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The Top Speculative Fiction Books and Series – An Extremely Subjective List By Lynne Cantwell

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It all started when I saw one too many iterations of the BBC’s top 100 books on Facebook. These lists are always heavily weighted with hoary old tomes written by dead white guys. Plus the BBC always leans on British authors (as well they should, since they’re based in London, but still). But my biggest issue with these lists is that they never include enough speculative fiction entries. I’m defining speculative fiction as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and any combination, including all subgenres, thereof.

Anyway, I saw that list and I snapped. I have a lot of well-read friends who read speculative fiction all the time. And I was certain that if I asked around, I could come up with a list of 100 speculative fiction novels – and not only that, but our list would be a whole lot more interesting and fun than anything the BBC could put together.

So I took nominations and posted the list on Facebook. That drew more nominations, so I added them and posted it again – which drew more nominations. We ended up with 147 entries for our list of top 100 speculative fiction novels. (That reminded me of the marketing hook for Douglas Adams’s So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: “the fourth book in the trilogy!” That trilogy was The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which of course is on our list.)

The list actually includes way more than 147 books, because I insisted on each series being one listing or else we’d have gotten to 100 too fast. (For example, if you count each of the 41 Discworld novels separately, you’re nearly halfway to 100 already.)

Of course, when I posted my final-final list on my blog, I received even more nominations from my friends. But I’m sticking with this iteration for now. Happy reading!

Top 147 Speculative Fiction Novels, in no particular order (according to Lynne & Friends) [Read more…] about The Top Speculative Fiction Books and Series – An Extremely Subjective List By Lynne Cantwell

The Wizards of Kùl by Richard Foster

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James McCrae is sixteen and through the recent loss of his father comes to learn that his family heritage is more than he could have ever imagined. Needing a personal item for a school show and tell session James’ mother decides to give him a box containing and old, mysterious map his father had left to him. James and his friend Merlin discover that the directions on the map were written over a thousand years ago by his descendant and talk of a treacherous journey he must make to the highest mountain in the world to find a portal to another realm. The spectacular world of Kùl where wizards once ruled over demons. What James doesn’t know is that a more sinister force is guiding another, who will stop at nothing to make sure he fails in his quest. A story of adventure, magic, mystery and friendship where a young boy finds that reaching the end of his quest, is only the beginning…

Targeted Age Group:: 12-18

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I grew up reading fantastic stories that helped me to escape. I fell in love with HG Wells, Jules Verne, Tolkien, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe. Later I found Allan Dean Foster, Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurst etc could take me to amazing places. I was working a boring office job at the time and started coming up with ideas for my own stories. I wrote the prologue to 'Wizards' one afternoon without any idea of where this story would go. I just wrote and let the story unfold and I loved working this way, not knowing where it was going to end.

Gilded Lies by J. S. Martin

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In the 1920s, this Peaky Blinders meets magic fantasy follows Lily Beth Winters and her reluctant journey to Boston to find a suitable husband to take over her failing family business. Once in Boston, Lily cannot help but fall deeper down into the enthralling world of old grudges and dark magic as she meets two enigmatic gangsters. With family secrets, deadly threats, and her reputation at stake, Lily must decide where her heart truly lies and in which world she belongs.

Targeted Age Group:: Young adult

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I am a former southern belle, now residing in Boston, Massachusetts and a lover of all things winter. The historical cultures of the north and south combined with my love for young adult literature pushed me to write this novel.

Featured Book: The Seven Hungers by Morgan Quaid

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About Featured Book: The Seven Hungers by Morgan Quaid

Regular price $2.99. Sale price $0.99 – 05/13/22 – 05/17/22

————————
“Jaw-Dropping action, a great blend of investigation and horror. I’ve never quite read anything like it!”

Grab your next urban fantasy thriller for just 99 cents!

Censured Crown sorcerer Ambrose Drake is hired to investigate a bizarre emergence in a city halfway across the world from his native London. Drake soon learns that a being from one of the Seven Hungers beneath our world is attempting to cross over. Flanked by his ex-lover and betrayer, Agent Karen Winter, and a young acolyte with a severe lack of magical ability, Drake must plunge once more into the depths to save humanity.
[Read more…] about Featured Book: The Seven Hungers by Morgan Quaid

The Chronicle Gate vol. 1 Ethereal by N. Lang

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What if you ended up on a planet and had no idea how you got there?

