April is almost upon us already and there’s a bunch of traditionally published books coming out that are bound to be top reads… But what about self published books? Well, I’m continuing my blog series of listing up coming self published fantasy releases. As always, this is not a comprehensive list, but only includes all the books I have heard about so far.
If you have a fantasy novel you are self publishing in April, let me know either in the comments, or by emailing me, and I shall add it to the page. There are but 3 requirements:
1) It must be a self published fantasy novel.
2) It must have a Goodreads page.
3) It must have a cover.
27th March – Thorn of the Night Blossoms by J.C. Kang
Half-elf Jie and Lilian appear to be mere courtesans of the Floating World, but they are sisters in a clan of assassins and spies which serves the Emperor. When Lilian’s abusive patron makes the work intolerable, Jie sets out on her own mission-to get Lilian reassigned.
Problem is, Lilian lacks adequate stealth and combat skills, and her patron, admired by all, holds the key to the empire’s stability.
The courtesans have always warred with wits and poetry, but with killers moving within the Floating World and traitors plotting a rebellion, Jie must decide her own loyalty– to the Emperor or her best friend.
29th March – White Light Red Fire by Robert Reid
On the island of Andore, Oien, an old alchemist, knows how to harness the hidden power of a red stone called othium to create weapons of terrible destruction. In the Second Age the stone had fuelled brutal conquest, energised the industrialisation of the world and powered great craft to ravage the planets. Now in the Third Age Oien returns to fulfil his ambition – world domination. He forges an alliance with the tyrant King Dewar to conquer the peaceful land of Bala in order to mine its othium, the first stage in his deadly plan. Only the brave dare resist the might of the Dewar’s forces, and only a power for good, gifted to one man, can hold back the red fire.White Light, Red Fire is a tale of a strong aggressor looking to conquer a smaller nation.
30th March – Catalyst Moon: Storm by Lauren L. Garcia
The mage Kali has uncovered the secret of the thralls: the unseen foes possessing the Aredian people. But Kali must pay a high price for this discovery – her own humanity. Her sentinel lover, Stonewall, is desperate to flee Whitewater City with Kali, but his commanding officer has other plans for him. Meanwhile, a grieving Eris plans to free the final few mages trapped in the Whitewater City bastion, but first she must gather her allies and fortify her spirit to face the coming storm.
1st April – The Jalakh Bow (The Weapons Takers Saga #3) by Jamie Edmundson
The weapon takers have bought themselves some time to complete their quest. But when their enemies return, they will find that they have become more ruthless and more terrifying than ever.
In the steppe lands of the far north, Soren must seek out the bow of the Jalakh tribes. In Kalinth, Belwynn must face a mysterious evil disguised as a friend. And in the high mountains of his Krykker homeland, Rabigar must learn a bitter lesson: nowhere is safe.
1st April – Blood Relic (Paranormal Peacekeepers #3) by Lucretia Stanhope
When a string of dead witches points to the illegal practice of making relics that eternally drip with magic blood, Alice is called to go deep into the vampire underground. The mission plants her as the lead on a military targeting squad, serving a branch of the PPK she despises. To reject the task means the blood of witches on her hands. To succeed means her and Amarok will never be simple ambassadors again – if they ever were.
With her and Amarok one step closer to serving the military division of the PPK, she finds comfort in her new, albeit temporary, partnership with the vampire Matthias. While balancing their own evolving relationship, Matthias prepares her for what she will see in the blood dens.
Once she steps into the seedy world where ruthless vampires pay to play with magic blood it is quickly clear that everyone underestimated the vampires’ cravings. Can the power she keeps hidden from her keepers save her life without changing it into a life of service not worth living?
2nd April – Merkabah Rider: The Mensch With No Name by Edward M. Erdelac
A Hasidic gunslinger tracks the renegade teacher who betrayed his mystic Jewish order of astral travelers to the Great Old Ones across the demon haunted American Southwest of 1880.
