C Gockel Writes

Featured Fantasy: Warden’s Justice (Trials of the Aegis) by Aaron Hodges

by

Featured Fantasy: Warden's Justice (Trials of the Aegis) by Aaron Hodges

FREE as of February 14, 2026
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Apple, Nook, Kobo, GooglePlay

☆☆☆☆☆ – “It’s way past my bedtime, but I couldn’t put this book down. I want to learn more about everything. The plot is great, the characters are engaging, the pace is fast, and the frustration is perfect.” – MWH

The Magisterium will not be challenged.
They do not want you thinking for yourself.
Otherwise, you might realise there are questions they cannot answer.

Kaila Dwyn only ever dreamed of becoming a Warden, a protector of her people. So when she discovers an intruder in her village stealing precious agimet crystals, she does what any loyal subject of the Magisterium would do—she tries to stop him. But as the pair wrestle for control of the crystal, something awakens in Kaila. Something powerful. Something forbidden. Magic.

Now Kaila finds herself hunted by the very heroes she once worshipped. Nothing is as the Magisterium taught her to believe, and pursued by a monstrosity of iron and magic, Kaila must unlock her hidden powers if she’s to survive. But there is only one man who can teach her the magic of the Elysian—Theron, the man who destroyed her life. Can Kaila set aside the past and join forces with the Elysian thief?

Dive into this gripping epic fantasy, a thrilling blend of sword and sorcery in the spirit of Mistborn and The Shannara Chronicles. Journey with Kaila Dwyn as she faces betrayal, forbidden magic, and a fight for survival that will keep you enthralled until the very last page.

Featured Fantasy: Shades—Unconventional Ghost Stories by Sherry D. Ramsey

by

Featured Fantasy: Shades—Unconventional Ghost Stories by Sherry D. Ramsey

New Release
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Kobo, Smashwords

Ghosts, spirits, spectres, shades…they turn up in almost every culture and society, and these stories form a rich literary tradition that comes with its own set of expectations. But what if we turned some of those expectations upside down?

Follow a slightly different ghostly path in this collection with stories about spirits who help the living and ghosts who need our help; ghostly inhabitants inside computers and unusual shades in a unique community; ghosts seeking solace, ghosts who might be a scam, and a handful of literary Christmas apparitions.

The stories in these pages are more likely to be humorous than horrifying, but they also explore ideas of family, home, and how we find our way in the world, with or without spectral companions. Come along on some haunting adventures with ghostly bagpipers, spirit dogs, beloved authors, and more.

Featured Fantasy: Shadow’s Price (The Poisoned Kingdoms Book 3) by Amelia MacLeod

by

Featured Fantasy: Shadow's Price (The Poisoned Kingdoms Book 3) by Amelia MacLeod

New Release
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

In the darkness between two dying worlds, trust is the most dangerous magic of all.

Katrina never expected to see Evren Avery again. Two years ago, she sealed the barrier between the Vales and the Miragelands, trapping herself in a realm of wraiths and ruins, paying for her sins in blood and isolation. She’s survived on wit, determination, and the memory of one stolen moment—the night she knelt before a king in his empty castle and made a devil’s bargain.

One drop of blood for another.

But when Evren appears in the underground city where she’s barely clinging to survival, Katrina realizes the deal was never finished. The worlds are unraveling. Magic is failing. And the Ruthless King has come to collect—not her death, but her help.

Together, they must journey into the heart of a dying realm, facing wraiths that hunger for magic, prophecies that threaten to destroy them both, and a connection that should have ended with that first exchange of blood.

As Katrina’s dormant power awakens into something new and frightening, she’s forced to confront the truth she’s been running from: some debts can’t be paid with punishment. Some wounds can only be healed by the one person who knows exactly how deep they go.

But trust is a luxury Katrina can’t afford. Not when betrayal lurks in every shadow. Not when saving two worlds might mean losing the one person who’s ever chosen her. Not when the price of her power could be everything—including the king who’s determined to keep her by his side.

A sweeping fantasy romance about redemption, second chances, and the dangerous magic of letting someone see the truth of your heart.