On a planet called Ethereal live creatures known as the Elouse. A couple of kids discover a human child and take him in. While their dad, Jasper, tries to find the planet “Earth” (which doesn’t exist in their galaxy) their mom, Ellen, and her girls, Taylinn, and Avigale are left to welcome and care for, Sinya, who has no recollection how he got there in the first place. Sinya tries to fit in his surroundings and make friends but some are too afraid, including Taylinn and Avigale.

Taylinn finds out her dad is going away in a secret space ship, but she over hears that the mission is really “to save his family from him?” Could he mean Sinya?

Sinya starts seeing Mer-Dragons, a made-up tale told to him by Avigale and Taylinn but this Mer-Dragon talks to a being known as “Malic,” one that means danger for Jasper and the family. But no one will believe him. When Taylinn finally sees the truth of the danger for herself, she tries to alert her friends, but just like Sinya, no one will believe her, including her mother.

Now in order for Sinya to get back home, these unlikely pair must team up to save Jasper, and his family from the coming danger of Mer-Dragons!

It’s an an action adventure out of this Galaxy!

Targeted Age Group:: 8-12

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I first had the idea when a friend of mine bought me “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funk then after that series I began reading other middle grade fantasy books like “Fablehaven” by Brandon Mull “The Chronicle of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis and became hooked. Other fantasy books inspired me too like “Magic Kingdom of Landover” series by Terry Brooks, “Gatemage” by Orson Scott Card and “Books of Umber” by P.W. Catanese. I started working on this trilogy in 2006 after I wrote my urban fantasy novel “The Lost Angels.”

Walk the Plank by Marilyn Barr

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Walk the Plank by Marilyn Barr

Branko learns he will be sold into slavery when they dock in Charles Town, so he doesn’t hesitate to jump ship onto a neighboring sloop in the harbor. This boat will weigh anchor with him at the helm–once he decides what to do with the lady chained in the cargo hold who claims she’s a vampire.

Magda Dashkovari’s body has been given to science while she’s still living in it. Her prayers are answered when a pirate boards her boat, but she should have asked for her rescuer to be less bloodthirsty than she is…

Scientists hunt her in town, plantation owners hunt him from the north and south, Blackbeard blocks Charles Town Harbor to the east, and a war rages between settlers and natives to the west. These unlikely allies will have to link together to escape a life in chains…but will their trust in each other endure their journey to freedom?

The Illusions of Vaeleren Redsteel by Justin Rhodes

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Ever since Vaeleren was little, she’s always wanted to be a hero and have books written about her just like her great-grandfather. She knows in her heart that she’s destined for greatness, especially since she’s been able to create illusions from a young age. The only problem is her father, Aldric, has always been content with his sedentary life and never lets Vaeleren venture too far from home…

Until a malicious stranger comes to town and her life is changed forever. Finding her father cursed by powerful magic, Vaeleren knows what she has to do: travel with her father in search of a cure while using her powers to mask his curse. She can finally be the hero she’s always wanted to be.

Vaeleren will soon learn, however, that things are not always what they seem and what she wants will come at a cost she might not be willing to pay.

Targeted Age Group:: YA readers age 12 to 14

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
As an avid reader myself and a former bookstore worker, I've spent countless hours reading Fantasy and YA Fantasy titles. I'd always wanted to be an author myself, so I took the leap and committed myself to finishing my first novel. I even went as far as taking a year abroad in New Zealand for inspiration.

On a more personal note, Vaeleren's story is very dear to me. When I was 22 years old I lost my father to suicide. Creating Vaeleren's journey allowed me to process some very heavy feelings. I may not have been able to save my father from his demons, but allowing Vaeleren the opportunity to try provided a much needed sense of catharsis.

Featured Book: Shadebringer: Book One: The Land of Irgendwo by Grayson W Hooper

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About Featured Book: Shadebringer: Book One: The Land of Irgendwo by Grayson W Hooper

In the beginning, there was only Daedrina, and she dwelled in darkness.

Clyde Robbins joins the US Army in 1969 to find purpose in life but quickly learns that in war, life is one’s only purpose. But Clyde dies like countless others before him in a rain of fire and lead, and when he thinks it’s all over—and the curtain draws shut on his final act—he awakens in the strange land of Irgendwo. He quickly meets a gruff German Luftwaffe pilot from the Second World War and a pudgy British doughboy from the First. Together, they take Clyde into the heart of an ancient city ruled by a shadowy cult to settle him into his rigorous new existence. But the cult’s sages discover Clyde is a Shadebringer, a prophesied warrior capable of challenging their power, and the ensuing struggles bring Clyde to the realization that his afterlife is just another war . . . one he cannot lose.

