Historisk fantasy

The mermaid died. The witches burned. Godmother witches are meant to protect, but Marina failed them all. The Thirty Years War draws closer to her home of Strasbourg, France, shrinking the Black Forest, the source of the witches' power. Out of options, Marina consoles herself with vodka and her lover, the bastard Kasimir.When Marina discovers Cendrillon, a mistreated stepdaughter with raw magic, she apprentices the girl as a last resort. As Marina teaches Cendrillon to wield her power, they battle murderous witch hunters, evil stepsisters, and the ever present threat of war. But before Cendrillon finishes her training, Strasbourg is attacked, and Marina faces an impossible choice, save the last of the wild woods or protect the city and man she loves. What's worse is no matter Marina's choice, she could lose Cendrillon to the fire she fears most.A reimagined fairy tale romance set in 17th-century France intertwines the Little Mermaid and Cinderella in a powerful tale of female friendship and second chance love.

Raised in the woodlands on King Edmund's estate and educated with members of the royal household, an orphaned girl, Lee, is thrown into a world of political intrigue. Caught between the overzealous Chief Thegn and two Scandinavian traders who might know the whereabouts of Gisla, her missing aunt, Lee is arrested and taken to Dummoc Minister. There, the corrupt clergy, allied to the rival kingdom of Mercia, are exposed as being a dangerous brood of vipers.Lee's determination to find and free her aunt intensifies, and she is drawn into danger from Edmund's rivals and Viking raiding bands. When Edmund returns from his lengthy diplomatic discussions with the Saxon kingdoms, he finds his friend changed and distant. Who is the enigmatic Scandinavian Lee befriended, despite Chief Thegn's warning? Trustworthy trader or a Viking?

From Greta Kelly, the author of the Warrior Witch duology, comes The Queen of Days, an epic adventure that weaves together a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves, a battle between fallen gods, and stakes high enough to cause vertigo--perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows. For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun...or a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn't hurt--even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as "the weapon of last resort..."Whatever that means.But Bal doesn't know the ceremony isn't simply empty words and dusty tradition; it's true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the Queen of Days' feet. And half of it is missing.With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive...and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city--and across realities--he discovers that doing all this might just doom the city.The city be damned. It's time to kill a god.

Fire Witch is a spellbinding tale set in the tumultuous post-Civil War era, chronicling the journey of Mary Maguire, a witch seeking her place in a world that both fears and condemns her kind. Faced with societal scorn and familial strife, Mary embarks on a perilous path to find freedom and purpose. As she navigates through a world marked by prejudice and danger, Mary's story becomes a powerful narrative about defiance, self-discovery, and the unyielding quest for autonomy. Her journey is fraught with challenges, testing her strength and resolve as she grapples with her magical heritage, personal demons, and the harsh realities of a society unprepared for her kind. Through her eyes, readers experience the struggles of a woman determined to forge her own destiny, defying the restrictive norms of her time.

Ess's mother, Vivian, left her a rose made of the same crystal that formed the Great Machine, which allowed the Originators and Revisionists to travel through time. A matching rose belonged to her friend, Anna, and the two women communicated mind-to-mind, until Vivian died. When Ess was too young to understand, she touched minds with Carmen, Anna's daughter, through the crystal rose. Both girls thought the other was merely an imaginary friend. Now, knowing the truth, Ess must search for Carmen, who is in great danger from the Revisionists. Anna died before she could teach her daughter the truth of the crystal rose, and her heritage. Carmen has no idea what gifts lie in her blood, in the power of song, and in the crystal rose. When one piece of bad luck after another puts Carmen and her orphan charges out on the streets, they find shelter in an underground community. Their leader, Brogan, hides his scars in the shadows, and fears he is slowly growing insane. Carmen's music may be the key to solving puzzles passed down from their ancestors. The fate of the world of the future could rest in their hands.

A lyrical retelling of the myth of Daedalus and Pasiphae, the poetry of the forgotten, the designs of yearning, and the threads of desire.

Gør dig klar til det første spændende bind i serien Skumringstid - en fortælling om kærlighed, forræderi og en usædvanlig magtfuld ung kvinde. Rakel Ovreids oprindelse har altid været et mysterium. Som barn kom hun flydende i en robåd, alene langs floden, men voksede siden op hos et kærligt bondepar, som tog hende til sig som deres egen. En dag ankommer Ask Bergan, en smuk og mystisk fremmed, til byen og hævder at være den nye sherif. Rakel er på vagt over for ham, og da hendes veninde Jenny forsvinder, ved hun, at Bergan er involveret. Desuden synes Bergan at vide noget om Rakels baggrund. Men hvad? Og hvorfor er han så interesseret i hende? Udgivelsen er en storskrift-udgave til svagsynede i serien MAGNUMBØGER Lindhardt og Ringhof.