In the acclaimed second volume, four sequential novellas continue the weird career of THE MERKABAH RIDER:
In THE INFERNAL NAPOLEON, The Rider and a young traveling strongman rally a group of cowboys in a showdown with a gang of half-demon outlaws in a remote desert town.
In THE DAMNED DINGUS, The Rider is robbed of his mystic Volcanic pistol and teams up with the infamous Doc Holliday to track down the thief, but must contend with a strange, invisible menace.
In THE OUTLAW GODS, a group of Apache recruits The Rider to combat a two hundred year old menace plaguing their tribe, and bring him face to face with the mind bending horror of The Great Old Ones.
Finally, at the edge of death, The Rider descends into Hell itself to confront the Adversary Lucifer and learn the full scope of his master Adon’s betrayal. But can there be any return from THE PANDAEMONIUM RIDE?
2nd April – Wardens of Issalia (Box Set) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
Everson is an awkward, disabled teen who dreams of a better tomorrow. Blessed with a brilliant mind, he melds magic and science in ways never before seen. His greatest discovery could liberate him and change the world… or, it could destroy everything.
Quinn is Everson’s overprotective sister. Although average in every way, Quinn’s fiery spirit and relentless determination fuel her desire to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Trained as an espion, she finds herself alone and in the heart of an enemy stronghold. If only she knew whom she could trust.
Brandt, the second son of a king, is a prankster who lacks a sense of purpose. When he joins the wardens, he is forged into something more, leveraging his fearless nature and his skill with magic. Will his courage be enough when the fate of thousands hangs in the balance?
Cassie is Brandt’s twin sister and his coconspirator until things go too far. She joins the wardens and discovers magic abilities unlike anyone has ever seen. What new ability will she discover next?
Puri is the premier archer among her people. She joins the wardens to train as a ranger but soon finds herself on missions rife with danger. How many will die if she fails?
Curan, the son of a renowned warrior, joins the wardens with dreams of making his father proud. Blessed with strength and quickness, he trains to fight while augmented by magic, able to slay enemy soldiers as if they were children. Can he overcome the ghosts of those who die by his sword?
2nd April – Uncanny Collateral (Valkyrie Collection #1) by Brian McClellan
Alek Fitz is a reaper, a collection agent who works for the supernatural elements of the world, tracking down debtors and solving problems for clients as diverse as the Lords of Hell, vampires, Haitian loa, and goblins. He’s even worked for the Tooth Fairy on occasion. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, Alek is the best in the game. As a literal slave to his job, he doesn’t have a choice.
When Death comes looking for someone to track down a thief, Alek is flung into a mess of vengeful undead, supernatural bureaucracy, and a fledgling imp war. As the consequences of failure become dire, he has few leads, and the clock is ticking. Only with the help of his friend Maggie—an ancient djinn with a complex past—can he hope to recover the stolen property, save the world, and just maybe wring a favor out of the Great Constant himself.
It’s a hell of a job, but somebody’s got to do it . . .
5th April – Djin Tamer: Rivals (Bronze League #2) by Derek Alan Siddoway
Let the rivalries begin.
If Jackson Hunt ever wants to become a champion monster tamer, he’s got a long road ahead of him. And he’s not the only one with dreams of glory
As a new season of the Djinn Battle League fast approaches, Jackson prepares to enter training camp — a grueling series of tests to discover talented new tamers. The rules are simple: if you’re not the best, you go home.
For a young man who lives to battle, going home isn’t an option. There’s only one problem — Jackson isn’t so sure he deserves to be there in the first place. With competition heating up, Jackson’s bond with his Djinn will be tested to their limits. But no matter how much he trains, if his new monsters won’t work together, he won’t stand a chance.
The fighting will be intense. The rivalries, fierce. At the end of the road, the chance of a lifetime awaits. Against friends and foes both old and new, can Jackson prove he’s worthy of a shot at the big leagues?
