Archive for best fantasy stories
Fantasy Magazine Interviews Joe Lansdale
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If you love fantasy writing, and you do because you are here looking for some great stories, then you may be missing out on some wonderful fantasy stories if you haven’t considered Fantasy Magazine. This is a publication that has been around for a long time. I just got a new Kindle and one of the great things about it is subscribing to a magazine like Fantasy to get my bit of short story that I miss with the bigger novels.
The other thing that Fantasy Magazine does so well is author interviews. In the latest issue, December 2011 if you are looking for it, they did a great little sit-down with Joe, who does not only really wonderful fantasy, but also writes in a wide variety of genre fiction. They discussed his story for Fantasy Magazine, “Torn Away” and where he gets his inspiration for it, as well as a discussion of that great fantasy magazine and television show “Twilight Zone”.
Finally, they talk about writing in general. He gives some great advice to anyone who dreams of someday being a writer by telling them that the only way to do it is to do it for you. I love his quote “write like everyone you know is dead.” He is so bang-on with that one. Don’t worry if your style is like this author or that writer, write for yourself as if none of them are around and you will find your voice. And write with passion, which is another of his points and one I very much agree with him on.
So be sure to check him out, in fact, you might want to pick up the latest issue of Fantasy Magazine for your Kindle and read his story and interview for yourself, along with some pretty amazing work from folks like new author Nike Sulway along with some old hands at fantasy like Naomi Novik and Seanan McGuire. Some pretty amazing art too, starting with a remarkable cover from J.P. Targete.
Because fantasy stories come in all sizes and shapes, and just like people they are best when you make sure you are exposed to as many kinds as possible.
New Fantasy Book: Fate’s Edge by Ilona Andrews
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Title: Fate’s Edge
Author: Ilona Andrews
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Another excellent story has been delivered by the husband and wife writing team known as Ilona Andrews. This book takes place in the “Edge”, the boundary area between the Broken (where non-magical humans live), and the Weird (a magical land where bizarre creatures exist). The Edge is where Audrey Callahan lives, a smart, strong young woman who is trying to overcome her grifter history. She’s doing well and working a day job in the Broken, trying to fit in as a normal (but very private) young woman. Her main goal is to keep herself distanced from her family, since they only want to use her for her magical lock-picking skills. But this proves to be easier said than done when Audrey’s father appears one day and inextricably pulls her back into the fold for “one last job”.
Kaldar Mar is a wild spirit who does recovery work for paying customers. When he’s hired to recover a device recently been stolen from a vault that has unpickable locks, he’s intrigued. He’s pretty sure this will be a simple trackdown and recovery job until he comes across Audrey and realizes he’s met his match. Although Kaldar is one of the best con men around, Audrey is his alter ego. He’s fascinated with this unusual woman who cherishes her independence so much that she’s willing to isolate herself from others and forgo the things that make life worth living, like love and companionship. It’s clear Audrey is a strong and determined woman but is she strong enough to stop Kaldar from conquering her independent spirit? It’s con vs. con in this action-filled and romantic fantasy book.
Fate’s Edge continues the tradition of providing well written, intriguing, and adventurous tales delivered by these two authors. The dialogue exchanges between Kaldar and Audrey are fantastic because Audrey really holds her own with him. There are also several characters from previous Edge novels who are key to the storyline. George and Jack from Book 1 (On The Edge) help Kaldar and Audrey and it’s great to see them mature and become major contributors to the outcome. I sat down and read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. It’s a perfect mixture of everything I like – romantic tension, a unique storyline, interesting characters and a group of underdogs who are trying to come out on top when the odds are stacked against them.
If you haven’t read any of the Ilona Andrews novels yet, stop missing out and pick one up. Over the past 6 years I’ve read, talked about and written about thousands of fantasy books and I can tell you that the “Ilona” books are at the top of my “Most Recommended Fantasy Books” reading list. Every week I get emails from fantasy lovers asking for book recommendations. I’ll tell you what I tell them: read an Ilona Andrews book, any book. If you’re new to urban fantasy, start with Ilona. If you’ve read lots of fantasy and are looking for something new, buy an Ilona Andrews book. I promise, you’ll be back at the bookstore (or online) eagerly purchasing more.
