Books like 'Rare Birds: Stories'
Readers who enjoyed Rare Birds: Stories by L.S. Johnson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy horror dark fantasy dark myths retellings
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Call of Cthulhu: Horror Roleplaying by Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsCALL OF CTHULHU is Chaosium's classic roleplaying game of Lovecraftian horror in which ordinary people are confronted by the terrifying and alien forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. CALL OF CTHULHU uses Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying System, easy to learn and quick to play. This bestseller has won dozens of game-industry awards and is a member of the Academy of Adventure Game Design Hall of Fame... -
![A Cage of Kingdoms by K.F. Breene]()
A Cage of Kingdoms by K.F. Breene
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe resolution of Weston's story in the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Deliciously Dark Fairytales world.He wasn't supposed to fall in love.Weston has made a mess of things. Since he realized the woman he was supposed to find and bring to justice was his true mate, things have spiraled out of control... -
![Kings of Heaven by Richard Nell]()
Kings of Heaven by Richard Nell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the final book of the Ash and Sand trilogy, Ruka, son of Beyla, faces the emperor of the world, yet even victory may not save his people…With the death of his ally, Farahi Alaku, Ruka ‘Godtongue’ is alone. Or not exactly… The island prince Kale Alaku now haunts his mind, rattling within his once peaceful ‘Grove’, promising revenge and growing every moment in power... -
![Ghost in the Ring by Jonathan Moeller]()
Ghost in the Ring by Jonathan Moeller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband. But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order. And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians... -
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![Sourdough and Other Stories by Angela Slatter]()
Sourdough and Other Stories by Angela Slatter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to the beautiful magic, restless passion and exquisite horror of Angela Slatter's impeccably imagined tales. In the cathedral-city of Lodellan and its uneasy hinterland, babies are fashioned from bread, dolls are given souls and wishes granted may be soon regretted. There are ghosts who dream, men whose wings have been clipped and trolls who long for something other... -
![Herald by Rob J. Hayes]()
Herald by Rob J. Hayes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA thousand years ago, humanity's greatest heroes killed God. Across the land of Helesia, the iron grasp of the Godless Kings is failing. Demons stalk the deep forests, monsters break free of their prisons beneath the World Vein, and terrors of the old world rise again... -
![Who Fears the Devil? by Manly Wade Wellman, Mike Resnick]()
Who Fears the Devil? by Manly Wade Wellman, Mike Resnick
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere's a traveling man the Carolina mountain folk call Silver John for the silver strings strung on his guitar. In his wanderings John encounters a parade of benighted forest creatures, mountain spirits, and shapeless horrors from the void of history with only his enduring spirit, playful wit, and the magic of his guitar to preserve him... -
![Nightblade's Honor by Ryan Kirk]()
Nightblade's Honor by Ryan Kirk
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the riveting sequel to Nightblade’s Vengeance, the nightblades must choose a side, and the Kingdom will either rise again… or shatter into pieces.With the realm on the brink of war, the once-celebrated blades have become an easy target for the rage of its devastated citizens... -
![The Complete Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler]()
The Complete Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFor all those who journey to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, here is the complete guide to its lands, legends, histories, languages, and people... -
![From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court by Benedict Patrick]()
From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court by Benedict Patrick
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIf you value your life, stay out of the forest. As a captive of the Owl Queen’s Court, Nascha’s life has always been one knife’s edge away from disaster. But when she is threatened for nothing more than the colour of her hair, Nascha attempts the unthinkable: escape through the dreaded Magpie King’s forest... -
![Shadow of the Lantern Bearer by Chris R. Underwood]()
Shadow of the Lantern Bearer by Chris R. Underwood
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMagic is a disease. It spreads like a plague and drives the infected mad with power.Death is the only cure.Seventeen-year-old Kole Felmen is destined for a life spent executing infected sorcerers and disposing of their tainted remains.But his first execution ends in disaster... -
![Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords by Benedict Patrick]()
Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords by Benedict Patrick
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDon't draw your blade in the City of Swords, unless you're willing to kill… or ready to die.Young and filled with idealistic fervor, Arturo packs his blade and travels to the fabled City of Swords in the hopes of joining the dashing Bravadori. Yet upon arriving he discovers these masked vigilantes have more in common with brutal thugs than noble monster slayers... -
