Fantasy Realism

I never wanted to be a hero. I acted on impulse and did a really stupid thing to save a lot of people. And it worked. Except that I wasn't the only one who did a stupid thing that day. After I drank the potion that would have been used to destroy the Tiger Army and possibly all of Stalana, the Tiger Lord did something that had never been done before; he made me a faerie. Yep, that idiot gave me a piece of his soul and then his Goddess used it to transform me into one of them. Now, I'm immortal. Sure, sounds great. But I'm also bound to the man who saved my life. I feel things for him that I...

A new threat arises, stirring the beasts in its wake. A primordial beast so powerful all the gatherers in the nation have little hope of defeating it. Aiden must find a way to stand and prevent the destruction of Craesti City, the capital of the Kingdom.

Listening to John Crowley's stories is to see almost-familiar lives running parallel to our own, secret histories that never quite happened, memories that might be real or might be invented. In the 13 stories collected here, Crowley sets his imagination free to roam from a 20th-century Shakespeare festival to spring break at a future Yale in his Edgar Award-winning story "Spring Break". And in the previously unpublished "Anosognosia", the world brought about by one John C.'s high-school accident may or may not exist.

I'm a pirate. I value only one thing more than treasure—my freedom. When I first saw King Vaxarion of Morilren, I knew that he was dangerous. All Sea Dragons are dangerous. But this one threatened me specifically. My freedom. All it took was one night with him and I knew he would enslave me. I knew if I stayed with him, all three of my hearts would soon be his. So, I left. But he came after me. He saved my life. And instead of claiming it as was his right, he let me go. Now, I'll do anything to get him back. Give up everything for him. Even the one thing I value most.

Scott McKenzie's father killed his mother and himself. Scott vowed to do anything in his power to stop similar murders. He longed to be a police officer, but a tour in Vietnam in 1970 derailed that career. Two years later, wounded in body and soul, Scott died. He didn't go on to what was next, though. Instead, he woke up with a chance to live his life over and over until he got it right. Murderers will never see him coming. But, by using violence to save others, is he losing his own soul?

Moored in a coastal fishing town so far north that the highways only run south, the unnamed narrator of The Seas is a misfit. She's often the subject of cruel local gossip. Her father, a sailor, walked into the ocean 11 years earlier and never returned, leaving his wife and daughter to keep a forlorn vigil. Surrounded by water and beckoned by the sea, she clings to what her father once told her: that she is a mermaid.

Effie Edenson is many things: a bestselling author, a runaway bride, a woman who cannot see the gifts she possesses. Though she is an adult, her mother dominates her life to a point that she feels she will never be able to break free. But Effie lives in Middle Falls, where all things are possible. After an untimely death, Effie wakes up at a critical juncture in her life. The question is, what can she do with this second chance?

The World-Strider goes to Heaven! As a Queen, Seren has been able to do a lot of good for her people, both humans and fairies. She's especially proud of her Fairy Fostering Program which places orphaned or abandoned children with childless fey couples. So when children who have been selected for the program go missing, Seren immediately launches an investigation. But while she searches for the missing children, Angels are searching for her. A cave carving in Hell gave Seren the title of World-Strider, foretelling her visit to each of the known worlds. She has set foot on all but one, and ...

A ship. A garden. A library. A key. In Kaleidoscope, the incomparable Brian Selznick presents the story of two people bound to each other through time and space, memory and dreams. At the center of their relationship is a mystery about the nature of grief and love which will look different to each listener. Kaleidoscope is a feat of storytelling that illuminates how even the wildest tales can help us in the hardest times.

Cat got your tongue? When Elaria's friend rescues a nymph from one of the most powerful crime families in the Beneath, the Spellsinger and her men are compelled to help. To free her cat-shifter friend from the vengeance of the Demos Family, Elaria will have to navigate the corrupt circles of the crime syndicate but what she finds along the way may lead to her own corruption. Can the Spellsinger stay true to who she is or will she lose herself entirely? Spellsing in order:1.The Last Lullaby 2. A Symphony of Sirens 3. A Harmony of Hearts 4. Primeval Prelude 5. Ballad of Blood 6. A Deadly Duet...

Cat hasn’t been to Montgomery Falls, the town her family founded, since she was 12 years old. Since the summer she discovered she could do things that no normal 12-year-old could do. Since she had her first kiss with Riley Fraser. Since she destroyed their friendship. Now, five years later, she’s back and Riley has disappeared. When Noah, Riley's brother, asks for help in discovering what happened, Cat is torn between wanting to learn the truth and protecting the secret that she’s been guarding ever since that summer she and Riley stopped speaking.