Not long after the Druids came to Eire, the Bards mysteriously vanished from the annals of history, fleeing their native shores to begin life on a remote chain of islands ... the Bardic Isles. Over two hundred years later, a village boy is born with a gift of music that hasn't been seen since the exodus from Eire. Not understanding what he possesses, seven-year-old Kaelin is convinced his music is responsible for an unforgivable act. Suffused with guilt, he plays his homemade flute only in the privacy of the woods and buries it every night before returning home. Four years later, a Master Bard visits the village and plays the music Kaelin played in the woods the night before. To the boy's shock, no one is hurt by it. When the Master leaves, Kaelin faces a decision ... can he bring himself to follow the only person who might be able to free the torturous music within him? And if his music is freed, can he live with the consequences?

Before the men of myth and legend, there was Otrera, first Queen of the Amazons.It wasn't until the prince's blood coated Otrera's hands that she realized she'd sentenced herself to death. In her darkest hour, Artemis offers her a second chance at life and freedom. But in return the goddess commands unwavering loyalty and sends her on a formidable quest.Joined by women who swiftly become sisters along the way, Otrera's journey is tangled by prophecy and unexpected discoveries, and she is faced with a decision that will alter her life forever.Fleeing from men and monsters alike, Otrera and her companions travel across Ancient Greece in search of what was promised. Each day she learns more about herself and the dangers of her world. Yet the closer she gets to fulfilling her quest, the further Otrera drifts from her pledge to Artemis.Pursued by a vengeful king and his relentless champion, Otrera discovers how far she'll go to keep her sisters safe. But nothing, not even a divine weapon, can protect her from the wrath of the gods.So begins the story of the tribe feared by heroes and kings alike. This adult historical fantasy series is intended for a mature audience due to trigger warnings for language, violence and death, and sexual situations.

Penny Barclay thought she could trust those closest to her. Her mother had been a paragon of virtue, a woman of sense and ingenuity in Penny's eyes. Lou had been Penny's friend, her confidante, her mentor. But both of them had kept dangerous secrets. Now, Penny finds herself trapped in the capital with the evidence Prince Aiden, Lord of the Underworld, needs. With the notes she found in her mother's study, they could finally name the Cartographer and stop the rebellion running rampant through their kingdom. Only there's one problem: the Prince is avoiding her. If she can't figure out how to get him to talk to her, the very kingdom may find themselves redrawn under the Cartographer's hand.Guilt dogs Prince Aiden's every footstep. He can still hear Penelope's screams in his dreams, see the flames devour Barclay Manor until it was nothing but ashes. But with a murderer on the loose in the capital, he can't risk allowing his feelings to cloud his judgement, even if it means keeping Penelope Barclay far away from him. With Penelope now trapped in the capital, Aiden has to do whatever he can to make the city safe-even if that means running away from the mage girl with cinnamon hair and emerald eyes shadowing his every move.

"It's 1968, and the Watry-Ridder family is feared and respected in equal measure. The local farmers seek out their water charms, and the teenagers, their love spells. The family's charms and spells, passed down through generations of witches descending from the Black Forest, have long served the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota. Eldest daughter Elisabeth has just graduated high school--she is expected to hone her supernatural abilities to take over for her grandmother, the indomitable Magda. She's also expected to marry her high school sweetheart and live the rest of her life in Friedrich. But all she can ask is, why her? Why is her path set in stone, and what else might be out there for her?"--

Louisa thought she'd made the right choice. Jeremy had been the man she'd loved, but he wasn't who she thought he was. After he dies in a horse riding accident, she wants more. Not another husband, but perhaps a lover who'd fulfilled her needs while she raised her daughters.Albert never expected to return to England, let alone to take up the family seat or the title of Earl of Conney. Yet here he was, returning from the wilds of Australia, with his friend, Frederick. A convicted felon. He'd sworn to himself if he was going to assume the title, he'd use the influence that went with it to clear his friends name. Brothers-in-law, Langdon Devereaux and Aeddan Fitzsimmons are the connections he needs, and they bring him into the contact with Louisa Lavenwood, a beautiful and aloof widow with two gorgeous but young daughters.But she has a dark secret, and this unwilling hero feels the need to save her. Along the way passion explodes and they're helplessly lost in its thrall; if only they can overcome the danger, then perhaps more than passion lies in their future.

Gentleman sleuth Daidoji Shin faces his trickiest case yet when he finds himself being framed for murder in this captivating cozy fantasy mystery from Legend of the Five Rings.

';Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb's books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.'George R. R. MartinPrince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. There FitzChivalry Farseer, gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, must take up residence at Buckkeep as a journeyman assassin. Posing as a bodyguard, Fitz becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls, guiding a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day. Amid a multitude of problems, Fitz must ensure that no one betrays the Prince's secretone that could topple the throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread ';beast magic.' Only Fitz's friendship with the Fool brings him solace. But even that is shattered when devastating revelations from the Fool's past are exposed. Bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz finds that his biggest challenge may be simply to survive.BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Robin Hobb's Fool's Fate. Praise for Robin Hobb and Golden Fool ';[Robin Hobb] ranks near the top of the high fantasy field. . . . [She] juggles all the balls with aplomb, besides providing spot-on characterizations.'Publishers Weekly ';Solid storytelling with warmth and heart.'The Kansas City Star

';Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb's booksare diamonds in a sea of zircons.'George R. R. MartinFor fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished. Fitz, possessed of magical skills both royal and profane, is the only one who can retrieve him in time for his betrothal ceremony, thus sparing the Six Duchies profound political embarrassment . . . or worse. But even Fitz does not suspect the web of treachery that awaits himor how his loyalties will be tested to the breaking point. Praise for Robin Hobb and Fool's Errand ';[Robin] Hobb has created a world brimming with detail and complexity [and] once again proves herself a full master of the epic fantasy.'Tulsa World ';Splendid . . . Despite some truly wrenching twists, there is a welcome sense of new beginnings.'Locus

"Lennon Carter's life is falling apart. Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because-like everyone else at the school-she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself. After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion's heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton's lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante who both intimidates and enthralls her. As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton college, and the way her mentor's tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail"--

Ein Monster, dass nur sie erlösen kann1855Nach einem Unfall findet sich Willow auf Bleak Castle wieder, wo sie eine Stelle als Gärtnerin antritt. Der idyllische Ort am Meer mit den herzlichen Bewohnern bietet der jungen Frau einen Neuanfang, von dem sie nicht zu träumen gewagt hat. Doch sie trägt ein Geheimnis mit sich, dass sie unter allen Umständen zu verbergen versucht. Auch vor ihrem Retter, Lord William Thornton, dem Herzog des Anwesens.William hat mit seinen eigenen Dämonen zu kämpfen. Seit einem tragischen Kindheitserlebnis leidet er unter Alpträumen und führt ein zurückgezogenes Leben.Die Begegnung mit Willow ist für ihn Fluch und Segen zugleich. Bei dem Klang ihrer Stimme empfindet er auf eine seltsame Weise Frieden und Geborgenheit. Doch wenn er sie ansieht, erinnert er sich stets an den Traum, der ihn nachts um den Schlaf bringt.Es ist aber nicht nur Willow, die auf Bleak Castle ein neues Zuhause findet. Auch Grace Brown, eine ehemalige Gouvernante, stößt zu ihnen: Ihr Geheimnis wird schon bald zwischen Leben und Tod entscheiden.

Das Spin-Off zur Hauptreihe The Dragon's Secret.In den ärmsten Verhältnissen aufgewachsen, die man sich nur vorstellen konnte, musste Gwyn die furchtbarsten Dinge ertragen. Von den eigenen Eltern geschlagen, bespuckt und missbraucht, hatte sich das kleine rothaarige Mädchen zu einer wahren Kämpferin und Diebin entwickelt. Doch während sie einst von der Königin des Nachtkönigreiches unter Kontrolle gebracht wurde, erlangte sie unfassbare Stärke und wurde zu einer tödlichen Waffe. Sie hinterging angebliche Kameraden, mordete auf bestialische Weise und startete einen Feldzug gegen alles, was der Königin von Tristeria schaden könnte.Bis sie letztlich an dem Punkt ankam, an dem sich ihr Leben erneut änderte und sie wieder vollkommen alleine auf der Welt war. Getrieben von Unsicherheit, Angst und Einsamkeit geht die Geschichte rund um Gwyn weiter. Doch egal welche Entscheidungen auf sie warten, so liegt es in ihrer Hand, ihr Schicksal zu erfüllen.

Der junge Dieb Merlin gerät an Bord des Luftschiffes des Prinzen Arthur Pendragon von Camelot und wird in Machenschaften nie geahnter Größe verwickelt. Um Druide zu werden, muss er nicht nur seine Vergangenheit ablegen, sondern sich auch mit dem arroganten Prinzen versöhnen, dessen Schicksal der Legende nach doch so eng mit dem seinen verwoben ist.Hier treffen Gegensätze und Genres zusammen - Klassisches Mantel und Degen-Abenteuer auf ein Steampunk-Luftschiff mit philosophischem Tiefgang, ein bisschen Fantasy, Science-Fiction, feministische und queere Elemente bilden die Grundbausteine dieser spritzigen, neuen Rezeptur der Artussage.

