fantasy – magical realism

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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: Cernon is an ancient deity whose people fled the European Steppes to America thousands of years before the last great ice age. For millennia he and his people dwelt in the western United States. Then came the white people and Cernon's people began to die out.  With fewer and fewer followers, Cernon's presence began to fade in the world. He faded into only an occasional ghostly image for a hundred years. Then the founder of the Elk Creek Tribe of Oregon built a window between the worlds and invited Cernon through. In "Cernon" the Sophia Shaman of the Elk Creek Tribe of 2163 tells of a journey Cernon took her on. Tens of thousands of years into the past, likely on a different continent, they meet a small tribe of cave dwellers on the verge of extinction as an ice age approaches. Sophia immediately sets out to help this people. When she finally stops to think, she wonders, did she start something rolling along the waves of time, or did time capture her as a tool to shape the world? Cernon is listed as the first book of the Paradigm Lost Series. Not because it was the first book written, nor because it's the first in the timeline, but instead, because it's a short novella that introduces two characters who play roles throughout the long future-history of the Elk Creek Tribe. World-shaping roles!

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Summary: Book 2 in the Hammer Falls Series (should be read in order) Ever since Jin met his demon father, Ashmedai, and noticed how similar they are, he's been plagued by the idea he's bad. He can see it in the deceiving effects of his lust-demon eyes, the friendship he ruined with best friend Sam, and in the many, horribly obvious differences between himself and his noble part-angel boyfriend Nate. And now, even his fledgeling 'good' magic seems to have vanished - smothered and replaced by something with sinister, evil-feeling intentions... As animals turn up mutilated in the woods and Ashmedai's plans to avenge his banishment become clearer, Nate leaves for a place at the oppressive Seminary and Jin begins to spiral - doubting Nate, doubting himself, fighting his own impulses about love, sex, good and evil. But nothing is what he thinks: not the Seminary, not his magic, and certainly not Ashmedai's plans. Can Jin overcome his fears about what being 'good' enough means in time to save not just himself but all the other people implicated, before his father's schemes bear their terrible fruit? Sons of Heaven and Hell contains a prickly, velvet-loving half-demon, hot demon hunters, werebears, angst, messy love and explicit MM sex and steamy MMM polyamory scenes not suitable for younger readers.

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Summary: Can Scott and his new friends survive a trip to the "Dead Zone". Is it REALLY dead? if not who or WHAT lives there?

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Summary: There are creatures lurking in our world. Obscure creatures long relegated to myth and legend. They have been sighted by a lucky-or unlucky-few, some have even been photographed, but their existence remains unproven and unrecognized by the scientific community. These creatures, long thought gone, have somehow survived; creatures from our nightmares haunting the dark places. They swim in our lakes and bays, they soar the night skies, they hunt in the woods. Some are from our past, and some from other worlds, and others that have always been with us-watching us, fearing us, hunting us. These are the cryptids, and Systema Paradoxa tells their tales. *** Life and Death and Family Secrets... Sheridan Cascaden faces more than memories when she receives a call in the darkest hours summoning her home. Sent away five years prior to safeguard her from the evil that claimed her mother, Sheridan hasn't been back since. She returns to find her home in a disturbing state and her father straddling the Veil, with no explanation of what happened. Not only must she deal with her own demons, but she will have to delve into his if she is to unlock the mystery and save Papa's life. But where lies the line between truth and madness among the shifting shadows? And can Sheridan navigate it before it's too late... for both of them?

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Summary: We all start as strangers. Why does that make me so nervous? I can't imagine life without Mom, Dad, Bubbe or my friends in Salem. And that's what I'll be living at Hawthorn Academy, the campus between worlds. But Hawthorn Academy's the place to be if I want to join the family business as a veterinarian for magic critters. It's magi only at my new school, so I'm going without my besties. The only person I'll know there is my snarky big brother. At least I've already bonded with a familiar. But my dragonet means I'm destined for above-average power levels. The last thing I want to do is scare people off. You only get one chance at first impressions, after all. But will I make friends or enemies?