8th April – From Legend (The Reeve #1) by Ian Lewis
Sober, serious, and driven, Logan Hale is the highest peace officer in Beldenridge, and he knows his city better than anyone: the labyrinthine streets, the vaulted architecture, and all the dark corners where tales of mutations and a vicious enemy still linger like hushed secrets. Logan is quick to dismiss these accounts as part of a storied past with which he’d rather not contend, but when a suicide investigation leads him to believe there’s something more sinister at hand, he questions whether that near-forgotten lore isn’t the stuff of legend after all.
9th April – The City Screams by Phil Williams
Tova’s getting her hearing back. She’s going to wish she wasn’t.
Alone in Tokyo for experimental ear surgery, Tova Nokes is finally shaking up her life. But when she starts to hear things she shouldn’t, all she wants is to make it home alive.
There’s a voice saying it’s where she comes from that makes her special.
If she can only survive violent stalkers, and the terrible screams, she might figure out why…
9th April – Kingshold AUDIOBOOK (The Wildfire Cycle #1) by D.P. Woolliscroft
Mareth is a bard, a serial under achiever, a professional drunk, and general disappointment to his father. Despite this, Mareth has one thing going for him. He can smell opportunity. The King is dead and an election for the new Lord Protector has been called. If he plays his cards right, if he can sing a story that will put the right person in that chair, his future fame and drinking money is all but assured. But, alas, it turns out Mareth has a conscience after all.
Neenahwi is the daughter to Jyuth, the ancient wizard who founded the Kingdom of Edland and she is not happy. It’s not just that her father was the one who killed the King, or that he didn’t tell her about his plans. She’s not happy because her father is leaving, slinking off into retirement and now she has to clean up his mess.
Alana is a servant at the palace and the unfortunate soul to draw the short straw to attend to Jyuth. Alana knows that intelligence and curiosity aren’t valued in someone of her station, but sometimes she can’t help herself and so finds herself drawn into the Wizard’s schemes, and worst of all, coming up with her own plans.
Chance brings this unlikely band together to battle through civil unrest, assassinations, political machinations, pirates and monsters, all for a common cause that they know, deep down, has no chance of succeeding – bringing hope to the people of Kingshold.
12th April – The Keeper Chronicles (Box Set) by J.A. Andrews
Do some choices change us too much for us to ever change back?
There was a time when Alaric was a Keeper, one of the men entrusted with counseling the queen, protecting the people’s histories and ancient stories, and working magic in defense of the land. But in a desperate attempt to save his dying wife, he has sacrificed it all— abandoning his duties, betraying his deepest beliefs and falling ever deeper into darkness. So far, he has done nothing but fail, and his wife’s time is growing short.
Now, haunted by his past, Alaric has found one last chance at a cure, hidden in a magical Wellstone buried a century ago. With the help of a handful of quirky companions, the stone—and the cure—are finally within his grasp. But he’s not the only one searching for the Wellstone.
His quest grows more perilous as he discovers that his companions are harboring dangerous secrets their own. It becomes almost impossible when he unearths rumors of a gathering shadow threatening the land—whispering of the return of a dark lord, thought to be defeated. To face this enemy, and have any chance of saving his wife, Alaric needs to be the Keeper he used to be, not the broken man he has become.
Can he put the failures and pain of his past behind him to stand against the approaching threat? Or, in the face of all the growing shadows, will it be the darkness within himself that destroys everything?
15th April – Legends of the Exiles by Jesse Teller
The isolated barbarians of Neather have deep ancestry and strict traditions. Four resilient women defy tribal customs as they fight to overcome their own tragedies. Abuse. Addiction. Assault. Grief. What struggles can they endure to defend their hopes and their hearts?
Helena seeks a love as bold as she, yet finds the men of her village lacking.
Jocelyn fears her strange visions and sacrifices a life with the man she loves for the one her destiny demands.
Torn apart by abuse and grief, Ellen is a brilliant woman who must focus her intellect on finding reasons to persevere.
