Urban Fantasy Magic

Perfect for fans of George Saunders, Karen Russell, Neil Gaiman, and Aimee Bender, Magic for Beginners is an exquisite, dreamlike dispatch from a virtuoso storyteller who can do seemingly anything. Kelly Link reconstructs modern life through an intoxicating prism, conjuring up unforgettable worlds with humor and humanity. These stories are at once ingenious and deeply moving. They leave the listener astonished and exhilarated.

Lexi Jardine may be a thief, but she's not stupid. When a crooked fireshaper wants her to steal a ring from the boss of his order, she knows it's a one-way ticket to sleeping with the fishes. Her answer is to drop off the face of the earth. Safely hidden in a quiet seaside town, she just needs to keep her head down and pretend to be a regular human. Since her only magical ability is the power to control animals, that should be easy, right?

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life - no easy task for a 17-year-old who's pretty sure things can't get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

The smallest of creatures often carry the sharpest of stings. Lydia Chapman is just such a vampire. Her small stature hides a mighty wit, a razor-edged tongue, and an implacable protector of the only natural-born vampire in existence. Here is the back story of the snarkiest hero on Team Gordon/Demidova, told in her own words, just for fans of the Demon Accords. Go ahead and underestimate her ... it'll be fun.

After a brief visit to the Blighted Lands in hopes of recovering something useful from Shadye's Dark Fortress, Emily returns to Whitehall for her fourth year, bracing herself for the exams that will determine her future. But as she resumes her education, she discovers that the shadows of the past are hanging over the school. A teacher wants to break her, some of her friends are acting oddly, and, worst of all, a boy intends to court her.

Fortysomething Annette Osmund always knew she was psychic. She's not, but that didn't stop her from giving those nonexistent abilities her all. What she is, however, is a very powerful witch who has just inherited magics she never dreamed possible. Starting over in a new town with her BFF has been an adventure. Defiance's status as a powerful type of witch called a charmling has kept Annette busy. But while Deph, a seeker, is still learning to use her magics, to control the power at her fingertips, Annette is overcome with powers of her own.

Demon patrol officer Ella Grey was pronounced dead after an accident on the job, but 18 minutes later she woke up on a gurney bound for the morgue. With no explanation for her mysterious resurrection, she just wants to get back to life as usual. But she didn't return to the living alone. The soul of a reaper followed her back from the grave, and it's not just along for the ride. It's taking over her body and mind, trying to use her to continue its morbid work.

Gehenna isn’t on Google Maps, and there’s no Angel Annihilation for Dummies. To Miriam Feldman, list lover extraordinaire, this is an irritating oversight. It’s fine. She’s got this mission under control. Sure, her instructions are vague, and her team is trigger-happy, but she’s got plenty of motivation to carry them to victory. Vengeance counts, right? Plus, if ridding the world of celestial menaces doesn’t top up Miri’s karmic bank, then stopping a vampire contagion will definitely earn her some good will.

Alisa has spent the past five thousand years as a vampire, living alone and fighting for survival. In her loneliness, Alisa cannot resist bringing Teria, a descendant of her human family, into her life. But Alisa is surrounded by death and destruction, and just by knowing Alisa, Teri's life is at risk. Alisa's guilt grows when she becomes involved in a dangerous conspiracy. A top-secret group knows Alisa's secret and will stop at nothing to use her powers for their cause.

Sophia is finally getting control over her magic. Which is great, because if she takes any more time off work, she and her sister will be out on the street. Being a mercenary keeps her off the Council's radar, so she really doesn't want to get fired. A big job comes her way, and the pay is enough to keep her afloat the rest of her life. Except her client is Liam Pierce, her boyfriend's father and an important member of the Council that wants all Fireborn like her dead or in prison.

Sophia Sinclair has hit rock bottom. Her biggest fear has been realized: She's been thrown in the Black Citadel for being a Fireborn. Except she's not a Fireborn - and for once, that's a problem. With her powers gone, it's only a matter of time until the Council of Magic sets her free. But is she truly free without her powers? She may have despised the target her gift painted on her back, but it was still hers. Who is she without it? As if an identity crisis wasn't bad enough, one of Sophia's friends goes missing, leaving behind a ruined, blood-stained house.

She owns a magical bakery and has the greatest friends, so why isn’t Cassie enjoying life as much as she thought she would? It could be because her daughter is miserable and plotting ways to go back to Georgia to live with her dad. Or it could be because she’s working so hard she can’t enjoy the fruits of her labor, let alone find time to connect with her kid. There’s also the magic. Between the pre-teen drama and the bakery, she’s barely had time to come to grips with being a witch, forget about mastering her growing magical powers.

Ghosts from Lizard's past - and the man who wants to be her future. The empty places in Elsie's soul - and the temptations of raspberry-laced courage. Walk once more with Jennie's students as they come to the end of their WitchLight journeys.

Katie Chandler is back in New York and just in time to help Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. with the latest crisis. A magical crime wave is sweeping the city and wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks the chaos-causing spells look awfully familiar - like something his arch-rival Phelan Idris would create. When Idris' rogue firm Spellworks starts selling amulets to protect against these spells, Owen's suspicions are confirmed. While Owen and the other wizards scramble to unravel the wicked spells, it's Katie's job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight the battle of public perception.

When Conrad meets a strange girl while practicing for the Arcane University entrance exam, she takes him through a crack in the world and into a mysterious realm called the Glimmer. Conrad's parents are seeking help from the Glimmer Queen so they can once again rule the Overworld. The Glimmer holds secrets so ancient, they predate even the First Seraphim War, and a great power that could grant Conrad's parents immortality. If Conrad can't find a way to convince the Glimmer Queen to help his parents, evil will once again rule the Overworld.

Conrad Edison is cursed. His foster parents die in horrible ways around his birthday, and he ends up back at the orphanage where he and the other children are treated like indentured servants. When a man with the ability to mind control animals inexplicably tries to kill Conrad, the harrowing scrape with death gives him a new perspective on life. Determined to elude his cursed fate, Conrad decides to escape the orphanage once and for all. The phone leads him to a magical place called Queens Gate, and for the first time in his life, he dares to hope for a better life.

I'm losing control. Past choices are coming back to haunt me, and an old curse threatens to drive me from the pack. Sky is the only person who can help me with the curse. To do so, she'll have to perform forbidden magic that will draw the attention of the witches. They've been vying for a reason to kill Sky, and performing forbidden magic will give them one. In the past, I haven't given Sky a reason to trust me, let alone the desire to save me. Now I need her to do both. Will she risk her life to save mine?

Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon - just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there. But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.

I'm a mage. Problem is, it might kill me. In London, I have my dream job: stacking books in a university library. Even though I'm a mage, I have a quiet life these days. At least, until Levi shows up. Immediately, I know he's trouble. He's too sexy, and I can tell he's dangerous. Worse, he wants a forbidden book in my library. No way in hell am I going to give it to him. It's my job to protect it. But now, Levi won't let it go. And it turns out, he's not the only person who wants the book. All of a sudden, enemies are closing in on me, trying to get the book.

If Paige isn’t careful, her new job could land her in an early grave. Paige Turner’s zero-balance bank account demands she take on a new job, but she never expected it would be as Shadow Harbor’s newest librarian. Now the unlucky orphan is learning it’s not books she’ll be shelving…but magic. Dark, dangerous, deadly magic. Her new position requires she keep the supernatural subworld at bay while retrieving and archiving magical artifacts from around the globe. If she fails, the world may just be doomed…but even trying could get her killed.