Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. Each Tuesday is assigned a topic.
This weeks topic: Indie Freebie (This topic encompasses a lot: your favorite indie bookstores, indie books, indie authors, indie publishers/presses, indie books on your to-read list, indie authors I read before they became traditionally published, etc.) (submitted by @dark.shelf.of.wonders and Books Are The New Black)
This week I chose to go with books I’ve read or are in my TBR by independant authors, or in some cases authors who started as independant but have had their books picked up for traditional publishing. It was quite hard to come up with this list as the books I hear about are not often by independant authors. Some of these I had previously heard of, some have become very popular, and some I had to go in search for specifically for this list finding ones that would be interesting to read. I also suppose I hesitate on Indie Authors that have not gained popularity. With the rise of AI generated books becoming an issue, I worry I’m going to get duped by that. I do not want to support someone who made little effort in writing a book. I’m okay with using it to correct grammer or things like that but not generating the book itself. If any of the books on this list are AI-generated I apologize in advance, and please do let me know.
These books appear in no particular order.
Title: Spark of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
Published: May 31, 2023
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Series: Kindred’s Curse
Synopsis:
When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.
In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.
Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.
With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.
Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred’s Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.
This book as been in my TBR for quite some time. It sounds like an interesting book series.
Title: Bottled & Borrowed
Author: Taylor Bellrose
Published: August 31, 2026
Genre: Fantasy, Cozy
Series: The Potion Library
Synopsis:
Mirra followed the instructions perfectly for six years. She apprenticed at Foxglove Elixirs because the job needed filling, learned every recipe twice over, and never once improvised. It’s the only kind of belonging she’s ever known: be useful, don’t ask for more.
Cade never wanted to run anything in his life. He’s the guy who fixes what’s on fire, not the one who decides what catches. So when their mentor Ellis retires without warning announced by a courier, not so much as a goodbye and leaves the whole shop to Mirra, with Cade only asked to stay, neither of them knows quite what to do with it.
What they inherit isn’t just a building full of bottled circumstance — potions that let a customer borrow confidence, courage, or an hour of pure delight before it clicks back off. It’s old debts nobody mentioned. A tenant upstairs who’s outlasted two previous owners and isn’t about to trust a third. A cat’s-paw-careful working relationship between a woman who needs a rule for everything and a man who’s never met a plan he couldn’t wing.
It’s also, slowly, unmistakably, something neither of them expected to want.
As the quarter turns toward winter and the shop’s secrets come due, Mirra will have to learn the difference between being correct and being capable and Cade will have to admit that he wants to be chosen for something, not just easy to have around. Between them: a stubborn hedgehog, a skeptical old woman with a story she isn’t telling, and the growing, terrifying possibility that this life — this shop, this quarter, each other might actually be theirs to keep.
The Potion Library is the first book in a warm, wry, slow-burn cozy fantasy series about found family, earned belonging, and the particular magic of being wanted rather than merely needed.
While searching for books to add to this list, I came across this one. It’s fairly new, having been published just a week ago. It sounds interesting and I quite enjoy the cozy fantasy genre now that I’ve had a taste of it. I’m hoping this one will live up to my expectations once I get around to reading it.
Title: Daindreth’s Assassin
Author: Elisabeth Wheatley
Published: May 23, 2021
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Series: Daindreth’s Assassin
Synopsis:
An assassin falls for the archduke she was sent to kill, but killing him might be the only way to save his soul.
Magic has two immutable rules—every spell requires a sacrifice and every curse can be broken.
Amira Brindonu is a sorceress turned assassin, bound in a curse that forces her to obey her father, even to the point of high treason. When he orders her to kill the future emperor, she fails, but discovers a secret that could bring the whole of the empire to its knees.
The archduke is stricken by a curse that could sentence him and his people to damnation, but Amira could be the only key to breaking it. In a desperate last-ditch effort, the archduke takes Amira prisoner and makes a pact to protect her from her curse if she will help free him of his own.
