Softer Than Velvet Stronger Than Steel

If truth is suppressed, can liberty survive? The Scripture is fairly clear: And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. An angry teenager, A.J. Franklin, battles doubt and confusion, trying to reconnect with his secure childhood. His sister and others try to help him overcome past hurts, at times to no avail. Oh, right, forgiveness! Sure, just like that! Forget it ever happened! No, A.J., I didnt say forget! Searching for the essence of liberty while sifting through societal erosion, A.J. wrestles with the tenets of bondage and liberty. Voices, past and present, tug at his innermost being. Only when he is completely yielded is he able to discern between the two, allowing him to choose the one that sweeps him toward his date with destiny.

In a world inspired by karma, three teens encounter magnificent beasts, unforgiving magic, and epic battles in this propulsive and wholly original young adult fantasy. “Evocative of Sanderson, Pullman, and Fullmetal Alchemist, yet at the same time shockingly original.” —Rosaria Munda, author of Fireborne Aina’s world is governed by Toranic Law, a force that segregates people into upper and lower realms. It’s said that if the sinful lowers commit themselves to kindness and charity, their souls will lighten, allowing them into the peaceful upper realms. But Aina, one of the few lowers to ever ascend, just wants to go back home. Aina is desperate to reunite with her mother, hoping she’s survived the beasts and wars of her homeland alone. After failing to weigh down her soul with petty crimes, Aina joins a rebel group defying the authorities and bringing aid to those condemned to a life of suffering in the lower realms. Alongside Aina are two new recruits: Meizan, a ruthless fighter trying to save his clan from extinction, and Aranel, a spoiled noble spying for the powers that be. Before long, the rebels find themselves in the middle of a brewing war. On one side, a violent king of a lower realm is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the authorities of the upper realms will do anything to stay on top. Now the young rebels must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law—but the universe itself. Fans of epic, propulsive fantasies like Six of Crows and innovative world-building like Avatar: The Last Airbender will delight in A. A. Vora's ambitious, unmissable debut.

A breed of werewolf soldiers engineered to kill on command, The Shadow Reapers went rogue at the end of the Civil War. Now, exacting justice by their own code, they long to feel human as they contain the beast within… Ever since his cousin Adelaide disappeared, Cole Cameron has been searching for her—and for Isaiah Jones, whom he blames for her kidnapping, after a hellacious fight in town involving—if the stories of drunken saloon goers were to be believed—men who changed into wolves. Being a practical man, Cole doesn’t believe it. Then he is rescued from a pack of strangely intelligent wolves by none other than his quarry, Isaiah, who brings him to a hidden valley where the Shadow Reapers have settled, where he is reunited with Adelaide—and where he finds the beautiful Miranda. Miranda was once a captive of the enemy pack of Rogues. Now a werewolf herself, all she wants is to protect her daughter and try to forget the husband she lost. But Cole’s not about to give up the greatest desire he’s ever felt in his life. And he’s vowed to make Miranda his—no matter what stands in his way…

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker you don’t want to cross—especially if you’re one of the undead… For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo’s not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane. But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires and makes their masters easy prey. Now, to uncover the identity of the vamp who wants Leo’s territory, and to find the cause of the vamp-plague, Jane will have to go to extremes…and maybe even to war.

Includes music.