Fantasy Genre

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Summary: Staging a musical in Purgatory can be absolute hell. Lonnie Coleridge last saw the sun in 1968. Since then, he’s been consigned to Limbo, still wearing the same tie-dyed T-shirt and bell-bottomed jeans he had on when he left his life behind. He and others like him have one chance each year at redemption: produce a show for the Greek pantheon. Whoever pleases this very specific—and temperamental—fan group could earn the right to move on. But after a literal act of god (*cough* Hermes *cough*) destroys their sets, lights, and costumes, the company needs emergency help to rebuild. Without it, all of them could poof out of existence forever. Out-of-work theater technician TD Baylor has precisely three things on his cosmic wish list: a job, a place to stay, and a boyfriend who isn’t a total tool. He thinks he’s got the first two nailed when he gets a line on a two-week gig that includes room and board. So what if the job tip came from a guy who was leaning way too hard into the LOTR cosplay at a sketchy Halloween pop-up? At this point, TD doesn’t have anything more to lose, so he figures…what the hell. He didn’t realize hell was the operative word. When Lonnie greets him at the theater door, though...whoa. TD fantasizes that item number three could be within his reach. But then Lonnie gives him the bad news: This is Purgatory Playhouse, aka Theater of the Darned. In two weeks—if they’re lucky and can successfully mount a musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—the company will return to Limbo after the curtain falls. If they’re not lucky? Remember that part about hell? Purgatory Playhouse is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains a theater techie who’s one couch surf away from homeless, a production assistant who’s sort of, um, not alive, Greek gods behaving very badly indeed, and a guaranteed HEA.

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Summary: Four members of The Vampire Guard—Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas—face a dangerous and elusive enemy. And this time, it’s personal. When massive tech outages impact everything from Wi-Fi to traffic control, Blair, Forge, Declan, and Lucas think it’s a simple matter of catching troublesome hackers. But they quickly realize far more is at stake. Millions of dollars in art are the target of a thief who’s not afraid to kill---and he’s no stranger. Not only has he escaped capture, twice, a decade ago, but he’s had a hand in life-altering tragedies throughout their lifetimes. Once it becomes clear that art theft is just a fraction of his plan for mass destruction, they realize time is running out. The clock’s ticking. Catastrophe is imminent. Can they find and disarm all the bombs in time or will countless lives be lost?

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Summary: The epic conclusion to the LGBTQ fantasy series. King Anden of Vindra stands against High Queen Telmaine, a clash of crowns that will determine the fate of the continent. The Berossian Empire launches its forces in a great crusade, but an unexpected voice rises in the form of a barefoot priestess, whose messages of peace spread like wildfire, threatening to derail the empire’s war effort and shake its very foundations. Cities will burn. Generals will fall. History repeats itself as Anden finds himself at sea, torn between saving his kingdom and the man he loves. The final book of the CELESTIA trilogy is a breathtaking tale of love and sacrifice, choices and destiny. When Celestia is drawn for the last time, who will shape the world to come?

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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: Frontiers have always attracted the Other - where they find that the Other is always already there. These 22 stories explore what happens when queer characters encounter weirdness on the edge of the worlds they know. Authors include: Julie Bozza, J.A. Bryson, Dannye Chase, S.E. Denton, Miguel Flores, Adele Gardner, Roy Gray, KC Grifant, Peter Hackney, Bryn Hammond, Narrelle M Harris, Justin Warren Jackson, Toshiya Kamei, Catherine Lundoff, Bunny McFadden, Angus McIntyre, Atlin Merrick, Eleanor Musgrove, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Lauren Scharhag, Sara L. Uckelman, and Dawn Vogel.

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Summary: Sylvalla escapes Avondale castle and the life of a princess, in search of the adventure she’s always wanted. Once found, adventure bites back. Fortunately, she's not alone. Unfortunately, her new-found companions are less than heroic. Jonathan, would rather make money than learn wizardry. Dirk, would rather live a long and happy life than confront danger. And at 150, old Capro would rather stop gallivanting, and harangue unsuspecting wizardry students about his glory days over a nice cup of tea. Quest has everything, heroes, monsters, chases, escapes and a complete lack of true love. A celebration of adventure fantasy, Quest is a quirky and original fantasy from award winning and USA Today Bestselling author, A.J. Ponder on behalf of Wizardly historian, F Fraderghast. Become a student of magic today, and discover the true fighter, warrior, and most unprincesslike Princess Sylvalla, as she battles for her place as a hero.