As time begins to run out, Amira soon learns that there are enemies that blades can’t touch and there are fates worse than death. Caught in a web of sorcery, intrigue, and her growing feelings for the archduke, the assassin must decide just how much she is willing to give to save the only man she’s ever loved.
Every curse can be broken, but can two cursed people save each other?
Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher in this Fantasy Romance that is sure to delight fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Leigh Bardugo.
I’ve been following this author on social media for quite some time now. You may know her as “Book Goblin” her skits are what led me to her. Earlier this year she had a flash sale of the all of the ebooks for this series on her website which I purchased. I intend to read them within the next year.
Title: A Court This Cruel & Lovely
Author: Stacia Stark
Published: March 24, 2023
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Series: Kingdom of Lies
Synopsis:
For years, when I fell asleep, I dreamed of a man with blazing green eyes and a cruel smile.
The day I meet him, the ruthless mercenary leaves me for dead.
Just hours after humans are born, the gods take what little power we have. In return, they protect our borders from the vicious, merciless fae.
The humans who manage to keep their power are known as the corrupt.
And they are burned.
When my forbidden power is discovered, I’m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore.
To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest.
Our deal is simple: I’ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he’ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I’ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival.
But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom—and perhaps even this world—apart.
Please note: A Court This Cruel and Lovely is an NA/adult romantasy book with steam. While this series is slow burn, the chili pepper rating will increase for each book.
This one has been on my want to read list for awhile.
Title: Scale of Ash & Smoke
Author: Emily Schneider
Published: October 5, 2021
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Series: Ash & Smoke
Synopsis:
She lived her whole life enslaved to the dragons.
But now she’s one of them.
Seventeen-year-old Kaida, a human, has spent her entire life enslaved to the dragons who slaughtered half the human population a thousand years ago. She is forced to serve her ruthless Master, Eklos, until one deadly summer day when the Prince of Elysia saves her life.
Prince Tarrin steals her away to the Royal Palace, shocking Kaida when he reveals that she is mutator formarum.
He promises her safety, but when they uncover a dangerous conspiracy to rid Elysia of the Royal Family, she begins to question how safe she truly is.
And when desire blooms between Kaida and Tarrin, in the midst of fighting for their lives, she must choose whether to save the very creature she swore to hate, or allow him to perish…
And destroy her own heart.
This is one I have previously read. I quite enjoyed the series. It is on my Re-read list
Title: Red Sapphire
Author: Ashley Mayers
Published: July 28, 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Series: The Sita Chronicles
Synopsis:
The young, timid dreamer, Supriya Rutherford Ramachandran, always wondered what happened to her father and her grandmother when they disappeared without a trace just weeks before she was born. But, when she discovers a hidden box of letters in the attic of her family’s San Francisco Victorian, she quickly realizes that perhaps, she rather would not know. As Supriya uncovers a dark family secret, a surprising supernatural identity, and a frightening cache of uncontrollable power destined for her, a diverse otherworldly ensemble must help her overcome incredible odds to master the burden of her new self-awareness while the fate of all humankind rests precariously in her hands.
A captivating saga featuring interwoven stories across generations, cultures and continents, RED SAPPHIRE pays homage to its roots in the beloved Indian epic, The Ramayana, with an enchantingly vivid and unabashedly global tale. As key figures from the ancient Hindu pantheon join modern counterparts in present-day San Francisco and WWII India, RED SAPPHIRE brings together a delightfully complex counterpoint of thrilling arcs into an emotional narrative punctuated by mesmerizing imagery, philosophical dilemmas, and tender human stories.
RED SAPPHIRE is the first book of the seven-book series THE SITA CHRONICLES.
I came across this series when the author made the entire series free during lockdowns for COVID. I never did read this series during that time. It will eventually end up on my immediate TBR list.
Title: Voice of the Banished
Author: Shelly Campbell
Published: March 31, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Marked Son
Synopsis:
Betrayed, broken, and banished, Akrist is left to wander the wilderness in search of his lost love, Yara. But he’s not alone. Against all odds, he has bonded with Nardiri, one of the world’s last dragons.
