ceremony amongst their eligible princes and princesses to solidify the peace. But since the number of males and females differ, one of the marriages must be between two of the princes. Prince Obren of Canna draws the short straw, sealing his fate, and Prince Dukan of Butari volunteers to be the other half of the nontraditional marriage. The two princes fought nobly in the years-long war and are willing to do whatever it takes to finalize the treaty, ending the conflict that took the lives of their loved ones…Obren’s brother and Dukan’s lover. Each harbors a dark secret, and King Rogan of Canna has long nurtured a deep hatred of Obren, blaming him for bringing home the deadly virus responsible for the untimely death of his much-adored wife. Obren and Dukan can’t deny their chemistry, but can they overcome the ugly truths complicating their path to a friendly, respectful, and—dare they hope—loving relationship? Will King Rogan stop at nothing to dash Obren’s chance at happiness, or does that short straw represent good luck, after all?

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Summary: Morgorth and Aishe must contend with a deadly threat that could spell disaster for their world. Payshthas were the first of the Mother’s intelligent children. It is rare for true friendship to form between them and another species—which makes Morgorth’s bond with Enfernlo unique. And it is due to their friendship that Morgorth doesn’t hesitate to answer Enfernlo’s plea for help. A thief has stolen something vital from Enfernlo’s colony—a stone of power. Their hunt for the stone leads them to a war torn kingdom, and Aishe can hardly stomach what he sees. The devastation urges him to assist however he can, no matter the risk. Meanwhile, Morgorth is faced with reminders of the monster he used to be, and contemplates how far he’s come, and yet how far he still has to go. And when his estranged mentor joins them on their search, Morgorth is forced to confront his resentment and sense of betrayal, and use Master Ulezander as a tool to save the payshthas. Forced into a deadly quest where trust is in short supply, and faced with challengers for the stone, Morgorth must put his faith in those he loves and in himself... and become a champion not just of the Mother but for Karishian itself.

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Summary: “It was certainly hot and dry, but he hadn’t expected Hell to be particularly sunny.” Ben Davies is no stranger to the strange, but his life just got a whole lot weirder. He’s always battled between doing the morally right, sensible thing and impulse—but this time, his good intentions have landed him in hot water. Trapped in the Land of Nod with Alex’s Dreamtime alter-ego, Ben needs to find a way to get back to Wales—his Wales. With a psychotic psychopomp as their Virgil to guide them on an RV road trip through hell, Ben and Alex get to see America in all its star-spangled glory. It’ll take a transatlantic transdimensional meeting in the middle for these two to keep calm and carry on in their pursuit of happiness. Back in the fairy village, tensions are running at an all-time high. Will y Pentreff Cudd start the new year in an all-out civil war? Or set aside their differences to find peace and goodwill? Join dragons, fairies and transdimensional puppies in Green Hills and Whippoorwills—the thought-provoking sixth book in the Green Hills Series by Celyn Kendrick!

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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: Rumors are swirling in the northlands about a curse in Westcliff. People are being driven mad by the touch of angry ghosts during the full moon, in a village already haunted by a brutal murder from decades ago. Growing up as an orphan, Genshai always expected his life would be the same as the other warriors of the abbey: learning the ways of the Iron Style, and training his mind and body toward Illumination. But, at the start of his fifteenth year the boy is shocked when the abbot names him the new laymonk, and he is sent to learn the ways of the world from his predecessor, an old man named Taisan. Soon, Genshai receives firsthand lessons in ways that he never imagined— from fighting for his life, to defending the innocent, and even striding between two worlds, into the ethereal Veil. And just as Genshai is beginning to learn how to keep the Still Mind in the presence of spirits, the laymonks are sent to Westcliff to break an old curse, and to confront an unfathomable evil. By taking up the staff of the laymonk, will Genshai uncover the truth about himself? Or will the madness spread, causing his greatest fears to be revealed on the night the Lotus is in Bloom?

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Summary: We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to take a side trip down two branching paths. First, we’ll follow Matt and Xander as they take a surprise honeymoon to Hawaii in The Honeymooners. It’s not all private beaches and swimming with the fish, though. Truths from Xander’s past are revealed that give Matt new insight into his mate. Just as they get comfortable, the unforeseen appearance of a new enemy cuts their trip short. Next, we slide over to find out what some mischievous foxes have been doing behind the scenes since they arrived in France. Akira and Koji set their sights on a pair of twin hunky dragons in 2+2=Love. ​​​​​​​ It’s not easy being twin dragons when your other half has been in your head since conception. It’s certainly not easy finding love, but Halvar and Herleif have hope when a pair of foxes cyberstalk their way into their lives. Intermission contains two short stories that occur during the events at the end of First Strike and through Dragon's Hoard. While these stories do not fit into the overall story arc, some bits and pieces may find importance later on down the road. So take a break from the action and breathe in some light-hearted fun and romance. Dragon War Chronicles is a continuous series. It must be read in order.