![Traitors' Fate by Andy Peloquin]()
Traitors' Fate by Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne Death Changes Two Cities ForeverIlanna, Master of the Night Guild, has waged a war for eight years to cleanse her city of the rival criminal organization that nearly destroyed it... -
![And They Were Never Heard From Again: A Yarnsworld Tale by Benedict Patrick]()
And They Were Never Heard From Again: A Yarnsworld Tale by Benedict Patrick
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe woods are not safe. Especially at night. Felton takes his younger brother for a walk through the Magpie King’s forest, hoping to change his life for the better. Things do not go as planned. And They Were Never Heard From Again is set in Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld, and is the perfect introduction to the world readers are calling a ‘delightfully weird, dark fairytale’... -
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![Bottle Demon by Stephen Blackmoore]()
Bottle Demon by Stephen Blackmoore
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe sixth book of this dark urban fantasy series follows necromancer Eric Carter through a world of vengeful gods and goddesses, mysterious murders, and restless ghosts.The Necromancer is dead. Long live the Necromancer... -
![Darkblade Protector by Andy Peloquin]()
Darkblade Protector by Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsProtect the innocent at any costThe Hunter, legendary assassin of Voramis, has been given a second chance. He will safeguard Hailen, the boy he rescued from a demon, against any threat—mortal or immortal... -
![Fallen Sepulchre by J.D. Franx]()
Fallen Sepulchre by J.D. Franx
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWarning: 18+ Only. Contains scenes of an adult nature. Threatened by an Elloryan invasion reinforced by the Ancients, the sanctuary Ember and Max sought in DormaSai after Kael’s burial is at its end. A civil war rages in Cethos, and the threat of Wildland tribal attacks in the Blood Kingoms is imminent... -
![The Return Of The Sorcerer: The Best Of Clark Ashton Smith by Clark Ashton Smith]()
The Return Of The Sorcerer: The Best Of Clark Ashton Smith by Clark Ashton Smith
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis work offers both readers and scholars a collection of short fiction and short novels by Clark Ashton Smith... -
![Blood of the Lost by J.D. Franx]()
Blood of the Lost by J.D. Franx
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBook 2 from JD Franx's epic new saga! Few people survive the suffering that Kael Symes has experienced. Hot steel, demonic magic, and the loss of those he loves. After escaping the horrors of Arkum Zul, Kael and his companions survive a terror-filled night on the ocean only to find themselves shipwrecked and stranded in the Wildlands... -
![Darkblade Outcast by Andy Peloquin]()
Darkblade Outcast by Andy Peloquin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan a killer escape the evil inside him?The Hunter has fled his home and the suffering left in his wake. Hoping to cleanse the stain of blood on his hands, he aids travelers beset by bandits only to discover those he saved are warrior clerics on a holy mission to kill him... -
![Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell]()
Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA deformed genius plots vengeance while struggling to survive. A wastrel prince comes of age, finding a power he never imagined. Two worlds are destined to collide. Only one can be king. Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love... -
![The Black by D.J. MacHale]()
The Black by D.J. MacHale
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAt the end of The Light, Book One of the Morpheus Road trilogy, Marshall learned the truth about what happened to his best friend Cooper. Now in Book Two, the POV switches to Cooper and we get to see his side of the mystery. What does his story have to do with Marshall and the journey along the Morpheus Road? It's time to learn more . . -
![Grim Solace by Ben Galley]()
Grim Solace by Ben Galley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNothing is certain in Araxes. Not even death. Stolen from the widow’s clutches, master thief and ghost Caltro Basalt must learn new ways to survive the cutthroat society of the Arctian Empire. His one hope for freedom and justice? A gift from the dead gods, who continue to beg for a saviour. Breaking a soul takes time, and Caltro’s spirit is far from broken... -
![The Ammonite Violin & Others by Caitlín R. Kiernan]()
The Ammonite Violin & Others by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Caitlín R. Kiernan's The Ammonite Violin & Others, one of contemporary dark fantasy s most bewitching and distinctive voices is back with another banquet of the weird and unexpected. In his introduction, Jeff VanderMeer (City of Saints and Madmen, Finch) writes, Kiernan creates her own light in this remarkable collection, and shines it on dark places... -
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![Where the Waters Turn Black by Benedict Patrick]()
Where the Waters Turn Black by Benedict Patrick
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen gods and monsters battle, her music will not protect her…What lurks beneath the waves?The Crescent Atoll is a remote string of tropical islands, connected by long canoe journeys and a love of stories.When Kaimana, a young ocarina player, discovers the lair of a taniwha – a legendary monster – she finds herself inspired... -
![Fae: The Realm of Twilight by Graham Austin-King]()
Fae: The Realm of Twilight by Graham Austin-King
