Tag Archives: Fantasy

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Tarnished by Erica Rose Eberhart

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Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Tarnished by Erica Rose Eberhart, an adult Sapphic fantasy with a lesbian MC releasing January 21, 2025 from Creative James Media! Here’s the story:

An outlawed magic, a hidden curse, and a love tested by fire.

In the struggling city of Braewick, a determined 20-year-old gate guard named Ailith MacCree longs for a chance at financial stability and adventure. Little does she know, her wish is about to come true. She accepts a mission from Princess Greer that promises both: escort Princess Caitriona to the Endless Mountains to meet the enigmatic hermit for a great financial reward. Ailith jumps at the opportunity and bids goodbye to all she’s ever known. But as they journey together, Ailith discovers that Cait holds a dangerous secret—she possesses powerful magic in a kingdom where magic is outlawed.

Ailith and Cait face mysterious attacks and supernatural challenges. But as they delve deeper into the treacherous landscape, Ailith learns of Cait’s tragic past and the dark curse that threatens her very existence.

With rebellion brewing in Braewick, and the oppressive king hot on their trail, Ailith must not only navigate her growing feelings for Cait, but also fight against relentless foes. As they race against time to stop the curse, Ailith and Cait uncover shocking truths about their kingdom, their families, and themselves.

Will their burgeoning romance survive the trials ahead? Can they break the curse and save their homeland from tyranny? Join Ailith and Cait on a thrilling quest filled with magic, danger, and heart-pounding adventure. Fans of high-stakes fantasy will not want to miss this epic tale.

And here’s the beautifully autumnal cover by Diana TC from Triumph Covers!

Buy it: Books2Read

Erica Rose Eberhart grew up in the Catskills region and spent many informative years in both Eastern Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia. She now resides with her family and cat in the Finger Lakes region of New York. A technical editor by trade, she has a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing. Erica has written stories since she was able to write sentences and has found comfort in fantasy her entire life, whether by consuming fantastical stories or creating her own. Beside the comfort of books, Erica adores nature walks, crocheting, embroidery, cats, baking and autumn. You can follow her many adventures on social media @ericaroseeberhart. This is her first published novel.

Better Know an Author

Better Know an Author: Kiersten White

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Today on the site, I am absolutely thrilled to be chatting with powerhouse author Kiersten White, whose newest novel, Lucy Undying, releases tomorrow from Del Rey! Lucy Undying is gloriously lush and Gothic lit fic that travels between past and present (slash near future) telling the story of Dracula‘s Lucy Westenra, and before we get to my chat with the author, here’s a little more about the book:

Her name was written in the pages of someone else’s story: Lucy Westenra was one of Dracula’s first victims.

But her death was only the beginning. Lucy rose from the grave a vampire and has spent her immortal life trying to escape from Dracula’s clutches—and trying to discover who she really is and what she truly wants.

Her undead life takes an unexpected turn in twenty-first-century London, when she meets another woman, Iris, who is also yearning to break free from her past. Iris’s family has built a health empire based on a sinister secret, and they’ll do anything to stay in power.

Lucy has long believed she would never love again. But she finds herself compelled by the charming Iris while Iris is equally mesmerized by the confident and glamorous Lucy. But their intense connection and blossoming love is threatened by outside forces. Iris’s mother won’t let go of her without a fight, and Lucy’s past still has fangs: Dracula is on the prowl once more.

Lucy Westenra has been a tragically murdered teen, a lonesome adventurer, and a fearsome hunter, but happiness has always eluded her. Can she find the strength to destroy Dracula once and for all, or will her heart once again be her undoing?

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

And now, to chat with the inimitable Kiersten White!

Continue reading Better Know an Author: Kiersten White →

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Bitterbound by A.Z. Louise

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Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover for Bitterbound by A.Z. Louise, a bi4bi Adult m/f Fantasy Romance releasing July 16, 2024! Here’s the story: 

A PROMISE SEALED IN FLESH AND BLOOD

Kin Jole is an indentured assassin, forced to serve those who ripped her soul from her body and stripped her of her conscience. When Kin is ordered to kill Verias Hartwell, a beaten-down sorcerer unwillingly bound to a war machine, she sees his power as an opportunity to do the one thing that will set her free—reclaim and destroy her own soul.

Kin offers Verias a trade. She’ll spare his life in exchange for his help stealing her soul.

To retrieve it, Verias must join the very guild of sorcerers that turned Kin into a killer. With the fate of her soul in his hands, Kin must now protect Verias from enemies new and old, including a former friend with a bitter grudge.

But the closer Verias gets to Kin’s soul, the closer he gets to her darkest secrets. And if the enemies closing in on all sides don’t destroy them, those secrets just might.

And here’s the cover, designed by the author themself!