In this stunning sequel to Under the Lesser Moon, author Shelly Campbell brings us the heart-wrenching conclusion to Akrist’s journey. In a cruel, unforgiving world, Akrist must navigate what it means to be marked as both a Speaker—a leader chosen by Nasheira herself—and an outcast. Haunted by the sacrifices of first-born sons, he fears the world cannot be changed, even with a dragon’s help. If he does nothing, the cycle of sacrifice will begin again when the moons touch.
This is the second book in the series The Marked Son. This author is local to the province I live in. I really enjoyed her storytelling in the first book and the world building for this series. I’m hoping to pick up a copy of this book at a local convention in a few weeks where she often has a booth in the artist area.
You can find my review for the first book here: Under the Lesser Moon by Shelly Campbell
Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Author: Matt Dinniman
Published: September 21, 2020
Genre: Fantasy, LitRPG
Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Synopsis:
The apocalypse will be televised!
A man. His ex-girlfriend’s cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.
In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.
The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.
Only a few dare venture inside. But once you’re in, you can’t get out. And what’s worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it’s game over. In this game, it’s not about your strength or your dexterity. It’s about your followers, your views. Your clout. It’s about building an audience and killing those goblins with style.
You can’t just survive here. You gotta survive big.
You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that “it” factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That’s the only way to truly survive in this game—with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy.
They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it’s anything but a game.
This book series has grown in popularity. I’ve seen it everywhere. My partner has been listening to the audiobooks for it and has enjoyed them immensely (he has high praise for the narration of it). It took some prodding to get him to listen to it. The books he listens to are often LitRPG so I figured he’d like this series too. A coworker of his also suggested it. I prefer reading books before listening to the audiobooks if I can. I have all but the most recent one in Ebook form. It will be on my TBR list either at the end of the year or early next year.
Title: Born of Fire
Author: Ella Dominguez
Published: May 27, 2026
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Synopsis:
She died saving a stranger. She rose marked by his fire.
When a dedicated surgeon uses her last dying breaths to save a stranger, she expects nothing but darkness in return. Instead, he grants her a second chance. But eternal life is no mercy. It’s a sentence. One that awakens a thirst for blood and a power she was never meant to wield.
Offered only two paths—train to defend the realm from which her savior came or die—she chooses survival.
Ripped from the world she knows, she’s thrust into a land where magic is law, dragons rule the skies, and half-mortal, half-mythical creatures like her are feared more than the monsters that hunt them.
In a court of fire-blooded gods and war-born beasts, the truth comes wrapped in lies, and love is a weapon as dangerous as any blade. Branded a threat, desired by the one who hides in the shadows, and hunted by a darkness that remembers her name, she must decide who she is: a healer, a soldier, or a villain.
Sweeping and seductive, Born of Fire is a tale of forbidden power, fractured destiny, and a love that defies death itself.
Content warning: Morally gray/morally bankrupt characters, open door content, blood consumption, spit, ritualistic acts, bondage, coercion, forced proximity, emotional and behavioral manipulation, violence, and gore.
Intended for mature readers.
I found this one while looking for independent authors. I quite like a story that involved dragons. This one has an interesting premise so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it.
Title: The Wandering Inn
Author: Pirateaba
Published: August 2, 2018
Genre: Fantasy, LitRPG
Synopsis:
“No killing Goblins.”
So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.
It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.
In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn.
She’s an [Innkeeper].
My partner suggested this one to me quite some time ago. I have the audiobook for it on Audible. I think it’s mainly the length of the audiobook that has kept me hesitant on listening to it so far. The first audiobook is part one and two and clocks in at 48 hours, which is nearly double the length of the longest audiobooks I’ve listened to.
Thanks for reading!
Have you read any of these?
Did any of these make your list as well?
Since this was a partial freebie week, what direction did your list take?
Leave a comment below and let me know!
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