Fate’s Edge is available in paperback, audiobook and Kindle formats.
Three New Top Fantasies for October
Posted by: | CommentsOkay – I thought that even though it is mid-October I would give everyone a little treat and bring you three very yummy little fantasy books to check out. Each one has a different feel to it, and each is in a different medium, one is an audio book, one is a kindle book and one is a good old-fashion hardbound book. They each have something wonderful to bring to the world of fantasy – so I hope at least one of them tickles your fancy!
Title: The Dream-Hunter
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Release: October 3 2011
Pages: audio book
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Arik is a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, he can only feel when he’s in the dreams of others. He’s drifted through the human unconscious, and now he’s finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness.
Dr. Megeara Kafieri intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island of Atlantis is right where her father said it was. One day she finds a stranger floating in the sea with face she’s seen in her dreams. But Arik has made a pact with the god Hades: In exchange for two weeks as a mortal man, he must return to Olympus with Megeara’s soul.
With a secret society out to ruin her, and mysterious accidents threatening her life, Megeara refuses to quit. She getting closer to Atlantis and as she does, she stumbles onto the truth of what Arik really is. But no human can know of a Dream-Hunter’s existence and the only way to save himself will be to sacrifice the very thing he wanted to be human for. The only question is, will he?
Title: Bloodstone
Author: Nancy Holzner
Release: September 27 2011
Pages: Kindle Edition
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Bloodstone is another great addition to the Deadtown series. This time in Boston’s Back Bay district, it is known for high society, not lowlifes. So when mutilated human bodies begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. And even though there’s no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining relations between human and inhuman residents.
As the reader is taken on a madcap trail after a serial killer like no other, the story take a series of twists and turns. Soon we are caught up in the carnage and mystery. As the bodies pile up, demon-hunter Vicky Vaughn investigates, only to find that the creature behind the carnage has an ancient feud and is after much more than just blood…
Title: The Bible Repairman
Author: Tim Powers
Release: Oct. 31 2011
Pages: 200
Genre: Fantasy
Tim Powers happens to be one of my favorite authors, so when I saw this book listed to come out soon from Amazon, I just had to share it with you. For a taste, here is what his publisher’s have released to let you know what to expect.
The Bible Repairman is Tim Powers’s first new collection since Strange Itineraries appeared in 2005, and it is well worth the wait. In five stories and an ambitious historical novella, it offers one example after another of the author’s wit, ingenuity, and sheer imaginative reach.
The title story takes us into the life of a man with a most unusual profession, one that claims a little bit of his soul with every transaction. ‘Parallel Lives’ and ‘A Soul in a Bottle’ are thematically linked ghost stories in which the dead attempt, with varying degrees of success, to exert their influence upon the living. In ‘The Hour of Babel,’ an assortment of damaged people experience, once again, the inexplicable encounter that altered their lives more than thirty years before, while in ‘A Journey of Only Two Paces’ a simple legal procedure is transformed into a nightmarish Kabbalistic ritual.
But the real centerpiece of this resonant collection is the novella ‘A Time to Cast Away Stones,’ previously available only in a very limited–and very expensive–edition. Set in the semi-fictional universe first described in The Stress of Her Regard, this beautifully realized narrative centers upon Edward John Trelawny, a contemporary and compatriot of the poets Byron and Shelley, and the momentous decision that faces him. In classic Powers fashion, the story shows us an actual, if little known, historical event reclaimed and transformed by a powerful imagination. The result is a distinctive contribution to modern fantasy and a significant milestone in a unique, constantly evolving career.
But don’t take their word for it – or mine! Check this one out. I know I have mine on order already!
The Blood Ties Vampire Books by Jennifer Armintrout
Posted by: | CommentsJennifer Armintrout largely owes her popularity as a urban fantasy novelist, to her highly successful vampire series called ‘The Blood Ties.’ The popular series follows the life of Dr. Carrie Ames, an ER doctor, learns to adapt to her new lifestyle as a vampire after being attacked by one of her patients. The first book of the series made #93 on USA Today’s list of the top 150 books.