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Riven Wyrde Saga continues...The Wyrde is dead and gone, its protection passed into the ether. The fae have been loosed upon the world as they begin their wild hunt, a nightmare from fable and legend made flesh. At Hesk, in the heart of the Barren Isles, Ylsriss must confront a reality she never could have imagined when her son is stolen from her by the fae... -
![Fairytales of the Macabre by Olivie Blake, Aurora Sinclair]()
Fairytales of the Macabre by Olivie Blake, Aurora Sinclair
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOnce upon a time, a young woman with cleverness to spare takes redemption into her own capable hands; a man's precarious fate, challenged by a careless mistake, is irreversibly twisted; a cheated lover resurrects from her grave to plot a bloody vengeance; a castle born from night presents an irresistible lure... -
![The Revenge of Lord Oda by Nick Lake]()
The Revenge of Lord Oda by Nick Lake
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNow that the vile Lord Oda is dead, Taro and his friends are safe in the mountain lair of the ninjas. Or so they think. When a homing pigeon arrives with news of Taro's mother's whereabouts, Taro sets out for the Tendai monastery - without stopping to consider why the pigeon, which was given to his mother months ago, took so long to arrive... -
![The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack: 40 Modern and Classic Lovecraftian Stories by John Gregory Betancourt, H.P. Lovecraft]()
The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack: 40 Modern and Classic Lovecraftian Stories by John Gregory Betancourt, H.P. Lovecraft
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis volume assembles no less than 40 stories set in H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Ranging from Lovecraft's own tales (including classics such as the novel At the Mountains of Madness, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and The Colour Out of Space) to works by his friends and contemporaries (Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E... -
![Black Heart, Ivory Bones by Ellen Datlow, Brian M. Stableford]()
Black Heart, Ivory Bones by Ellen Datlow, Brian M. Stableford
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHair bright as gold...Lips red as blood...Heart black as sin...Truth sharp as bone.. -
![Queen of the Dark Things by C. Robert Cargill]()
Queen of the Dark Things by C. Robert Cargill
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt is half a year since the wizard Colby lost his best friend to an army of fairies from the Limestone Kingdom, a realm of mystery and shadows beyond our own. But in vanquishing these creatures Colby sacrificed the anonymity that protected him. Now, word of his deeds has spread, and powerful enemies from the past - including one Colby considered a friend - have resurfaced to exact their revenge... -
![Doll Face by D.J. Krimmer, C Hebert]()
Doll Face by D.J. Krimmer, C Hebert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDoll FaceShall We Play A Game?Amid the suffocating embrace of night,I stumble upon him, a beacon of light.The Boogeyman, a seductive terror,Whispers haunting promises, cruel and fair.Eyes that glint with otherworldly fire,In his grasp, I’m consumed by dark desire.A love twisted and sickeningly sweet,Tangled in the depths of darkness, where nightmares meet... -
![Night's Sorceries by Tanith Lee]()
Night's Sorceries by Tanith Lee
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the age of demons, when the Earth was still flat, Prince Chuz, Delusion’s Master, stole Azhriaz, daughter of the Demon Lord of Night, from the underworld citadel meant to be her eternal prison. Pursued by the vengeful Lord of Night, Chuz and Azhriaz fled to the world above, to the lands of mortal men, seeking a haven for their love... -
![The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe]()
The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI spent most of my life feeling dead inside -- until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.It wasn't until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive. But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There's something darker and more sinister haunting the forest... -
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![Quill by A.C. Cobble]()
Quill by A.C. Cobble
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fate of empire is to crumble from within. A heinous murder in a small village reveals a terrible truth. Sorcery, once thought dead in Enhover, is not. Evidence of an occult ritual and human sacrifice proves that dark power has been called upon again. Twisting threads of clues lead across the known world to the end of a vast empire, and then, the trail returns home... -
![You Die When You Die by Angus Watson]()
You Die When You Die by Angus Watson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYOU DIE WHEN YOU DIE . . .You can't change your fate - so throw yourself into battle, because you'll either win or wake up drinking mead in the halls of your ancestors. That's what Finn's tribe believe... -
![Immortals' Requiem by Vincent Bobbe]()
Immortals' Requiem by Vincent Bobbe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Grimdark FantasyThere are beings that live a shadow's breadth from our reality. They are the dreams and nightmares of humanity, the ancient seeds of fairy-tale and superstition. These are the Immortals, creatures of magic that should live forever... and they are fading... -
![While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer]()
While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA young woman who escaped captivity in the court of a cruel king returns in disguise to bring him down for good, but her feelings for the king's son complicate matters... -