Buy it: Amazon

(c) Darzy

A.Z. Louise is an author, poet, and artistic nuisance living in a cheese lover’s paradise. In their spare time, they are a collector of fountain pens, impractical hobbies, and useless facts, all of which they are guilty of inserting into their written works. Links to those works can be found at azlouise.com

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Haunting Melody by Chloe Spencer

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Haunting Melody by Chloe Spencer, an f/f YA fantasy/horror/mystery releasing October 1, 2024 from Tiny Ghost Press! Here’s the story:

Failure is a sinister song. One that Melody Myere is all too familiar with.

The only child of an acclaimed ghost hunter couple, Melody’s First Sacred Hunt should have been a walk in the park. All she needed to do was catch a ghost, like she’s done all her life. But when an unexpected wraith showed up causing havoc, Melody was left scarred and embarrassed.

Suffering from depression and PTSD post-hunt, Melody relocates to the sleepy island town of Murkmore, where her parents have been tasked with capturing the ghost responsible for a series of grisly deaths. Determined to prove herself, and despite her parents’ protests, Melody sets out to capture the specter on her own.

When a haunting song lures Melody to an abandoned theater, she encounters a recently deceased musical prodigy by the name of Cyrus. All signs point to Cyrus being the killer, but Melody isn’t so sure, suspecting something more discordant is afoot.

Haunted by more than just a sinister song, Melody must learn to trust her instincts to catch the killer and prove herself before it’s time to face the music.

And here’s the appropriately haunting cover, illustrated by Alex Moore!

Buy it: Amazon | B&N

Minnesota native Chloe Spencer is an award winning writer, indie gamedev, and filmmaker. She is the author of Monstersona, Duality, and the upcoming 2024 paranormal mystery-romance Haunting Melody. In her spare time she enjoys playing video games, trying her best at Pilates, and cuddling with her cats. She holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Film and Television from SCAD Atlanta. You can find more about her on www.chloespenceronline.com.

Fave Five

Fave Five: Queer Fae Fiction

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Shatterproof by Xen

Broken Wings by L.-J. Baker

The Faerie Hounds of York by Arden Powell

The Fae Queen’s Captive by Sierra Simone

Close Quarter by Anna Zabo

Bonus: This is all Adult fiction, but you can find YA titles here, plus The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair and The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

 

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana by Elaine Tipping

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Today on the site I’m thrilled to announce and reveal the cover for Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana by Elaine Tipping, a fantasy graphic novel currently serialized as a webcomic on Tapas and releasing in print for the first time (with updated art!) from Dark Horse Books on September 3*, 2024! Here’s the story:

Follow a cast of heroes from all walks of life as they lead the charge to stop an ancient empire bent on world domination in this queer YA graphic novel!

An archaeological dig backed by all four countries of Tuvana is meant to shed light on the past while uniting the countries under a similar goal, despite their differences. However, the project takes a sudden dark turn after an unexpected discovery. Communications are lost, family members are missing, there are strange changes in the land and unexpected climate irregularities–all threatening to unravel the tenuous ties that have kept Tuvana at peace for so long.

A clever princess, a set of royal twins with two very different personalities, a patient guard looking after an inquisitive scholar, a powerful and mysterious loving couple, and a fun-having street brawler are all pulled slowly from their very different paths through life as they each stumble across parts of a puzzle that, once assembled, could change–or destroy–the future of their world forever.

One volume collecting the first nine chapters of Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana!

In the words of creator Elaine Tipping: “Pathways is a high fantasy adventure, with a dash of sci-fi and a bunch of dragons, for fans of Ghibli and Critical Role!’”

And here’s the gorgeous cover by author/illustrator Elaine Tipping!

Buy it!

*September 4th, for comic shops

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin, a dark historical fantasy releasing from Random House Canada on May 7, 2024! Here’s the story:

Set in a Jewish folklore-inspired reimagining of 19th century Eastern Europe, this queer dark fantasy debut pits two estranged husbands and a daring spymaster on opposite sides of a civil war. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, C.S. Pacat, Ava Reid, and Katherine Arden.

Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.

But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.

Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.

And here’s the gorgeous cover, designed by Talia Abramson!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | Indigo

LAURA R. SAMOTIN and her spouse live with two enormously large felines. When she’s not pursuing her academic research on military tactics, power politics, and leadership, she relishes her role as a full-time cat servant.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Merciless King of Moore High by Lily Sparks

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Today on the site, we’re revealing the cover of The Merciless King of Moore High by Lily Sparks, a contemporary YA fantasy releasing April 23, 2024 from Flux Books! Here’s the story:

When the adults of Brockton, Connecticut, morphed into gigantic, bloodthirsty monsters nine months ago, the students at Jefferson High barricaded themselves inside their school. Now eighteen-year-old Kay Kim is one of the Student Council members trying to keep her classmates from starving.

