BOOKS I'VE EDITED
by Rachel Rener
Fifteen-year-old Willow is terrified of her new baby, Lilah, who has a peculiar form of epilepsy. Every time Lilah's eyes glaze over, terrible things happen: flowers shrivel, food goes to rot - even Willow's long, auburn hair turns stark white. But it's the death of the family cat that becomes the last straw; in the middle of the night, Willow and her mother dump the infant at the fire station two towns over – and are never heard from again.
The next morning, Chief Stanley Quinn takes Lilah home and cares for the toddler as best as he can. With medication, her epilepsy remains under control... For the most part.
But as a teenager, Lilah isn't always keen on taking her pills, and when she sneaks away to a rock concert with the cutest boy in school, something terrible happens, landing both of them in the hospital. After Stanley breaks down and confesses everything to his adopted daughter, she decides to track down the young girl who gave her up sixteen years ago; the young girl who never made it home that night… The young girl who is now presumed to be dead. Soon, Lilah's quest to find her birth mother becomes a quest to solve a sixteen-year-old missing persons case. She has everything she needs to find her – she just needs to learn how to control her peculiar ‘gift’ before she kills someone.
Again.
stories by Christopher Russell,
Jeffrey L. Kohanek, and Rachel Rener
I thought I would be the hero. Instead, I became the villain.
They curse me, call me ruthless, insane, unhinged… a monster.
But is life so black and white?
What if they took the time to understand my motivations? Would they still condemn me if they recognized the same monster lurking inside themselves? There’s a villain inside us all. Unhinge yourself from reality and walk with me into the darkness.
If you dare…
From the Shadows is an anthology of twenty-one villainous stories brought to you by the authors of Indie Fantasy Addicts.
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
Compelling whispers. A stirring rebellion. Unrelenting assassins. Conspiracies abound.
Two queens. One rules by fear, her citizens laboring to fund the lavish lifestyle of the wizard class. The other believes in justice and compassion, earning her the love of her subjects...and the enmity of her wizard peers. Both will die.
In one wizardom, a secret rebellion brews. A hero to the people rises, fueled by a mysterious sorcerer's blood magic. But at what cost?
Conspiracies and assassins lurk in every shadow, threatening the throne of another nation. The scheming wizard behind it will stop at nothing to claim the crown. Yet, even he is a pawn. What force is behind it all? What is their endgame?
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
A terrifying prophecy. A royal abduction. The desperate search for a legendary blade.
The Seers are blind to prophecy, or so it seems until a nightmarish vision shocks everyone. A darkness comes. Should it claim the elves, it will advance until it consumes the southern wizardoms.
To stave off impending doom, misfit heroes embark on a quest for magical sword not seen in millennia. The newborn princess of Pallanar is abducted, triggering a desperate search. Her wizard father will do anything to rescue her. Who is behind it and what will his efforts cost?
Toppled thrones send two wizardoms into chaos. The ambitious strive to claim power while new gods rise to replace the old. What can it all mean?
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
The elf queen rises. Backed by her magic, an army sweeps across the land like a plague. Can anything sate her unquenchable thirst for conquest?
Through sacrifice, the druids have raised a new queen and goddess. An army marches, made of elves, druids, animal familiars, and ensorcelled humans. Wizards are crushed, soldiers destroyed, and cities captured as the elf queen storms across the land.
Unless the elf queen is defeated, she will see all humans enslaved, the wizard race exterminated, and her rule extended across the Eight Wizardoms.
Intent on unraveling the schemes affecting the wizardoms, Jace and Narine go undercover, seeking information within the nest of an evil mastermind. What secrets await? What will happen if they are caught?
by Kay L. Moody
Love is forbidden in the Court of Fairfrost.
Tindra is a fae servant to the queen of Fairfrost. She is a brilliant researcher with a steady job in the palace, but she dreams of running away with her beloved.
They only have one chance for escape. A dragon.
But the dragons are guarded by the Fairfrost queen’s guards. Only intrigue and trickery will get past them. It goes well… until the queen herself shows up. Now Tindra and her beloved have an even greater chance of getting caught.
If they don’t hurry, they won’t just fail to escape. They’ll be executed.
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
A man who commands dragons rises. The people call him a prophet, a savior...the one who will free them from the tyranny of the wizard class.
They do not comprehend the threat he presents.
The dragon priest rages across the land. Cities and rulers are helpless against his might.
A pair of heroes embark on a dangerous quest, seeking a lost object of power. Without it, the dragon priest and his army will destroy the world.