In this thrilling first volume of the Shadebringer series, author Grayson W. Hooper introduces a vivid world of Cronenberg monstrosities, magic, soul-eating children, and the reanimated dead. The Land of Irgendwo is a fast-paced adventure flecked with savage humor, emotion, and true purpose: friends worth fighting for.

This Fantasy book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

Buy Book Here.

Under an Azure Sky by Wil Chan

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Under an Azure Sky by Wil Chan

They call me…Hero…Mercenary…Dragon Slayer.
But that wasn’t always the case.
There was a time when I thought that dragons were beautiful…

During my childhood, I believed that I was friends with a dragon, except the dragon never knew of this friendship. Days after my thirteenth birthday, my secret was no longer mine to keep. Soldiers arrived to slay the dragon so that a feudal lord could make his name amongst the nine kingdoms. It ended in abject failure. They were left to soak in a bloodbath of their own making. In a rage, the dragon destroyed the place that I called home, and killed the people that I called family. She also dismantled a thing that I called love. Reborn under a mound of ashen corpses, my empty shell vowed vengeance, forging a fiery path of retribution that could not be undone. Not by my own design, I inadvertently became a slayer of dragons. Curiously, dragon slaying isn’t my next job…
A princess is being held for ransom at a goblin fort. Wearing the stolen armour of a goblin knight, I attempt to rescue her to claim my prize. When I met her, she was Winter. Now, she is Spring. Maybe I can learn to love again…

Wishless by Sibylla Nash

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In this fairytale world, not everything is sugary and sweet…

Max, a young fairy godmother, fresh out of training, is in over her head. She has to grant the one true wish of a girl who seems to have everything. If not, Max may be stuck in the human realm forever! Oh, and her own realm might be destroyed as well. Things only get worse when she discovers an evil force stealing fairy magic. No pressure.

Follow Max on a fairylicious adventure full of mythical twists and turns as she tries to save her realm one wish at a time in the first book of the Wishless series.

Targeted Age Group:: 8-12

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I’ve always been interested in stories that explored fate and destiny. Why we are who we are and if there is any choice in that. Wishless started out as an idea for a picture book that focused on the tooth fairy that just grew into a novel as I started poking at the idea and asking why.

Dreamcatcher by Marilyn Barr

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Dreamcatcher by Marilyn Barr

When tattoo artist, Gretchen O’Malley steps into the world of spiritual healing to banish the nightmare which haunts her, she crosses time and space to search for inner peace. When a spiritual journey with an eccentric Shamanic Practitioner reveals her nightmare is a piece of his past, she doesn’t trust her overwhelming attraction to him…

Shamanic Practitioner turned Vampire Makaha Juang longs to reclaim the woman who worked herself to death in the sugarcane fields of Oahu over one hundred and fifty years ago. He thanks the Gods when Kaihua enters his office—reincarnated as Gretchen. A prophetic nightmare, explosive soulmate connection, and the boundaries of his spirit contract test his morality and dedication to tenants to Shamanism.

Will he compromise his integrity in the name of love or will he free her from their karmic cord?

Trigger Warning…Mild violence, Spirituality.

Featured Book: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic: Box Set Books 1-3 by Elizabeth Pantley

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About Featured Book: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic: Box Set Books 1-3 by Elizabeth Pantley

The first 3 books in the Destiny Falls: Mystery and Magic series in a discounted box set, for only 3.99 from 4-22 to 4-27, 2022!

An accidental journey through a magic mirror. A portal to an enchanted land. A mysterious family she never knew she had. Hayden’s life is upended with the wonder of Destiny Falls. But there always seems to be a mystery to unravel and a murder to solve. Luckily, Hayden, her sassy sidekick Latifa, and their growing circle of family and friends are always up for the task. There’s never a dull moment in this captivating world. “It will blow you away!” says Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

Book 1 – Falling into Magic
An accidental journey through a magic mirror. A portal to an enchanted land. A mysterious family she never knew she had. Hayden’s life is upended with the wonder of Destiny Falls. But it is tainted by the danger that brought her here and that threatens her newfound family. Can Hayden and her sassy sidekick remove the threat, so that she can begin her magical new life in this captivating world?