![The World of Tolkien by David Day]()
The World of Tolkien by David Day
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGo on a fascinating journey through the history of Middle-earth!The Lord of the Rings is commonly regarded as a work of fantasy. Yet Tolkien himself saw his work as a body of myth with an inherent veracity at its core, not an invention, but a recovered truth. In the Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien created not an imaginary world, but an imaginary history of our own world... -
![Beyond the Veil by Tim Marquitz]()
Beyond the Veil by Tim Marquitz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrank's woman kidnapped, a frantic chase across worlds, an inter-dimensional uprising, and all with the surly father-in-law to be in tow.What could be worse?How about being drafted by the Almighty?Trapped on a strange and hostile planet, forced to deal with an alien insurrection, Frank and Longinus scramble to save Karra from the clutches of a rebel overlord bent on revenge... -
![The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales by Angela Slatter]()
The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales by Angela Slatter
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA stunning, emotional and eclectic collection of fantasy and dark tales. These are the stories told to warn children, entertain adults and beguile all... -
![Pan by Francesco Dimitri]()
Pan by Francesco Dimitri
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNelle notti romane ci sono bambini che sognano, e che nel sogno, ogni volta, ripetono il viaggio verso una grande isola che non c'è. Nelle notti romane ci sono ville borghesi illuminate dalla luna piena, e dai loro giardini spesso s'innalzano, non visti, mastodontici galeoni pirata... -
![The Hounds of Avalon by Mark Chadbourn]()
The Hounds of Avalon by Mark Chadbourn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Hounds of Avalon are coming... For these are the twilight days, when eternal winter falls and the gods destroy themselves in civil war... when an invasion force of ghastly power threatens to eradicate all life. Humanity's last chance lies with two friends, as different as night and day, but bound together by an awesome destiny... -
![Foreign Devils by John Hornor Jacobs]()
Foreign Devils by John Hornor Jacobs
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe world is on the brink of war. Fisk and Shoe - mercenaries, very much not wanting to get caught in the middle of a political whirlwind - must deliver a very important message, and find a very dangerous man. They have caught the eye of the powerful men of the world, and now the stakes are higher than they like... -
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![The Devil's Backbone by J.L. Murray]()
The Devil's Backbone by J.L. Murray
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“What does Death fear?”Niki has been to Hell and back to find a single shred of something to call a life. As Death, she has very little time to do anything but usher the lost souls to their resting places. But when Lucifer, the reason for her taste of happiness, comes up missing, Niki has to face how she feels about him. And about the prospect of losing him... -
![This Wicked Fate by Amanda Aggie]()
This Wicked Fate by Amanda Aggie
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor fans of The Witcher and Brave, this fantasy romance, featuring a fierce heroine and a druid with Golden Retriever energy, is both steamy and swoon worthy! I’m the Princess of Solaria, a realm full of beasts that could make the Devil cower. Except that title means nothing, because I’ll be dead by the week’s end... -
![High Moor by Graeme Reynolds]()
High Moor by Graeme Reynolds
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen John Simpson hears of a bizarre animal attack in his old home town of High Moor, it stirs memories of a long forgotten horror. John knows the truth. A werewolf stalks the town once more, and on the night of the next full moon, the killing will begin again. He should know. He survived a werewolf attack in 1986, during the worst year of his life... -
![Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar]()
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThey took his daughter, so Micah comes to take their kingdom. Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, thirsty to burn unbelievers.Only the janissaries can stand against them. Their living legend, Kevah, once beheaded a magus amid a hail of ice daggers. But ever since his wife disappeared, he spends his days in a haze of hashish and poetry... -
![L'Esprit de L'Escalier by Catherynne M. Valente]()
L'Esprit de L'Escalier by Catherynne M. Valente
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the award-winning, bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland comes Catherynne M. Valente's dark fantasy tale "L’Esprit de L’Escalier", a Tor.com Original.In this provocative and rich retelling of the Greek myth, Orpheus, the musician son of Apollo and Calliope, successfully rescues his wife Eurydice from Hades after her untimely death... -
![Mad as a Hatter by Kendra Moreno]()
Mad as a Hatter by Kendra Moreno
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDescend into Madness… Clara spent her whole life fighting in courtrooms for the downtrodden, the strange ones, the abused. It’s only natural that when a man with rabbit ears on his head comes to see her, she doesn’t blink an eye… ...until he opens a portal and drags her to Wonderland. But this isn’t the world she’s read about at home...
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