Faithless by Graham Austin-King

Faithless

4 Stars

Publisher: Fallen Leaf Press

Date of publication: June 30th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Number of pages: 404

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Faithless: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The temples of the Forgefather have fallen. The clerics and defenders that could once be found across the nine lands are no more. Priests huddle in the great temple, clinging to the echoes of their lost religion. But the Father has fallen silent. There are none who still hear his voice.

The mines of Aspiration lie far below the temple’s marble halls. Slaves toil in the blackness, striving to earn their way into the church and the light. Wynn has been sold into this fate, traded for a handful of silver. In the depths of the mines, where none dare carry flame, he must meet his tally or die. But there are things that lurk in that darkness, and still darker things within the hearts of men.

When the souls bound to the great forge are released in a failed ritual, one novice flees down into the darkness of the mines. The soulwraiths know only hunger, the risen know only hate. In the blackest depths, Kharios must seek a light to combat the darkness which descends.

Trigger Warning: sexual abuse of children

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The Emperor’s Harvest (formerly Refugees) by R .A. Denny

The Emperor's Harvest (Tales of Tzoladia Book 1) by [Denny, R.A.]

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: April 9th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy

Number of pages: 288

POV: Alternating 1st and 3rd person

Series: Mud, Rocks, and Trees

Refugees – Book 1

Where you can find Refugees: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

I love to listen to Baskrod’s stories. He describes warlike men with natural armor who hibernate in rocky caves and peaceful people who soar through the air in a forest of giant trees. His tales are full of foreboding dreams and ancient prophecies; royal palaces and strange creatures. My brother laughs at me. He says that the old fisherman makes it all up. But everything Baskrod has ever predicted has come true. So I have always believed his stories.

UNTIL NOW

Baskrod appears to have gone mad. He claims that the emperor is sending a murderous horde of evil men to destroy our village. “They will drink your blood!” he yells, wide-eyed while standing in the marketplace waving his trident. He repeatedly begs me to escape with him. But it is harvest time, and I must stay to help my family in the fields. Anyway, the emperor has no reason to turn against us. We pay our tribute.

If only we had listened to Baskrod.

The emperor planned his own harvest. His reapers were ax-wielding horsemen. And they were not harvesting crops. They harvested my people.

Now I am the sole survivor from my village. Baskrod claims that the one God has chosen me. He says I must travel to the distant capital of Tzoladia to save the world. Maybe Baskrod is right. Maybe it is my destiny. But I’m nobody. How can I save the world?

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Saviors (The God Jars Saga: Book 1) by Devon Vesper

Saviors

5 Stars

Publisher: Magelight Press

Date of publication: September 19th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: 222

POV:

Series: The God Jars Sags

Saviors – Book 1

Avristin – Book 2 (expected publication date: October 31st, 2017)

Where you can find Saviors: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Trust is more terrifying than any weapon.

Valis’ father wants to sacrifice him to the evil God, Qos. His uncle wants to use him as a magical battery and sex slave. All Valis wants is to live in peace, without fear of constant abuse. When he escapes his father’s sacrificial knife and runs away, he lands in the camp of his two saviors, Kerac and Darolen, holy Aesriphos warriors powerful enough to put his family in their place.

But trusting anyone could be fatal, and the warriors ask the impossible: to sell his father’s farmstead and abandon his old life to join their monastery.

They’re his only hope and when he learns to trust them, they’re the father figures he always wanted, but Valis isn’t sure he’s strong enough to put aside his fear and start over.

The God Jars Saga is a nine-book slow burn medieval M/M fantasy romance.

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The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic: Book 0) by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series Book 1) by [Hoffman, Alice]

Title: The Rules of Magic

Author: Alice Hoffman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date of publication: October 10th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, fantasy, paranormal, romance

Number of pages: 384

POV: 3rd person

Series: Practical Magic

The Rules of Magic – Book 0 (prequel)

Practical Magic – Book 1

Where you can find The Rules of Magic: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Find your magic

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood-red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start, Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City, each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

Trigger Warning: None

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The Last Man (The Complete Trilogy) by Tobias Wade

The Fantasy Series of Enlightenment - COMPLETE TRILOGY: The Last Man by [Wade, Tobias]

Title: The Last Man

Author: Tobias Wade

Publisher: Self Published

Date of publication: May 27th, 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Number of pages: 646

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find The Last Man: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Embark upon the fantasy story of enlightenment through these seven surreal worlds. 

