"The Fields of Bliss (Season One - Summer)" by EA Comiskey

Current Tags

mystery, female lead, vampire, shifter, fairies, small town, fantasy

Categories

Paranormal / Romance

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The Fields of Bliss

Author's Description

Days after she graduates college, Martin's parents are killed by a drunk driver. Lost and alone, she discovers she's inherited more than she ever expected-a sizable amount of cash, a house in a small town she's never heard of, and a supernatural debt that can only be paid in blood. She's got until the summer solstice to convince the mysterious citizens of Blissfield to save her, but small towns have long memories and her family's dark secrets have not been forgotten. NEW EPISODES DAILY!

Why I Chose it

This one has a nice mix of mystery and exposition starting from the first episode. Plus, who doesn't love a dog as a major character?

[7 episodes, with 7 in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If magical mysteries and old family secrets are your thing, check this one out!

Unrelated Griping

I almost missed today's story because it was recently posted and didn't have any likes on it yet, making it hard to distinguish from all the stories dumped onto Vella by bots that also have no likes on them. I think it's worth it for authors to at least give likes to your own first three episodes to show that somebody cares.

"The Forest of Bone" by Elaine Isaak

Current Tags

epic fantasy, shapeshifters, magic, angry gods, animals, alchemy, secondary world

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

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The Forest of Bone

Author's Description

Treacherous gods, shapeshifting spies, and a new threat rising from the waves. When the high alchemist's wolf clan lover chooses his family over her, a single spiteful act suggests the bones of their world rise from dangerous ground. Eager to atone and to defend her unborn child Sorcha convinces the lord of the rat-shifters to aid her in a quest for redemption that may shatter lives and foul the very source of the magic that binds them. New episodes twice weekly! Mon/Fri (or more)

Why I Chose it

There is some really rich world building going on here, and the author is skillfully balancing on the line between giving the reader just enough information and dangling immensely cool concepts just out of reach.

[4 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys secondary world fantasy should dive into this!

Unrelated Griping

For a company that started by selling books, Amazon is weirdly ignorant about everything related to authors when it comes to Vella. There's no way to list more than one author on a story, there aren't author pages or any way to give people more information, and the author name isn't even linked to other stories by the same author.

But this also means the author field has descended into complete anarchy, so it's kind of funny. People are making up all sorts of crap. Since there aren't many ways to get information about a story without multiple clicks (BECAUSE THE VELLA USER INTERFACE IS SO FREAKING TERRIBLE, GAH!), the author names have become the entrails by which it is possible to foretell the quality.

Someone who puts numbers in their name? Probably going to write like a teenage boy.

Someone who just uses the first initial of their surname? Total lack of imagination and professionalism.

Someone with obvious typos in their name? Very likely to quit the story after two episodes.

"Bug" by Callie Chase

Current Tags

dystopian, horror, zombies, apocalypse, thriller, action, lgbtq

Categories

Dystopian / Paranormal

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Bug

Author's Description

When the zombie apocalypse hits Los Angeles, the undead aren't the only monsters unleashed on the city. Bea "Bug" Aisling is a survivor trying to find what's left of humanity in herself and the people still living. When Bea is bit but doesn't immediately turn, the race to understand the mysterious connection between shapeshifters, zombies, and humans becomes urgent...and personal. New episodes release every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Why I Chose it

After all the terrible stuff I read today, I'm ready for the zombie apocalypse. It's not a genre I read much, but I don't know that I've ever heard of one that mixes in shapeshifters at the same time. Anyhow, the writing is decent and look, why not zombies and shapeshifters together?

[42 episodes so far, with 12 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Zombies and shapeshifters in Los Angeles. Two great genres in one!

Unrelated Griping

Y'all... I went through so many search terms today trying to find something without resorting to whatever Vella was promoting. There are a lot of one-episode stories out there, including one that claimed to be evidence of how she was bullied by a well-known actor (though the only episode seemed to be a copy/paste from Facebook support saying that they had looked at a report, without any details at all).

I even ran across one that... maybe I was reading too quickly, but I'm pretty sure the main character was a woman being forced to travel the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon... in 1915. I mean, I'm really bad at history, but I'm almost positive covered wagons were no longer a thing in the years right before the first world war. (Google backs me up on this. Yes, I had to check.)

All I'm saying is that I'm doing some really important work here.

"Guardian of Talons and Snares (The Zheninghai Chronicles)" by Anastasis Faith

Current Tags

romance, fantasy, magic, enemies to lovers, highfantasy, female protagonist, young adult

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

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Guardian of Talons and Snares (The Zheninghai Chronicles)

Author's Description

After years of relentless training, Sun Aranya has finally earned her position as a city deputy. All she wants is a stable job so she can care for her ailing grandfather. When she arrives on her first day to discover that an annoyingly handsome stranger is laying claim to her position, she’s determined to fight for her place. She doesn’t care if Shi Kai’s magic is stronger, or that he harbors lethal secrets. She will win their competition.

But mysteries abound, and not just those surrounding her rival. Soon, Aranya finds herself paired with Kai on a secret mission. People are disappearing across the empire without a trace—and it’s up to them to discover their fate.

Can Aranya and Kai see past their rivalry to save their empire? Or will Kai’s secrets come back to destroy them all?

Why I Chose it

This is good fun! Aranya shows up and finds out they've mistakenly sent two wardens for training where they only need one -- and she's the second one to show up. The stakes are immediate, the setting is clear, and even by the end of episode one, it's clear there is trouble brewing in the background.

[25 episodes available so far, with 9 updates in the last 30 days. Also, this serial is part of the "Romantic Fantasy on Kindle Vella" BookFunnel promo along with Dragon Freehold.]

Who Might Like This

Who doesn't like a good enemies-to-lovers story? If you're into high fantasy with a kick-ass heroine, this might be the one for you!