The Turning (Book 1)
I’m no coward. I want to make that perfectly clear. But after my life turned into a horror movie, I take fear a lot more seriously now. I finally became Dr. Carrie Ames just eight months ago. Then I was attacked in the hospital morgue by a vampire. Just my luck.
So now I’m a vampire, and it turns out I have a blood tie to the monster who sired me. The tie works like an invisible leash and I’m bound to him no matter what I do. And of course he’s one of the most evil vampires on earth. With my sire hell-bent on turning me into a soulless killer and his sworn enemy set to exterminate me, things couldn’t get much worse — except I’m attracted to them both.
Drinking blood, living as an immortal demon and being a pawn between two warring vampire factions isn’t exactly how I’d imagined my future. But as my father used to say, the only way to conquer fear is to face it. So that’s what I’ll do. Fangs bared.
Possession (Book 2)
My father always said fear was a weakness. Well, that’s easy to say when you don’t have to worry about vampire slayers or holy water. I hate fear, but undead life goes on. In the two months since I was attacked in the hospital morgue and turned into a vampire, I’ve killed my evil sire, Cyrus, fallen in love with my new sire, Nathan, and have even gotten used to drinking blood. Just when things are finally returning to normal–as normal as they can be when sunlight can kill you–Nathan becomes possessed. And then he slaughters an innocent human.
Now it’s my job to find Nathan before the Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement does, because they’re just waiting for an excuse to terminate him–and anyone foolish enough to help him. But it gets worse. It turns out that Nathan’s been possessed by one of the most powerful and wicked vampires alive–the Soul Eater. And who knows what vile plan he’s concocted?
With the Soul Eater and my possessed sire on the loose, I have a lot to fear. Including being killed. Again.
Ashes To Ashes (Book 3)
Being a vampire is a life-or-death situation. When I was first turned, I had only my survival to worry about. Now I’m locked in a battle for the existence of the entire human race—and the cards are definitely stacked against me.
The Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement headquarters are destroyed, and their pet horror, the Oracle, is on the loose. She’ll stop at nothing to turn the world into a vampire’s paradise, even if it means helping the Soul Eater become a god and harnessing his power for her own evil ends.
An ancient vampire, a blood-sucking near deity and oh, yeah, my presently human former sire thrown into the mix. I say bring it on. May the best monster win.
All Souls’ Night (Book 4)
Love Sookie Stackhouse and Bella Swan? It’s time to meet newly turned-vampire Carrie Ames. I have reached my breaking point. And now I will not, cannot be stopped. With the Soul Eater on the verge of god status, it’s time for me to take a final stand, even if it means losing everything I love. Even if it means losing my life. Again.
I’ve got plenty of power on my side, and some I didn’t know I could count on in the first place. But it’s nothing compared to the army of the undead the Soul Eater is building up. And time is running out. They say that good always triumphs over evil. I hope that’s true. Because the odds aren’t in our favour, and the fate of the world is in our hands.
The Mageverse Fantasy Books in Order by Angela Knight
Posted by: | CommentsThe Mageverse Fantasy Books is truly a unique fantasy series by erotic romance and fantasy novelist Angela Knight. Although these novels have the regular vampires and witches their powers and their magical world are quite unlike any you might have read before. In Knight’s world, the vampires and witches are not evil. They still have their souls and even have the ability to have children.
Merlin is an alien from Mageverse who travels to earth with the purpose of protecting mankind from destroying themselves with their advancements. He then goes on to glean the earth to find altruistic men and women who would put the needs of others before their own. When these noble humans drink from the Grail that Merlin offers the men become Magi (or vampires) and the women become Majae (or witches.) This series wasn’t published in numerical order therefore, you’ll notice that Book 4 and Book 6 are missing from the list. That’s not an oversight on my part, it’s how the books were numbered!
Seduction’s Gift in Hot Blooded Anthology
A New York Times Bestseller!