Test your bravery to pass the land of fear and pain. 
Resist temptations to pass the land of pleasure. 
Clear your mind to pass the land of illusion. 
Trust your heart to pass the land of love and loss. 
Keep your word to pass the land of truth and lies. 
Know yourself to pass the land of identity. 
Forsake the world to pass the land of attachments.

All the while pursuing a desperate course to the center of the Earth where a primordial force awaits its freedom with the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. 

An epic and insightful adventure filled with magic, monsters, dragons, betrayal, and transcendence!

Trigger Warning: None

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The Golden Bulls (A Life of Death: Book 2) by Weston Kincade

The Golden Bulls (A Life of Death, #2)

Title: The Golden Bulls

Author: Weston Kincade

Publisher: 

Date of publication: January 9th, 2013

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

Number of pages: 308

POV: 1st person

Series: A Life of Death

A Life of Death – Book 1 (review here)

The Golden Bulls – Book 2

Where you can find The Golden Bulls: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Fifteen years of ritual sacrifices that began before Alex Drummond joined the force have become an anomaly in Tranquil Heights. For most residents, anger at the unsolved murders has turned to disappointment with the small police force. Now citizens hope this year’s sacrificial lamb won’t be one of their loved ones.

Alex Drummond’s ability to relive victims’ traumatic murders has not been enough. There are misguided links to Egyptian funerary rights, but without evidence and the murderer’s identity, no one outside of Drummond’s tight circle will believe him, let alone make an arrest and stop the vicious killings. After an anonymous tip, Detective Drummond discovers an annual visitor, a local who moved away years before with a similar flair for murder. He follows her to Washington DC after watching the woman burn her husband alive. His high school friend, Jessie Arturo, who settled in the large city after a failed baseball career, assists with the investigation. In such a large place, unsolved murders abound like cobwebs under abandoned guest beds.

September 20, the serial killer’s anointed date, is only days away. How has the murderer proven so elusive, even from Alex’s paranormal abilities? Is he in over his head, or can Detective Alex Drummond save the ghosts calling to him and decipher this network of brutal, ritual sacrifices before someone else is burnt alive?

Trigger Warning: 

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The Shepherd Girl’s Necklace (The Windhaven Chronicles) by Watson Davis

The Shepherd Girl's Necklace (The Windhaven Chronicles) by [Davis, Watson]

Title: The Shepherd Girl’s Necklace

Author: Watson Davis

Publisher:

Date of publication: September 27th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy

Number of pages: 401

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Windhaven Chronicles

The Devil’s Library – Book 1 (review here)

The Archbishop’s Amulet – Book 2 (review here)

The Shepherd Girl’s Necklace – Book 3

Where you can find The Shepherd Girl’s Necklace: Amazon

Book Synopsis (from Amazon):

Sifa grew up dreaming of one day meeting her father, knowing only her protector, the desert, their herd of goats, and an ache in her heart. When their herd is stolen and she learns a bit of her protector’s past, she decides it’s time to follow her heart and run away. But the world is not as she imagined. Her childhood heroes are villains, every priest wants to sacrifice her to infernal gods, and her heart leads her to the last place she should be with only a gemstone on a rawhide string to protect her. 

Trigger Warning: None

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The Bellringer: Volume 1 (The Year of the Red Door: Book 1) by William Timothy Murray

The Bellringer: Volume 1 of The Year of the Red Door

Title: The Bellringer

Author: William Timothy Murray

Publisher: Penflight Books

Date of publication: June 6th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Year of the Red Door

The Bellringer – Book 1

The Nature of a Curse – Book 2

A Distant Light – Book 3

Eighteen Objects of Power – Short story companion book

The DreamWalker – Book 4

To Touch a Dream – Book 5

The Fall of the Faere and Other Stories – Short Stories

Where you can find The Bellringer: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

For centuries, the Great Bell was silent…

It remained undisturbed, nearly forgotten by history, hidden away in the ruins of an abandoned fortress. The enchantments within its iron slumbered, its secrets protected by silence. Until someone discovered how to ring the Bell, other secrets would remain safe.

