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fantasy – urban and magical beings

Urban fantasy is a more pronounced form of present-day fantasy, where the fantasy elements are a clear and open part of our world. Return to general Fantasy

Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.

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Word Count: 74127

Summary: AURA’s offices have been quiet since the mage tower incident—as quiet as they can be for an agency dedicated to policing holes in reality—and the department heads have been free to turn their attention back to mundane matters. The return to quiet bureaucracy gives AURA’s Director of Research, Kai Hiltas, the time to turn his energy to a new issue—a young drow with unusual and dangerous powers named Ryld. Though his shadows always lurk at the edges of his vision, Ryld does his best to live peacefully and not let them hurt anyone. He has his work, his apartment and a succession of minders assigned by AURA who are, ostensibly, there to keep him safe in his new world and to prevent him from causing any scenes with his shadows. Most of the time, the arrangement works. But one disastrous incident causes Ryld’s minder to leave him unattended and lost—the precise thing he was hired to prevent. To replace the faithless minder, Kai suggests Hank, a half-goblin accountant recently in the middle of a string of terrible luck, while Kai works out how best to get Ryld the magical training he so desperately needs. For his part, Hank truly likes Ryld and insists he would be happier working as Ryld’s companion rather than as a controlling minder. As Hank and Ryld slowly come to terms with sharing space—and eventually more—Kai’s search for a teacher for Ryld takes them out west on the invitation of the Elvenhome’s aelfe queen and right into the lap of inter-elven feuds, ancient prejudice, conspiracies and trafficking rings. What should have been a pleasant visit soon turns into more than even forever-scheming Kai can handle.

Ryld's Shadows - Bellora Quinn & Angel Martinez - Aura Investigations
Ryld's Shadows
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: In this second instalment of the Damien the Devil series, we see Damien has found a new, more permanent home outside the foster system with Pat, Damien's Renfield and caseworker, and his twin brother Matt. He is also enjoying a budding romantic relationship with Brian, another boy from the foster home. But after the two of them are caught kissing, Damien is kicked out on the streets in the middle of the night-only to find himself in a very dangerous situation with a vampire. Brian, feeling guilty about the whole situation, goes looking for Damien the next evening, only to fall victim to the vampire's trap himself. Damien and Pat save Brian, but he's unable to remember what happened that night-until he starts to be plagued with nightmares. Meanwhile, Damien is too afraid to reveal to Brian that he is a vampeal: a half-vampire and half-human. Will they both be able to handle the truth of what each other is hiding?

Shattered Recollection - R.D. Noland - Damien the Devil
Shattered Recollection
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Word Count: 68000

Summary: They'll take a leap into the unknown to protect the world. There's something seriously wrong with Earth's magic. A demon has appeared unsummoned out of thin air, familiars can't return Home, and as Grim points out, rats smell like summer in the middle of winter. Grim and Pip can deal with rats; Silas can banish one wayward demon. But soon there are other demons, more each day, and Silas's old mansion is full of mysteries. He and Darien will need their familiars, their friends, plus a whole lot of luck, as they search beyond Earth for the forces that have changed their world. And to have any chance of getting safely home, Silas will have to confront a past he's avoided for ten long years.

Beset by Demons - Kaje Harper
Beset by Demons
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Word Count: 120000

Summary: A woman with the strength to rebel. A shapeshifter who wears the souls of the dead. Together, they face a lethal enemy. Em helped create it. Now she must craft its defeat. In a city owned by industrialists, Em sells her magic to make ends meet. The extraction procedure is brutal and potentially deadly. Desperate for change, she joins an underground resistance movement to weaponize her magic and stop the abuse of workers. Meanwhile, a mysterious voice wakes Ruk from a decades long slumber and compels him to become human. He wants to break free but is torn between his shapeshifter instincts and the needs of the soul that sustains him. On streets haunted by outcasts and predatory automatons, a new danger emerges – an ever-growing corruption of magic and science. Em and Ruk must put aside their differences and pursue it – each for their own reasons. What they discover will forever change their lives… Or end them. The Eternal Machine is set in a 19th Century alternative reality Australian city, where magic and science are equally valid disciplines.

The Eternal Machine - Carol Ryles
The Eternal Machine
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Word Count: 35000

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.

Shut the Gates of Mercy - Michael G. Williams - Servand / Sovereign
Shut the Gates of Mercy
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Humanity's time has run out She'll never be a victim again, but Rowena's new power could destroy her country. WOODSPELL is Volume 1 in the completed trilogy TALES OF ARDONNA: WOODSPELL SERIES, a fairy tale for adults.  

