Recommendations based on "Temple of Swoon"

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position.What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen – and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favour.Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive – even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent and creator of the Grishaverse comes a bewitching novel set in the Spanish Golden Age, brimming with peril and dark deeds.

Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua’s College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.For more from S.T. Gibson, check out A Dowry of Blood.

'Dreamy prose, characters so vibrant they breathe on the page, a romance that smoulders, and a spellbinding world to get lost in. Prepare to meet your next obsession' Rebecca Ross, author of Divine Rivals ***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!*** From New York Times and multi-million-copy bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy phenomenon: a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one devilishly handsome knight whose future is beyond her sight. Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams. Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god. Praise for The Knight and the Moth: 'The Knight and the Moth delivers pure joy: gargoyles! gods! girls in armour! alongside a serious examination of faith, fealty, and the powers they serve. It's a fairy tale with bruised knuckles, perfectly balanced between the mythic and the desperately human. Simply stunning' Alix E. Harrow, author of Starling House 'Haunting, elegant and lovely, The Knight and the Moth is that rare fantasy gem: both a thrilling quest and an exquisite love story' Tasha Suri, award-winning author of The Burning Kingdoms trilogy 'With the headiness of dreams and the darkness of haunted abbeys, The Knight and the Moth is dazzlingly transportive tale of love, salvation, and freedom that cements Gillig as one of the finest fantasy writers of our age. You will never want to surface from these enchanting, depthless waters' Ava Reid, author of A Study in Drowning 'I'm obsessed with Rachel Gillig. The Knight and the Moth is achingly romantic, richly imagined, and told with a gossamer delicacy that keeps the pages flying' Hannah Whitten, author of The Foxglove King 'A gothic, romantic fairy tale that feels like falling into a dark, strange dream - one you won't want to wake from. Gillig has done it again - I'm obsessed' Amélie Wen Zhao, author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night 'Brimming with beguiling prose, and a dangerous magical world, The Knight and the Moth sparkles with wit and a slow burn romance that left me breathless and impatient for the next instalment' Isabel Ibañez, author of What the River Knows 'The Knight and the Moth is a lavender-drenched dream. Readers won't be able to put down this adventurous, dark gem of a book' Kalie Cassidy, author of In the Veins of the Drowning

"Good Spirits is an absolute knockout. A new Borison book feels like coming home in the best way. She's truly in a league of her own." -- Hannah Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker The USA Today bestselling author of Business Casual, B.K. Borison is back with a whimsical new holiday romance--this time with a magical twist--that will have everyone falling in love with the Ghost of Christmas Past. He's the Ghost of Christmas Past. She's not exactly Scrooge. Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other--get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he's faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he's ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future. Harriet York has no idea why she's being haunted. She's a good person--or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what's expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together-- and realize there might be more to moving on than expected. With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other's pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection? Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm, this swoony romance is B.K. Borison's best yet!

