M N Jolley

My name is Levi and I swear I didn't kill her. Sure, I was the only person found at the scene of the crime, and maybe her blood was literally on my hands, but I can explain all that. I'm a journalist writing for Kansas City's magical community-it's not that I'm nosey; digging around in other people's business is my job. So when I suspected that a woman had been cursed, it's only natural that I went to learn more. I couldn't have known she'd be dead before I arrived. Seriously, I write headlines about bridge trolls and solstice events, not murder. The Wizard's Council thinks I did it, and I'm going to have a hard time convincing them otherwise. Who are they going to believe, an autistic journalist with a smart mouth and a rap sheet, or the mountain of evidence I left behind when I fled the scene of the crime? I have to solve the murder. The killer is still out there, ready to strike again so long as they aren't caught. To crack the case with the Council on my tail, I'll have to move fast, stay low, and find a way to cover my tracks. If I can't, the real killer will go free, and I'll take the fall. I've been to the Council's prison once and if I go back I know I'll never make it out alive. ... The following work contains depictions of violence, mortal peril, death, police violence, and psychological distress. Reader discretion is advised.

Maggie Cartwright never expected to find herself as a mercenary, never mind one facing an apocalyptic threat the world hasn't seen in living memory. A solitary auto mechanic and a smith by trade, she's more comfortable making blades than using them. Slaying monsters professionally is a difficult, hazardous job that's as likely to end with fangs in your throat as a solid paycheck, even for professionals working in a team. But in the land of the fae, fate doesn't care what she's comfortable with, and for Maggie, the danger of razor claws and ancient magic pales next to the danger posed by her own people's politics. Monsters can kill. Manipulation by the fae can do far more damage. Maggie's talents as a master smith make her valuable, and her former master's legacy makes her a target. With a city on the line and hellish monstrosities digging their way up from the deep, Maggie can't refuse the call to fight, and the battle cannot be won without allies. With the right friends, she could save hundreds of thousands of lives and get paid doing it. But if she can't learn who to trust, she won't be the only one who ends up dead. ... The following work contains depictions of verbal abuse, violence and mortal peril, death, mild gore, and peril to teenagers in a school setting. Reader discretion is advised.

Bladesmith, mechanic, hive queen, godslayer: Maggie Cartwright has a r sum few can match, but nothing could have prepared the elf for her latest role: master to a reckless and overeager apprentice. Their first foray into monster slaying is meant to be a cake walk, a chance to hammer out her student's overconfidence and teach some discipline, but danger rears its head when they discover they're not the only predators hunting in the mountains, and their competition has wings. Faced with an apocalyptic prophecy and an enemy whose strength defies reason, they'll need trust if they want to survive. With only three days before the world's slated to end, it's do or die in a battle against fate itself. ... The following work contains depictions of violence, death, harm to animals, life-changing injuries, parental abuse, and transphobic language. Reader discretion is advised.

Even when I'm not chasing kidnappers, I don't keep normal hours. I'm a journalist; late nights, burnt coffee, and energy potions come with the territory. When I get lost in a story or deep in pre-publication crunch time, I can't quit just because the sun's been down for eight hours. So when my best friend called me well after midnight to say she was being followed, I was already halfway out the door before the call could be hexed. I wasn't fast enough. By the time I arrived she was gone; vanished from within an impenetrable magical ward. Now I'm running out of time to discover who took her and why. There's no time for sleep: The clock is ticking, my leads are thin, and the few confidants I've got aren't playing straight with me. The monsters and thugs scurrying around the city won't make clue gathering any easier. At the start, I was afraid that if I didn't find her fast, she'd wind up dead. Now I know that if I don't get her back in time, her death will just be the start. .... The following work contains depictions of violence and mortal peril, police violence, PTSD, and kidnapping. Reader discretion is advised.

There's a killer on the loose, and he's gunning for wizards. No defense has been able to slow his attacks. Not even the most watchful guard has managed to see their approach. When he kills one of the Thirteen, a decorated veteran whose identity was supposed to be a secret, the crisis is elevated to a state of emergency.David knows he might be the next, but he's not content to hide and wait for things to blow over. Instead, he's going to do whatever he can to find the killer and bring them to justice, even if that means crossing every line to do it.

The war is not over. It never was. The dust has settled, and David is only looking to restore what was taken from him. Laser focused on restoring his magic, though, he is blindsided by the civil unrest that meets him instead.If it's not the bandits destroying lives and families, it's the locals taking matters into their own hands. The new sheriff in town has no intention of enforcing the law or protecting the people, and the unrest of the citizens is a powder keg ready to burn down the whole town.With David's powers taken from him, he has only his fists, his wits, and an inexperienced teenage sorceress at his side. There's a massacre brewing, and if he can't decide who to trust, there will be no chance of survival.

Her only ally is one she's paid for. Her only resource is the magic that makes her a pariah. What Adelyn has in abundance, though, is grit. Raiders took her family for slaves, attacked her home town to steal what paltry wealth they had, and burned their crops for pure spite. Adelyn is resolved to take her loved ones back, no matter what it takes, but crossing the realm alone is no task for a teenage girl. Not even a teenage witch. She needs help. The bounty hunter she hires isn't her first choice, but she's not spoiled for choice and has no choice but to trust him. If that trust is misplaced, she doesn't have a backup plan. If she doesn't come home with her family, she won't come home at all.