In this small town, keeping secrets is a matter of life or death… East St. Louis deputy Patrick O’Shea is tired of living in the line of fire. So when he gets a chance to transfer to his wife’s small hometown, he doesn’t hesitate to load up the moving van. But his family’s bags are barely unpacked before their newfound peace and quiet shatters in a surge of demonic voices… The deputy has faced his fair share of evil, but nothing quite like this. Normally the first into the fray, he worries they’ve unearthed a force not even his special training and inner-city experience can combat… Can Patrick protect his family from supernatural foes, or will a festering evil consume the ones he loves most? The Dark Sacrifice is a haunting horror novel not for the faint of heart. If you like supernatural chills, family secrets, and ominous small-towns, then you’ll love Jay Bower’s spine-tingling tale.
New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay (World of Wakanda, Difficult Women) adapts her short story “We Are the Sacrifice of Darkness” as a full-length graphic novel with writer Tracy Lynne Oliver (This Weekend), and artist Rebecca Kirby (Biopsy.) Expanding an unforgettable world where a tragic event forever bathes the world in darkness, The Sacrifice of Darkness follows one woman’s powerful journey through this new landscape as she discovers love, family, and the true light in a world seemingly robbed of any. This young adult drama challenges notions of identity, guilt, and survival in a graphic novel for fans of On A Sunbeam and Are You Listening?
How much pain and sacrifice can one person endure? How far would one go to protect the ones they love? Renetha, an Alycorian princess, fell in love with Cornelius, an exiled prince and the Alycorn’s warring enemy. They planned to marry and unite the races, but fate had other plans for them. Betrayed by her own father, Renetha was forced to marry Cornelius’s older brother Puteoli—a possessed madman who tortures her day and night. Cornelius fights through all odds to rescue Renetha, but it is only she that can end the madness around them by sacrificing everything to save Puteoli, the very man who abused her for so many years. She had suffered a great number of years for the people she loved. Could she do it again? Peace, for everyone? This was the fate Renetha was left with. This was the sacrifice she soon would have to make . . .
From rising star Angie Sandro, a steamy Southern gothic romance that will appeal to fans of Beautiful Creatures . . . A GIFT AND A CURSE Mala LaCroix sees dead people - really. After using her psychic gifts to catch a killer, she's locked in a psych ward and must strike a deal with the devil to secure her release. Apprenticed to a dark arts practitioner, Mala vows to free herself and save her loved ones from danger. But she doesn't know who to turn to when her crush on Landry Prince turns into something more serious. A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH Landry has sacrificed everything to protect Mala. A near-death experience changes him forever, and now he, too, possesses supernatural powers he doesn't understand. Mala and Landry must band together to defeat the dark forces- both human and otherworldly- who would use their abilities for evil. Even as they fall for each other, they must prepare to battle for their very souls . . .
It’s been five weeks, two days, and eight hours since the demons forced Quinn to throw herself into the raging river, since Aaron sacrificed himself to save her, since his body disappeared without a trace. Everyone wants her to move on, but Quinn can’t, not after his spirit—or something—appears to her at his memorial, convincing her he’s still alive. When a mysterious box materializes on the very spot Aaron disappeared, Quinn finds she’s at the center of an ancient prophesy of betrayal, revenge, and sacrifice that takes her to the depths of the underworld to face Lilith—Adam’s first wife. If Quinn can stop Lilith from unleashing the demon horde Eve trapped inside the box during the Battle of Eden millennia ago, she will save the human realm and free Aaron from an eternity in torment. All it will cost is her blood.
"In the depths of an ancient and mysterious castle, nestled at the highest point of the dark Cliff, lies a secret hidden for generations. Whispers of the night tell tales of redemption and sacrifice, while a dense fog envelops the dark town of Ostroford, the silent guardian of this enigmatic abode. In the tranquil village, where shadows seem to come to life, the arrival of Elsa, a young woman of light and mystery, will unleash a series of events that will change the destiny of all those who dare to venture into the mysteries of the dark Cliff. William, the owner of the ancestral mansion, lives tormented by secrets that have haunted him since his youth. His wife, Alice, has tried to maintain peace at home, but the shadow of the unknown threatens to shatter their harmony. Meanwhile, Liam, the faithful caretaker, knows more about the dark corners of the mansion than he's willing to reveal. Destiny intertwines strongly when Alexander, the son of William and Alice, finds love in Elsa, whose past is as enigmatic as the castle she now resides in. Emma, the mysterious housekeeper, keeps silent about dark secrets that could change everything, while Wilma, a distant relative, arrives for a visit and seems to have her own interest in the legacy of the dark Cliff. A haunted mirror, living nightmares, and a secret passage to the unknown challenge the sanity of those who dare to confront the enigmas of the castle. Liberation or condemnation, sacrifice and ritual, are key pieces that form a macabre puzzle, whose consequences will affect not only those who reside in the castle but also all of Ostroford. The final battle approaches, and as the thick fog penetrates the heart of the village, redemption seems as distant as it is elusive. But even in the deepest darkness, there is always a light that guides towards a new beginning. Will they unravel the secrets of the dark Cliff and find the hidden legacy that awaits in its depths? Or will the past, like lost memories,
To bring peace and order to a galaxy at war, Jacen Solo will sacrifice anything - or anyone. Now the moment of choice is at hand. Jacen must pass one final test before he can gain the awesome power of a true Sith Lord: he must bring about the death of someone he values dearly. Who will he choose?
Desperate for the Demon’s lair. For a love never meant to be, our bond thrives despite my weakness. I fight for love, knowing more than my own life is at stake. I’ll protect what’s mine with every breath. No matter the cost. *This Dark Omegaverse Romance is not for the faint of heart. If explicit scenes, violence, and D/s themes offend you, please abstain. Proceed with caution.*
Winner, 2022 Children's Literature Association Book Award, given by the Children's Literature Association Winner, 2020 World Fantasy Awards Winner, 2020 British Fantasy Awards, Nonfiction Finalist, Creative Nonfiction IGNYTE Award, given by FIYACON for BIPOC+ in Speculative Fiction Reveals the diversity crisis in children's and young adult media as not only a lack of representation, but a lack of imagination Stories provide portals into other worlds, both real and imagined. The promise of escape draws people from all backgrounds to speculative fiction, but when people of color seek passageways into the fantastic, the doors are often barred. This problem lies not only with children’s publishing, but also with the television and film executives tasked with adapting these stories into a visual world. When characters of color do appear, they are often marginalized or subjected to violence, reinforcing for audiences that not all lives matter. The Dark Fantastic is an engaging and provocative exploration of race in popular youth and young adult speculative fiction. Grounded in her experiences as YA novelist, fanfiction writer, and scholar of education, Thomas considers four black girl protagonists from some of the most popular stories of the early 21st century: Bonnie Bennett from the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, Rue from Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, Gwen from the BBC’s Merlin, and Angelina Johnson from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Analyzing their narratives and audience reactions to them reveals how these characters mirror the violence against black and brown people in our own world. In response, Thomas uncovers and builds upon a tradition of fantasy and radical imagination in Black feminism and Afrofuturism to reveal new possibilities. Through fanfiction and other modes of counter-storytelling, young people of color have reinvisioned fantastic worlds that reflect their own experiences, their own lives. As Thomas powerfully asserts, “we dark girls deserve more, because we are more.”
