Half orphaned and struggling to survive, a broken young man risks everything to save his family with a drug that enhances his feeble powers. With mounting obstacles threatening and surrounding him at every turn, Tzun fends off one enemy only to discover his gravest challenge is worse than anything he could have imagined. With a gritty, sweeping tone, engaging prose, and a dark flare that fans of Stephen King and M. Night Shyamalan have learned to crave, Slice is a coming of age story that blends urban fantasy, the criminal underground, and a shocking twist.

When Aelya woke up this morning, she thought she was going to pick up the score of blackmarket yura (a magic-inducing drug) her gang needed to escape the streets. Instead she finds her dealer dead, and in the next instant gets arrested as the prime suspect in his death. Now to save herself she has to not only figure out who did it, but convince the lighthair investigator he can trust her enough to do it... An epic fantasy novella set in the Resonant Saga universe, twelve months before the start of Beggar's Rebellion.

Longman Jones has seen several visions of murders. The problem is that those convicted of the murders are never the killers Longman sees. When Summary James is tried and convicted for a murder he didn't commit, Longman is determined to rescue him from the nation's only prison. The Trial of Summary James is a novella set within an alternative history involving a North America where the United States was never born because the colonists lost the Revolutionary War, the British freed the slaves, and a massive migration from Africa and the Caribbean empowered Black and Native Americans to help build a great nation called the Carolina Union in their image. It is a very different world from ours that Longman Jones and his love interest, an empath named Sonata Holmes, discover one another. Their world may allow them to avoid the prejudices they'd face in ours, but they still must confront an evil which has found its way into the very structures of society that were designed to protect them. As the two face up to their enemy, they quickly realize that solving the crime is the easy part. The real challenge is confronting dark forces that seem to have no end in sight. This 99 cent novella is a teaser for a longer upcoming novel called Restive Souls, currently in late-stage development. Published under the name Charles White NOTE: The mobi version is an older version of the novella. --------------------- About The Author Charles White is a retired software engineer and the author of several non-fiction computer software development books. He is also the author of the novel MagicLand (under the pseudonym Charles Bastille), which was published in trade paperback, and ebook in December 2021. He is currently working on the novel Restive Souls, from which this novella is derived. You can contact him directly at charles@charles-bastille.com Or, visit his author website at: https://charles-bastille.com/

Rudy, a tasvoy, wakes up and finds himself facing a task against uncertainty. He chooses to take a walk before he sets out... The description of The Shadow of the Blackrobe: "A tasvoy only performs tasks, like a monster hunter only slays monsters." This is the era when humans and monsters exist together. Five years have passed since the last great human war. The world is resting in peace, and humans are developing through magic. Elvin is a tasvoy, who hunts monsters and punishes evil as a vocation with his trained magic and fighting skills. One by one, he zealously accomplishes tasks without hesitation to fulfill his sole purpose: to become a tasvoy master. During a hunting task, Elvin encounters a powerful monster that he has never heard of before, which pushes him into a dilemma. In the face of finishing the task or saving a life, he hesitates for the first time. As a result of his choice, fate accidentally brings Elvin to a mysterious woman. The sparks between them ignite a flame that illuminates the figure of evil—a man in a black robe, who manipulates everything in the darkness. From then on, he starts the story, wrapped in The Shadow of the Blackrobe. Elvin and his companions must overcome a terrible, intricate crisis to accomplish the most important task in their lives.

Legends tell of a fearsome mage whose Lightning could Split the sky. They usually skip past the part where the Tempest cleaned tables for eighteen years. Bards sing of a mighty warrior whose Blows could rend the ground in two. They generally omit the stanza that describes the Omen of Destruction as a doting grandmother. Storytellers whisper of a brilliant leader whose Light could Illuminate the world. They often don’t mention that the Hidden Sun is a conman and a thief. Hermit, a vagabond Shadow Spinner, pulls N’Halia out of the burning ruins of her home. The flames don’t bother Hermit anymore than being stabbed does. N’Halia joins Hermit on his mysterious journey so she can learn how to fight and unlock her true Power in order to become the strongest mage in all of Dome.

Penny Avalon’s daughter is curse-born. If something isn’t done soon, the fae will take her for their malevolent schemes. When a sketchy djinni offers a cure in exchange for a treacherous heist, Penny leaps at the chance. Yet when she recovers the charm, the price to turn it over may be too high to pay. What’s worth more: a cure for her daughter, or the freedom of enslaved djinnis? Will this desperate mother betray her own kind to save her daughter, or will she lose a chance for a cure forever?

