fuonlyknew

The Discovery of Magic

by L.J. Evias

Publication date: September 26th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

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Transported to an ancient realm of magic and mystery, can a young woman survive scheming royals, shifting alliances, and impending war?

Alice Harper yearns to determine her own fate. Desperate to change her parents’ minds about moving away from everything she knows, the gifted archer sets out to win a coveted scholarship. But the seventeen-year-old feels completely out of control when she and her friends stumble through a strange portal to a mysterious world.

Separated from the others, the bold and reckless teen finds herself whisked away to an impossible palace where charming mages offer help. But as she becomes entwined in the politics of the court, Alice grows suspicious of her new allies, and she struggles to distinguish friend from foe…

As she’s pulled deeper into treacherous plots, can the daring young adult rescue her peers and get everyone home?

The Discovery of Magic is the captivating first book in The Intrigue of Magic YA epic fantasy series. If you like relatable characters, powerful enchantments, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love L. J. Evias’s battle for courage.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Jaime dodged sideways, almost too late, as a sword slashed at him from his right. It wasn’t like him to be this distracted in a fight, but with his escalating schoolwork, his brothers’ nagging and now Jordan’s revelation, it was a wonder he could pay attention at all.

Fortunately, the large boy who had swiped at him stumbled before regaining his footing, allowing Jaime an easy victory. Others wouldn’t be that cumbersome, yet Jaime’s thoughts returned to Jordan and Alice.

A small hope remained that the girls wouldn’t turn up, but that was currently being devoured by a monster that had recently taken up residence inside him, writhing in his stomach and filling him with anxiety.

Perhaps he could distract Alice or Jordan and delay the situation until he’d figured out what to do. Or maybe he could introduce Jordan to someone else. Then Jaime would have plenty of time to figure out whether he really did have feelings for Alice.

Up the hill, blonde hair blowing in the breeze caught his attention. Alice and Emily, with Eliot running ahead. This was no time to be putting all his hope into wishful thinking. He’d just have to tell Jordan he didn’t like the idea.

His mind made up, he threw himself back into the melee, finding a new opponent, more skilled and more eager than the last. He lunged, then dodged, spun around his opponent, then lunged again, his sword slashing. Back again, dodging out of reach, then thrusting forwards until the other boy’s tiredness began to show. Enthused, Jaime delivered the final blow, the clang of his sword ringing out above the din of the other combatants.

As his adversary yielded, two more rushed Jaime, one from each side, making him regret taking his time with his previous opponent. He couldn’t afford to tire himself out yet, not while several people still fought.

Sucking in a quick breath, he swiftly sidestepped, swung his sword around above his head, and cut across the first rival before they could do anything to stop him.

At the same time, the other lunged, but he was not quick enough for Jaime. Darting behind the felled boy, Jaime brought his blade round to strike, and with a few well-timed blows, had the second boy on his knees, capitulating.

With the rush of victory surging through him, he glanced around for his next opponent.

Only Jordan remained, surveying him with a smirk. The expression unsettled Jaime. Although Jordan was more committed to LARPing, Jaime’s fencing skill gave him a strong advantage, and Jordan knew it. Whatever Jordan had planned, he would not be easy to beat.

Approaching slowly and purposefully, Jordan let his gaze drift towards Alice. Both girls were watching intently. Even Eliot was quiet and still beside them.

Suddenly, Jordan’s smile vanished, and he locked his eyes on Jaime, his intent to impress Alice written all over him.

Adrenaline coursed through Jaime, reawakening his tired muscles. The previous fighting had been just for fun, but this was his chance. He could stop Jordan. Beat him for his own good. He’d never ask out Alice then.

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About Author L. J. Evias:

L. J. Evias writes exclusively in the fantasy genre, infusing stories with a dash of adventure and mystery. In Evias’s worlds, moral absolutes do not exist, giving life to a diverse cast of intriguing characters.

The Intrigue of Magic is Evias’s debut series, featuring accessible world-building, intricate plots, and unforgettable heroes and villains. Released in 2024, The Discovery of Magic is the first book in this series.

When not immersed in the pages of a novel, Evias enjoys real-world adventures both in the UK and abroad. The enchanting settings of The Intrigue of Magic series draw inspiration from personal travels, notably the unique architecture and evocative landscapes of Morocco.

Bonus material and a sample short story are available from the author’s website.

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Storm and Flame

by Mallory Wanless

(Enchanted, #1)
Publication date: September 22nd 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Elena has always been a disappointment. Her magic is practically non-existent and now, on her sixteenth birthday, she is expelled from magic school by the strict headmistress–also known as her mother. Cast out into the world of the magically inept with only her familiar for company, Elena feels lost and alone until she meets a strange boy in the woods.

Quinn is a thief, a hunter, and a hothead. His unexpected friendship with Elena awakens a fiery side in him–quite literally– and uncovers new and surprising magical abilities. Except men aren’t supposed to be capable of magic.

With Quinn’s help, Elena carves a safe new life as a barmaid, but when she is attacked, her powers awaken with shocking ferocity. Elena’s explosion of magic creates a power surge that attracts the attention of magical investigators, sent to uncover and contain the source of the power surge.