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Summary: THE TIME TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF IS NOW – AND ALWAYS! Past and present shatter like glass as Iria and Madge, lovers and witches in modern-day San Francisco, send their friend and ally Emperor Norton back in time to snatch a key to the city’s soul from one of its most turbulent events: the Compton’s Cafeteria riots! As the abused and exploited LGBTQIA+ people of the Tenderloin neighborhood rise up against their violent oppressors, our heroes find their plans foiled by Mammon, their demonic foe, when he sends his lieutenant Etta Place to ambush them in the present while he attacks them in the past. As Norton and Place dance a deadly duel in the shadow of one of the city’s greatest monuments, Iria and Madge must use their most powerful arts and quickest wits to wage a battle of wills and weapons across multiple moments in time. Betrayals abound and secrets are revealed as everyone involved—good and evil, wicked and wise—joins the battle for their own soul, the soul of the city, and their place in its future! Servant/Sovereign is the time-bending urban fantasy series from award-winning author Michael G. Williams, set in the Shadow Council World of Quincy Harker.

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Summary: An act of desperation by young magician Brandon accidentally snatches Scott Hathaway from our world. Struggling to adapt to his new life, Scott becomes ensnared in dark local politics. He realizes he can use the knowledge he brought from his world to save his new friends, but at what cost? The first in a series. A story about an engineer who gets accidentally transported to a medieval type world where magic is real. But all is not as it seems!

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Summary: A group of strangers meets at Ragazzi, an Italian restaurant, for a cooking lesson that will change them all. They quickly become intertwined in each other's lives, and a bit of magic touches each of them. Meet Dave, the consultant who lost his partner; Matteo and Diego, the couple who run the restaurant; recently-widowed Carmelina; Marcos, a web designer getting too old for hook-ups; Ben, a trans author writing the Great American Novel; teenager Marissa, kicked out for being bi; and Sam and Brad, a May-September couple who would never have gotten together without a little magic of their own. Everyone in the River City has a secret, and sooner or later secrets always come out. Narrated by Michael Lysan.

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Summary: You’ll tell me the truth in this trial of blood. After suffering a horrific loss, Midnight Fury is looking to settle the score, and she’s determined to do it alone. A vendetta against vampires doesn’t mix with music or touring, but Midnight’s never been afraid of a challenge. The Furies are fragmented and Midnight’s bond with Lottie is tenuous at best. Erebus is her clean slate, the perfect distraction from the broken pieces she’s left behind. But Midnight isn’t the only one with a secret. Danger is closing in. The past is threatening to catch up to them. When a member of her new band is targeted by a vampire, Midnight has no choice but to confront everything she’s been running from. It’s time to go on the offensive. Will Midnight measure up to her own expectations? Or will she lose part of herself to vengeance?

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Summary: INK (NOUN) Five definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) A colored fluid used for writing 2) The action of signing a deal 3) A black liquid ejected by squid 4) Publicity in the written media 5) A slang word for tattoos Ink 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: Alex always thought love was enough to keep him and Gio together. Why did they need wedding rings or legal certificates? But now, with Gio lost in a coma after a fire has destroyed their home, his partner’s mother banishes Alex from his side. Locked in a gray limbo inside his head, memories are all Gio has left, and the urge to let go is getting stronger. Nothing can keep Alex from Gio's side, even if he has to break the rules. In their stolen moments alone together, Alex fights to reach Gio, one memory at a time. What if Alex’s voice is the only thing that can bring Gio back?

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Summary: What sacrifice will come to pass this night? With Trenton Woods officially missing, The Furies are under the care of their new manager, the legendary Xandria Malcom. As if that wasn’t enough pressure, the band will soon be playing at the Metallizer Festival and opening for the one and only Emperor Immortal. All of Lottie Ferro’s dreams are finally coming true, but all good things demand sacrifice. Music is fading from Lottie, one song at a time. Campers are disappearing from the festival, and The Furies fear something worse than witches is to blame. As tensions mount within the band, Lottie must find a way to make peace with what’s done or risk losing more than just her music or her sisters. This time, she might just lose herself.