One day, while running an errand, a young store clerk took a wrong turn, then another, until he found himself deep within the old fortress where the Great Bell waited.

It waited for him.

And when the hapless clerk rang the Great Bell and released its enchantments, his troubles began. For he had become the Bellringer. He claimed it was all an accident, that he did not mean to ring the Bell. Fate, it seemed, thought otherwise, and proof of the Bellringer’s destiny began to emerge just as the world spiraled into war. Revolt and treachery worked to break apart the Seven Realms. Armies were on the march. The faraway King, obsessed with his own power, seemed unwilling or unable to prevent the looming catastrophe.

Perhaps a new King was needed…if only someone could penetrate the secret of the King’s power and take the throne before it was too late. It was foretold that the person who discovered the True Name of the King would become the next King. But who was capable of such a thing?

The Bellringer.

===================================

About The Year of the Red Door:

244 Days Remain.
That is all.

Uncanny things are taking place in the world, mysterious powers are stirring, and there are signs of coming change. Like pieces on a gameboard, ancient forces are moving into position, gathering strength. Many sense the portents and see the signs, but few know their meaning. Fewer still understand what must be done. But who is there to do it?

In only 244 days, six intrepid travelers must cross thousands of miles, to the far edge of the world, to find a place that may not even exist. A legendary place called Griferis where a new king may be prepared, trained, and judged for worthiness. It is their bid to find that place, to discover the secret Name of the King, and to make one of their companions the new King. But hope is thin, and time runs out. Can the Name be found? Can the Usurper use it to take the throne? And will it make any difference? It already seems too late.

In the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Dickens comes a new heroic tale, a story of ageless love and brave determination, of tragic loss and the hope of redemption. During this quest, mythic powers arise from the ancient past, fate collides with destiny, and the world edges swiftly to its final destruction or to its ultimate fulfillment. Only the Bellringer can tip the balance of fate, but the world is almost out of time…

Trigger Warning: None

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Resurrection: A Historical Adventure Novel (Legend: Book 3) by Kylie Stewart

Resurrection: A Historical Adventure Romance Novel (Legend Book 3)

Title: Legend

Author: Kylie Stewart

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Date of publication: September 10th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 202

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Legend

Set in Stone – Book 1 (review here)

The Duke’s Curse – Book 2 (review here)

Resurrection – Book 3

Where you can find Resurrection: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“A matter of chance…” 
Avalon’s soul is whole once again, but the curse still remains. He must learn to control newfound powers in order to protect Alexandria from Mordred. But how can he protect her from a man set on destroying him completely? 

“A matter of choice …” 

Alexandria York has to make a choice—to forgive Avalon’s lies or walk away. Their bond not only flows through blood but now runs soul deep. The choice to stay with the man she loves could cost them both dearly. 

The Legend Series 

Avalon and Alexandria vow to stand together to face Mordred. When news of Lancer’s corruption reaches Caliburn Estate, they have to move swiftly to protect Alexandria before it’s too late. 

The Knights of the Round Table begin to assemble as they prepare for war. They soon discover the war isn’t just coming for them, but the entire world. 

The story of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table takes a modern turn, filled with adventure, love, and betrayal.

Trigger Warning: None

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Heartless (Kings Series: Book 3) by Alana Des

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Title: Heartless

Author: Alena Des

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: September 20th, 2017

Genre: romance, fantasy

Number of pages: 405

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Kings Series

Mated to the Werewolf King – Book 1 (review here)

The Warlock’s Nemesis – Book 2 (review here)

Heartless – Book 3

Where you can find Heartless: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Treason has consequences and Riley knows them all too well. He has betrayed Lucifer and now he is on the run. 

As an Angel of Deception and the son of The Sex Goddess, Riley has always been reckless; and it’s finally catching up with him. With his heart engaged by the devil himself, he is slowly losing his soul, but when he meets Oriana something in him stirs. Used to women falling all over him, Riley becomes captivated when she is able to resist his charm. 

The unlikely pair is thrust together while murder, intrigue, and mayhem run amok during a newly raging Vampire war. Can these two souls save each other in a world that’s crumbling around them?

Trigger Warning: rape, kidnapping

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