Un improvviso salto nel tempo catapulta Sheryl a bordo di un brigantino corsaro, nell'anno 1600. Senza alcuna spiegazione di come sia finita lì, Sheryl deve imparare a destreggiarsi in un'epoca lontanissima dalla sua, adattandosi ad usi e mentalità diversi per poter sopravvivere. Tra mille difficoltà, trova un nuovo scopo nell'amore protettivo dell'affascinante Gaspard, il medico di bordo. Il loro sembra un legame impossibile, eppure così profondo da superare i secoli che li dividono. Sheryl si troverà presto a dover affrontare un temibile nemico. Un pirata spietato e senza scrupoli, tenterà di prendersi la loro nave e anche il tesoro che Sheryl ha trovato in una grotta. Riuscirà Sheryl a salvarsi con la sua nuova ciurma? E chi è quell'uomo misterioso che inaspettatamente sembra conoscere lei e il motivo per cui si trova lì? Il viaggio di Sheryl non sarà solo nel tempo, ma anche dentro se stessa, alla riscoperta di risorse che non sapeva di possedere.

Miss Phoebe Astin of The Economic Undertaker has applied her mortician skills to many faces but a beautiful young debutante needed little work, or so she thought. When the debutante's spirit appears to her, insisting she was murdered and demanding Phoebe do something about it, Phoebe agrees. She has, after all, helped many of her ghostly clients before they move on to the next world. Aided by her brothers, Julius and Ambrose, Detective Harland Stone, journalist friend Miss Lilly Lewis, and her dear friend Kate who took a portrait of the debutante the day before her death, Phoebe finds time is running out before the debutante will be laid to rest. For the Astin family, being dead is no excuse for letting crime go unpunished!

A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona in this “utterly terrifying and wholly immersive . . . story about generational trauma, colonization, systemic oppression, and the horror at the heart of motherhood” (Library Journal, starred review). “Castro is one of the most exciting genre authors on the scene right now, and this might be her most powerful book yet.”—PasteA POPSUGAR AND CRIMEREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEARAlejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her. Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown. When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors. Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness. But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.

"A vampire escapes the thrall of Dracula and embarks on her own search for self-discovery and true love in this ... gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide"--

When Charlotte's younger brother is held for ransom while fleeing the French Revolution, she'll do whatever it takes to raise the funds to free him. She doesn't expect that to involve masquerading as a boy so her spoiled English cousins will take her in. Or that the ghost haunting their house will befriend her.Now, under the ghost's guidance, she's playing a dangerous game of double identities. She works by day as a boy and attends balls and parties by night as a lady. But the handsome, heartless Lord Treverton has taken notice of her. He could be an ally, or the undoing of her and her brother.A Haunted Season retelling of Cinderella (clean/low spice level).

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself—and her family history—in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved All Souls series, hailed as “your next favorite fantasy read” (Harper’s Bazaar).“The Black Bird Oracle deftly explores the nexus of memory, history, and parenthood—the magic, pain, and promises mothers pass onto their children.”—Jodi PicoultDeborah Harkness first introduced the world to Diana Bishop, an Oxford scholar and witch, and vampire geneticist Matthew de Clermont in A Discovery of Witches. Drawn to each other despite long-standing taboos, these two otherworldly beings found themselves at the center of a battle for a lost, enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Since then, they have fallen in love, traveled to Elizabethan England, dissolved the Covenant between the three species, and awoken the dark powers within Diana’s family line. Now, Diana and Matthew receive a formal demand from the Congregation: They must test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Rebecca. Concerned with their safety and desperate to avoid the same fate that led her parents to spellbind her, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family’s future and answers a message from a great-aunt she never knew existed, Gwyneth Proctor, whose invitation simply reads: It’s time you came home, Diana. On the hallowed ground of Ravenswood, the Proctor family home, and under the tutelage of Gwyneth, a talented witch grounded in higher magic, a new era begins for Diana: a confrontation with her family’s dark past and a reckoning for her own desire for even greater power—if she can let go, finally, of her fear of wielding it.In this stunning new novel, grand in scope, Deborah Harkness deepens the beloved world of All Souls with powerful new magic and long-hidden secrets, and the path Diana finds at Ravenswood leads to the most consequential moments yet in this cherished series.

The Man who Haunts The EvilFrom such horrors like Dracula, The Invisible Man, Phantom of the Opera, even Zombies in Feudal Japan, and UFOs during the American Civil War, one man was there for them all. This collection features ten stories throughout points in history where he was present. From his youth and middle-age, these accounts were his duty and his purpose.His name is Gabriel Kane. A Monster Hunter. A Remnant of the Symbolum Venatores.As a bonus, this book includes Hod: A Symbolum Venatores Story.