Fantasy

On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift -- that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of only two in the world-the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a risky procedure that will either destroy her powers forever - or kill her.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They're demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Acher to do it. But it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

In this young adult fantasy novel, Princess Elise of the Rathlan Empire lost everything when her exiled grandfather came back with a legion of zealots and seized the throne from her mother. Having barely escaped with her life, Elise goes into hiding and over the years befriends other outcasts as she learns the skills she will need to reclaim her birthright from the returned Mad Emperor.

Each of their small band would be killed, or worse, if their true identities were known; from the studious healer witch, to the sneaky trans girl who perpetually lives in shadows and disguises. Still, they are able to keep hidden and safe as they prepare to fight for a better future.

But all that is thrown into peril when a sly young man stumbles into trouble that could get them all noticed by the authorities. If Elise and her small band of allies don't do something very clever, very soon, they could all be exposed and slaughtered just for the crime of being born different in a kingdom that demands purity.

They may have no choice but to confront this threat now, before they're ready, and risk a fiery death from the sky that will consume everyone.

Elise will even have to face the very warrior that slaughtered her father, and decide if she wants vengeance, justice, or if she is strong enough to put aside her own feelings to save a city full of innocents.

Dethroned is the first book in the Renegade Princess series.

Peter J Larrivee is a horror/fantasy author who hails from the Land of Lovecraft. Look for his other books online or at select shops and bookstores around Rhode Island.