But the awakening of their powers kickstarts an ancient prophecy. Will they be able to escape those that hunt them? Can they fulfill the prophecy, destroy the turmio and save magic from being destroyed once and for all?

Content warning: the story mentions incidents of child abuse, sexual assault, and birth trauma. May not be suitable for some readers.

Storm and Flame is the first in a completed trilogy. A found family low-spice series perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval series, Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns, and Phillip Pullman’s Golden Compass.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Come on. Just work, dammit,” Elena muttered to herself, trying for the millionth time to cast her spell.

Agon had stretched his lithe, weasel-like body across a long, skinny patch of sunlight on the floor of the testing room. He’d spent the morning basking in the warmth of the sun-drenched stone and flicking his fluffy blue-black tail back and forth. As her closest, and arguably only, friend, Agon knew nothing he could say would make her feel better. She was in a mood, and the best thing he could do was to leave her be.

Sparks flared and quickly sputtered out from Elena’s fingertips.

“Dammit. Why can’t I get this stupid spell right?” It was a rhetorical question, but Elena was so frustrated by her own ineptitude that she would have traded everything she owned to successfully complete a spell on the first try.

Elena was easily the worst enchantress in her class, probably the whole school. The other students mocked her mercilessly. It didn’t help that her mother, Madame LaBelle, was the most famous enchantress in the whole country, possibly the world, and the headmistress of their school. She could turn a seed into a centuries-old tree with the flick of her wrist. Elena could grow a seed into a sapling with twenty minutes of chanting, flicking, waving, and praying. Maybe. On a good day.

Madame LaBelle was notorious for her skills with magic as much as her beauty. Unfortunately for Elena, she inherited her looks from her father. At least, she assumed that’s where she got her flat hair and dull brown eyes. She’d never actually met him. In Waverly, as far as enchantresses were concerned, men served one purpose: impregnating women. The men were used and released of all parental rights, whether they liked it or not. Most men didn’t even know the woman they had lain with was an enchantress, much less that they had fathered a child as a result. The women opted to disguise themselves—bar wenches, visitors lost in the big city, damsels in need of aid on the side of the road, etc.—just to get what they needed and be gone before the man even knew her name.

It was crass and cowardly, but Elena had been raised to believe it was for the best. Men weren’t capable of raising children, especially magical ones, and an enchantress always gave birth to another enchantress. Never in the history of the world, had an enchantress given birth to a non-magical child. Or a boy, for that matter. Enchantress beget enchantress. End of story.

Elena dreamed of love and happy endings when she was younger. All the girls did, but their time at Harbor Ridge taught them that magic was their top priority, followed closely by their loyalty to the school and Madame LaBelle. Elena always felt that it was a tad hypocritical how often her mother preached about loyalty to their family—the school and their classmates—when she never paid any attention to her own flesh and blood. What sort of mother neglects her own child to favor those who are more adept at magic? Not a good one, Elena mused glumly.

Agon had been with her since before she was born, like all familiars. They were born together and stayed attached for an “unusually long time,” according to her mother. Typically, familiars disconnected from the baby’s umbilical cord within a few days before settling into their permanent animal form. Agon and Elena stayed connected for two weeks, all the while Agon remained a blob encased in the placenta. Her mother had many specialists, including a Therionology Enchantress, or an animal enchantress, come and inspect Agon and try to coax him into taking any form at all. Nothing worked. Baby Elena just spent her days cuddling “this disgusting blob of goo” and sleeping. Madame LaBelle often liked to remind Elena of how unusual that was, and how that should have been a sign that her daughter was going to be different, and not in a good way.

About Author Mallory Wanless:

Mallory lives in Texas with her husband and their two young boys. She spends her days homeschooling and full-time parenting. Her nights, and any free time she manages to carve out during the day, are devoted to reading and writing.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

A pair of enchanted glass slippers.

A dark and dangerous queen.

And the fate of a kingdom hangs in the balance.

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Once Upon a Midnight Clear

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A Christmas Cinderella Fairy Tale Retelling

 

Once Upon a Time… in the holiday land of Rovenheim

 

A pair of
enchanted glass slippers. A dark and dangerous queen. And the fate of
a kingdom hangs in the balance.

 

Ella Rose Tremaine lives a life of drudgery as a servant in her own home, catering to
the whims of her stepmother and stepsisters. All she wants is a life
to call her own, but with no way out, she’s trapped. Even when the
royal ball is announced, she is forbidden to attend.

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Left alone on the night of the ball, a mysterious package arrives
addressed to her. Inside, a pair of beautiful glass slippers. When
she puts them on, she’s transformed and whisked off to the ball by
none other than her fairy godmother—but with a warning. Remove the
slippers before the last stroke of midnight to break the spell and
all will be as it was before.

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Lost in the magic of the evening while dancing with a handsome stranger, she is heedless of
her fairy godmother’s warning. With the last strike of midnight,
she is transported to the Christmas realm of Rovenheim.

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Her arrival garners the attention of a dangerous queen determined to have
the slippers for herself. She’ll stop at nothing to get them by
issuing an ultimatum—bring her the slippers or she’ll destroy the
enchanted realm and the Spirit of Christmas itself.

