Hello friend. Happy Friday! Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Jamie Jackson and she shares her favorite indie reads. Her spotlight book is Fear and Fury, the first book in a Urban Fantasy series inspired by Greek mythology. Learn more about it at the end of the post. 🙂
Jamie, welcome to Armed with A Book! Please tell me and my readers about yourself!
Hi, I’m Jamie and I’m an indie author. I live with my husband, our three feral children and two badly behaved dogs. When I’m not writing I’m reading or spending too much time watching TV.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
At this point I’m primarily reading indie books, I would say about 75% to 25%, but most of the big publisher books I’ve picked up lately have been for research purposes or just to learn more out of curiosity.
Jamie’s Indie Recommendations
The Eighth Warning by Sam Odiorne
Post-apocalyptic
Published 2021
Standalone
A gripping post-apocalyptic adventure in a reclaimed-by-nature world.
Goodreads and IndieStoryGeekÂ
Let me just start off by saying the synopsis available for this book doesn’t even begin to cover it. It is excellent from beginning to end. The female characters are capable, and truly strong both in personality and skill set. The main character is obviously far out of his depth, and realizes it. It’s also far more than just your regular post-apocalyptic where you meet the characters while everyone is still struggling to survive. The characters in this story have put their world back together, established territories, they have rules, laws, cultures. There’s no rampant lawlessness, although there is caution in their day to day lives. It’s fast paced, the writing itself is tight, none of the story drags, it’s absolutely the kind that will keep you glued to the page with the need to know what happens next. In the end this book left me speechless. I basically devoured it in a day and was left wanting more.
Will appeal to lovers of fantasy and post-apocalyptic stories.
The Old Love and the New by Alistair Caradec
Dystopian, LGBT, Queer
Published 2021
Standalone
Twenty-five years after the infection started spreading across Britain and Ireland, most people have stopped asking questions. Nobody seems to care anymore what happened to the women in the provisional quarantine centres.
Sid doesn’t have the headspace to care. Since receiving a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder at age nineteen, he has stuck to a strict regimen of routine, low expectations, and tuning out the world.
When his best friend brings home the first woman either of them has seen since the epidemic, Sid has to push back the boundaries he set for his own safety and face outwards for the first time.
You need to read this book. The writing is superb, the thoughts and emotions it evokes is just, there is grief, there is hope, there’s love and despair. Do yourself a favor, and read this book. I really can’t say enough good things about it. As a character Sid is so complex, you can’t but help want things to turn out well for him, even as he’s struggling. He’s the kind of person you want to be able to sit down with a cup of tea, a blanket and a hug. The ending left me in tears, and to be honest, I wasn’t entirely expecting it because of course you hope all the characters are going to end up coming out unscathed, and that doesn’t happen. It’s the kind of book that will just stick with you for years to come. I truly hope that the author comes out with other books because he’s on my auto-buy list.
This book will appeal to readers who want a story that will rip their heart out and stomp on it.
Beautiful Undone by Melissa PolkÂ
Fantasy, Romance, Queer, LGBT, Retelling
Published 2023
Standalone
It’s been nearly ten years since Quade last heard from Victor, his childhood friend and eventual lover. Resigned to a life of work and drudgery, the last thing Quade could have anticipated was an ominous summons from Victor to attend him at his home, Suriyel. With little thought to the consequences of his actions, Quade makes immediate plans to leave the city. After all, no matter the time or distance between them, Quade could never deny Victor anything.
Victor, a powerful and reclusive mage, is now the Lord of Suriyel. With all the years he’s spent hiding from the world, he’s no longer able to imagine a life outside the boundaries of his lands. His every moment is devoted to untangling the curse wrapped around his sister, compounding her already failing health.
Unbeknownst to the world at large, the tarn at Suriyel acts as a gateway to myriad alternate worlds. That gateway has been breached by Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry duke from another dimension–a duke who happens to be Victor’s mirror image and seeks to control more than just his own world. All that stands between Suriyel and Tristan is Victor’s magic. Without knowing the full extent of Tristan’s goals, Victor is desperate to find a way to save both his world and his sister.
For Tristan, no act is too depraved and no step too far. He will stop at nothing to see his mysterious plans through to the end.
Goodreads and IndieStoryGeekÂ
This story has haunted me like the fever dream this book is, just excellently written, and Uriel is my favorite character. Yes, the cat is my favorite character. Although Quade and Victor were close runner ups. Quade is a total cinnamon roll, Victor obviously has a lot of pent up guilt over the years, and all he wants to do is protect Quade and his sister. And in a way you kind of feel for Tristan over the course of the story, because he’s also someone who has experienced loss. I’m glad this one ended with an HEA though, because I would’ve been mad otherwise. I would say that pacing of this book may be a bit slower, but it very much suits the writing style and the story itself. It definitely isn’t one that can be rushed, and it shouldn’t be rushed. Finishing the book felt very much like that moment where you drag yourself awake, just a total book hangover and very much worth it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romantasy/fantasy romance/romantic fantasy.
Rebirth by Azshure Raine
Romantic Fantasy/Fantasy Romance
Published 2023
First in Zodiac Series
Time is something we all have too much of and too little. Our world turns at the mercy of the clock. Gaea is one of those worlds. The world has been reset Twelve times.
Zodiac Book One is a romantic fantasy novel with “Final Fantasy” level storytelling. It tells the tale of the Gaea’s thirteenth cycle through multiple POVs, energetic prose, and deep world-building.
If Titans, Zodiac, Star-Crossed lovers, and villains you love to hate are your thing, then grab an apple, pick up a copy, and may Fate smile upon you.
Threads of gold, ancient and dangerous, pull them together; a bond neither can deny. Jase Raion receives an unexpected assignment—locate and retrieve a girl he was certain was dead. Expecting nothing, he goes to Brighton—a port town on the island of Aria—and finds her.
The girl who escaped the fall of Aria.
The girl who bears the symbol of Eternity.
The girl whose blood the Titan of Time thirsts for.
Liya Fairaway, the Princess of Aria, and his target. The moment he sees her, he knows she is not safe, from the Zodiac meant to protect her, the Titan of Time, nor his father—the King of Chall.
If you’ve been looking for a book that reads like an anime, this is the book for you. It’s basically a mash-up of Final Fantasy, the Wild West and the French Revolution with gods and the ability to manipulate time involved. You want a book with a completely unexpected ending that will you have shouting at the author, you’ve got to pick this one up. I may or may not have thrown it when I got to that point. And the story builds up to it so well, there was nowhere else it could possibly have gone. The author didn’t shy away from it either. Some of the things the villains do are just so vicious and I am completely here for it.
I would recommend this book to those who love anime, and wanted their Final Fantasy to have some romance in it.
Ladybirds by R. Raeta
Paranormal Romance
Published 2022
Standalone
Miracles don’t come free and words are binding…
His miracles have a cursed edge, but he’s not the villain Sara expected. Still, she’s not exactly thrilled about being stuck with a centuries old ghost with a flair for the dramatic and a nasty habit of pushing her buttons just for the fun of it. With his penchant for boredom—and the fact that she’s the only one able to see and hear him—he’s about as common as her shadow and as welcome as mold.
Even if he is pretty handy in her British Literature class.
A story of Faustian bargains, a lot of pride, and a helping of prejudice.
Goodreads and IndieStoryGeekÂ
So I can start off by saying I truly enjoyed this romance, and it is the second book by this author that I’ve read, both are incredibly well done. The author is a pro at plucking at the heartstrings, there are so many moments where you’ll find yourself trying to swallow past a lump in your throat. The relationships between the characters are well developed, there’s no lack of chemistry between the two main characters, the story never drags, and I would say that this author has the gift of compulsive readability. You have to know what happens in the book and you will not want to put it down until you’ve finished it. She’s also an author with a gift for the language, everything about it feels well crafted and thought out. Gorgeously written enemies to lovers story, cannot recommend this book enough. No seriously, LOVED IT. Go read it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Jamie’s Book Spotlight
Fear and Fury
Adventures of a Villain-Leaning Humanoid #1
Urban Fantasy/Superhero/Greek mythology retelling
Published 2021
Meet Megaera, Meg for short. She’s like Deadpool, except for funner.
For a girl with the power of fear the recruitment attempts from both sides are never-ending. A self-described not-a-hero, villain-leaning humanoid, Meg just wants to live her life, work her dead-end job and have everyone else (especially the heroes) leave her alone. But when a bigger fish who can turn superpowers back on their users enters the picture and threatens the person Meg loves the most (herself), she must turn to the last group of people she would admit she needs help from.
Forced to team up with the heroes she despises (but won’t murder, because let’s face it, orange is not the new black), Meg will have to face the choices from her past that she won’t get therapy for. Self-centered, snarky, sarcastic and a little bit dramatic, she’s going to have to save the world, even if that wasn’t her intention. And try not to get shot in the process. Because that shit hurts.
Readers who prefer their characters in various shades of morally grey, are fans of Deadpool and Elle Woods would enjoy this book.
Did you add any books to your TBR today based on this post or did you see any you have already read? Tell us in the comments!
Thanks for hanging out with us today! Find Jamie on Goodreads, Twitter, Threads (@villainleaning), Instagram (@villainleaning), Bluesky and TikTok (@villainleaning).
If you are an indie or small press author who is an avid reader and wants to be featured, connect with me social media or express your interest through my contact form. This is a fantastic way to bring attention to fellow indie authors as well as your own book. 🙂
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