An army of metal golems invades another wizardom. These magic-powered automatons are the weapon of the last wizard lord - a madman who desires to rule the world. Despite his power, betrayal becomes his most useful tool.
by Rachel Rener
Four years after the collapse of the Inner circle, the Asterian Order is functioning as Aspen and the late Magistrate envisioned; containment centers have been shut down, antiquated laws have been abolished, and free elections for a new Prime Minister are underway. In the meantime, Aspen and her fiancé, Aiden, have been enjoying their peaceful life out of the spotlight and away from the Order.
However, in the absence of containment and conviction, the line between freedom and secrecy has been blurred; amid the turmoil, a fresh wave of Elemental Supremacism is threatening to take hold of the Asterian Parliament. To combat this, Ori announces his bid to become Minister. If he loses, his radical opponent will be turning dangerous rhetoric into a stark reality that poses a direct threat to the entire human race.
While he and Aspen embark on a crucial political mission, Aiden, Eileen, and Sophia are joined by an old nemesis to carry out their own top-secret quest: scouring the globe for rogue Elementalists with extraordinary powers. If they succeed in recruiting these hundreds of Wilders to their cause, they’ll have a slew of newcomers to support Ori’s campaign. But if they fail, their adversary will have access to the greatest army of Elementalists the world has ever seen.
The stakes have never been higher for Aspen and her friends… and losing has never been more dangerous.
by Alice Ivinya
Rejected by her betrothed and banished into the wilderness, Brianna finds herself broken-hearted with nowhere to turn. She wants nothing more than to be left alone.
But greater threats loom across the Border, and there are whispers of war on the breeze. The Spirit-Beasts are coming and Brianna might be the only thing that can stand in their way and stop the massacre of a nation.
But to do this she will have to face her worst enemy, who wants nothing more than to see her dead, and, worse, the man she once loved who let her down.
by RG Long
Beaten and left for dead, Kyne is a quiet but skilled warrior. Lost on an island beset with pirate attacks and a mysterious sickness, there’s little hope for his future. Though his wounds may heal, his fate is unsure.
Eileen is a wild but confident healer. Ostracized for her deadly skill as a potion maker, the very bravest seek her out for her restorative balms. After saving Kyne from bloodthirsty pirates, she becomes entangled in a journey of fate.
Together, they set out to recover the one thing that may rid the land of plague. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the precious cure. The pirates who seek to plunder and pillage have nefarious plans of their own.
Will Kyne seek out his own good and leave the island behind, or will he aid those in desperate need?
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
An enslaved queen. A king who longs for peace. Death, destruction, and despair stalk them both.
A wizard queen is captured by a madman who seeks world dominance. Enslaved by magical means, she is forced to wield her magic against her own people.
Can she escape her invisible bonds, or will her wizardom fall to the might of the lord enchanter and his golem army?
In another nation, the last remaining wizard is expunged, freeing the Ungifted from wizard rule for the first time in Millennia. While the god king brings the promise of peace, such was not meant to be. The advent of the Drow has come.
The world trembles as this new enemy rises, intent on conquering all of mankind.
stories by Rachel Rener, Alora Carter, Allegra Pescatore, and Christopher Russell
When the swords are sheathed, the dead are counted, and the head is crowned, heroes step back into the shadows. Their destinies fulfilled, some may rest in the accolades of their fame while others drink their nightmares into silence.
But when a hero retires and their purpose is lost, how will they find their way forward? Will their lives end in the glorious triumph of battle? In the gutter with the rats? Or can old legends learn new tricks and embrace a different destiny?
With stories that span the spectrum of lighthearted and humorous to the depths of decay and despair, this anthology explores what happens when a hero must once more rise from the ashes...
From the Ashes is an anthology of fourteen heroic stories brought to you by the authors of Indie Fantasy Addicts.
by Kristen Braddock
MAGIC.SECRETS.MERFOLK.
It was supposed to be like any other free dive, except I drowned. At least, I was until a mermaid saved me… by transforming me into one.
Yes, a real freaking mermaid!
I can’t go home, but the mercommunity doesn’t trust an ex-human either. The mermaid who saved me is the only person I consider a friend, and her blood-boiling brother said he’s trying to help me.
Actions speak louder than words, bucko.
I am not wanted here, and I no longer belong on land. I’ve always considered the ocean my home, but until I convince those around me the same, my life hangs in the balance.
by RG Long
Pirates and plague consume the land. Kyne has made the decision to stay on the island. But will his choice lead to redemption or failure?