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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: Kit McIntyre is a quite ordinary seventeen-year-old boy, enjoying the long days of summer, until a visit to his friend—the eccentric writer Philip Amirault—changes his life forever. All it took was a pair of glasses. Looking through them opened a gateway into a parallel world, one almost—but not exactly—like the one he left. Transported from his suburban apartment home in the Pacific Northwest to Finn Hill, a village in the forested hills of upstate New York, Kit finds himself immersed in a world that is coming apart a piece at a time. Somehow, his leap through space has brought something else along, something that is threatening to tear apart the fabric of reality. Together with the charming Malachi Swenson, a boy from the parallel world, Kit has got to repair the damage he inadvertently did, and save as many of the people from Finn Hill as he can. And, along the way, find a way not to lose his blossoming relationship with Malachi—something that is finally giving some color to his previously bland life.

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Summary: “Orcs are the answer but what is the question?” Elias is a priest at the Temple of the Divine Sibyl. When he becomes lost in the woods after his brother’s hunting party abandons him, it’s just his luck that he’d stumble upon an angry orc caught in a trap. Unable to stomach the suffering of others, Elias throws self-preservation to the wind and frees the orc. Then Gurrkk—that’s a name?—ends up leading him to safety. Gurrkk finds himself rather smitten by the sweet, awkward human. He’s always been fascinated with his people’s sworn enemy, and now he has a life debt to fulfill to maintain his honor. Hiding an orc among the temple’s crypts wouldn’t have been Elias’s first choice but Gurrkk is stubborn about leaving. As they learn each other’s languages and spend more time together, Elias realizes they’ve become friends… and maybe more. And when the dying sibyl gives her last prophecy, Elias knows it wasn’t chance that brought them together, it was the gods. But why? This is a sweet, ace romance, so no sexy times, but plenty of snuggles and cuddles!

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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: Just because you’re alone, doesn’t mean someone doesn’t know your business… Lucas, the closeted son of a preacher who just graduated from Florida Atlantic University, returns home and is forced to make a life-changing decision––can he live a lie and marry his lifelong BFF, who his overbearing parents have been plotting to matchmake him with for years? Or, will he stay in Florida and start a new, more open life that he knows they will never approve of? Tyler, a talented artist on the edge of seventeen, is about to finish high school, and is looking forward to becoming a proper adult and fully exploring his sexuality. However, he soon discovers there’s a kink in his plans––his father has decided to rent out the studio apartment he’s been living in, putting an end to the independence he’s enjoyed until now. Lucas answers an advertisement for the apartment, and sparks fly from the very first moment the boys meet––though both are reluctant to explore things further, since it wasn’t what either of them had planned for their futures. But sometimes life isn’t that simple, and doesn’t always go exactly as planned…

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Summary: 1881: The electric lights of Paris have been extinguished. The Naturalist revolution is over. Adelaide was on the losing side. Once the Royal Scientist Doctor for the now-dead cyborg monarchs of France, she's now a fugitive, hiding from the new king's Police Sécrète. Pregnant and alone, she seeks refuge in a Parisian hospital but things have changed there too. What was once a cathedral of Science is now a bastion of ignorance and superstition. The battlefield veterans whose Augmented prosthetics she once created are shunned by the new regime and come to the hospital for her help. But her nemesis, the father of her child, has returned to France and threatens to reveal her illegal activities to the authorities. Can Adelaide repair her Augmented patients without losing her freedom ... or her life? The Vitruvian Mask continues the story of Adelaide Coumain, the Roboticist of Versailles, that began in The Archimedean Heart.

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Summary: Before Ardulum, there was the Mercy’s Pledge. One year after saving the Neek homeworld and redefining the people’s religion, the crew of the Scarlet Lucidity returns to the Charted Systems for a much-needed break. For Nicholas and Yorden, the Systems will always be home, but for Emn and Atalant, too many memories compound with Emn’s strange new illness to provide much relaxation. Tales from Ardulum continues the journey of Atalant, Emn, Yorden, Nicholas, and Salice as they try to define their place in a galaxy that no longer needs them while battling the artifacts of Ardulan colonization. Other stories include Yorden’s acquisition of the Mercy’s Pledge (and his grudge against the galaxy), Atalant’s exile from her homeworld, Ekimet and Savath’s romance, and many others.

