urban fantasy – Page 4 – Kristen Brand

New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Part 3)

Happy Halloween, everybody! I should probably have a Halloween-themed post today, but it’s been a while since I’ve done a roundup of new superhero fiction, so here we are. I’ll say it’s still Halloween-related, since a lot people dress up as superheroes for the holiday. 😉

As usual, I haven’t read all of these books personally, so check out the reviews and previews before purchasing. And happy reading!

This post contains affiliate links.

Sidekicks: Superpower Chronicles Books 1

by Arthur Mayor

All the superheroes died, who’s left?

My life is full of choices. Paper or plastic, cake or pie, tackle my chem homework or give a supervillain a well-deserved smackdown? (The answer’s obvious: cake.) When the leader of the world’s most powerful superhero team asked me to become Raven, his apprentice, that was the easiest choice ever. But I blew it. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Part 3)

Free Ebook Friday: Coffee and Ghosts by Charity Tahmaseb

Free ebooks are the best. They’re a great way for readers to try new series risk-free, and they help authors reach new audiences. But there’s just so many of them that it can be hard to find one you like.

Free ebook Friday spotlights a free ebook I’ve personally read and enjoyed, and hopefully, it’ll help you find a good read. The posts come out on random Fridays, not weekly, and the books featured will probably be speculative fiction.

This week’s pick is:

Book Description:

Come for the coffee, stay for the supernatural adventure. There’s more than one way to catch a ghost, and it’s never been this fun!

Katy and her grandmother have always used coffee to catch ghosts. It pays the bills and keeps them in high-end beans. But after her grandmother dies and a rival ghost hunter moves to town, Katy fears things will never be the same.

She’s right. Continue reading Free Ebook Friday: Coffee and Ghosts by Charity Tahmaseb

5 Short Stories About Witches (that you can read for free right now)

I’m going to be a witch this Halloween. I’ve got the hat and the black dress, and I just need to figure out my makeup.

Witches have always been one my favorite paranormal beings. Maybe it’s the spells and potions or the feminist undertones. It could also be a side-effect of growing up reading Harry Potter. Or maybe it’s just the aesthetic.

Witch Aesthetic — It’s probably the aesthetic.

Anyway, if you can’t get enough witches, either, here are five short stories about them that you can read online. They all have different tones and fall under different subgenres, but each one is spellbinding in its own way. (See what I did there?) Continue reading 5 Short Stories About Witches (that you can read for free right now)

5 Supernatural Superheroes who Deserve more Spotlight

October is finally here, and that means a month filled with jack o’ lanterns, witches, and ghosts.

Although, to be honest, I don’t limit that spooky energy to October. I get my fix year-round by reading paranormal fiction. There’s something about things that go bump in the night that I just can’t get enough of in stories, especially when it comes to the heroes who fight them.

Comics has no shortage of the supernatural, and it’s one of favorite niches in both the Marvel and DC universes. Though I have my complaints about the Doctor Strange movie, I love that it introduced magic to the MCU, and Legends of Tomorrow got twice as awesome when they started fighting demons and introduced John Constantine.

Those two characters along with Blade, the Scarlet Witch, Zatanna, and a few others are what I consider the A-list of magical/supernatural superheroes. (Though I don’t think Zatanna has had a live-action appearance since Smallville. She really needs her own movie.) Today, I want to shine a spotlight on some paranormal superheroes who may be less popular but are all awesome characters who deserve more attention. Continue reading 5 Supernatural Superheroes who Deserve more Spotlight

Short Story: Around the old Hawthorn Tree

Addison found the box one Sunday afternoon when her mom asked her to clean out the closet in the guest bedroom. It was a dusty old cardboard thing, and inside, she found a few notebooks with her late grandma’s name on the front and a beautiful silver necklace with a jeweled rose pendant.

“Look what I found,” she said, bringing the box to her mom.

Her mom turned from her computer, and her eyes widened. “I remember that. I kept it just in case…”

“In case what?”

“Nothing.”

Addison pestered (She was good at pestering) until her mom heaved a sigh and sat her down for a Serious Talk.

“I guess you’re old enough now to know that your grandma… She just disappeared one day. I always hoped she’d come back, but… We never found out what happened.” Continue reading Short Story: Around the old Hawthorn Tree

Book Spotlight: The Vigilantes: Books 1 – 3 by Trish Heinrich

I forgot if I’ve raved about Serpent’s Sacrifice, the first book in the Vigilantes Series by Trish Heinrich, on this site before. (I really ought to write a proper review of it at some point.) If you bought the Heroes & Villains boxed set that Hero Status was a part of over the summer, it was the first novel there.

It’s a great retro superhero story set in the 60s, and if you liked the canceled-before-its-time TV show Agent Carter, this series might help fill the hole in your heart. The main character, Alice, AKA the Serpent, kicks some serious @$$ despite being the only member of her team without superpowers. Her relationship with her intimidating old lady mentor, the previous Serpent, reminds me a bit of the Bruce/Terry dynamic in Batman Beyond–which is a big compliment, if you’ve never watched that cartoon. Continue reading Book Spotlight: The Vigilantes: Books 1 – 3 by Trish Heinrich

4 Haunting Halloween Reads (that even a wimp like me can’t put down)

I’m a total wimp when it comes to horror. My imagination is so overactive that just watching the preview for a scary movie or reading a recap can freak me out. So when I do read something spooky, it’s because I’ve been sucked in by the amazing atmosphere, characters, or premise.

Like Crimson Peak. It’s terrifying, but I couldn’t resist that gorgeous gothic atmosphere.

Here are some books that are undeniably scary yet so good I couldn’t put them down and hide. If you’re looking for an atmospheric Halloween read, look no further. Just don’t blame me for any nightmares. Continue reading 4 Haunting Halloween Reads (that even a wimp like me can’t put down)