Self Published Fantasy Releases – May 2022
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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 May or beyond, let me know by filling out THIS FORM, 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.
1st May – No Gods, Only Monsters by Steve McHughUrban Fantasy
Diana, the Roman Goddess of the hunt, lives alone on the far edge of the Roman Empire. When an old friend arrives looking for help, Diana finds herself thrust back into her old life, and old problems.
With innocent lives caught in the crossfire, Diana realizes that the only way to ensure the safety of her friends and loved ones is to do what she does best: hunt her enemies down.
GoodreadsAmazon3rd May – Sins of the Mother (The War Eternal #4) by Rob J. HayesEpic Fantasy
IN HER DARKLIGHT THE WORLD WILL BURN.
Eskara Helsene is missing. She left her queendom, her friends, her children, even her own name behind. No one has seen the Corpse Queen for a decade.
Someone is murdering Sourcerers, forcing them to reject their magic and opening scars in reality, and monsters from the Other World are pouring through.
When an old acquaintance turns up out of the blue, Eska has no choice but to investigate the murders and the holes in reality. Can she stop the killer before the entire world is consumed? And will the conflict reveal her true nature?
GoodreadsAmazon3rd May – Light Giver (The Chaos Apostles #1) by Mike SladeEpic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Progression/Cultivation
Every generation in the secluded Kingdom of Yanasu, a child is born with the power to heal the very life force coursing through the veins of all living beings.
Now Kaine, an outsider from a distant continent, finds himself at the doorsteps of Yanasu, seeking help and guidance for his newly revealed healing powers. He never expected to become the ward of the ailing High Priest, or to grow close to Na’Serra, a princess coming into her own fantastic abilities.
When a deadly anti-magic cult targets Na’Serra for her developing powers, she and Kaine must quickly work to unlock their own potential and save not only their loved ones, but all the free people of the world.
All the while, a troubling question lingers for Kaine; Was he gifted his powers by the dark otherworldly force that’s been whispering in his ear, or was he born to be a Light Giver?
GoodreadsAmazon3rd May – Griff Driscoll and the Corruption of Essence (The Corruption of Essence #1) by Brandon HarrimanEpic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, YA
Keep the fires lit. Whatever it takes.
As far back as Griff could remember, the people of Cordelia lit torches every night to keep the darkness away, to keep the monsters at bay.
But on the night of his sixteenth birthday, everything changed.
Growing up, he’d believed that the nightstalkers were the only thing he had to fear, but he’d never been told where they’d come from.
After a terrifying confrontation and the awakening of a strange and unexpected ability, Griff is left questioning everything he thought he knew about the world. When he gets an invitation to Bergots Academy for young mages, he can’t help but worry that his nightmares are only just beginning.
The journey to discovery will lead Griff to magical places and mysterious people. It will also lead him to answers he’d wish he had never found …
Goodreads4th May – Blood, Kin, and Curses (Dyson Blake #1) by H.S. PaisleyUrban Fantasy
Dyson Blake lies dying on a subway platform thinking she’ll be just another statistic.
This isn’t how she thought she’d go out.
Fang-deep in some helpless man isn’t how she thought she’d wake up. She didn’t think she’d wake up at all, but here she is, sucking someone’s life out in a cemetery.
No, Dyson’s not dead. She’s not ever going home either. And she cannot control her bloodlust.
Guided through her new life by her maker Sahrias, she soon discovers he has a secret: their shared bloodline carries an ancient curse. Now Dyson must survive a power no vampire should possess and a fatal connection she can’t escape.
Goodreads9th May – To Wield a Plague (Passage to Dawn – Companion) by Derrick SmytheEpic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, YA
There will be no victory here for anyone but those who thirst for blood.
Forced to choose between his mother’s life and his own exile, Dwapek embarks upon a journey wrought with trials no ordinary Renzik could hope to survive. Relics of legend, plagues of old, and monsters of unthinkable dread all collide in this epic fantasy adventure as a weapon capable of destroying an entire people is set to be unleashed.