Book 2 – The Disappearance of Emily
A magic mirror. An enchanted world. A mysterious missing mother. A suspicious package. An unexplained death. A community of strange, quirky people. A sassy cat and a hilarious, bumbling, and perpetually annoyed witch. Hayden finds herself surrounded with support as she solves the mystery of the death and learns shocking secrets about herself.

Book 3 – The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales
A magic mirror. An enchanted world. A mysterious ghost. A hilarious witch. An unexplained death. A sassy cat. A mysterious old man keeps popping up to tell Hayden a series of tall tales. Who is he? And is he actually glowing? Are his stories fiction, or is he telling her the history of her family, the enchanted islands, and the witch? And why did a dead body show up . . . of someone who is already dead?

This Mystery book is available in these Formats: eBook

This box set is in Kindle Unlimited!

Buy Book Here.

Destined ~ A Time Travel Anthology by Denise Mullinex

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Destined ~ A Time Travel Anthology by Denise Mullinex

 Discover a gripping collection of time traveler romance stories…
With period-perfect details, dashing heroes, and settings ranging from 1950s New York to war-torn 387 BC Ireland, this page-turning anthology will leave you begging for more!
 
Stories included:
 
Traveler by JC Cooper

Young, strong, smart, and independent, the last thing Sofie wants is to fall in love – until William McKay happened, that is. Despite all her efforts, she can’t help but begin falling for him. And after a day that leaves her hopeful and heartbroken, the last thing Sofie wanted turns out to be the first thing she needs…
 
Consoling Angel by Denise Alicea
Overcome with grief and burying herself in her studies, Mira wants nothing more than to hide away from the world and its cruelties. The only thing keeping her going is her admiration for the long-dead Hollywood actor, James Dean. Mira wishes she could meet the actor and tell him how much he means to her. Little does she know her wish is about to come true.
 
But when she does finally mean the Hollywood hunk, she’s soon faced with the most difficult decision she’s ever had to make…
 
[Read more…] about Destined ~ A Time Travel Anthology by Denise Mullinex

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Vol 38 by Multiple Authors

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L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Vol 38 by Multiple Authors

L. Ron Hubbard, Frank Herbert, David Farland, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Diane Dillon, and 12 winners: Azure Arther, Desmond Astaire, J. A. Becker, Lazarus Black, Z. T. Bright, John Coming, Em Dupre, N. V. Haskell, Michael Panter, Brittany Rainsdon, Mike Jack Stoumbos, M. Elizabeth Ticknor, and finalist: Rebecca E. Treasure

In the World of Sci-Fi & Fantasy…
…this Anthology stands out for three reasons.
Will you love the stories, the art, or the extras most?

Standing on the shoulders of giants, these writers of the future have earned their place in the hallowed pages of volume 38. With 25-award winning authors and illustrators, this collection is a master work.
These stories will fill you with satisfaction.

And a few just might break your heart.

The Order of the Dark Rose by P. H. Solomon

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The Order of the Dark Rose by P. H. Solomon

Arch-mage Manny Mandeheim fell under a curse, watched his fiancé die, and then lost his job as a spy. What’s an unemployed arch-mage to do? Start his own magical investigation service while he works to clear his good name and avenge his lost love.

With his very un-magical partner, Wish Ackford, Manny discovers the menace of a conspiracy looming behind his curse. But the limitations from the hex leave him at a distinct disadvantage as he and Wish investigate.

Assassins lurk at every corner or in every tram car. The threat of an unknown mastermind with murky intentions lingers just out of sight. A questionable source offers the hint of a secret order hounding Manny’s footsteps. A murder leads to wrenching discoveries.

Nothing an arch-mage can’t handle…

Unless the curse limits how much magic he can use or kills him outright.

Featured Book: Yichen’s Journey, A New Beginning by S. L. Beste

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About Featured Book: Yichen’s Journey, A New Beginning by S. L. Beste

This journey starts with a young man named Yichen, who is fresh out of high school and dealing with his recently deceased father, who was his last living relative. Upon learning of a mystery of his past, he starts his journey. Aiming to continue his family heritage, he comes across trouble at every turn, whether a simple disagreement or fighting mystical creatures to live.

His adventures take him away from his planet, and in search of some form of love, he comes across many new experiences. Trying to look for a peaceful place he can call home once more, will things really turn out as he wishes? Will he change and adapt to his new living style, or stay the same and have to deal with the consequences? Only time will tell.

This Fantasy book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

This book is in Kindle Unlimited!

Buy Book Here.