Woodspell - C. R. Collins - Woodspell / Tales of Ardonna
Woodspell
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: For three years, Jeth and Kodie and their soldiers have guarded a hostile mountain pass against the invading Dathians in a war that has waged for decades. Jeth has the blood of giants running through his veins, and it has caused bigotry and death to dog his steps his entire life. After a childhood tragedy shatters his world, it takes the courage and loyalty of his best friend, Kodie, to protect him from himself. Jeth knows he’s a danger to everyone around him and joins the army to control and focus the black rage inherited from his bestial bloodline. Kodie follows his friend into the army, determined to stay close to the one he loves most. He has never revealed his deeper feelings for Jeth, and is ignorant of Jeth’s own feelings. Their bond is too precious for either of them to risk rejection. Yet they might have to take the chance when Kodie’s life is threatened, and their enemy forges an alliance with a giant clan. Jeth must call upon his darker heritage to brave the hostile environment to make an alliance of his own—with a giant clan that knows more about him than he does himself.

A Giant's Friend - M.D. Grimm
A Giant's Friend
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Eighteen award-winning, veteran, and emerging authors bring you seventeen unique dragon tales that defy tradition. Winged serpents as large as continents, as well as those tiny enough to perch on the fingertip of a young girl. Dragons who inhabit the Wild West, Victorian London, Brooklyn, and a post-apocalyptic Earth. Scaly beasts who fight in the boxing ring, celebrate Christmas, and conquer the vast void of outer space. There are rockstars who meddle with dragon magic, clever and conniving shapeshifters, and powerfully exotic hybrids. Science fiction, urban fantasy, mystery, western, epic fantasy, YA fantasy...no matter the setting or the genre—here be dragons! Join Asimov's Readers Award winner Timons Esaias, science fiction author Heidi Ruby Miller, post-apocalyptic author J. Thorn, along with K.W. Taylor, Sean Gibson and more as they put their personal twist on the usual dragon tale. Also, check out the authors' behind-the-scenes articles for a peek into the creative processes that led to the creation of these "Dragons of a Different Tail".

Dragons of a Different Tail- Marx Pyle
Dragons of a Different Tail
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: William was a soldier until an IED severely wounded and scarred his body. Now he lives a quiet life in a small village in the Black Forest and is the caretaker of the church and caregiver to the local priest. He’s grown fond of the two stone gargoyles on the bell tower and often speaks to them, reminding himself of Quasimodo. But on his thirty-seventh birthday he learns a stunning secret—the gargoyles aren’t what they seem.

Night Guardians - M.D. Grimm
Night Guardians
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Summary: The Fantastical Romances You’ve Been Craving Hugo Finalist Janice L. Newman presents a touching trio of romances in a speculative vein. From the edge of space, to the shadows of the paranormal, to the marvels of the mystic: At First Contact: A germaphobe and an android are assigned a mission to survey a planet together. Will they discover new life or a new love? Ghosted: Leo is searching for the soul that used to haunt his grandmother’s house. Did Will ghost him? A Touch of Magic: What if love could alter the fabric of existence? A fraught romance between two teachers just might be helped along by a touch of magic.

At First Contact - Janice L. Newman
At First Contact
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Word Count: 37000

Summary: He'll get by with a little help from his mate. When Paul's long-buried past reaches out for him, having Simon at his back should make all the difference. The shy, studious teen who ditched his hometown is now a grown man with a good life, an honorable profession, and a werewolf boyfriend. So why is still so hard to go home? A new 37,000 word novella in the same time frame as book 6 in the Hidden Wolves series brings challenges, pain, love, and their HEA for our favorite guys. Content warning for assisted suicide.

Unplanned Coda - Kaje Harper
Unplanned Coda
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Charlie’s life force is fading. His only hope is an aged martial arts master in the remote reaches of China who, as far as Cappa can tell, doesn’t like him very much. While Charlie and Cappa are away from Z-Tech, William has been raising an empire of his own — one determined to crush any who interfere with his plans for world domination. Worse, he’s sided with the only other organization who had almost succeeded in erasing Z-Tech from the global market, pitting Anne and her friends in a desperate struggle for survival. The enemy has the advantage of numbers, but Z-Tech has Zima — a one-person army in her own right. Only time will tell if she’s enough to offset the overwhelming forces set against Z-Tech, and if San Francisco will survive their battle.

Angels Fall - Ryan Southwick - Z-Tech Chronicles
Angels Fall
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Word Count: 65000

Summary: Witches, ghouls, and mind readers—oh my! Murder and mystery abound in this supernatural novel. Vega Bloodmire has no problem with the label “villainous witch,” though she draws the line at being called a self-centered hag. Life isn’t easy being twenty-two, drop-dead gorgeous, and the most fashionable witch in all the land—especially while working as an intern teacher at a magical boarding school. Just when Vega thinks she has student teaching figured out, she is framed for murder. Worse yet, she fears she might have revealed her darkest secret—one so awful she will be shunned by Witchkin society even if she can prove her innocence. Vega needs to find the true culprit behind this crime in order to save her reputation—and her life. Enjoy this spin-off series from the world of Womby’s School for Wayward Witches. This book starts with Vega Bloodmire’s life before working at Womby’s when she was a new and inexperienced teacher at Encantado Charter Academy. It is the first book in the series of stand-alone novels. These mysteries are meant to be read in any order. Clean, cozy, no sex or swearing, PG 13—perfectly fine for teens or grandmas who like paranormal mysteries at magical boarding academies.