GoodreadsAmazon10th May – Flame and Crystal Thorns (Fae and Crystal Thorns #1) by Kay L. MoodyEpic Fantasy, YA
She vowed she’d never return to Faerie…
But vows were made to be broken.
As a human girl, Chloe is perfectly happy being back in the mortal realm where she belongs. She’s even become the town apothecary. When a fae from her past shows up begging her to return to Faerie, she utterly refuses.
But then she finds out an angry group of mortals are using iron to hold an entire castle full of fae hostage. And of course, the hostages include Chloe’s older sister and her sister’s beloved.
Reluctantly, Chloe packs a bag for what is supposed to be a short trip to Faerie.
But the mortals are more powerful than she expected. To fuel them, they have weapons, flames, and revenge. They won’t stop until they control every court in Faerie.
With the help of a new and mysterious magic and a too-handsome-for-his-own-good fae companion, Chloe has to save Faerie before her sister and the other fae are killed.
GoodreadsAmazon11th May – Phoenix Rising (The Keeper Chronicles #3) by J.A. AndrewsEpic Fantasy
—Except from Chapter 2 of Interesting Beginnings by Flibbet the Peddler
I wish more of the nudges that shaped history were the gentle kind—the signing of a treaty, the commitment to protect the weak, the spreading of a story that would enlighten minds.
Alas, humans are more prone to stagnate than to change willingly, and so most nudges are given with force and terror and blood.
Most nudges come at the slicing of a blade or the searing of a flame.
The final chapters of Sable’s beginning certainly did.
More blades than I hope to see again, and the fire…
Who could ever forget the fire?
GoodreadsAmazon15th May – An End to Sorrow (The Obsidian Path #3) by Michael R. FletcherEpic Fantasy, Grimdark
THE OBSIDIAN PATH IS IN RUINS
Abandoned by his god and chained in the bilge of Iremaire’s war galley, Khraen has lost everything.
His only friend is dead, his wife beheaded and thrown into the ocean.
In an act of true self-destruction, a shard of Khraen’s heart stalks the islands destroying the others.
His sword calls him home to PalTaq, where it all began.
Only there can Khraen find an end to sorrow.
Beware he who hunts the hunter…
Trapped in a deadly game of cat mouse, Luke and his growing army of werewolf vampire slayers are still a few steps behind the vamps and their vengeful leader, a man Luke once called a friend. This time, they aren’t only facing their fanged immortal enemies, but the very power structure of Portland itself.
Now that the vampires have revealed their plan to take over the leadership of Portland with the help of a subverted police bureau, Luke has nowhere to run as the hunter becomes the hunted…
GoodreadsAmazon18th May – In Shadows of Silver (Rimduum #2) by Ben GreenYA, Sci-Fantasy
It’s been a long winter for Clayson Brightstorm. After months of searching for a solution to his curse, he still cannot sleep restfully in the Loamin world. Nor can he rid himself of a single reoccurring dream—a snapshot from his grandfather’s memories fixated on a dark and haunting mineshaft.
Meanwhile, Rugnus and Andalynn are preoccupied, working feverishly, night and day, to prepare for the StoneYoke Festival. For the first time in centuries, the citizens of Whurrimduum and Tungsten City will gather for an unprecedented celebration of unity.
Despite his restlessness, Clayson agrees to attend the celebration. But as Andalynn begins the opening ceremony, terror strikes the central amphitheater. Unable to budge or access bluelink, millions of Loamin watch horrified as the very preparations for the festival turn against them.
When the dust settles, suspicion falls on Clayson. The council enlists a beautiful and clever paladin to investigate the origin of the attack. Despite the risk, Clayson finds himself drawn to the paladin’s intelligence and mystery. He’ll need to keep his friends and family close—as well as a good shield—for mortal danger is only a dungeon away.
GoodreadsAmazon22nd May – A King’s Radiance by L.R. SchulzEpic Fantasy
The sun’s light shines bright over the land of Zapour, and only a select few can harness its power. But all power comes with a cost, and the world is not kind to those who refuse to pay it.
Raiz Glaive, a strong shine wielder, was born into royalty, though even royals have to answer to someone. When the King-Radiant sends one of his precious underlings to the Kingdom of Trost, Raiz quickly learns who holds the true power in the realm. After his sister is taken prisoner simply for having the violet eyes of a mystic, Raiz swears vengeance. But when an unwilling father stands in his way, Raiz promises to take revenge into his own hands.
Dazen Glaive remains heir to the throne of Trost, and a sworn defender of the King-Radiant, but he has not forgotten what happened to his sister, and will not forgive their cruelty.
Forced to be the centrepiece of her “master’s” twisted human art gallery, Isha remains a prisoner. Though she has not lost hope. Finding friends among fellow captives, she begins to formulate a plan for escape. Though what she discovers has a much more sinister bearing on the fate of all of Zapour.
Goodreads25th May – For the Prince! For the Queen! (The Conflicts #1) by Zachary T. SellersEpic Fantasy
His Majesty is ill, and no one knows how grave.
But matters of state must press on.
All hail Her Majesty to assume her husband’s authority.
But the line of succession is clear …
For over 500 years, the status of the world has gone unchanged. In one year, three events will shatter it. The first happens in the east.
Goodreads25th May – Silvana’s Trial (The Wordmage’s Tales #7) by Astrid V.J.Romance
Silvana, crown princess of Oruna, is faced with a task that most would fail. She is ordered to accompany her mortal enemy, the man who tried to murder her father when she was seven years old. The imperial prince wants to tour her nation and Silvana is the only person of high enough station to do perform this task. Can she do this impossible task to keep her people safe?
On a journey that brings painful memories with every step, Silvana must maintain appearances and keep her secrets safe from the imperial prince. Can she overcome her hate? Or will she succumb to the festering desire for vengeance that is threatening to make her as evil as the imperial prince she despises?
The Sirens taste our weakness.
They crept in through the cracks of our broken desert nation. While we shed our blood warring against foreign men, the Sirens hunt with talons sharp, snaring us with their song, feasting on our flesh. They are the hawks among doves…
My name is Medlar, and I am a true Desert Son. I sacrificed everything to free my people and save our way of life, but it came to nothing.
The war took everything from me. Everything, except my brother.
Now, the foreigners rule my homeland with a cruel fist. My own people betrayed me and I am little more than a dishonored soldier, destined to the executioner’s axe for my crimes.
I have but one chance to redeem myself – defend my enemies against the Sirens. Can I bring myself to protect the very people that murdered my father and burned my home to ash? Or do I let the monstrous creatures devour them as the war did my soul…
For two hundred years, the Centurio Immortalis has battled the forces of darkness…alone.
As a servant of the god Mithras, Lucius’s mission is to protect humankind from the undead creatures that drink the blood of the living and serve the Roman Empire that gave him the training to make that possible. When the Emperor Constantine sends Lucius across the border with the empire’s new allies, the Roxalani Sarmatians to fight the Goths and the dark creatures that drive them out of the north, Luicius gets more than he bargained for.
Marpesia, the leader of the Sarmations, is a force to be reckoned with, and she has her own ideas on how to take down their mutual enemies—and all the skills to breech the walls Lucius has erected around his heart. Outnumbered and far from any reinforcements, the ancient soldier and the fiery warrior must work together to survive in the wilderness of the Carpathian Mountains as they brace for a harsh winter and the ruthless and seemingly infinite Goths.
Will Lucius let duty get in the way of the chance at true love? Or will the heat they generate together keep them warm in the brutally cold mountains?
GoodreadsAmazon31st May – Reign of Shadows (Battleborn Mage #1) by Angel HazeEpic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery
A suicidal mission. A cataclysmic power. A darkness that threatens to consume them all.
Killien is hell-bent on accompanying the Battlemages beyond the Black Wall to satisfy the demands of a battle-weary king, spite the council who thwarts him, and redeem himself from his dark past.
That alone promises to be a perilous mission, one that has killed hundreds of men before him.
But when a Seer predicts the birth of a child that will unite the world or destroy it, and assassins come for Killien and his family, he must do everything in his power to protect those he loves, even if it means giving into the monster he is feared to be.
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