Featured Book: The Adventures of Jimmy Crikey: The Emerald Lake by Wallace Briggs

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About Featured Book: The Adventures of Jimmy Crikey: The Emerald Lake by Wallace Briggs

A stand-alone, fourth in a series, of the adventures of Jimmy Crikey, the alien orphan who, despite cruel bullying, decided to make his home on Earth. He numbers among his friends the four witch guardians of Earth’s realms and the ancient Lord Oron, aka The Weatherman.

The underground Emerald Lake, home of the Aquamites, is invaded by a flesh-eating, fire-breathing serpent, which is impervious to the magic of the four guardian witches. Matilda, the chief witch, asks for Jimmy’s assistance.

Jimmy accompanies Elwinn, witch guardian of everything associated with water, to visit the Emerald Lake. They arrive at a plausible plan to capture the serpents in a spider’s web net.

Their strategy is complicated because Jimmy cannot breathe underwater unless included in Elwinn’s bubble. Several of the strongest young Aquamites agree to act as live bait to entice the serpents into a lake in an extinct volcano’s caldera.
[Read more…] about Featured Book: The Adventures of Jimmy Crikey: The Emerald Lake by Wallace Briggs

The Potomos and The Papyrus by Jean Paul

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The Potomos and The Papyrus by Jean Paul

This fully illustrated delightful story takes place in an alternate world populated by anthropomorphic hippopotamuses called potomoses during the human equivalent time frame of the 1930s. It is the story of a family of very excellent and interesting potomoses who live in Belgravia and whose adventures take them to Egypt and back in search of the lost treasure of King Tutanpotomos. This is the first of a planned series of adventures which will follow the Potomos family generation to generation from the 1930s to the present time. There are 22 full colour illustrations.

Awesome Book Sleeves and Kindle or Tablet Pouches

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Come on over and grab one of our handcrafted BookGoodies brand book sleeves that are also great for your Kindle or other eReader or tablet. Keep your books and devices safe in your bag or backpack or when laying around the house.

We even created a 30% off coupon just for you. Code SPRING30 will save you 30% off any of our products.

Coming soon: Coloring book printables plus reader journals and planners.

Featured Book: THE RING (The In-Between Series, Book 2) by Sagar Constantin

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About Featured Book: THE RING (The In-Between Series, Book 2) by Sagar Constantin

Available for $0.99 for a limited time only (04/01/2022-04/05/2022).
From the International Bestselling author, Sagar Constantin comes the second book in the addictive IN-BETWEEN series.

Angela returns to Earth to search for and find the last two members of a group called the Ring.
Together, the Ring can access crucial knowledge that the world desperately needs.

Each member has unconsciously carried a piece of this knowledge over thousands of years. By reconnecting the pieces, they will help turn mankind’s negative, violent development on Earth into a positive, loving, and constructive progress.
If the Ring doesn’t reunite now, it is doubtful that they will ever succeed.

Angela only has forty-two days to find the last two members and convince them to go to In-Between with her.
During her forty-two days on Earth, Angela’s past, philosophy of life, and especially her sense of justice are challenged.
She must go beyond her limits, even when she sees her view of the world disintegrate.

The Ring is about standing firm and believing in something bigger than oneself.
It is about daring to live life to the fullest, looking death in the eye, letting go of the past, and having faith.

Through Angela’s journey, readers will come to see the world as they have never seen it before.

This Thriller book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

This book is in Kindle Unlimited!

Buy Book Here.

Featured Book: Codename Poltergeist by William Joel

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About Featured Book: Codename Poltergeist by William Joel

The CIA and presidential cabinet members covertly enter into an agreement with the Palestinians to remove certain key Israeli government figures in a plan to enable the United States to claim that they engineered peace in the Middle East and gain the favor of Arabic countries. Sentinel, a group of angelic-type beings who monitor the Earth, are very concerned that the United States could be igniting a major conflict if the Israelis learn of the plan and retaliate. The CIA tried to eliminate their most efficient and deadly agent, James Halyard, Codename Poltergeist, believing Halyard was a possible threat to their plans. They fail, but kill Halyard’s beloved wife, Karen, in the process. Sentinel rescues Halyard, heals him, and gives Halyard the option of becoming an agent for their purposes with highly augmented mental and physical abilities. He agrees and truly becomes Poltergeist. Sentinel sends Poltergeist to unravel and thwart the conspiracy.

This Thriller book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

This book is in Kindle Unlimited!

Buy Book Here.