It is the age of Kings in Yiduiijn. In the grand city of K’andoria, King Trimidian rules with a fair hand. Descended from a long line of historic and formidable kings, he holds the throne securely. The great evil sleeps; the Midlands are in a state of tranquility, yet beneath the surface, trouble roils. Fissures have appeared across the kingdom. The savage Crow rebels terrorize villages across Rislaan; the haughty Far-Seer Priesthood of Epis Kopol has ignited a trade war; and then there is Uth Becca, the White City, once glorious, now plagued by decay and unrest. Governor Ryvek Flailgore rules the White City together with the King’s own nephew. But the Governor’s ambitions know no bounds; he eyes the crown. King Trimidian must show strength and mercy, wisdom and resolve, ever aware that history watches his every move. “Throne Born” brings the ancient era of Kings to vivid life. Maneuvering, political intrigue, intense battles, and the unyielding quest for power unfold in this epic tale with nothing less than the kingdom itself hanging in the balance. As the struggle for the Crown unfolds, King Trimidian navigates treacherous waters to secure his legacy and leave his mark upon the pages of history. The path he chooses will forever mark him as savior or villain. Follow the prequel that predates “Zodak – The Last Shielder” by two hundred years.

In the age of earthly magic, Merlin faces the uncertainty of an unrivaled challenge: destiny itself. After being haunted by elusive visitations from the dreamworld, he answers the summons of his long-estranged master, leaving behind the throne of King Arthur to venture forth. With the aid of his master's steadfast dragon, Faris, Merlin embarks on a perilous odyssey, navigating the tricky boundaries that thread between worlds in pursuit of answers to his enigmatic questions. As the ancient tale unfolds, Merlin finds himself in a timeless battle between the forces of light and darkness's abyss. With the odds stacked against him, does the formidable mage hold the power to banish this malevolence for good, or does a fate of perpetual shadows await both him and the world he seeks to defend?

This is a complete short story that leads into the Moon Hunters series. Cash owes Razar a favor but it turns out to be much harder than he thought. He has to go in person to get this done before he can can get back to his security business.

Cy has had his monster licence taken away, and he has been reclassified as a Pirate, on account of him just being a normal guy with just one eye. The Pirates life is not for Cy so when an opportunity to get his licence reinstated presents itself, Cy embarks on a quest, of some kind, with some people of some description, to get something or other.

Shifters. Psychic detectives. Time travel. Enter the world of Jaxon Reed's short fiction. A world of science fiction and fantasy, with visits to and from other realms and realities. A land where lonely empaths are forced to take unheralded moral stands, and orphans must fight evil with only their wits. Where time travelers meet in the past to recruit their ancestors, and bend the rules to find solutions to personal problems. Where criminals are offered opportunities to help scientists delve into the mysteries of the afterlife . . . if they are willing. Enter the world of Quantum Magic.

Marewings: part horse, part demon, all monster. Only the bravest riders dare to catch and tame them, and most die in the attempt. Not the best choice for a young woman who only knows how to run a farm. But Korinna is running out of options. Her father, the duke of Kyratia City, danced himself to death in a strange madness. He wanted her to marry his warlord, Galenos, and inherit his titles. But the power-hungry Council seized control of the city and left her with nothing. Her father’s ghost haunts her, demanding more. The duke’s mage warns that the dancing madness is spreading while the usurping Council does nothing. Galenos promises to take the city back by force, but then he won’t need Korinna. She’s not strong enough to fight alongside him—unless she becomes a marewing rider. One chance to catch a marewing and learn to fly. Or her father’s spirit could haunt her forever.