Four New York Times bestselling authors offer a fiction quartet featuring four hot predators and four hot women: A bound man with a voracious appetite . . . A werewolf with human desires . . . A shape-shifter with one basic need . . . An immortal lover with a passion for mortal women . . . These are the stories of Hot Blooded.
Master of the Night (Book 2)
American agent Erin Grayson has a new mission: romance international businessman Reece Champion. Seducing the handsome millionaire could put her that much closer to the revenge she craves against a murderous organization.
Erin doesn’t realize she’s being manipulated by the very group she hunts. Champion is actually an agent of the U.S. government. He’s also a vampire.
Reece senses the latent supernatural powers hidden within Erin, powers as dangerously irresistible to him as her lush body and hot blood. Yet he also knows that yielding to their mutual desire will make them pawns in a deadly game – a game in which their opponent is, quite literally, a monster.
To survive, Erin must embrace talents she never knew she had – and trust a man who is Master of the Night.
Master of the Moon (Book 3)
Unknown to the citizens of her small town, policewoman Diana London is a shape-shifting werewolf on the track of a killer vampiress. Through erotic dreams, she is drawn to Llyr, king of the faeries. But despite sparks, Llyr is a complication in her life. Until the vampiress at large finds an ally, Diana and Llyr have no one to turn to but each other.
Master of Wolves Book 5)
Jim London is outraged over the death of his friend, a fellow cop and werewolf–and wants to get to the bottom of what he thinks was murder. The only way to find out is to go undercover–and, in his wolf form, Jim can do that better than anybody. There’s one complication: the new K9 handler, Faith Weston, is sexy enough to bring out the animal in any man.
Master of Swords (Book 7)
Witch Lark McClure has survived a vicious vampire attack that shook her confidence and left her struggling with feelings of helplessness and fear. The last thing she needs is a partnership with Gawain, a handsome vampire knight who means to seduce her every chance he gets.
Master of Dragons (Book 8 )
The last time fairy princess Nineva Morrow engaged in magic, evil forces rendered her an orphan-isolated and incapable of trusting in anyone’s survival. But after years of hiding on Earth, she’ll use her powers once more-and attract more knights than she can handle.
Master of Fire (Book 9)
A new Mageverse novel-from the New York Times bestselling author of Master of Dragons
A beautiful, brilliant chemist, Giada Shepherd is an immortal witch charged with saving the life of Logan MacRoy, the mortal son of a vampire. Passionately attracted to Giada, Logan has no idea that sex would turn him into a vampire. And no, as a killer sets deadly traps for them, the truth must come out, as must a weapon they never counted on: love…
After being attacked by a werewolf, Eva Roman is now able to shift into one. Luckily she saves a handsome shapeshifter from a similar attack. Eva does not know his true identity as Smoke, a Sidhe warrior. His attacker was Warlock, the magic-imbued leader of a cult of werewolf assassins trained to destroy all others. As a war ignites between all the immortals in the Mageverse, Eva and Smoke will need more than their love for each other to survive.
Court seducer La Belle Coeur has met her match in Tristan, a Knight of the Round Table unafraid of blood-or lust. Joining together to combat a werewolf wizard and sworn enemy of Arthur, they must put their lives on the line-while coming to grips with the rising heat between them.
The World of the Lupi Books by Eileen Wilks
Posted by: | CommentsThe World of the Lupi, also otherwise known as the Moon Children Books is an urban fantasy series from author Eileen Wilks. The series follows the life and adventures of Lily Yu, who works for the Magical Crimes Division of the FBI. Wilks has done a fantastic job at creating a world that is sure to enthrall you. I especially like her characters… these are some of the most interesting characters i’ve read in a while.
Tempting Danger (Book 1)
The USA Today bestselling author tempts success in this stunning debut novel.
National bestselling author Eileen Wilks draws readers into a bold new world where the magical and mundane co-exist in an uneasy alliance–and a cop balanced on her own knife-edged struggle is their only hope against a cold-blooded killer.
Mortal Danger (Book 2)
The USA Today bestselling author returns to the fascinating world she introduced in Tempting Danger, where a woman’s very soul is in mortal danger.