[Read more…]

Featured Fantasy: Hollow and Venom (The Poisoned Kingdoms) by Amelia MacLeod

by

Featured Fantasy: Hollow and Venom (The Poisoned Kingdoms) by Amelia MacLeod

FREE as of February 9, 2026
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Fake courtesan. Real feelings. Impossible odds. Some lies are worth dying for.

Neve has spent her life hiding a deadly secret: she’s immune to the magical thrall that controls every other human in the Vales. When her defiance catches the attention of Prince Sylvan Everstone—the notorious Soulslayer—she expects torture or death.

Instead, he claims her as his courtesan to save her life.

It’s a lie that could get them both killed, but it’s also her only protection from a court of sadistic mages who see humans as disposable playthings. Forced into an intimate charade with the realm’s most dangerous man, Neve must navigate deadly court politics while hiding the truth about her immunity.

But darker forces are stirring. The mage king has plans that go far beyond simple cruelty, and the ancient ritual that could seal his schemes draws near. As the kingdom hurtles toward catastrophe, Neve faces an impossible choice between the safety of shadows and stepping into a light that could either save her people—or destroy them all.

An enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance featuring a morally gray hero, a fearless heroine with hidden powers, and stakes that could reshape the world.

–

Hollow and Venom is a stand-alone novel set in the world of the Poisoned Kingdoms.

Featured Fantasy: Academy of Ancients by Avery Cross

by

Featured Fantasy: Academy of Ancients by Avery Cross

Start the Series FREE—Books 2 – 21 only $2.99 Each
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Apple, Nook, Kobo, GooglePlay

Mysterious necromancers. Wicked summoners. Fierce witches. Occasional familiars. Military experiments. Secret councils. Forbidden alliances. The Academy of Ancients will suck you in.

Briar Shroud has gone from foster child to full scholarship at the Academy of Ancients. Cool, right?

Not quite. Her upperclassman mentor Zachary sucks. He’s hot, but he sucks at being a mentor. And a friend. And a person.

Her roommate’s a paranormal, and the whole school is underground and a secret.
Know what else is bad? Briar learns she’s a witch. And a rare type of witch, to boot.

It went from bad to worse—a picture of a sister she’s never heard of appears at the school. A sister she knows nothing about.

And the rules seem hellbent on keeping Briar from learning the truth. And sometimes, it seems other forces would rather not see her alive.

Warning: This series will hook you! Violence can be found in this series of action-packed fantasy, with necromancers, summoners, and badass witches.

Featured Fantasy: The Reluctant Reaper by Mary Janice Davidson

by

Featured Fantasy: The Reluctant Reaper by Mary Janice Davidson

$1.99 as of February 8, 2026
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Nook, Kobo (Full-price: Apple, GooglePlay)

From bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson comes The Reluctant Reaper, a delightful romantasy—with a twist—featuring Death’s daughter.

What’s a death god to do …

A lot of twentysomethings might look forward to inheriting the family business. Amara Morrigan’s got zero interest in hers. The mantle she stands to assume is currently worn by her father, Death.

Amara’s childhood included helplessly watching as her best friend and her favorite teacher were taken away. She knows her dad didn’t do it on purpose … it was just their time. But Amara refuses to accept the job. It’s bad enough that she can sense when the final moment will be for anybody she meets—including her best (and only) friend, Gray. He knows who she is, and he’s cool with it. And though he’s the funniest, kindest, most understanding guy she’s ever met, she can’t allow him to get any closer (however much she might want to), because his moment is coming all too soon.

But now her father is dying. Ominous portents she can’t ignore pull Amara home to Minot, North Dakota, where Death is comatose—something that shouldn’t be possible. Thank all the gods that Gray refuses to be left behind. Amara’s mother is a mess, and Gray gives her somebody to cook for while the other death gods are gathering.

Alas, there’s not enough lefse in all of North Dakota to fix the situation. With their options waning, Amara agrees to (temporarily!) take up her father’s mantle—but she has to figure things out, and fast, because there is no way she’s doing this forever.