Too Ghoul for School - Sarina Dorie - Vega Bloodmire Wicked Witch Mystery
Too Ghoul for School
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Word Count: 36000

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.

Ink Anthology
Ink
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Word Count: 132,000

Summary: Rules were made to be broken. From terraformed outposts to magical realms, journey to worlds where deadly plants, rampant biodiversity, or failed colonies have created irresistible opportunities for those brave enough to seize them. New worlds, found family, mystical secrets, and deadly science weave together in this lesbian-centric anthology focusing on a very different kind of first time—a first encounter with a world, or being, entirely unlike our own. If you like diverse stories with lesbian heroines practicing science, magic, and seduction, buy Distant Gardens today!

Distant Gardens Anthology
Distant Gardens
N.L. Bates , Sara Codair , Robin C.M. Duncan , Wil...
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Word Count: 54000

Summary: Silas Thornwood's worst nightmare has come to life. Darien's familiar Pip is gravely injured, and Darien and Jasper have been kidnapped. Someone ruthless and violent is holding the man Silas loves prisoner, for purposes he doesn't want to imagine. Silas needs help from his friends to locate and rescue Darien. And when he does, those responsible― whether sorcerer, human, or demon― are going to be truly, utterly sorry…

Trapped by Greed - Kaje Harper
Trapped by Greed
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Samantha Rain thought she was a normal woman approaching forty. Until she gets bitten by a hellhound puppy and finds herself thrown into a hidden supernatural world where saying the wrong thing could have dire consequences. With her new hellhound puppy by her side, and the captivating Lilith teaching her the ropes, Sam soon puts her detective training to use and starts uncovering the secrets of the Nox. - The Samantha Rain Mysteries Complete series includes The Case Of The Night Mark, The Case Of The Pixie Deal, The Case Of The Ruby Curse, and The Case Of The Puppy Academy. It is an urban fantasy mystery series with a slow burn f/f romantic subplot and a hellhound puppy.

The Samantha Rain Mysteries - Arizona Tape
Samantha Rain Mysteries
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Happy ever after, pearls, and murder—what else is romance made of? After escaping his cold fish of an ex, Jody Knox had everything—a new career, his goofy dog, and the love of his life, Merik. He couldn’t believe his luck... Until it changed. In the worst way. After stumbling onto the love of his life, Merik Lighthouse had a dilemna—solve the mystery of the missing mer and return to the sea, or confess his secret identity and risk losing Jody. He couldn’t decide… Until someone decided for him. Permanently. Or maybe not… Wandering a Luminous Sea is for you if you love paranormal contemporary fantasy, mm romance, fairytales, and suspense. Oh… and a loveable poodle named Ellery Queen.

Wanderinh a Luminous Sea - Kayleigh Sky - Storm Tossed Hearts
Wandering a Luminous Sea
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Word Count: 129000

Summary: Aisling helped stop the drug war that would have destroyed all fey in Los Angeles. But now far more than just a single city, state, or even country is at risk. The threat is global. When the fey fled the world on the other side of the veil thousands of years ago, they did so to create a world safe from the danger they left behind. Unfortunately, the veil is growing thinner and no longer completely blocks creatures from the other side from traveling where they want. Deadly beings left behind are coming through to this world with catastrophic results for both fey and human alike. Fighting against beings far beyond anything seen before, and the possible replacement of people in all levels of government, Aisling and her companions find themselves on the run with no safe place to go. There is also a small group of fey, elves in particular, who are willing to risk the destruction of this world to get the power they need. One was a thug thought dead, the other is Aisling’s mother.

An Uncommon Truth of Dying - Marie Andreas - Broken Veil
An Uncommon Truth of Dying
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Word Count: 100000

Summary: Qwyrk is having a bad day; several, in fact. One of the Shadow folk tasked with keeping an eye on humanity, she’s ready for a well-earned break in Yorkshire, but now she’s (literally) run into a girl, Jilly, who just saw something quite supernatural and truly awful happen in her town. As Qwyrk tries to unravel the mystery, layers of villainy are exposed, and she’s stuck with an assortment of unlikely folk that she’d rather not have “helping” her. Together, they confront ancient magic, medieval conspiracies, and the possible end of the world (that again?). It’s not the holiday Qwyrk was hoping for! Qwyrk is the first in a series of four novels about the adventures of a group of misfits at the edge of reality in modern northern England, a world of shadows, Nighttime Nasties, sorcery, intergalactic councils, tacky nightclub attire, an abundance of sarcasm, and even elves… though they are a bit silly.

Qwyrk - Tim Rayborn
Qwyrk
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