Fantasy

by Fred Koehler

“What if,” asked the raven, “all those old faerie stories weren’t really about being good and honest and obeying your mum and dad? What if they were a warning, telling you about *real* dangers, licking their lips just beyond the firelight?” Miriam Lockhart never believed in faeries—until they killed her. Now trapped in the faerie realm as a wandering spirit (and none too happy about it), Miriam must discover her unfinished business or remain a ghost forever. Her only guide is a Death Raven named Lucky I-Ain’t-You, whose record of escorting souls to the Great Beyond stands at, well, zero. Fates intertwined, the duo enters the realm of the Family LeFae, a riffraff band of faerie criminals locked in a brutal struggle against an oppressive monarchy. There, she faces down a cast of misfits including a foul-mouthed goblin, a sasquatch assassin, and the mysterious Faerie Godfather. It’s only when Miriam sees her own misfortune mirrored in others that her heart undergoes an even bigger transformation. A dangerous deal is struck with Death incarnate to try and break the chains of the enslaved faerie folk. But it may cost Miriam the one thing she set out to save: her soul.\ \ Dark humor meets genuine heart in this funny, haunting fantasy.

by Christina Farley

*What was buried is awakening…* Do not question the Paladins.\ Do not cross into the Wilds.\ Do not seek the Magic. Tara has spent her life following those rules. On an island where obedience is survival, she’s learned to swallow her doubts, hide her powers, and pretend Eden is the paradise everyone claims it to be. But a secret always has a pulse. And Eden’s secrets are starting to beat louder. When Tara is chosen to train as one of the isle’s revered Paladins, she believes she can make a difference. But the moment she steps inside the Paladin stronghold, her whole world turns upside-down. Tor, the man she confessed her love to, is haunted by secrets he refuses to share. Rune, another trainee, starts to awaken feelings in her that are both thrilling and terrifying. And there are whispers of rebellion and forbidden passageways that lead to dangerous secrets. So when Tara discovers something she wasn’t meant to find, it shatters the foundation of everything she believes. Now she’s trapped between loyalty and truth, two men with different agendas, and an island she swore to protect. Darkness is rising. Magic is awakening. But her people are dying. Tara must become the Paladin she was destined to be or lose everything she loves.

by Amelie Locke

This is a test.

by Jason Jones III

In a post-apocalyptic world where every child is born with a single-use wisp of magic, governments train even the youngest to use their magic to reanimate ancient weapons of war. Until Jack defies his country and his calling with hopes of something more.

by Sarah Moon

In a world where crystals hold the power of creation itself, young mage Elara discovers she possesses the rarest gift of all - the ability to forge new crystals. But with great power comes great danger, and ancient forces will stop at nothing to claim her abilities for themselves.