Kay has no poker face and can’t keep her mouth shut when she knows she’s right, so when she accidentally learns a secret that threatens the delicate power balance at Jefferson, she’s dragged out of the school in the dead of night and dumped in the middle of town in a secret assassination attempt.

But when a raiding party of cheerleaders from crosstown rival Moore High comes to her rescue, Kay finds herself among ruthless, hard-partying road warriors who have adopted the feudal trappings of a once-popular video game. Life at Moore is violent and cliquish, but everyone is thriving—everyone, that is, who survives the kingdom’s periodic monster hunts. For Moore’s beloved King Max demands only two things: absolute fealty and that everyone at Moore help kill the “dragons.”

If Kay wants to survive, she must be granted asylum at Moore—which means slaying dragons, not asking the wrong questions, and navigating the rival factions, love triangles, and political intrigues at court. But when Kay discovers a deadly secret that reaches all the way to Jefferson, her inability to hide the truth might spark the revolution that burns both schools to the ground.

And here’s the epic cover, designed by Cynthia Della-Rovere and illustrated by Jensine Eckwell, and a note from the author!

THE MERCILESS KING OF MOORE HIGH seemed like an impossible cover assignment, because the book straddles genre: contemporary teens at two rival high schools, navigating a feudal monarchy and fighting fantastic monsters. Illustrator Jensine Eckwall’s style, which has rich undertones of medieval woodcutting and a contemporary edge, is the perfect entry point for a world in which passing a note to the wrong person can mean fighting for your life in a Trial by Combat.

Eckwell has captured a shield emblazoned with the Three of Swords, a tarot symbol, surrounded by the bones and the black, iridescent blood of the monsters in this story, which are seen as magical dragons by Moore High, and zombified corpse-piles by Jefferson High. MKMH is all about clashing narratives, and tarot exemplifies how we can construct stories to empower or terrify each other. The heart pierced by three swords is a striking symbol of grief and loss. And in this story three characters will, with all the best intentions, break each other’s hearts.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Lily Sparks is the author of Teen Killers Club (Crooked Lane, 2020), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Thriller Award nominee, and YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant YA Readers. It received a starred Kirkus review and blurbs from several bestselling authors and launched a series including Teen Killers in Love and Teen Killers at Large. She’s developed TV projects for MTV, FX, and Amazon, written for the CW’s Reign and Paramount’s Heathers, and currently leads character design for Adult Swim’s Royal Crackers.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Awakenings by Claudie Arseneault

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover for author and AroAce Database creator Claudie Arseneault’s upcoming fantasy, Awakenings, which is now up on Kickstarter! (Link below cover.) Here’s a little more on the story:

Innkeep, hunter, blacksmith, nurse—Horace has apprenticed for every clan in the domed city of Trenaze, and they’ve all rejected em. Too hare-brained. Too talkative. Too slow. Ever the optimist, e has joined Trenaze’s guards to be mentored. Horace has high hopes to earn eir place during eir trial at the Great Market. That is, until the glowing shards haunting the world break through the city’s protective dome, fused together in a single, monstrous amalgam of Fragments.

Armed with a sword, a shield, and far too little training, Horace doubts eir ability to defend the market-goers. But eir last stand is interrupted by a mysterious elven figure who can dissipate the Fragments with a single, strange sentence: your story is my story.

From the moment it is uttered, Horace knows the sentences holds true for em, too—and when the elf collapses in the middle of the market, e carries them to safety, to recover away from the panicked crowd and inevitable questions from eir fellow guards. It could cost em eir apprenticeship—eir last chance to find eir place in eir home city—but Horace cannot resist the pull of this mystery elf and the call of a new friend.

Aliyah has but one desire: to leave Trenaze’s safe boundaries and find the forest that haunts their dreams. After an afternoon of board games in their quiet, sharp-witted company, Horace is ready to follow, confronting Fragments and other dangers of the road to understand what happened that day, hear Aliyah’s laugh again and finally feel like e belongs.

And now, finally, the wonderful cover designed and illustrated by Eva I.!

Awakenings is the first of a series of cozy fantasy adventure novellas, and a love letter to board games and JRPGs. It will be running on Kickstarter starting October 10, so hit the follow button if you want to chip in and help make it a reality!

***

Claudie Arseneault is an easily-enthused aromantic and asexual writer with a never-ending cycle of obsessions but an enduring love for all things cephalopod and fantasy (together or not!). She writes stories that centre platonic relationships and loves large casts and single-city settings, the most notable of which are the City of Spires series (2017-2023) and Baker Thief (2018).

In addition to her own fiction, Claudie has co-edited Common Bonds (2021), an anthology of aromantic speculative short stories. She is a founding member of The Kraken Collective, an alliance of self-publishing SFF authors, and the creator of the Aromantic and Asexual Characters Database.