*****THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***** ''The fantasy novel that every fantasy reader has been waiting for'' Jay Kristoff ''Long Live Evil is a glorious, swoon-worthy villain romance. What a delicious read'' Tasha Suri A TALE FOR ANYONE WHO''S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN... When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series. She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He''s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she''s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor''s tale. So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they''re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor''s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page. This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain''s shoes, for an adventure that is both ''brilliant'' (Holly Black) and ''supremely satisfying'' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue''s gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a charmingly homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation. ***** ''Audacious, and supremely satisfying, Long Live Evil is the chosen one we''ve been waiting for. It succeeds as both a brilliant meditation on the pleasures and perils of fiction, and a sweeping, romantic adventure in its own right. Get ready to laugh out loud, cry in public, and cheer on the villains as Brennan smashes through tropes with witty, wild glee in this delicious, subversive treat of a book'' Leigh Bardugo ''The compulsion Brennan casts over her readers is unholy. Not only could I not put Long Live Evil down, I barely remembered to blink. It was so immersive that when I finished I put my face in my pillow and screamed in actual devastation at being kicked out of the story. Utterly magical'' Shelley Parker-Chan ''Sarah Rees Brennan''s charms are unmatched. Her books makes you feel as if you''re in on the joke and always invited on the most fantastic and romantic adventure'' Rainbow Rowell ''Long Live Evil is the huge-hearted and whip-smart epic fantasy of my dreams. I went in laughing and came out crying, and so will you. I''m obsessed'' Alix E. Harrow ''Brennan''s brilliant Long Live Evil harnesses clever banter, delightful turns of phrase, and epic worldbuilding in the service of exploring the nature of stories and the freedom that comes with embracing being named a villain - and maybe actually becoming one. Most of all, it introduces us to Rae, who uses her quick-thinking, loyalty, and ferocity to sidestep (and do the occasional musical number around) doom'' Holly Black ''Utterly brilliant. I can''t stop thinking about Long Live Evil, which has rocketed to the top of my list of all time favourite fantasy novels. Pick this up immediately, Brennan will take everything you think you know about fantasy and turn it on its head'' C.S. Pacat ''A wild joyride . . . surprisingly poignant but also made me laugh until people looked at me on the train'' Everina Maxwell ''Brennan is one of the sharpest fantasy authors writing today, and Long Live Evil layers laugh-out-loud comedy and swoony romance over an emotional core of powerful anger and loss. I loved it'' Emily Tesh ''Laugh out loud, heartfelt and searing in the same breath. Simultaneously a send-up and a tribute to the tropes, fandom and power of fantasy, Long Live Evil is a romp that leaves you asking: are we all the villains in someone else''s narrative?'' Eliza Chan ''A defiant shout of a book, so entertaining and funny that you almost don''t notice its devastating, razor-sharp heart until it''s smiling sweetly into your face while it withdraws the knife'' Freya Marske ''Brennen has gifted us with a romp of a book that honours the epic tropes we all secretly (or not so secretly) love. Long Live Evil is perfect for savvy readers who know that the villain is always the best character'' Megan Bannen ''Long Live Evil is truly one of the most inventive fantasy books I''ve ever read. I can''t decide what I liked best: the witty banter, the genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, or the clever wordplay. The good news is that I don''t have to pick, and it all worked together seamlessly. If you''re looking for a fresh voice in fantasy that twists your favourite tropes into new brand-new favourites, then run, don''t walk to your nearest bookstore. Long live evil, indeed'' Nisha J. Tuli *A No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, as reported in the hardback fiction charts on Sunday 25th August 2024.

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA KIRKUS BEST BOOKA USA TODAY BESTSELLERA NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER“A bone-chilling standalone . . . which fuses Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Gripping worldbuilding, well-rounded characters, and fantastic horror.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Unsettling and intriguing.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.#1 New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab weaves a dark and original tale about the place where the world meets its shadow, and the young woman beckoned by both sides. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this stand-alone novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman.Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, stand-alone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert, and Garth Nixwill quickly lose themselves in this novel with crossover appeal for all ages.

A funny and heartwarming debut romance about two exes forced to reunite when a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island.Piper Adams is totally, one hundred percent, completely over Wyatt, the former love of her life. After he broke her heart, she stopped taking risks and focused instead on building a perfect—and perfectly safe—life. Bumping into him at the airport on the way to her best friend’s destination wedding wasn’t part of the plan. Neither was a canceled flight nor Wyatt’s offer of a ride on the tiny plane he’s flying to attend the same wedding. Desperate to make it on time she accepts his offer, but things go from awkward to full-blown nightmare when their plane crashes in the Caribbean, stranding Piper on a deserted island with the last person she ever wanted to see again.At first, rule-following Piper clashes with adventure-driven Wyatt, but as the days tick by, she begrudgingly admits that the boy she once knew has grown into a man. A man who makes her laugh, knows his way around a fire, and is annoyingly hot shirtless. As the chemistry still simmering between them boils over, Piper begins wishing Wyatt could be more than just a survival partner. But for their love to survive a second chance, she’ll have to not only trust Wyatt again, but also learn to trust herself and find the courage to let go of her carefully curated life for the chance at something far greater—if they survive the island long enough for rescue.

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 USA TODAY BESTSELLERIn the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man…King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time—in bed and out—and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she'll choose him instead?

"The heart is a battlefield. War has raged for a decade in Lir, and orphaned soldier Talasyn has learned to keep her powers hidden to survive. As the last known Lightweaver on the continent, she can create radiant weapons that cut through the invading Shadowforged warriors' dark magic. But all that changes when she is forced to reveal her abilities on the battlefield to defend herself from the Shadowforged prince himself, Alaric Ossinast. In a clash of light and dark, their magic combines to create a new force the likes of which has never been seen. This rare power could be the key to saving many lives-if Talasyn and Alaric don't destroy each other first. Pushed together into a fraught political engagement, the two adversaries find themselves pawns in a much bigger game between conflicting nations. Neither is pleased by the arrangement, but when a new threat emerges, necessity forces the pair to confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion-one that could save their world, or end it. An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer"--

Kingdom of the Feared