Mei leads an ordinary life in an ordinary body. That is, until she’s injected with gene-activating proteins that have the potential to unleash superstrength in one of the five sequences of muscle continuities in her body. Only 1% of the population have ‘the keys’—the mutation that responds to the proteins… A horrific fire at her school unlocks her potential to be more than just another victim. The traumatic consequences of trying to be heroine shatter her body and mind. A famous school in Hawaii for those with superstrength recruits her and she’s plunged into a fascinating new world. From fantastical technology for the genetically gifted to the quirky professors who teach her how to harness her strength, Mei is immersed into an adventure she never dreamed of. Mei meets Devi, her enticing and wild roommate. Together, they learn that just having ‘the keys’ won’t set them free from their traumatic pasts. That which binds them—their genetically-enhanced myofascia and the sins of their past—may never let them be free. Mei must forge new bonds, stronger than the chains that hold her, or be forever broken…

Lee can phase through alternate realms and jump across St. Louis in an instant. What she can’t seem to do is leave her down-on-their luck thieving crew and escape her overbearing cyborg boss. When a handsome stranger offers to help her rob a magical antique shop, she agrees. After all, he only wants one thing from the haul: the odd black stone buried at the back of the shop. Turns out, the stone is cursed. As soon as it’s stolen, horrible things start happening to Lee and her crew. To make matters worse, she’s falling hard for the man who took the cursed stone in the first place. Can Lee find a way to destroy the ancient stone before it ruins them all? Or will her growing feelings keep her from doing what needs to be done? Thief of Lies is a prequel novella in the Shadowed Minds series. Join author Bree Moore’s fantasy fanatics newsletter today to start reading!

All Nyine Hunter wants to do is buy a horse. After an easy job with good pay (where she realizes she never wants to do that much walking again), Nyine finds herself in a position to fulfill her dream of her own horse. Small problem: all the reputable traders are away and the one still in town blames her for some of his gambling problems. Certainly he'll still sell her a horse, right? Saddles & Magic is a free prequel short story to my full-length novel Teaching Magic that will release Fall 2023.

Capture was the first step in a hellish nightmare, but surviving may be worse. Before the events taking place in Broken Worlds, two Lechuns, Deis and Malikea, are held captive in a horrifying place known as The Compound. They are beaten and tortured as they wait to be sold into slavery. When their world falls victim to the looming Greshian Empire, an opportunity presents itself that may keep them alive. But at what cost? For fans of adventurous science fiction in the vein of Firefly, The Expanse, and Dark Matter, Orbital Decay is an action-packed thriller leading you straight into a fight for freedom in The Alorian Wars. Books in The Alorian Wars space opera series Broken Worlds Deadly Refuge Mutiny Rising Shadow Empire Regime Change Orbital Decay (Prequel)

Bartholomew Roberts is retiring, leaving his son in command of the Queen Anne’s Revenge. It is his first command, and it may be his last. The Alliance will do everything in their power to ensure that he fails. Failure in the Alliance is not tolerated. If Doc Roberts is lucky, they will hang him. If not, he will be sent to a reeducation center, mind-wiped, and a control collar will be placed around his neck, then he will be paraded in the streets of Avalon’s capital city, as an example of what happens to people who fail in their missions. He can’t afford to fail!

A spooky love triangle with a difference! Elle’s been stuck haunting her share house for the last four years. Being dead is frustrating enough, but when her newest housemate sets her sights on Elle’s longtime crush, Dean, she reaches her limit. She needs to get her ghost on and break these two up before she becomes the ultimate third wheel! Or worse, Dean moves out…

My name is Sir Vincent Lothario. As a young knight, my rank and status have afforded me a life above the commoner rabble, but still low enough to avoid the treacherous schemes of the Imperial Court. Life was good, until my best friend – Louie Clermon, son of the most powerful Duke in the Empire – asked me to impersonate him at his own wedding and marry his fiancé. Knowing this was a disaster waiting to happen, I refused, but then he said the magic words… “She’s rich.” I know it’s a terrible plan, but it’s too late to turn back now. In a few days, I’m going to marry a noblewoman I’ve never met, and hope she doesn’t see through my disguise. If she does, then my death will soon follow. As if that wasn’t enough, I should have remembered the golden rule of nobility. In the Empire, marriage and politics are two sides of the same coin. And Louie’s fiancé is related to the Emperor himself… I am sooo going to regret this!

The victorious army of Fin has recovered the relic that King Frederick hopes will unite the entire plain of Apos. Ward Finlay, the king's general, looks forward to a well-deserved rest for his men. The king's priest, Sage Bennett, studies the relic eagerly to discover its secrets. None of them see the danger coming from the sea: an enormous Ballentine army sails up the river Apos, burning villages and murdering Fin's citizens with their three-bladed death dance. Holding the only high ground for leagues, the army of Fin is hopelessly outnumbered. Their only hope is a vision given to Sage Bennett. Will they flee and lose their kingdom, or stand and lose their lives? The Relic is the adventurous origin story of the warrior monks seen in Brandon Wilborn's debut novel, The Treasure of Capric.

