Showing results for "The Holiday" in Fantasy

Question: What sort of idiot installs his mistress in his wife's house? Especially when that mistress is Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, Queen of Egypt and the most notorious woman of her time? Answer: Julius Caesar—poised to become King of Rome. Or as good as. Question: At this potentially sensitive point in your political manoeuvrings, who are the last people you'd want crashing through the door, observing, recording, documenting ...? I think we all know the answer to that one.

I am Bennua. It’s the holiday season... my favorite time of year. I want to rectify the mistake that nearly cost me my Raider Prince, and forget all the death we’ve experienced this year. I desire to celebrate with peace, love, and presents, instead of confronting my deepest nightmares. There’s just one problem: my husband hates the holidays.

Tyler Cooper is the town sheriff and, in the past, had been the only person keeping Holiday steady. Though the community is now finding out that its town is magical, Tyler has always known it - it's in his blood. He has always known his fate of becoming a cupid, and striking love into the hearts others, but an enemy from his past is set on keeping him from finding his own destiny - and love.

Jackson Cooper hates magic. Even though his brothers are falling prey to the seductive draw of the paranormal world, Jackson wants nothing to do with it. He also wants nothing to do with marriage, babies, and all that comes with it. He's content with being the stoic, but quiet, Uncle Jacks. But when a woman from his past, one he's been dodging for years, comes back to town, Jackson might have to reevaluate his plans.

Death used to be simple. For centuries, Slate has done his job—gently collecting souls and guiding them to whatever comes next. But in a future where the wealthy can upload their consciousness into synthetic bodies, souls no longer come whole. What’s left behind are frightened fragments—echoes of humanity trapped between worlds. Now Death himself is running out of time. As the number of true deaths dwindles, Slate and his eager apprentice Flicker struggle to survive in a universe where even Death has quotas.

Spring has sprung, and I'm finally getting out of town with my monster-hunting boyfriend. However, our cozy little rental cabin in the woods turns out to have a serious problem—an angry leprechaun infestation. Before we can get back to our romantic rendezvous, we have to prove we didn't steal a magic hat. Piece of cake, right?

Fitzwilliam Darcy’s well-ordered life is about to become a chaotic nightmare. A man of fortune, property, and social prominence, he has everything he could desire. Blissfully married to his wife, Elizabeth, they have a two-year-old son. With so much to live for, Darcy is shaken by a near-fatal riding accident. After a miraculous escape, he is visited by an otherworldly being: an angel of death named Graham. Threatening dire consequences, Graham compels Darcy to guide him on a sojourn in the world of mortals.

All I want is a perfect Christmas with great food, amazing friends and the love of my life by my side. The tree is decorated, the feast (cooked by a hearth witch!) is ready, and Connor’s home is buzzing with festive cheer. This year I can feel it: Christmas magic is within my reach.

Elmer Robbins loved decorating for every holiday with his wife, Mary, by going all out with décor at their cozy little house as well as filling his office with holiday cheer. But when his beloved Mary passed away unexpectedly the year before, it was difficult for Elmer to summon the same sort of enthusiasm in decorating for all of the holidays without her beside him.

When Argyle invites his best friend, Simon Kerrigan, home for the Christmas holidays, he wants to save Simon from staying at Guilder Boarding School on his own. Simon comes along and doesn't expect to find much more excitement in the tiny Scottish town where Argyle's family lives. Until he meets Beth, Argyle's older sister. She's beautiful, brash and clearly interested in him.

One kiss under the mistletoe and now I’m hooked. I can’t get him out of my head… and I think I might like it. Convincing my pride to have a holiday celebration was supposed to be a fun way to bring everyone together. But my plan went awry when my younger pride mate convinced everyone I needed a kiss. I hadn’t expected Ash to volunteer. And I certainly hadn’t expected him to kiss me on the lips and… linger.

Kate King presents Book 2.5 in the Enchanted Legacies series.

Hugo Award-winning editor, and horror legend Ellen Datlow presents a terrifying and chilling horror anthology of original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, and many more. This anthology of all-new stories invites you to huddle around the fire and revel in the unholy, the dangerous, the horrific aspects of a time when families and friends come together—for better and for worse.

Top toy designer Star Clearwater is convinced that Christmas is cursed. What's supposed to be her hard-earned vacation turns into chaos when her mother lures her to the North Pole only for all spell to break loose at her arrival. A heinous hex threatens the entire toy production inside Santa's Toy Workshop, putting millions of children's wishes in jeopardy. If her mother - who reports directly to Mrs. Claus - can't get things under control, Christmas won't be the only thing getting canned.

Several years have passed since the war with the djevels ended, the reality they'd infested was destroyed, and their king killed. But that left Sean and the lions faced with another problem: the million or so djevels currently in the world that needed to be hunted down and killed. Part of the solution was to fence in the biggest area that was infested to stop them from spreading any further, while teams began hunting down the ones that had escaped. It's not an easy job, but it's a lot easier than the previous one by far.

Originally appeared in the print anthology The Bite Before Christmas. 'Tis the season to join Cat and Bones for some holiday cheer in this Night Huntress novella by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost. They were looking forward to a normal holiday—at least as...

Welcome to Cackleshore Academy… When reluctant witch Nell Clayton packed her bags and escaped her family’s magical boarding school all those years ago, she had no intention of ever returning. But when a hex sends the life she’s worked hard to build for herself up in flames, she’s forced...

In this holiday romance with an enchanting twist, a magic-averse witch returns home to save her small town’s beloved winter festival in time for the holidays with the help of her estranged coven and distractingly handsome childhood rival. Rowan Midwinter has sworn off magic after a spell gone...

Carol and Mercy are preparing the inn for the summer solstice when they get a phone call from none other than Mrs. Claus, telling them some VIP guests will be arriving at the inn. Namely, the representatives of other holidays, including the Easter Bunny and Cupid, who will bring them a much-needed publicity boost. Unfortunately, their new guests also bring a flood of holiday-themed chaos. With the Easter Bunny demanding to be served fresh cabbage leaves every few hours and Cupid's arrows wreaking havoc among the staff, Carol finds her own potential love life on hold.

Queen Lauriel hoards wealth and persecutes anyone with magic. She even cancels the Midwinter Glee festival, claiming that it wastes the Crown's money. But one cold night, the Wild Hunt rides across the sky, led by three majestic Fae. They've been called to teach the Queen a lesson, and if she can't learn it by their deadline, her throne won't be the only thing she'll lose.