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Summary: What if you could hear the words behind the words? Brad Weston’s life seems perfect. He’s GQ handsome, the chief of staff for a Republican California state senator, and enjoys the power and the promise of a bright future. And he’s in a comfortable relationship with his boyfriend of six years, Alex. Sam Fuller is Brad’s young blond blue-eyed intern, fresh out of college, running from a bad breakup, and questioning his choices and his new life in politics. To make things worse, Sam also has a thing for the boss, but Brad is already taken. While looking for a gift for his boyfriend, Brad wanders into a curiosity shop and becomes fascinated by an old wooden medallion. Brad’s not a superstitious man, but when he takes out the medallion in his office, he sees the world in a whole new light. And nothing will ever be the same.

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Summary: When Heavy Metal Meets Serious Magic, Get Ready for Some Monstrous Consequences. Lottie Ferro lives her life by order and rules, but on stage it’s nothing but chaos. While leading goth metal band The Furies on their first tour of the year, Lottie uses her band’s witchy theme to hide her magic in plain sight. As Lottie struggles to keep their manager, Trenton from sabotaging their careers, she starts to suspect she isn’t the only one who’s hiding something. Trenton discovers her secret and offers her an ultimatum: perform a ritual for him or get shut out of the industry forever. Lottie has no choice but to tell her bandmates the truth. Together, they agree to find a way to give him what he wants. When the ritual goes wrong, it opens the door to bigger dangers than any of them are prepared for. From author N.J. Ember and USAT Bestselling Author Amir Lane comes a story of music, magic, and mayhem.

Word Count: Click here to reveal177,000 (Click here to hide)

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Summary: Robert thought becoming a dynamicist would enable him to change the world, starting with saving all his friends from being slaughtered. He was wrong.

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Summary: YOUR NEXT READ IS NOW BOARDING She can speak all languages. He can smell evil intent. They're enemies. They crave each other. With international settings, a conspiracy plot, star-crossed lovers, and sharp writing, The Demon in Business Class is a stunning debut novel spanning continents and genres. Zarabeth travels the world for a shady executive, laying the groundwork for global war. Gabriel offers a second chance to the criminals that a visionary leader sees in dreams. One rainy night in Scotland, they meet... Now, it's complicated. There's also the investigator, the witch, the playboy, the gangster, the cultist, the pre-school teacher, the two angels… And, the demon. Fans of Jeff VanderMeer, Michel Faber, and David Mitchell will love this stylish hybrid-genre novel. The Demon in Business Class is an international story of fantasy, intrigue, and love, on the uneasy ground where the human meets the divine.   "If William Gibson wrote paranormal .... weaves the dark worlds of the occult and big business into an intoxicating tale." – D. J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye "Creative spark? Anthony Dobranski ignites a creative bonfire ...A masterwork of invention." – Mary Kay Zuravleff, author of Man Alive! "... a swank cocktail of international intrigue, steeped in the supernatural, mixed with literary flair .... so sleek it flies off the page...." - Zach Powers, author of First Cosmic Velocity  

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Summary: Step through a portal in time - and steal a piece of history! Iria and Madge, witches extraordinaire, have summoned Joshua Norton I, self-declared Emperor of the United States, back from the nineteenth century to help them save the city of San Francisco from a demon of greed. Mammon, their infernal adversary, is running a real estate scam to end all real estate scams, and he's got his own helping hand from the city's past: Etta Place, famous in her day as the accomplice of Butch Cassidy and partner of the Sundance Kid. As Norton dodges mafia foot soldiers alongside another of San Francisco's larger-than-life figures from yesteryear on the fog-shrouded streets of Chinatown long ago, Iria and Madge find themselves face to face with Mammon and Etta in modern day - and trapped in very different timelines. It'll take all their ingenuity, bravery, and prowess to fix time itself, steal the prize, and get these three heroes back together!

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Summary:

“Is blood thicker than water?”

The answer seems obvious until a half-millennium-old blood feud ignited between twin brothers of a 16th century Scottish Reiver clan revisits violence generation to generation, pursuing their descendants from island to island and finally onto a new continent ,where the familiar proverb is ultimately pitted against this fluid tale of guilt, blood, water, and time.

Rich with magical realism, Is Blood Thicker taps millennia-old folklore to spin a modern fable of love, pain, and family wisdom consumed by a lived code:

‘Drink, Pray, Fight, Feck’ … and a fox.