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With time running out, Ella embarks on a perilous journey through the
mystical realm on a quest to save it. She must embrace her destiny
and discover the power of love and magic. But will it be enough to
overcome the darkness that threatens to consume them all?

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** Get it for Only 99 cents for a limited time!**

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The chiming of the clock tower in Whitebridge clanged the early morning hour. It was a faint bong, bong, bong that Ella counted as she laid awake in her narrow, lumpy bed under the thin blanket dreading the coming day. Dread was part of her morning routine now.

Sunlight peeked through the shabby draperies at her window as dawn arrived. Even as another day of labor loomed, nothing killed the spirit of the season inside her. Not even her stepmother and stepsisters. Not even their nasty dispositions or the fact that her stepmother, Lillian, refused to decorate for Christmas.

Except for a sad looking tree in the foyer with a few decorations.

But Ella was not to be dissuaded. She dragged out all her mother’s favorite decorations and placed them around her shabby third-floor bedroom, trying to make the drab appearance a bit more cheerful. She placed her favorite decoration on the top of the tree—a beautiful gold star.

She loved Christmas.

She shoved the blanket aside and walked to the window, pushing open the curtain to peer down at the estate that had fallen into disrepair. Since her father’s disappearance on a merchant trip several years ago, Lillian squandered what was left of the estate’s money on satin and lace, shoes and parasols for her two spoiled daughters. Meanwhile, the small manor they lived in needed many repairs.

In the distance, the offending clock tower stood tall and proud and ruled her day. From her window, the peak of it was clear as well as the high turrets and heraldry of Whitebridge Palace. What was it like living in a castle? Would she be a maid as she was here? Or would she find herself as one of the noble ladies wearing beautiful gowns and having her every whim attended?

She sighed when the rooster crowed. It was time to start the day. She looked out as the sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the outline of the castle beyond and the dusting of snow on the cold ground.

“One day, Papa,” she whispered, “I will find my way out of here.”

She often spoke to her father, even though he’d been gone all these long years.

She dressed, tied her long dark hair back with a blue ribbon, and headed down to the kitchen for the day. She put a tea kettle on to boil. Outside, she fed the chickens and gathered eggs, petted the dog, and gave the cat his breakfast. In the distance, at the pond, geese honked their arrival. She smiled. Later she would walk out to the edge of the pond and feed them, too.

The servant’s bell rang. Her stepmother. She poured hot water into the tea kettle, made a breakfast of porridge, eggs, and toast, and then carried it up to the woman’s room. At the top of the stairs, she turned right and headed down the hall to the largest bedroom. She rapped twice and waited.

“Enter,” came the abrupt, muffled response.

Ella pushed open the door. Just as she did, the cat sprinted past her and hopped onto the oversized bed where her stepmother sat waiting for her breakfast. The woman’s salt-and-pepper hair was tucked under her nightcap. Crinkles were at the corners of each eye and her mouth was drawn down into a permanent grimace. No doubt due to being unhappy for so many years. Her thin lips were a deep red, high severe cheekbones and a chin that ended in a point. She petted the cat, her long slender fingers ruffling the fur between his shoulders. Loud purrs emanated from the small feline.

“Good morning, Stepmother,” she greeted in her best pleasant voice.

“Where is my newspaper?” her stepmother asked.

“I’ll fetch it for you.” Ella placed the tray with the breakfast on the woman’s lap. She did a quick curtsy then dashed from the room.

She hurried down the stairs to the front door and pulled it open. The rolled-up paper was on the doorstep as usual. But even so, Ella saw the hint of the headline. Something about a royal decree. As she snatched it off the stoop, she heard Lucinda shouting her name.

“Ella! Where is my breakfast?”

Ella hurried back up the stairs to her stepmother’s room, her chest heaving a bit and her legs burning from her brief sprint. Jet had curled up next to her in the bed, eyeing the breakfast tray.

“Your newspaper, stepmother.”

She scowled as she snatched it from Ella’s hands, then opened it with a snap. She glowered at her over the edge of the paper.

“What are you gawking at, girl? Don’t you have chores?”

Another quick curtsy. “Yes, Stepmother.”

“ELLA!” Lucinda shouted again.

Ella hurried back down the stairs to the kitchen. As she arrived, the other two bells were ringing. One for Lucinda and one for Daniella. She quickly made their breakfast trays. It was a balancing act, but she managed to carry both at the same time back up the stairs. By the time she arrived at the landing, her legs were burning and her arms ached. She used her elbow to push open the door to Lucinda’s room.

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 MICHELLE MILES believes in fairy tales, true love, and magic. She
writes heart-stopping urban fantasy, young adult and adult fantasy,
and paranormal romance with an action/adventure twist that will leave
you breathless. She is the author of numerous series that includes
everything from angels and demons to fairies, dragons, and elves.

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She is a member of
Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Science Fiction and Fantasy
Writers Association (SFWA). A native Texan, in her spare time she
loves reading, listening to music, watching movies, hiking, and
drinking wine. She can be found online at Facebook, Instagram,
Pinterest, and more!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.