Occult Fantasy

From astronauts in deep space to the ghosts of the Civil War, New York Times best-selling author Alethea Kontis creates worlds of wonder and delight, of weirdness and despair, of whimsy and darkness. Here are 20 stories and poems that will transport you to the magical dangerous worlds you've always known should exist, but have never quite been able to find.

Only very special people are chosen by children's author Laura White to join 'The Society', an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back. Now a 10th member has been selected: Ella, literature teacher and possessor of beautifully curving lips. But soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual, 'The Game'? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura's winter party, in a whirlwind of snow? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves?

Of all the things aspiring artist Haven Marbury expected to find while clearing out her late father's remote seaside house, Bedtime Stories for Monsters was not on the list. This secret handwritten manuscript is disturbingly different from his Pulitzer-winning works: its interweaving short stories crawl with horrific monsters and enigmatic humans that exist somewhere between this world and the next. The stories unsettle but also entice Haven, practically compelling her to illustrate them while she stays in the house that her father warned her was haunted.

After being transferred to another world, Athanasios has become the Dungeon Core of the most powerful Vampire Castle the world has ever seen. As his team of sexy monster girls help him rise to power, something evil awakens inside the depths of the castle’s dungeon, and if the former Vampire Queen’s powerful seal wasn’t enough to stop it, what can Athanasios do to control it?

One of Canada’s most acclaimed horror writers, Gemma Files presents a mosaic of interconnected stories about interconnected families. After fleeing Scotland, five clans settled in the fictional town of Dourvale in northern Ontario. Known as the Five-Family Coven, they are the descendants of witches and witch-children, none of whom were spared persecution in their native country. Now shamans, spellcasters, singers, and thieves, the members of the Devize, Druir, Glouwer, Roke, and Rusk families survive by trading their occult powers and talents.

Aleksandr Sokolovky is ready to die. Born into a legacy of blood and violence, trapped with his sadistic family in a sun-scorched desert town, he yearns for a freedom he can never have. Scare Street is proud to present the complete Wrath and Vengeance trilogy. Three spine-tingling novels of supernatural horror, plus exclusive bonus short stories from series author Sara Clancy.

An unsuspecting carnival is about to get a dose of serial killer magic. After two successful completed objectives, our not-so-friendly Spirit Core finds himself in an unexpected location. Instead of “haunting” a house and killing the residents inside using their own fear against them, the intangible entity ends up arriving at his new objective floating above a traveling carnival, of all places.

After Del Larouche defeats the Gris-gris man, she struggles to find her place in the adult world. She just wants a normal life. But her horrible "gift" means her life will never be normal. When six-year-old Clara goes missing from the St. Augustine Orphanage - the third child in two weeks - a frantic search begins and Del agrees to use her gift to help find the girl. As the dark layers of New Orleans are peeled back, a terrible truth is exposed. What she finds lurking in the shadows of the old city is unimaginable. But it’s what the lurking shadows find…that is truly deadly.

Once there were hundreds of members of the Oversight, the brave souls who guard the borders between the mundane and the magic. Now there are only five. When a vagabond brings a screaming girl to the Oversight's London headquarters, she could answer their hopes for new recruit, or she could be the instrument of their downfall.

New witch Samantha Sinclair is in over her head. There isn't a healer alive who can teach her how to use her magical gifts. When she unearths an ancient grimoire that belonged to a magical practitioner from the lost colony at Roanoke, she decides not to look gift cougars in the mouth. But the more she reads, the more Sam realizes that the similarities between herself and the long-dead healer aren't mere coincidence. It's like she's reading about her life. One son who became alpha. Check. Two dominant shifters vying for her attention. Check. A lost community never to be heard from again? Uh oh.

It is 1666, the year of the beast, seen by many as the moment the devil will appear on Earth. Science is in ascendance, crowding out other systems of thought. The ancient art of alchemy is in retreat.

November 1963. Cade and Anja have lived in hiding for a decade, training new mages. Then the assassination of President John F. Kennedy triggers a series of murders whose victims are all magicians - with Cade, Anja, and their allies as its prime targets. Their only hope of survival: learning how to fight back against the sinister cabal known as the Shadow Commission.

In late 15th century England, two young princes are given over by Merlin to the protection of their uncle, King Richard III. They soon vanish from sight, igniting tales of their demise at Richard’s hand and breeding unrest throughout the land. Nathanial Garrett, also known as Hellequin, is sent to London to decipher fact from rumor and uncovers a plot to replace the king. But his investigation quickly becomes personal when he learns that an old nemesis is involved.

Magical break-ins abound...The two nearby stores owned by supernaturals are broken into. The Fix ‘n’ Find, my store, is not. What I have instead are suspicious magical handprints on the front windows. Combine that with a weird set of glasses that let the wearer see every type of magic and we have a serious conundrum. Luckily, my ex-fiancé Violetta, is a powerful witch and willing to help me figure out what could possibly be going on. Find out what some magical items and good old-fashioned spell work can uncover in the Spectacle Stealing Supernatural.

Rachel was relieved that Peter had lost interest in the antique shop after his last trip. She thought that now, perhaps, they could keep the place out of their minds and get on with their lives. But it was not to be. Dreams about a medieval nun were plaguing them both, and it seemed the shop itself was calling to them. They would know no peace until they had discovered what it wanted.

Narrated by some of the leading voice actors of today, Stoker’s short stories are dark, twisted and of course hugely entertaining. Simon Templeman plays Dracula, with all the expertise and finesse one would expect from such a lauded performer, whilst Claudia Christian is the mysterious Thief. TV’s sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, masterfully narrates vampire hunter Van Helsing’s stories, whilst Terry Molloy takes the part of Renfield. Jessica Martin completes the line-up as Mina Harker.

There is no light at the end of some tunnels.... The New York subway system has:656 miles of track... 468 stations... 31 thousand turnstiles... and 1.64 BILLION fares yearly.

For six of those fares, the trip is going to be one they will never forget.

Six strangers will board a subway. But this subway is unlike the others.

This subway doesn't take you where you want or where you need. It takes you where you fear.

This subway...is Darkbound.

Werewolves, vampires, witches, voodoo, Elvis - and weddings An "ordinary" wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories.

Here are 23 terrifying tales, dark reflections of the silver screen from both sides of the camera. James Dean gets a second chance at life and death. The Wicked Witch is out of Oz, and she's made some very unlucky friends. When God decides reality needs an editor, what and who gets cut?

Peter Warlock is a magician with a dark secret. Every night, he amazes audiences at his private theater in New York, where he performs feats that boggle the imagination. But his day job is just a cover for his otherworldly pursuits: Peter is a member of an underground group of psychics who gaze into the future to help prevent crimes. No one, not even his live-in girlfriend, knows the truth about Peter - until the séance when he foresees an unspeakable act of violence that will devastate the city.