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Summary: After a terrible magical accident at Berkeley created unpredictable holes between realities, all manner of non-human creatures started popping into our world. These displacements, called Random Anomalous Reality Events or RARE, have taken magic out of fiction and relocated it firmly in reality, resulting in a great deal of chaos and confusion. Displaced elf Valerian works with AURA, the Agency of Unnatural Resettlement and Assimilation, to intercept these beings as they appear in the human world, helping the peaceful ones and subduing the violent, malevolent ones. It’s good, satisfying work, and Val would be happy if he wasn’t so lonely. Quinten is a young mage just trying to get by, but New York isn’t the easiest city to make a living in. If his methods are sometimes morally dubious, his heart is still in the right place. Of course, for Quinn, the right place means firmly locked away, protected at all costs. Living by his wits and sometimes magically induced luck, he works as a ‘freelance magic user’, or unregistered mage and small-time con, according to the authorities. The last thing Quinn wants is to draw the cops’ attention, but when an Event happens right on top of him, he’s forced to turn to AURA for help. Valerian isn’t at all what he’d expected in an AURA cop, and he certainly wasn’t expecting to join forces with the sexy elf, a snarky drow and a bitter incubus, when certain individuals in power try to stop the RARE by any means necessary. Things are not all what they seem at AURA headquarters, and a greater evil lurks at the top than anyone could have imagined.

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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.

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Summary: Have you ever looked at a picture, perhaps a photo of two guys in a tight hug, or two girls holding hands, and wondered, "What happened before that moment? What will they do next?" These fifteen stories were inspired by images from the Young Adult LGBT Books Group. In these pages you'll find LGBTQ teenagers living their lives - experiencing first encounters and long relationships, coming out, staying closeted, questioning, loving, having adventures, dealing with family, with prejudice, with magic. Author Kira Harp provides this collection of Young Adult romantic, fantasy and contemporary short stories. Any author royalties from this book will be donated to The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and resources for LGBTQ youth. (**This book is a free download in ebook everywhere except Amazon, and also available in print.)

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Summary: Dragons don't care what gender you are. A small town may be a refuge, or a trap. Some younger brothers really do save the planet. Three people can be the strongest shape. There's nothing quite like a gorgeous girl on a shape-shifting motorcycle. This second Kira Harp collection brings together LGBTQ teens in 21 stories of adventure, discovery, and romance, in fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, and SciFi settings. Ranging from a few short pages to 12,000 words, each story was inspired by a prompt picture from the YA LGBTQ Books Group on Goodreads. (Content warnings for abduction, bullying, self harm, substance abuse, suicidal ideation.) **This book is free in ebook everywhere except Amazon

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Summary: A cozy high fantasy full of food, fun, and friendship. Here is the official blurb: Cooking, magic, and scandal. When a good deed boils into a mystery, can this talented artificer keep an innocent from going down for the crime? Dana Everet is loyal to a fault. Moving to a remote village to help a good friend make a fresh start, the celebrated magical inventor is certain her grannie’s cookbooks contain the perfect formula for delighting the locals with treats. But the surefire plan turns out half-baked when a search of her late grandmother’s old restaurant turns up nothing but crumbs. Suspecting the town innkeeper of the theft, Dana grows frustrated when the woman denies the charges and the local sheriff refuses to get involved. And with her supernatural power running low, the resident gossip vanishing, and her pal’s buried secret landing her on the suspect list, she scrambles to find the real culprit before it’s too late. Can Dana serve up justice, or will she be left with burnt offerings? Recipes for the Copper Snake is the charming first book in the Post Host cozy fantasy series. If you like big-hearted protagonists, quirky townsfolk, and chasing down clues, then you’ll love J.S. Ruff’s smorgasbord of fun.

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Summary: The Silver Age of Science Fiction saw a wealth of compelling speculative tales — and women authors wrote some of the best of the best. Yet the stories of this era, especially those by women, have been largely unreprinted, unrepresented, and unremembered. Until now. Volume one of REDISCOVERY represents a historic first: fourteen selections of the best science fiction of the Silver Age, written by the unsung women authors of yesteryear and introduced by today’s rising stars. Curated by the team that produces the Hugo-nominated Galactic Journey. Join us and rediscover these lost treasures. “Female authors wrote stories about coming of age…cautionary tales…stories set beyond our universe… You’ll find these themes and more in this anthology. I hope that as you read their stories you don’t try to ferret out ‘feminine’ versus ‘masculine’ elements. What you are about to read is really good science fiction, plain and simple. I certainly enjoyed the journey and have every expectation that you shall, too.” -from the Foreword by Dr. Laura Brodian Freas Beraha

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Summary: Women write science fiction. They always have. Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women (1953-1957) offers, quite simply, some of the best science fiction ever written: 20 amazing pieces, most of which haven’t been reprinted for decades…but should have been. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to the genre, you are in for a treat. This collection of works—18 stories, 1 poem, 1 nonfiction piece—are a showcase, some of the best science fiction stories of the ’50s. These stories were selected not only as examples of great writing, but also because their characters are as believable, their themes just as relevant today, their contents just as fun to read, as when they were written almost three quarters of a century ago. Dig in. Enjoy these newly-rediscovered delicacies a few at a time…or binge them all at once!