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Summary: These three tales tell the story of Tharassas before the Tharassas Cycle, including the origin of the hencha queens, the ce’faine, and the colonization of the Highlands, essential companions for the four novels that make up the cycle: The Fallen Angel Charlie Fah, Cha’Fah to most of the world, has never fit in with the other citizens of Gully Town, thanks to his darker skin that sets him apart. But one day, an Angel arrives on a supply run from Earth, and what happens next sets Charlie on a new path that will turn his life upside down. The Last Run Sera is the last runner from Earth, bringing badly needed supplies to the Tharassas Colony across a twenty-five year gulf between the planets. Jas works on a hencha farm to make ends meet, harvesting berries from the semi-sentient plants. Neither one that knows their lives—and worlds—are about to change forever. The Emp Test Jey awakens to find himself in the care of a handsome stranger—a cheff from one of the mountain tribes. Afraid for his life, Jey has no choice but to let the man take care of him and his broken leg. Avain is on his Aud'ling—the coming-of-age test that requires him to spend a couple months away from his own people. The two of them will have to come to an understanding if they're going to help one another. The Last Run and The Emp Test have been published before in previous stand-alone editions, but The Fallen Angel is a new story written exclusively for this collection.

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Summary: Raven's a thief who just swallowed a dragon. A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever. Raven's best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik’s ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns. This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don’t figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything. Things are about to get messy.

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Summary: Trapped outside the world, unlikely hero Thaddeus Wright must partner with sexy Secret Agent Peter Pan to save a new generation of Lost Boys. THADDEUS WRIGHT would love to forget his childhood. A bi-racial bastard orphaned at four, he was the very definition of sin, according to the strict and disapproving grandparents who raised him. Twenty years later, Thad works with at-risk youth as both coach and counselor. Even after his grandparent’s spare-the-rod, spoil-the-child parenting, Thad just wants to help people. But when three young boys he coaches go missing, he’s the prime suspect. Especially when he goes missing himself! That’s when paranormal policing agency Borderless Observers Org. (B.O.O.) sends in recent recruit Peter Batique on his first solo mission. Peter had another name once, but he’s all grown up now and looking to prove himself an adult and a capable agent. However, after a hundred years as an unruly boy in Neverland, growing up holds some pretty unique challenges for Peter. Despite their differences, Thad and Peter must learn to work together to rescue a whole new generation of Lost Boys and take down the black market shadow dealer responsible. Can Thad learn he’s worthy of love? Can Peter finally grow up? Can the Lost Boys be found?

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Summary: IMAGINE BEING the only un-magical kid at Hogwarts. That’s how sixteen-year-old orphan Jaden Raines feels as he enters Azunya High. He struggles to fit in, but he’s really a fish out of water. The magical isle of Azunya, where paranormal policing agency B.O.O. is headquartered, is shocking to Jaden after having lived his entire life in the American Midwest. Back there, his classmates were freaks, geeks and gangstas. Here, his classmates are genies, witches, healers… A whole pantheon of beings and monsters. And worse yet, he’ll have to read The Old Man and the Sea. Again. Jaden might be the new kid in town, but he’s still a teen. It’s love at first sight with handsome skater-boy Stiltz. They have three things in common: neither is able to use magic, they’re both petrified of water, and, lucky for Jaden, they’re both gay. They should bond, but their relationship’s stormy from the start. To try to fit in, Jaden hides his powerless state, accidentally creating the myth that he’s the most powerful being of them all. But when the entire school demands a demonstration, what’s Jaden to do? New lies and cruel deceptions leave Jaden and Stiltz stranded at sea in the middle of a deadly tropical storm. In order to survive, the boys must spill their secrets. It’s sink or swim for our heroes. Only the truth can set them free. And keep them alive.

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Summary: The planet wakes. Atalant is torn between two worlds. In uncharted space—head of a sentient planet—the new Eld of Ardulum now leads the religion she once rejected. Emn is by her side but the Mmnnuggl war brewing in the Charted Systems—threatening her homeworld of Neek—cannot be ignored. Atalant must return to the planet that exiled her in order to lead the resistance. She must return home a god, a hypocrite, a liar in gold robes, and decide whether to thrust her unwilling people into the truth of Ardulum, or play the role she has been handed and never see her family, or her world, again.