"Moondancer- A Forbidden Romance" by Evelyn Shine

Current Tags

werewolf, vampire, shifter, romance, steampunk, fantasy, steamy

Categories

Romance / Fantasy

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Moondancer- A Forbidden Romance

Author's Description

One dance with him changed everything. Kiara's solace resides in the open skies and the dance halls of Paris. Until she meets blood drinker Lucius Marlowe. She's spent years avoiding his kind. But thoughts of the sensual kiss they shared that night linger in her mind. After one moment of closeness with Kiara, Lucius is ready for more. He knows better than to fall for a shifter, his kind have been at war for centuries with them, but the taste of her leaves him longing for the impossible.

Why I Chose it

Steampunk with vampires and werewolves — from the first scene at the dance hall, I was intrigued.

[14 episodes so far, 14 in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you're a steampunk fan who also loves a forbidden romance between a vampire and werewolf, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

There's another story (uh, with no likes for some reason) that describes itself as a "daily devotional without all of the feel-good and emotional garbage which seems to permeate most of the contemporary devotionals", which...

I guess if you're looking for people hoping to make themselves absolutely miserable, that's the best description to go with. I'm not sure those readers are on Vella, but then again, I'm not sure many readers are on Vella. Good luck, you poor miserable sod.

"The Adventures of Verity Cogswell" by T.L. Demmons

Current Tags

steampunk, fantasy, adventure, faery, alchemy, steampunk adventure

Categories

Teen & Young Adult / Fantasy

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The Adventures of Verity Cogswell

Author's Description

Faeries, alchemy, and mechanics all collide in sixteen year old Verity's world as she comes of age. Join her as she travels towards Aethos, the City of Wonders and her future at the Universitarium of Mechanics and Alchemy. That is, if she can dodge her determined mother and the Brilliant Match she has planned, as well as the demon fae who wants her head on a platter for beating him at his own game.

Why I Chose it

I find steampunk entertaining, and the main character of this story is engaging. Verity wants to go off to learn how to work with the wonders of the world, and her mother wants her to be respectable and get married. By the end of episode one, Verity is planning to escape and the reader is rooting for her.

[6 episodes so far, with 2 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of steampunk with a plucky young woman adventurer should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

There really are a lot of great stories out there, but you have to be prepared to wade through a lot of terrible ones to find what you want.

"The Elementalist" by Medea Cygan

Current Tags

just kisses, elemental magic, steampunk, female protagonist, magic, romantic fantasy, high fantasy

Categories

Action & Adventure / Fantasy

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The Elementalist

Author's Description

As a fully-trained and registered Elementalist, Margrid has finally been given her first assignment; to be part of the security detail for Princess Venna's upcoming wedding. But a mysterious and senseless murder reveals there is more going on in the kingdom of Bellesea--and elemental magic--than she was prepared for, and the school where she trained to protect and serve the monarchy and those without magic may not be what she thought it was. New Episodes Every Friday.

Why I Chose it

This starts out with a great introduction to the character of Margrid as she is enjoying a semi-dangerous sport as only an air mage could. It's a great job of world building and character development that seems effortless and is fun.

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

Who Might Like This

Do you enjoy well-written fantasy with a sense of fun? Check this out!

Unrelated Griping

No griping today! I only checked out a few other stories before this one, and those weren't terrible, just not my thing.

"Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast" by Kelsey Josephson

Current Tags

fantasy, beauty and the beast, sci-fi fantasy, fairy tale retelling, speculative fiction, steampunk, adventure

Categories

Science Fiction / Fantasy

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Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast

Author's Description

A bookish strongwoman longs for freedom. A beast searches for a cure. Together, they'll break man-made curses. After her own father sells her to the unscrupulous Ringmaster, Belle thinks she'll spend the rest of her days performing cheap stunts while the Nuzaran masses gawk at her ether-poisoned body. A chance encounter with a beast by her solitary campfire changes everything. Can they find liberation or will the past consume them both?

Why I Chose it

I usually shy away from fairy tale retellings because... there are more stories to tell and sometimes it just feels like we're recycling the same things. But this story uses the names from the original and flips the characters around. Belle was born near the ether mines, which warped her body. She's a prisoner in a traveling circus when she unwittingly traps the beast. The setting gives this a freshness that I haven't seen in most retellings.

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

Who Might Like This

A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling in a steampunk world -- what's not to love?

Unrelated Griping

Honestly, no griping today because I had this one already picked out. I needed a day off from searching through random stories after my encounter with all the 300-year age gap vampire erotica yesterday.