"Hollow Road" by Dani Finn

Note: "Hollow Road" is by Dani Finn, who previously used to go by the name Dan Fitzgerald. It is the first book in the Maer Cycle.

Some Legends are true. Others have been twisted.

Legends describe the Maer as savage man-beasts haunting the mountains, their bodies and faces covered with hair. Creatures of unimaginable strength, cunning, and cruelty. Bedtime stories to keep children indoors at night. Soldiers’ tales to frighten new recruits.

It is said the Maer once ruled the Silver Hills, but they have long since passed into oblivion.

This is the story of their return.

Carl, Sinnie and Finn, three companions since childhood, are tasked with bringing a friend’s body home for burial. Along the way, they find there is more to the stories than they ever imagined, and the mountains hold threats even darker than the Maer.

A classic adventure fantasy with LGBTQ characters, perfect for fans of Dungeons and Dragons who want action, friendship, and empathy in equal measure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dani Finn (they/them) is a nonbinary fantasy romance author who occasionally writes fantasy without romance as well. They favor high-steam love stories that crisscross the gender spectrum, from swords and sorcery to sword-free fantasy with meditation magic.

 

The video below depicts an earlier version of the book, back when Dani Finn still used the name Dan Fitzgerald.

 

 

"Festival of the Azure Moon" by Larnce Hicks

How far are you willing to travel to find where you belong?

Three worlds. One where magic is born, one where it lives, and one where it goes to die. Don Traveler explores these three worlds on a simple quest. Find his long lost family and finally have a place to call home.

Escorted by the shapeshifting thief, Shalnark, Don journeys across a world full of danger. After an incident with the powerful Church of the Holy Trinity, Shalnark’s cunning may be the one thing protecting Don from those who would see him hang.

When Don uncovers a plot to begin a bloody crusade, he must choose…pursue his family, or save countless lives.

Join Don and Shalnark as they hop between worlds and discover what it truly means to belong somewhere.

"Festival of the Azure Moon" is Book One of the Portal Mage Saga.

 

 

Note: The video below is an Unboxing Video, not a Book Review. 

 

"Ghosts of the Sea Moon" by A. F. Stewart

In the Outer Islands, gods and magic rule the ocean.

But in a war between sibling deities, who will survive?

Banished from his ancestral home for showing favour to mortals, Rafe sails the seas as the captain of the Celestial Jewel. Caught between two worlds, of mortals and gods, he exists as a wayward saviour, collecting the ghosts of drowned sailors before they can be devoured by malicious sea monsters.

An insane Manume wreaks havoc from the Isle of Bones, sending her monster children out into the world to unleash destruction. Heedless of the consequences, she now seeks greater revenge, and her violent actions put everyone in peril.

To end his sister’s madness, and protect the mortal realm, Rafe must confront his past and his estranged family. He must persuade them to help, convince them that the Goddess of the Moon is a true threat. For Manume has become more powerful than anyone could have predicted, and he's not sure he can stop her. And if Rafe can't, the entirety of existence could be destroyed.

Ghosts of the Sea Moon is the first rousing epic fantasy novel in the Saga of the Outer Islands series. If you like dashing ship captains, high seas magical adventure, and vengeful gods, then you’ll love this harrowing tale of ghosts, gods, and sea monsters.

Sail into the realm of gods today with "Ghosts of the Sea Moon".

 

"The Stonebound Heir" by L. A. Barnitz

Set in an India-inspired world with a large cast of characters, The Stonebound Heir is a bittersweet, coming-of-age story about a boy who wants a better life, a girl who's hiding from the world, a giant who's the last of her kind, and a maharani driven by duty and her own darkness. 

Fourteen-year-old Sid Sol knows nothing about his origins but believes himself destined for better things than living in an isolated cabin with a giant and a girl whose strange appearance causes the locals to shun them. His fellow orphan, sixteen-year-old Lingli Tabaan, only wants a home where she will be safe from those who are convinced she’s from the otherworld.

In this coming-of-age story of secret origins, friendship, and betrayal, the arrival of a mysterious woman provides Sid with the chance to claim a more glorious future, but his departure doesn’t go smoothly, and star-cursed Lingli is forced to undertake a journey she never wanted after their guardian is brutally murdered.

Sid and Lingli meet again in Saatkulom where they serve a mercurial maharani who will risk the realm to secure a new alliance while fighting her own inner demons. One teenager’s fortunes rise while the other’s fall. Will their loyalty to one another survive?

 

 

 

 

Author's Note from L. A. Barnitz

 

I'm tired of funding Bezos and really trying to move readers to my online store, so I'd prefer that link to be advertised, but of course, it is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo and more. *The ebook is also available from libraries via Hoopla.

L.A. Barnitz's website and online store: https://labarnitzbooks.com

Amazon: https://a.co/d/hv6bmHm

Kobo: https://shorturl.at/39GqD

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214678936-the-stonebound-heir

"Draconian Peace" by Eileen Troemel

Daughter of Hugh Bradon, a human who caused the Draconian people embarrassment in the interstellar arena, Dewi Bradon lives in the squatters’ camps to hide from her family and the Draconians. Half human and half Draconian, she fights to survive and stay out of the brothels.

Son of the Lord whose grief caused anti-human laws, Lachlan Camdon, Draconian Lord, is willing to sacrifice taking a true mate to promote Draconians and gain entry to a lucrative trade alliance with the human race.

Bias and prejudice have ripped Draconian and human relations apart for the last fifteen years. Corruptions and crime are profitable. Ridding their current society of the worst corruptions and crimes creates a storm of conflict with Dewi and Lachlan at the center of it all. Can they overcome their own prejudices to create a better society for their two kinds? 

Draconian Peace is a standalone fantasy book by Eileen Troemel.