"Fragmented Fates" by Nancy Foster

The hero.

The seer.

The child.

The condemned.

After surviving two bloody purges that nearly exterminated the Grey Clan and Orsenmuray, the elf and harlequin survivors struggle to bring the tent city of Almjarhad to life. Surrounded by the ocean and desert, these inhospitable lands are slowly being developed with the aid of their magic.

As the culprit of their misfortune, the condemned elf Lord Jamarnid is forced to rely on his son Jarahad to rule the clan due to ending up disabled before his frantic escape. Bitter about his situation because he wanted to be executed, Jamarnid distrusts the true intentions of the seer Talgel.

Unwanted by the Elf Kingdom and his harlequin great-grandfather Hurrujat, Jarahad struggles to accept his fate. As the interim ruler of Almjarhad, Jarahad wishes to complete his sword training to protect his people... and gain Talgel's unrequited love.

Talgel is a woman of perpetual mystery with dubious morals. Upon awakening magic that grants her the ability to predict the future with absolute certainty, Talgel loses her eyesight. She now wears a masquerade mask to hide her true feelings.

Embroiled in this story is a young elf named Tioja, who doesn't understand his role in the greater scheme of things.

Four characters are about to have their fates manipulated, and their willpower tested.

All for the sake of a demon that inhabits Talgel's body that will use them for its own nefarious purposes.

Fragmented Fates is Book One of a two part duology by Nancy Foster.

 

"Chai and Cat Tales" by Lynn Strong

Bask in a sunbeam with three cozy fantasy novellas of the Catsprowl, a busy neighborhood brimming with cats and cat-goddesses, book-keepers and bath-houses, piping hot chai, and pouncing kittens' mischief.

"Chai and Cat Tales" includes the novellas The Prince of Her Dreams, Priye, and The Potter's Dream under one cover.

The Prince of Her Dreams

Najra has three dreams in her life: First, catch the attention of a prince. (Specifically, the God-Emperor’s bookish youngest brother.) Next, get him to hire her to assist with his research in the marvelous Archives in Tel-Bastet. And then, at last, read ALL the books.

Marrying the prince has never been in the plan. Najra has never lusted for anything but knowledge.

Unfortunately, the prince has dreams as well. Because he's also a prophet who foresees trouble coming. Between her heretical geometries and her cursed spellbook, Najra has to admit that his dreams of trouble have her pegged.

Now what is she supposed to do with a matchmaking busybody of an Archivist pushing them together, an angry catfolk bodyguard pulling them apart, and a sweet, anxious prophet-prince who won't even tell her what he wants?

What does a happy ending look like for a pair of mismatched dreamers who both love learning best of all?

For the asexual folks and the questioning folks who've wanted a story where your own desires are respected and valued, this one is for you. For the Witches vs. Patriarchy crew, this one is for you too.

Priye

For a small alley-kitten, human words make a tricky tangle of misunderstandings that bite back. Purring and hissing and yowling are much more clear.

A human named her Priye, though, and he taught her that it means someone who is darling, someone who is treasured.

Growing up in the nooks between three cultures is hard, but Priye wants to make her own way. And she wants to repay the kind people who feed small hungry kittens. But it's not always easy to hunt when everyone else is bigger and stronger and faster.

The humans who named her like soap and water entirely too much. But maybe they have a point about sharing things instead of hunting things?

(They absolutely do not have a point about soap, though. Soap is the most horrible thing ever.)

For the neurospicy folks who struggle with the words people expect, this one is for you. For the disabled folks and those who need to hear that your value isn't in your work output, this one is for you too.

The Potter's Dream

Usually, the Temple of Bastet teems with cats and catfolk and cat-priestesses and cat-goddesses. It is not supposed to teem with mice. But kind-hearted priest Shai Madhur isn't very good at denying a nourishing meal to anybody… not even the mice.

He needs a better mouse-catcher. But first, he needs to know where the shrine's cauldrons have gone. Because a potter has come to Shai Madhur's temple shrine, and the poor man looks hungry.

What kind of priest can Shai Madhur be if he can't feed someone a nourishing meal? When he's sworn his life to serving others, and suddenly he has nothing at all to give, what does he have left? Sermons of acceptance are all well and good, but they don't fill an empty stomach.

And there's something very strange about the potter.

 

For the caring folks who feel like the world needs more than you can give, and for the fat folks who've wanted the story where someone delights in your body exactly the way it is, soft and warm and comfortable and treasured because you live in it, this one is for you.

"By Wingéd Chair" by Kendra Merritt

Rolling around in the worst fashion accessory ever…

Seventeen-year-old Merry has mucked up another chance to get into the University of Magecraft, so she doesn’t have time to deal with shape-changing creatures bent on stealing memories from the people of Woodshire. That’s her father’s job. But when an outlaw mage mistakes her for a damsel in distress on a drenched train platform, she’s dragged into a fight with the monsters and a sheriff mad enough to use them.

She’d never admit it out loud but the mage is actually kind of fun to work with–when she doesn’t want to run him over with her chair. And he’s exactly the ally she needs when the monsters go after her father’s memories. But with bad guys who can look like friends and friends who look like outlaws, Merry has to decide who to trust and whether returning the stolen memories of those she cares about most is worth giving up her chance to finally earn respect as a mage.

NOTE: "By Wingéd Chair" is an anthology series of related stories designed to be read in any order. 

 

"Artifice & Access", a Fantasy Anthology by Various Authors

It's long been acknowledged that disability representation is lacking in the fantasy genre landscape, so in this cozy anthology, fourteen writers from around the globe come together to bring you wonderful fantasy stories centering disabled and chronically ill characters.

Teeming with magic, otherworldly creatures, discoveries, and journeys, every story is as thrilling and fascinating as it is passionate and meaningful. Worlds are discovered, lives are changed, and swords are drawn.

Disabled and chronically ill characters go questing, fighting dragons, healing, and enacting strange magics. Familiar fairy tales are re-imagined, and new fairy tales are forged, with each story shattering stereotypes and challenging traditional narratives. Come see yourself reflected-or discover something new.

Stories included in Artifice & Access:

One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley

A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley

Use Your Words by Zira MacFarlane

The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda

To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson

Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley

A Night For Mischief by Elior Haley

Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls

Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart

In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G

The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent

Angharad ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers

The Girl & The Gum-riddle by Ella T Holmes

City of the Sun by Kara Siert