Rachel, a brash girl of noble heritage, dares all men to challenge her and longs for one who will.
15th April – The Angel of the Grave by Richard Writhen
BECOME THE FIRE
An intelligent little girl encounters a talented witch at the local fair and finds out that it’s all in the family.
Interconnected by dreams, two young orphans embark on the long path to find a bloody revenge.
A wealthy lady travels hundreds of miles to become a baroness, but when she consults a diviner, she finds out that she may be in way over her head.
16th April – Ascension of Death (Heirs of Destiny #5) by Andy Peloquin
Surrounded and trapped, no help in sight. The end of their mission…or the path to destiny?
Shalandra has fallen. Monsters of legend have risen from their graves to claim the City of the Dead.
Kodyn and Evren have only one hope of stopping the evil Iron Warlord: break into the holiest, most secure stronghold in the city and steal ancient relics imbued with world-shattering magics.
Issa joins the ranks of Shalandra’s elite warriors in a desperate clash against the nightmare hordes flooding the streets and slaughtering every man, woman, and child.
Aisha will face her greatest challenge yet, harnessing her mystical abilities to not only turn the tide of battle, but stop the prophesied Final Destruction.
In the epic struggle to save their city, these young heroes will give their all to win the impossible battle—one that could decide the fate of the world!
19th April – Daxton (5th Compass #1) by E.L. Drayton
21st April – Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer by James Jakins
Jack Bloodfist is an orc that has been known to fix things. Now he’s working for anyone willing to sign a check.
When he’s not handling security for a werewolf pack’s monthly meeting he’s helping a dwarf find a stolen magic spear.
But sometimes a thief isn’t really a thief. Sometimes they’re a preacher’s wife who also happens to be a powerful necromancer with even more powerful friends: Rogue demons, extra-planar monsters, and the obligatory zombies.
From small Southern towns, to an elf king’s court, to the rooftops of New York City, Jack’s gonna have to call in every favor he has if he wants to make it out the other end in one piece.
23rd April – Fate’s Star by Elizabeth Vaughan
Five years before the events in Warprize and Destiny’s Star…
Her family dead, her home destroyed, all she has left are her wits and her songs…
When the flames of civil war rage across the Kingdom of Palins, Warna of Farentell has no choice but to flee to the neighboring Barony of Tassinic. The daughter of a wealthy merchant, raised to run a noble house in the hope of a good marriage, she watches her future burn with the rest of her homeland.
Elven Lord of a human Barony, betrayed and attacked by those he thought to trust…
Verice of Tassinic has suffered the wounds of war, knowing loss and betrayal at the hands of those he trusted most. He buries himself in work and duty, behind emotional walls as high as those of his castle, rather than risk more pain. While dealing with a kingdom in political and economic turmoil, he “rescues” Warna only to discover that the helpless human woman is anything but. Before he knows it, she is deep within the defenses of his heart, forcing him to confront his grief, his distrust, and the scars of his past…and maybe even steal his heart in the process.
30th April – Fireweaver (Sunweaver #2) by Ryan W. Mueller
Deril, Rella, Kadin, and Faina worked together to stop Halarik’s return. But that was only the beginning. Now, more than ever, they must find a way to unite Sunweavers and Fireweavers. Firelord Atarin seeks another way to bring Halarik back. But even he doesn’t know the truth about the world.
There was a war between the gods, but it wasn’t the war everyone has learned about. To keep the dying sun alive, Deril and the others must navigate a web of lies and deceit and brave the Realm of Shade, a home to terrible monsters and powerful gods that Deril and the others didn’t even know about.
If they fail in their mission, the sun may never return to its former glory.
Hi Rob,
Have just sent you an e-mail – my new (first) historical fantasy “White Light Red Fire” has recently been self published. Would be much appreciated if you could add to your list here. I have sent details in an e-mail.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19011729.Robert_Reid
Best Regards
Bob Reid