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Summary: What is the price of Vengeance? Kell Shaw's Vestiges of Magic universe gets a new hero in this thrilling, stand-alone adventure. Her name is Vex and she has it all: the greatest boyfriend in the world, and a golden future as an athlete and top university student. Then it's all ripped away from her in a brutal, senseless attack. As she's dying, a demon makes her an offer: vengeance in exchange for service. Vex doesn't think twice. Newly alive and filled to the brim with demonic power, Vex is ready to kill the men who murdered the boy she loved. Pity finding them will mean descending into a world of supernatural cults, predatory monster hunters, dark magic, and fell secrets. Even worse, the boy she sold her soul to avenge might not be the man she thought she knew… Reflections Upon the Anniversary of My Descent is the first book in the Cambion Chronicles, a series of adventures exploring the demonic underworld of the Vestiges of Magic universe.

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Summary: Everything Tristan, Ushna, and Brian have fought for comes down to the moment they face Inanna and Marduk. Before then, Ushna must embrace his destiny and be transformed by Tiamat. But he returns with a fractured mind and will need the help of the new firebird or he'll be lost to the insanity of a primordial God. If he's lost, so is the balance Brian and Tristan sorely need. Tristan has vowed to care for his ex-Flame, Theo Sullivan, who is doomed to forget more and more with each use of his new ability. When not dealing with his stubborn ex, Tristan must free the warriors stolen by the government and devise a trap for Inanna. And that's only the start of the challenges, and everything that can still go wrong. Note: Releasing Chaos is the final book in the Sumeria's Sons series and features a poly (M/M/M) relationship. This book was previously released by another publisher and has been re-edited.

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Summary: Tara Heywood has a problem: she can't control magic very well. It is a repeatedly documented fact in Levarche that casting magic requires the caster to control the heat flowing through them. And that this is easier to control in a colder location. Tara has learned this the hard way. Her parents' solution is to send her to the cold, wild Sydfjords for an apprenticeship, where the lower temperatures will make it easier for her to manage it. There's just one snag with this. She's doing this under a warlock.

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Summary: Some ghosts aren't meant to stay buried. Fourteen years after her best friend's murder, Joss Evans is tormented by unanswered questions, until a mysterious encounter brings her face-to-face with Elena Lewis, a woman who knows far more about that fateful night than she should. But Elena's secrets come with their own dangers. As unexplained supernatural events begin to unfold around them, the two women find themselves drawn together by forces beyond their control. The tension between them grows with each new discovery. Realizing they can’t combat these forces on their own, Joss and Elena enlist help from the Hypatia Coven. They work together to confront the danger lurking at every turn. With the past and present colliding, Joss and Elena must decide what's more dangerous: the ghosts they're chasing or the desire threatening to consume them both. Some truths are worth any risk—even if they frighten both the living and the dead.

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Summary: 1915. Teddy Roosevelt is building an empire. Only Pancho Villa stands in his way. The American Expeditionary Force under the command of General "Black Jack" Pershing has invaded Northern Mexico. Pancho Villa leads his revolutionary army in a desperate raid against the American force only to be outflanked. Just as Pershing's airships prepare to deliver the death blow, Pancho Villa is transported to a parallel Earth where he finds an unexpected ally and the technology that might just turn defeat into victory. Revolution of Air and Rust is a stand-alone novella set in the Empires of Steam and Rust world created by Robert E. Vardeman and Stephen D. Sullivan. A story filled with military action, espionage and gadgetry that's sure to satisfy fans of steampunk and alternate history.

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Summary: New Colorado Protectorate fell with the assassination of Chancellor Clarke. Like many others, Todd and Nick Ruger left the land of their birth and made a home to the north in Yellowknife. Their world was ever changing. The time came to say a sad farewell to some of their friends and loved ones, but they were taken in with open arms by others and in turn offered shelter to yet more. Through the years they remained steadfast in their duty as sentries to protect and defend those that needed it the most. Time marches on but through it all they hold each other dear and cherish the love they've shared. There are still angry ghosts, Windigos and water spirits to contend with. Their lives change, offering them new roles. When the time comes, they do what sentries have done for generations prior and teach others the skills to carry on as sentries. The Rugers lives were rich and their hearts full with their devotion and love for each other. The tradition of the sentries lived on forever. It was the legacy of Todd and Nick Ruger. That was the way it was always meant to be. Winner Gay Fantasy Romance category 2016 Rainbow Awards and Runner Up Best Gay Book 2016 Rainbow Award

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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.