This Audible production expertly brings to life Salman Rushdie’s postcolonial masterpiece Midnight’s Children, available for the first time unabridged in audio. Written in the magical-realist style that Rushdie is renowned for, Midnight’s Children follows Saleem Sinai - a child gifted with extraordinary powers after being born at the exact moment India becomes independent. The captivating events that unfold act as an allegory for India’s transition from colonialism to independence as Saleem finds himself 'handcuffed to history', with his fate entwined with that of his newly independent state.

*** Global Book Awards Supernatural Gold Medal Winner 2024 *** Esther dropped her handbag on the dinette table and hustled into the kitchen to heat water for tea. “What are you reading, Mamma?” “Oh, that little book of yours. I’m glad you finally found it, dear. I still think it reads funny, the language and all, but I kind of like it for some reason. It seems to calm me, somehow. You know what I mean?” “What little book, Mamma? My book was stolen, you know that.” “Well, I thought maybe the police recovered it for you. It was lying right here on the end table like always ...

In 1941, a hand grenade explodes in a Cairo bar, taking the life of Stern, a petty gunrunner and morphine addict. His death could easily go unnoticed as Rommel's tanks charge through the desert in an attempt to open the Middle East to Hitler's forces. Yet the mystery behind Stern's death is a top priority for intelligence experts. Master spies from three countries converge on Joe O'Sullivan Beare, who is closer to Stern than anyone, in an effort to unravel the disturbing puzzle.

Queen of the Underworld I never asked to be Queen. In fact, I never even knew I was a witch until a little while ago. Now I’m struggling to lead the creatures of the Underworld while uncovering secrets about my own identity that could change everything. When I’m suddenly kidnapped by the mysterious Lurker elder and taken to their hidden compound, I discover a shocking truth—I have a twin sister, and we share blood with the very enemies I’ve sworn to fight. As I navigate this dangerous new reality, I must confront questions about who I truly am and where my loyalties should lie. With...

"Master and Commander" meets ancient Egypt in this riveting sequel to "The Sun God’s Heir: Return." Set during the wave tossed years of white slavery and Barbary pirates, this is the epic story of René Gilbert, a journey that defies time as he must draw on a larger awareness earned in previous lifetimes. The plague’s dark fingers curl around Bordeaux. René must return home to save those he loves. But first, he must escape a Moroccan sultan’s clutches. In Bordeaux, an enemy waits, filled with a hatred three thousand years old. Only René can defeat this dark power, and only if he ...

The Death Gate is down and Izzy Sage is at a crossroads. What will happen when they throw the switch and bring it back? She’s all atwitter on the big day...and then things only get more twisted when Zoe Lake-Winters, a powerful mage, walks through the door with her husband and daughter in tow. Two very different worlds are colliding, and Izzy and Zoe are at the center of it. The mystery of the other side is dark and deep and Zoe finds she’s intrigued...even if her methods are a bit extreme for the Grimlocks.

The second sun has returned as our Bone Throwers foresaw—casting the nine realms into war. My name is Ash, and I fell in the battle for Baiseen. But I'm awake now, slowly putting the pieces back together. My Heir has lost his throne. My sailor is gone. And there is an emptiness inside me I can't explain. Amid the chaos, someone must collect the original twelve whistle bones from all corners of the world.

What is truth when nothing is real Hidden away in the Gulf of Mexico lies an island with a dark past. Once a haven for bootleggers and outlaws, Oyster Island now hosts the renovated Majestic Hotel & Casino. It’s not only the living that calls this place home. Ghosts, ghouls, and creatures of the night roam freely, haunting the island’s residents and visitors. One fateful night, a magical flying unicorn visits Odette Mouton and takes her on a wild ride to the island’s backside, where she discovers a time portal. Guided by a time-walking calico cat, she embarks on a journey that blurs ...

Olympus is calling! The thirteenth installment of The Godhunter Series takes us through the Greek pantheon reaching ultimate highs and surprising depths. Ambrosia, the source of immortality for the Greek gods. It's creation is a secret, held only by Zeus himself, and he's held that secret over the heads of his fellow gods for years, giving ambrosia only to those who agree to serve him. Now the Godhunter has gotten wind of his monopoly on immortality and although she normally fights for humanity, this time she's going to make an exception and fight for the gods. But Zeus isn't the only storm...