An agent in the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division, Lily Yu’s job is to hunt down a charismatic cult leader bent on bringing an ancient evil into the world. And her only hope will be to trust Rule Turner, a werewolf prince with whom she has mated. And if Lily can’t trust him, she’ll be lost forever.
Blood Lines (Book 3)
FBI agent Cynna Weaver teams up with sorcerer Cullen Seabourne to help identify elected officials who have accepted demonic pacts. But the passion simmering between them-and their investigation-spiral out of control when an ancient prophecy is fulfilled.
Night Season (Book 4)
Lupine sorcerer Cullen Seabourne and FBI Agent Cynna Weaver are just coming to terms with having a baby, when they are lured to another realm where magic is commonplace and night never ends. Their only way home lies in tracking down a missing medallion-one also sought by powerful beings who will do anything to claim it.
Mortal Sins (Book 5)
FBI Agent Lily Yu and her werewolf lover are embroiled in a series of murders, each linked to a form of dangerous “death magic.”
Blood Magic (Book 6)
Lily Yu and Lupi prince Rule Turner have a bigger problem than their families not accepting their impending human/werewolf mixed marriage. A powerful ancient nemesis of Lily’s grandmother has come to San Diego to turn the city into a feeding ground.
Blood Challenge (Book 7)
Ex-cop Lily Yu and werewolf Rule Turner’s engagement announcement is stirring up ugly passions in the Humans First camp. There’s hate mail, followed by death threats. And when a lupus in Tennessee goes on a killing spree, Lily realizes that it’s only the opening skirmish in an all-out war.
The Morganville Vampires Books by Rachel Caine
Posted by: | CommentsThe Morganville Vampires is a series of young adult fantasy books by American writer, Rachel Caine. The plot revolves around a university student - Claire Danvers – at the Texas Prairie University. The city in which Claire lives (Morganville, Texas) is controlled by vampires. Vampires even run the city in cooperation with the human mayor, and most people that live there don’t know this. Many books of this vampire series have topped the New York Times Bestseller list…
Glass Houses (Book 1)
From the author of the popular Weather Warden series. Welcome to Morganville, Texas.
Just don’t stay out after dark.
College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero.
When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don’t show many signs of life. But they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.
The Dead Girls’ Dance (Book 2)
Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad.
But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls’ Dance, hell is really going to break loose.
Midnight Alley (Book 3)
Morganville is such a nice place to live…and die. If you don’t mind that sort of thing. When Claire Danvers learnt that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving student would do: she applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic. The transfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy.
Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town. The protection her contract secures does little to reassure her friends. All of a sudden, people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from Claire’s past, and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.
Feast of Fools (Book 4)
The wait is over. dig into the feast…
In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though—especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony.
What he wants from the town’s living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It’s only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he’s set for Morganville.
Lord of Misrule (Book 5)
In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, the master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.
Violent black cyclone clouds hover, promising a storm of devastating proportions as student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against elements both natural and unnatural.
Carpe Corpus (Book 6)
In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He’s kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths.
He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?
Fade Out (Book 7)
Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again…
Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve’s castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.
Kiss of Death (Book 8 )
A new chapter in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires saga.
Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big- time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs-which means Michael will have to enter the human world.
For this, he’s been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael’s all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell…
Ghost Town (Book 9)
While developing a new system to maintain the town’s defenses, genius student Claire Danvers discovers a way to use the vampires’ powers to keep outsiders from spreading news of Morganville’s “unique” situation.
But when people in town start forgetting who they are-including the vampires-Claire has to figure out how to pull the plug on her experiment before she forgets how to save herself…and Morganville.
Bite Club (Book 10)
After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.
There’s a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville…
Last Breath (Book 11)
Release Date: November, 2011
There is a question Claire has long been asking: why do vampires live so far out in a sunny desert when they’re sensitive to sunlight? The reason doesn’t have to do with sunlight but water – and an ancient enemy who has finally found a way to invade the vampires’ landlocked community. Vampires aren’t the top predator on earth.
There’s something worse that preys on them …something much worse. Which means if Claire, and Morganville, want to live, they will have to fight on to the last breath.