The city of Flagonmead is beset by plague. Homes are boarded up as the sick are quarantined inside. Despite the paranoia of the leadership close to home, Eileen is determined to help those in need.
When a plea for help comes from old friends and a new ally, both Kyne and Eileen must decide what threat to tackle first: the spreading disease or pirates who are determined to take over the island no matter the method or the cost.
All the while, those who serve a higher power bear a secret that may disrupt the fragile peace that is already on the brink.
stories by Andy Peloquin, JC Kang, RG Long, Sarah KL Wilson, Jordan Rivet, JA Andrews, Eric T Knight, Meg Cowley
An unmissable collection of bestselling fantasy authors present the 'Blade and Sorcery' short story anthology.
These eight fast-paced tales of heroes and heroines rising from ashes to victory will pull you into rich established fantasy worlds for thrilling tales of rogues and villains, high stakes and peril, and adversity and hope - all with the hallmarks of sword and sorcery that you will love.
Perfect for new readers wanting to find their next favorite fantasy authors and readers returning to beloved worlds for adventures with their favorite characters.
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
A dark god rises, intent on world domination. With a disease spreading across the realm, altering the land and every living thing it touches, will there be anything left to rule?
The dark elf, Xavan, has captured numerous great cities, forcing the citizens to worship him. Their prayers cause his might to swell far beyond that of a wizard lord.
The death of another god has caused the realm to become infected. This taint alters everything it touches, including the monsters who live in the land where it originated, causing them increase in size and ferocity.
This horde storms across the wizardoms, destroying everything in its path.
Can a ragtag team of heroes defeat Xavan before he reaches full godhood?
Even if successful, can anything stop the monsters and the spreading desolation?
Or is this the end?
by Rachel Rener
When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him… until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn't expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn's office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?
Now – through (mostly) no fault of my own – we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm.
by Jessica Deen Norris
The power of the Light blinds him, and danger lurks in the Shadows…
The Dragon Guardian’s return was supposed to heal the world split by storm, frost, and fire. Instead, the crazed conqueror sends his Shadow Knights to swarm the land, searching for any sign of a dangerous, fire-wielding mage like Tiber. If only that’s what he was.
The blinding Light that comes with Tiber’s powers doesn’t seem to be worth the small, pitiful flames he can create in his hands. But it was enough to make the emperor kill his family, forcing him into hiding. And when he meets a mysterious girl named Luci, Tiber finally sees a way out. Except hatching a dragon egg wasn’t part of the plan.
As the emperor’s Shadow Knights close in, Tiber must learn to rely on his new friends to help him find the truth about his past… and resist the Shadows that tempt him to revenge.
by Brandon Harriman
Keep the fires lit. Whatever it takes.
As far back as Griff could remember, the people of Cordelia lit torches every night to keep the darkness away, to keep the monsters at bay. But on the night of his sixteenth birthday, everything changed.
Growing up, he’d believed that the nightstalkers were the only thing he had to fear, but he’d never been told where they’d come from. After a terrifying confrontation and the awakening of a strange and unexpected ability, Griff is left questioning everything he thought he knew about the world. When he gets an invitation to Bergots Academy for young mages, he can’t help but worry that his nightmares are only just beginning.
The journey to discovery will lead Griff to magical places and mysterious people. It will also lead him to answers he’d wish he had never found ...
by Alice Ivinya
The King is dead. Chaos reigns…
A life of messy politics and war was never what Brianna planned. Now she has to navigate a world where everyone seems set against her while trying to fix the country’s problems. She must show no weakness, for only then can she marry the man she loves and take her place as queen. But while Spirit-Beasts and Borderland nobility argue over alliances, Queen Geraldina works to take everything Brianna loves, and she has been playing this game for a long time.
More sinister powers are rising behind the scenes, seeped in Old Magic and with the strength to destroy the continent. One such power is growing within Brianna herself, and she can only ignore it for so long.
Will she learn to become the savior, or will she cause the world to fall?
by RG Long
The Queen of Ardene is in danger.
The pirates who have been harrowing the island of Karn focus their efforts on the queen of the nation of the east. Kyne and Eileen, tired and under pressure, attempt to get to the queen before her life is threatened. Making matters worse, the pair find themselves in unwelcome company as they make the journey to the capital.
Pirates and plague abound. Will Eileen and Kyne be able to save the queen?