Monster Fiction

When Tom's big brother decides to become an Evil Scientist, his first experiment involves dunking Frankie the goldfish into toxic green gunk. Tom knows that there is only one thing to do: Zap the fish with a battery and bring him back to life! But there's something weird about the new Frankie. He's now a Big Fat Zombie Goldfish with hypnotic powers... and he's out for revenge!

The dragon has come to claim his mafia wife, but I already belong to a knight. My shadow. The bodyguard whose world revolves around me. After ten years of the same routine, I discover that I'm not the woman I thought I was. I'm a killer. The daughter of a fierce god. As danger strikes, the three of us find that hate can become lust and enemies can become lovers. Our destiny has been written, and we are determined to change it—even if it means a battle against those who would rather see us stay apart.

For Chris Mason, working construction at the pinnacle of New York's skyline feels like being on top of the world—until that world is shattered when an otherworldly portal transforms Manhattan into a deadly fantasy realm. Chosen as a "salvager" by a mysterious System that has plagued humanity throughout history, Chris must now scavenge the ruins of his city for materials to craft weapons, armor, and shelter while the city continues to transform around him.

When Jerry follows the trail of his missing uncle, he discovers a mysterious monster-girl and an equally mysterious region called Delom where everything works like a video game. But there isn't time to gawk, because Jerry's inherited his uncle's farm, once the most famous animal breeder in Delom, and everything is falling apart. The animals are low level, there's not enough food to keep their health up, and a greedy developer wants to put Jerry and the farm out of business.

Kai is the hardest working warrior in his generation... and the unluckiest. In a world where most people receive magical skills, classes, or cultivation, Kai has nothing but his wits and his strength. His only choice will be to forge a new path against fate, no matter where it takes him. Savage monsters pour endlessly from the wasteland, threatening the survival of civilization itself. They say that human strength isn't enough and only those gifted with destined powers have a chance of making a difference. Kai is hungry to fight in that war, to be someone who matters.

AN INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER She knows the taste of death. He’ll stoke her hunger for it. Sarai doesn’t know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a...

When Steve's friends, Max, Lucy, and Henry, get their hands on a map with the location of the legendary Mine Mountain, Steve questions if the map is a fake. Going to this fabled mountain, rumored to contain an endless supply of diamonds, is every treasure hunter's dream. Many believe the mountain doesn't exist, and although Steve is doubtful about the map's authenticity, the gang convinces Steve and Kyra to embark on a journey to find this magical mountain.

Elise was always made fun of for her big ears and buck teeth. She tried her best to overcome the mockery, only to work herself to death and wake up as... a big-eared, buck-toothed rabbit. Now, with nothing but an almost worthless System Assistant to help her, she needs to survive in a world full of magic and monsters. On top of all that, for some reason she's been given the ominous [Mark of Fate] skill. She has no idea what it does, but things keep happening to her, most of them unpleasant.

Dana's not big on egg hunts. But that was before he found The Egg. It's not like a normal egg. It's about the size of a softball. It's covered with ugly blue and purple veins.

Ryker Hayes is a licensed massage therapist, and a damn good one at that. It's a career he's passionate about, and all his plans for life are on track—until he winds up transported to the world of Werifesteria in the body of an infamous warlord, at least. Now all he really wants to do is forget the misdeeds of his alter ego and retire to a life of anonymity with a couple interesting women as his new partners. Together, they open the very first massage inn and spa in all the land, and take on all the responsibilities that come with it. Turns out, it's a lot of work!

The fourth in the Faithful and the Fallen series from John Gwynne, an epic fantasy perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson and David Gemmell. Events are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has taken control of the fortress at...

One hot chocolate crisis at a holiday dinner party, an unforgettable mistletoe kiss, and suddenly, I'm falling for one of the hottest goalies in the NMHL. Ehrokk is a sweet orc with hard muscles, a soft heart, and the kind of submissive eyes that draw me right in. As a vampire, I've been alive for centuries, but there's something about him that calls to me. After a New Year's Eve that changes us both, we wonder if we're fated to be together. But we lead such different lives that we aren't sure we can make it work. Can we give true love a shot?

Jack Wilder’s a big animal vet, a wildlife wrangler, and a man with a huge heart. His passions take him through Asia, Africa, and all points in between to rescue endangered species or heal creatures who’d be happy to repay the favor with a fanged bite. His life gets an unexpected upgrade when he’s brought to Navishala, a fantasy world of mountains, high-altitude forests, and more sentient species than you can shake a sword at. It’s a world that needs someone who can wrangle dragonkin, rescue trapped pegasus foals, or save the odd cattle ranch from a monster rampage.

The suspense is bone-chilling when you realize the monsters are real . . . Miles away from the hectic city, Reed and Rebecca hike into the beautiful Northwester woods. They are surrounded by gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, and hundreds of acres of unspoiled wilderness. During their first night...

Somewhere in the toxic Bone Pits, where mechanical nightmares roam, an emaciated and wounded young wolf clings to life. Wracked with pain, driven by instinct, it crawls across the subterranean landscape, avoiding the unnatural horrors that dwell there and seeking sustenance while fending off rats, insects, and other vermin stalking it as prey.

Nine-year-old Tony loves ghosts and horror stories, but when he's left home alone one night, he gets quite the fright as Rudolph the little vampire flies in the window! After a rough start, Rudolph stops trying to bite Tony and the two become fast friends. Tony even visits the little vampire's family vault in the graveyard where he narrowly escapes the clutches of Rudolph's fearsome Great-Aunt Dorothy.

"Perfect deadpan marks the opening of Ali Simpson’s The Monster'" writes Susan Merrell of The Southampton Review in her introduction to this issue of Recommended Reading.

For 200 years, monsters have terrorized the wilds. The only thing keeping humanity safe: Monster Tamers. Orphaned during a wild monster attack when he was young, Dirk has always wanted to join the Monster Tamer Academy. Becoming a Tamer involves bonding with a monster to unlock one’s access to magic. As a Tamer raises their bond, both the Tamer and their monster grow stronger.

I thought I was done with romance, until a certain pompous elf reappeared in my life at the illustrious Monster Ball. A little teasing led to bruised lips and captured hearts. No one wants Jhaeros and me to be together, not even my favorite sister, Melarue. But she's a teenager just coming into her elemental powers and discovering boys - the wrong kind - the type I want to shoot arrows through.

It takes a survivor to know a madman. When the police need to crawl inside the mind of a monster, they call Caroline. As a child, Caroline was abducted along with her twin sister. Caroline escaped. Her sister didn’t...But there’s something different about her latest case. Something familiar. Teenage girls are being murdered, their organs removed. As the scope of horror widens, Caroline begins to experience blackouts of lost time and disturbing hallucinations that are leading her to one terrible, impossible conclusion.