Gna' is sent to the Underworld to negotiate the release of Frigga's son, Baldur. Gna' must fight a sorceress, fend off an attack from hellhounds, solve riddles, and face Hela's army of undead in her attempt to secure Baldur's freedom.

Alone in the dark. Nightmarish creatures behind every corner. The line between reality and dreams begins to blur … The City-Tree Arbalith seems perfect in many ways. They have mastered the use of Thamber gems, which grow their crops, shape their homes, and heal their sickness. But below this perfect city lurks creatures strange and menacing—Dryads, and Mycads. Thurso Diamante has risked everything to mount an expedition. If he can just study the strange creatures below his city he is sure he can make a great discovery, a handsome fortune. But nothing goes to plan, and he is left to fend for himself. He’s only a man of science—he was never meant to be thrust into this much peril, unarmed and inexperienced. His wish is granted at an enormous cost. He discovers something that ought to be impossible. Even if he makes it back alive … will anyone believe him?

Amelia & Athers had worked together well countless times. This mission was just like any other. But what happens when a trained killer like Amelia comes face to face with an innocent child whose father she must kill? Well, she must look deep down and muster the will to do what is right ... ... begrudgingly.

Time lost. A world gained. Dormant magic awakens. And the first battle of many begins. Chase awakes in a New York hospital to find he has been in a coma for a year. He’s the sole survivor of a devastating fire, the echoes of which still linger in his nightmares. His life seems to be back on track—until a night of celebration plunges him into chaos. Violence erupts, unearthing secrets that launch Chase into a treacherous world he never knew existed. With vengeance coursing through his veins and dormant magic awakening, Chase must navigate the dangerous world of magic and monsters. As each answer unveils more questions, he realizes everything comes at a price. In this shadowed world, where monsters wear familiar faces and blood-soaked deals can seal one's fate, Chase discovers a brutal truth—one that echoes with a chilling certainty. The devils always collect their due...and he is about to pay a price he never imagined. ~ Awakening is the first entry in the urban fantasy series Realm Killer and its connected universe. Chock-full of characters and monsters from the world’s myths and legends, the RKverse is the ethereal shot of adrenaline you’ve been looking for.

On Earth a stranger is convicted of murder, though he has no memory of the crime. A young architect wins his Masters degree, but -- still battling his demons -- he makes a momentous decision. A young woman waits for her father to come home, but her troubles are only just beginning. These three people share a connection they have yet to discover. On the remote world of Berikatanya the people suffer the most cataclysmic failure of Elemental magic in their history. How will they deal with the loss of so many powerful magicians? Berikatanyan Dawn is a prequel novella that can be enjoyed on its own, and also sets the scene for my SF/Fantasy trilogy: The Berikatanyan Chronicles.

Miko is determined to become a mage, to one day be a leader among men, and a true warrior. To do that, however, he will have to face off against Deven, a fellow student, and rival. Vying for the attention of the same girl, their once friendly competition quickly turns into a fierce rivalry. But there can only be one master of the dark arts and young Miko won’t give up easily. Pushed to his limits, he is forced to use his newfound ability to defend himself, with devastating consequences. His fate seemingly sealed, will Miko be punished for his crimes? Or has destiny got other plans for him?

The seas belong to Cy, and his crew. Since they left Olympus Island everything has been just peachy. The blissful existence upon the waves was not to last. Poseidon, sore from being banished from Olympus Island thirsts for revenge. Finding the undefeatable Toad-man army, Poseidon sets in motion the plans for his vengeance against, Cy, and his crew. Buckles get swashed, magic, fantasy, other cool stuff, awaits you in the tale of when, One-Eyed Cy, fought the Toad-Man army.

This book was the runner-up as Best Youth Fantasy Novel in the 2018 Awards by Book Talk Radio Club in England Katherine, Trevor and Chryseis embark on a ship and sail to remnants of the sunken continent of Atland. When a stolen speaking stone is found in their luggage everybody suspects the three friends. Will the time travelers be punished for the theft? Suddenly everybody is after the mysterious stone from the fabled land of Lyonesse and some of the strange sea creatures are not as amusing as they seem.They escape only just a trap set by sorcerers in Prydhain and receive help from an unexpected source. Then the speaking stone has something to say...