"A Dragon of the Veil" by Nick Snape

"A Dragon of the Veil" is the first book of Warriors of Spirit and Bone by Nick Snape.

Laoch and Sura are grizzled veterans of the Crusades, thrust into a violent new conflict when a strange enemy crashes into an alchemical experiment, setting off a wave of long-forgotten spiritfire that tears through the realm, spreading fear in its wake.

Seeking the truth behind the magic, a young queen is blocked at every turn by the shadowy machinations of Lord Penance, the Gods' Overseer. And while whispers echo in the Seven Houses of an ancient evil's return, Laoch and the dishonoured elven warrior Sura must face their desperate foe alone.

With the Royal Court paralysed by inaction, they are thrown into a world of soul-magic, Gods' weapons and ancient spirits where nothing is as it seems, and the world they thought they knew unravels to reveal a deadly, long-buried secret.

One even the Gods fear.

 

About the Author

Nick Snape has been steeped in Science Fiction and Fantasy since his friends first dragged him from his schoolwork and stuck a book under his nose forty years ago. Lost to the world of imagination, he became a teacher by accident, passing on the joy of reading and writing to his pupils. Having retired after thirty years, he thought it was high time to practise what he preached. Nick's books feature everything from all out heart pounding, fast-paced action to thoughtful, character driven twists on the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Genetics to Artificial Intelligence, Artifice Dragons to Soul-Eating enemies, nothing is off the menu. 

 

 

"A Lick of Flame" by Odette C. Bell

When Charlie rocks up at a party investigating the mysteriously powerful and stupidly handsome vampire, Val Stern, she doesn’t expect to walk head-first into destiny. 

And it’s a fate armed with teeth. The plucky witch and her fairy sidekick know Val’s trouble. But Charlie’s on a mission to find out if he’s a murderer too. A sweet old lady wants Charlie to find out who helped her son’s killer. The city’s strongest vamp, Val, is number one on the list. Rumor has it he’s helping a dangerous kind of criminal that sucks people’s magic from their bodies like blood from a corpse. But to investigate, she’ll have to get very close. 

When she reveals her unique anchoring magic to Val, he hires her. It pulls her into his private empire and right into the messy love triangle between his wife and her sister, the vaunted vampire chosen one. Lisa might be a shining ray of purity and power, but Charlie soon discovers her secret.

And it changes everything. Lisa isn’t the chosen one. She and her family have played an elaborate grift for decades, and when it pays off, it’ll level the city and shake magic to its core. 

Charlie still detests Val, but soon she’ll have to fight by his side. It’ll drag her closer and give the vamp the wrong idea. For Val will think he’s finally got the one thing he’s always wanted – a true witch to fight by his side until the end.

A Lick of Flame follows a sassy witch fighting to reveal her true identity in a crooked vampire world.

 

 

"Beyond the Gloaming Pass" by Rebecca Holmes

Will a friendship survive a daring bid to escape a penniless existence?

In the gas-lit streets of Tunswick, Molindra, an unlicensed but ambitious mage with untapped potential, seeks freedom to practice magic, while Rubriel struggles to find her place in an unforgiving society that no longer values her skills.

But opportunity comes knocking when a lucrative contract lures Molindra beyond the treacherous Gloaming Mountains, and their lives are forever changed.

As Molindra embarks on a quest to retrieve an ancient artifact, the bonds of friendship stand between nations on the cusp of war. With Rubriel chasing after her friend through inhospitable lands, they find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that threatens to tear their world apart.

"Beyond the Gloaming Pass" by Rebecca Holmes is a high fantasy gaslamp adventure. 

About the Author

Rebecca Holmes is an adult fantasy author/novelist in Vancouver, Canada. She loves vibrant worlds, rich cultures and multilayered characters. She writes for a mature audience, covering deeper topics through authentically realized emotions and drawing parallels with the real world. Her work is for readers who want more out of a fantasy novel than your typical coming-of-age story.

She is an avid fantasy reader and PC gamer, fascinated by history, lore and biology. ARK: Survival Evolved, Lord of the Rings Online and Neverwinter Nights are among her favourite games of all time.

 

"Five-Star Dungeon" by Pockbit

Gary Hutchins spent twenty-three years managing a grocery store. He never once got a five-star review.

Now he's dead — and reincarnated as a dungeon core deep underground, expected to kill adventurers for the System's approval. There's just one problem: Gary doesn't want to murder anyone. He wants to run a good dungeon. One with clear signage, reasonable loot drops, and maybe a suggestion box.

With a loyal slime named Kevin, a goblin named Steve who has unexpected management potential, and a System that rewards body counts over customer satisfaction, Gary sets out to prove that a dungeon can thrive on ethics instead of extermination — one satisfied adventurer at a time.

But not everyone wants a kinder dungeon to succeed. A rival Baron sees him as a threat to the old order. A corrupt Overseer sees him as a loophole to close. And somewhere above it all, an ancient, indifferent bureaucracy is quietly deciding what "success" is even supposed to mean.

Gary just wanted to run a tight ship. Instead, he might end up reforming the entire underworld.

"Five-Star Dungeon" is a comedic cozy fantasy / LitRPG adventure about retail wisdom, found family, and what happens when customer service meets the apocalypse.

 About the Author

Pockbit is a Pockbit is a Pockbit. Tada!