Mysterious, magical, and a little bit deadly… Welcome to Unholy Island.

Esme Gray runs the guest house and tends to the ethereal wards that protect the island. She’s sheltering from a terrible past and will do anything to stay safely hidden.

Luke Taylor has been searching for his missing twin for months, but has begun to believe that his brother might be dead. With his hope in tatters, a tip off leads him to a remote tidal island in the North Sea. It’s further out than the famous Holy Island, and far stranger.

Visitors shouldn’t be able to stay for more than two nights, so when Luke breaks this rule, the close-knit community is sent into turmoil. The residents of Unholy Island have secrets and they intend to keep them.

When Luke stumbles across one of the islanders dead on the shore, he finds himself under suspicion, made worse by his own troubles washing up on the tide.

Esme is drawn to Luke, but she doesn’t trust her own instincts. That’s not ideal for a witch — especially when there is a killer on the loose and a storm is rolling in…

The Ward Witch is the first book in a brand new contemporary fantasy series from the bestselling author of magical fiction, Sarah Painter.

*The Ward Witch is set in the same world as the urban fantasy mystery books, Crow Investigations, but it is the start of a separate series and can be enjoyed independently.

Praise for the Crow Investigations Series:

'I'm a huge fan!' Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels

'My favourite new urban fantasy series, clever and twisty and deliciously magical, with a shivery sense of wonder that feels utterly grounded in its London setting. Perfect for fans of Ben Aaronovitch, Genevieve Cogman or Robert Galbraith!'
Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled

'The Lydia Crow books are a firm favourite of mine, combining intriguing crime fiction with a hint of other-worldly mysticism. The characters are brilliantly drawn, and Sarah Painter cleverly makes them believable despite them having magical powers - or even being dead. With just enough comedy to make the dark bits even darker, and the perfect amount of mystery, these books are a wonderful read.' Kerry Barrett
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For a shadebound mage like Artemio Volpe, the ghosts of the past are his constant companions as well as a source of untold power.

The legendary House of Seven Shadows is responsible for training the best of the best shadebound mages to harness the magic of the dead. For most students, the dead are kept at a safe distance, but not for Artemio. Their tortured souls seep into his body and mind, granting him a wellspring of power that would carve most men hollow. Their magic comes at a terrible price, but it’s the only thing that’s kept him alive this long.

An outcast from society for no reason other than his unfortunate birthright, Artemio wants nothing more than to study, learn, and develop his talents. But when nobles start to die under mysterious circumstances, he's forced out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Torn between his duty to the kingdom and his studies, Artemio finds his loyalties divided and time running out. After all, the fires burning to the north are not mere barbarian's pyres. They're dragon fire...

Fans of A Game of Thrones, The Stormlight Archives, Legends of the First Empire and The Fatemarked Epic will enjoy The Last King series. Start your epic adventure today.

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An order of magical-knife wielding female assassins brings both peace and chaos to their post-apocalyptic world in this bewitching blend of science fiction and epic fantasy—the first entry in a debut duology that displays the inventiveness of the works of Sarah Beth Durst and Marie Lu.

Kyra is the youngest Markswoman in the Order of Kali, one of a handful of sisterhoods of highly trained elite warriors. Armed with blades whose metal is imbued with magic and guided by a strict code of conduct, the Orders are sworn to keep the peace and protect the people of Asiana. Kyra has pledged to do so—yet she secretly harbors a fierce desire to avenge her murdered family.

When Tamsyn, the powerful and dangerous Mistress of Mental Arts, assumes control of the Order, Kyra is forced on the run. She is certain that Tamsyn committed murder in a twisted bid for power, but she has no proof.

Kyra escapes through one of the strange Transport Hubs that are the remnants of Asiana’s long-lost past and finds herself in the unforgiving wilderness of a desert that is home to the Order of Khur, the only Order composed of men. Among them is Rustan, a disillusioned Marksman whose skill with a blade is unmatched. He understands the desperation of Kyra’s quest to prove Tamsyn’s guilt, and as the two grow closer, training daily on the windswept dunes of Khur, both begin to question their commitment to their Orders. But what they don’t yet realize is that the line between justice and vengeance is thin . . . as thin as the blade of a knife.

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I am called Chapel . . .

For nearly six centuries I have roamed the night, a mortal man no longer. Would that I could undo the past -- when I entered the sanctuary of the Knights Templar to wrest from them the Holy Grail, only to discover the chalice I raised to my lips was not the sacred relic but a hellish cup of damnation. Now I shun the day and all things human, driven by an ungodly thirst. And yet...

Never have I known a maiden the like of Prudence Ryland, whose beauty and spirit awaken a heart I feared long cold and dead. But her young life is slipping away, and she also seeks the deliverance of the Grail -- unaware that the cost of her search could be her soul. I must help Prudence, for in six hundred years, no other woman has stirred my passions so. But dare I tender to my beloved that which she most desires -- the sensuous "gift" of forever that is both rapture and a curse: my immortal kiss?

A teenage runaway is killed by a sadistic vampire with the pathology of a serial killer, who has stalked her family for over a decade. Brought back to life to feed on her child, she's killed again -- but not before reviving her first victim, her firstborn. The undead infant escapes, triggering a citywide search for a vampire baby whose existence threatens to expose the entire vampire society.

And they will stop at nothing to make sure that doesn't happen.

In the downtown art world/club scene of New York City, Steven and Lori, an artist and a writer, are in the middle of a bad break up. Instead of being able to simply move on, they are stuck with each other, bound by a contract to do a book on vampires. When they stumble across the real thing, will their feelings for each other intensify as they're reunited to battle monsters they scarcely believe exist?

"...emotionally riveting and intense." -- RT Book Reviews/

"LOST GIRL is smart urban fantasy with the perfect balance of humor and emotion. Vanderlinden combines witty dialogue and an original premise, using the crumbling urban landscape of Detroit as a backdrop for heart pumping action with just the right balance of romance. A great debut effort, and a series I'm eager to follow." -Elizabeth Hunter, best selling author of the Elemental Mysteries, Elemental World, and Irin Chronicles series

Molly Brooks is a telepathic vigilante with a few secrets and a mysterious past. Determined to make something of her bizarre powers, she devotes herself to saving those who need her most. One night, she's followed by a powerful being in a pickup truck, and her world will never be the same. Finding herself thrust into a world full of supernatural beings she could have only imagined, Molly learns how powerful she really is, and how much she stands to lose.

Combining elements of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, Lost Girl is the first book in the Hidden series by author Colleen Vanderlinden.

SERIES READING ORDER (Note: all of the books in the Hidden universe tie into an overarching storyline. The first story arc, the original Hidden, follows Molly, and the second arc, Hidden: Soulhunter, follows the story from Eunomia's point of view. The novellas give more in-depth glimpses of fan-favorite side characters. Enjoy!)
The Hidden Series:
Lost Girl
Broken
Home
Forever Night (side story novella)
Strife
Earth Bound (side story novella)
Nether

Hidden: Soulhunter
Guardian
Betrayer
Zealot
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