Elizabeth Reed

When I answered an ad for a caretaker at Saint Mark’s Sanctuary, I thought I’d be dusting chandeliers and polishing floors. I didn’t expect to be tricked into a curse, going into debt to a monster, and being forced to take a self-paced “let’s learn magic” course so I can fix a 2,000-year-old problem. And that monster? Not your ordinary, everyday beast. He has hooves, and horns, and fur on his legs. But you know where he doesn’t have fur? Yeah. There. