Hello friend. Happy Friday! Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Lucy McLaren, author of the fantasy series, The Commune’s Curse, and someone who has contributed two very fun articles to the blog over the years: the Benefits of Counselling for Protagonists and NaNoWriMo. Featuring a variety of genres, here are 5 books for your consideration. As always, learn about Lucy’s book at the end of her recommendations. Let’s dive in! 🙂
Welcome back to Armed with A Book, Lucy! Please tell me and my readers about yourself!
Hi Kriti! Thanks for having me. I’m Lucy A. McLaren, a dark fantasy author and lifelong fantasy fan (be that books, films, games, you name it!). I’m currently working on The Commune’s Curse series (Awakening is out now, and Book 2 – The Mad Man’s Hope – releases in October), alongside a standalone gothic fantasy, Echoes of the Etherstone, which will release in 2025.
When not writing (or reading), I’m trying to wrangle my 3-year-old into doing what I tell him (ha!), spending time with my husband, counselling (my “real” job), or trying to fit in some gaming/TV. I also love going out for walks and taking photos of nature.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
Good question! I used to read mainly big publishers. But I’ve certainly shifted across to indie books, ever since I became an indie author myself. So I’d say it’s not about 70% indie, 30% big publisher. There are so many amazing authors out there, we’re doing ourselves a disservice if we ignore indie writers. Here are just some of the fantastic indie books I’ve read recently…Â
Lucy’s Indie Recommendations
A Midflight Vampire’s Tale by Linda Ling
Urban Fantasy, 2024
Part of a Series (Book 1)Â
“And so at last, you reveal what it is you want from me. My story. The answer is no.”
“I’ve saved your life twice by now. You owe me, and you can’t run from me here.”
There are some things you can’t escape.
In a first-class aircraft cabin, on a red-eye flight from Singapore to Europe, sit two extraordinary passengers. They’re on the run. And they’re both vampires.
Cheng’s origins reach back to ancient China, while Henry is a vampire who can thrive in the day. For all intents and purposes, they are enemies.
Despite the chasm that separates them, they share a tragic connection rooted in the past, a connection which resulted in her becoming his people’s most dreaded adversary.
A chain of events has thrown them together and in return for saving her life, Henry wants her story.
What did Cheng do to make his people hate her so much?
How far will she go to redeem herself?
How many people will she entangle in the process?
And who is hunting them both?
The is the tale of her origins, told in midflight, vampire to vampire.
This is an excellent, intriguing tale about a war between vampires (true bloods and hybrids). But what makes the story so interesting is main character Cheng, an ancient hybrid vampire whose strength and reputation see her revered and reviled by those around her. In this first part of the series, we learn about Cheng’s past and present and come to understand how she became a vampire, and what caused her to move from true blood hunter to saviour. Ling does a fantastic job of making us care for Cheng, and gives us a rich supporting cast too. What always draws me to a story, though, is rich character writing, and Ling’s character writing is top notch. We slowly learn more about Cheng as the story unfolds, learning about her history and about how she became a vampire. There are elements of love, betrayal and heartbreak, and I found myself really caring about her. I can’t wait for book 2!
AVA by Lydia Baker
Dystopian Sci-fi , 2022
Standalone (for now, I know Baker plans a potential series)
First, they came for the city and we allowed it, they put up the Barrier and we stayed quiet, silenced by the fear of what was beyond. Our elderly were next and still we didn’t cry out; then they came for the women, removed their fertility and stole our future, so I hid. I became Alec and I turned my back on my true self, Ava.
Ava can’t live as Alec any longer, the lie is killing her, destroying all that she is.
The world beyond MTech’s Barrier calls to her and she can’t ignore it. She has to know what, if anything, survived the terrible day that tore her family apart fourteen years ago.
But what if the Outside is far more dangerous than anything Ava has ever faced on the Inside?
Ava is set in a dystopian future, where individual rights are being eroded and the population live under a dome barrier that they have been told is for their protection. But, what is outside? Is escape possible and even if it is, will it be a death sentence?
I thoroughly enjoyed AVA, which started out as a dystopian world controlled by government mechs and contained within a walled city, but became… more than that! That’s literally only the first chunk of the story, and then things took a turn which I did not expect in the second half of the book. It was a pleasant surprise to find that society outside of the wall wasn’t what Ava expected them to be and that, actually, the grass isn’t always greener. I won’t spoil it any more than that. I’m not usually a sci-fi reader but this kept me hooked—even if Ava didn’t always make the best decisions, I was rooting for her. More generally, Baker has a great way of writing compelling, interesting characters, of putting them in difficult situations, and in taking the reader along for the ride!Â
The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies
Epic Fantasy, 2021
The Cruel Gods # 1
When the saints fail, the sinners step up.
Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.
Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.
To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.
For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.
This is a brilliant book. Cross Final Fantasy with His Dark Materials and you’ll have an idea of some of the elements at play here. Skies has created a vivid world in Chime and the twelve domains, and brings them to life with a number of different races (twelve races for 12 gods), each with their own unique abilities. I was drawn in my this well realised society, as well as the colourful, flawed and realistic characters within. On the surface, Chime seems like a well-functioning society, but one of the views we read from is Kayl—a member of the Godless who are fighting against the strict rules and laws imposed by the gods and their wardens. On the other side, we see Quen’s perspective—a warden who believes firmly in the order of things, although of course not all is as it seems…
Tales from Beyond the Veil by E.B. Hunter
Horror, 2023
StandaloneÂ
Eight twisted tales as told by the victims of the supernatural.
Includes three previously published works, and two top stories on Vocal Media.
Come with me if you dare.
Hunter has a gift for creating tense, creepy atmospheres very quickly. I love these stories for that reason. His storytelling style is interesting, intriguing, and immersive, creating compelling tales for the readers, the plots of which I was never able to predict—to me, the sign of a horror writer not relying on cliché to tell his stories. Each story creates a sense of horror and suspense in their own way, with stories that focus, ultimately, on some deeply human fears, and those are always the most fascinating to me. My favourite is probably Everglades—as a parent, this was a hard read, especially as I wasn’t sure how it would end; and then, reaching the end, I realised there was only one way it could ever have ended. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. Overall, I highly recommend this short story collection.
The Assassin of Grins and Secrets by K.E. Andrews
Fantasy, 2021
Grinning Assassin #1
Once the infamous assassin who killed with a smile, Serein now waits for death in the fighting pits of the Harpy’s Chest. When the crown prince of Sarddon, Rameses al-Amirmoez, seeks her out with an offer of freedom if she serves as his guard, she must decide whether to work for those who ravaged her homeland or die.
Rameses wants to believe that the war his father started was justified, but he has heard rumors and seen a cruelty in his father that causes him to question everything he’s been told. To find answers, he needs Serein.
Uriah Stormheir, Captain of the Oyon’s city guard, finds himself caught between his duty to the crown and his friendship with Rameses. His distrust for Rameses’ new guard runs deep. As Uriah wrestles with guilt from his past, he must work alongside the dangerous assassin whose true motives are hidden underneath her scars and dark grins.
In a land of hot sands and dying magic, Serein plays the game of secrets with Uriah and Rameses, knowing one wrong step could end her life. As the shadows of her past catch up with her, she has to choose between pursuing vengeance and protecting a secret only she knows.
This is an excellently written book. K.E. Andrews has mastered the “snarky/sassy assassin who doesn’t like people but secretly has a lot of pain and love in her heart” with Serein. I’ve found this is a hard trope to balance in other books I’ve read along similar lines, but I really connected with Serein and cared about her story. She is witty and not afraid to speak her mind. She is clever and utilises her skills at every possible moment, constantly analysing those around her to try and work out who she can trust (if anyone)—for reasons that become very clear, given her past. I also enjoyed the banter between her and Uriah, and how their relationship developed throughout the story. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series. Andrews has a compelling writing style, with excellent worldbuilding and interesting characters.Â
Lucy’s Book Spotlight
Awakening
Dark Fantasy, 2022
The Kingdom of Septima is ruled in all but name by the Commune, a ruthless cult that seeks control of an ancient power that has taken root in unsuspecting children in Septima. To maintain their hold on the kingdom, the Commune will stop at nothing to capture children who show signs of this power, to be weaponised or eliminated.
18-year-old Evelyn Folksman is in hiding. Taken in by a tavern-owner, she is haunted by the horrific events that drove her from her home years before. Evelyn is forced to face her past when two wayward children, Raif and Rose Huntsman, arrive at the tavern, pursued by Commune soldiers. The children fall under Evelyn’s reluctant care as the trio narrowly escape a raid.
Relentlessly hunted by Commander Jonah Sulemon and Commune agent Lord Eirik Torrant, Evelyn and Raif cannot fathom why they pose such a threat to the Commune, until six-year-old Rose unwittingly reveals a terrible secret: she possesses powers more fearsome than any the Commune has unearthed in decades. There are only two options: to be captured and imprisoned, or to run for the rest of their lives.
Reviews for Awakening
By A.M. Portman
Stay up to date with Book 2 in The Commune’s Curse series (coming October 2024), and sign up to my newsletter (receive a free short story!) here: https://lucyamclarenauthor.wordpress.com
Read an excerpt from Awakening and check out my conversation with Lucy about The Mad Man’s Hope.
Thanks for hanging out with us today! 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!
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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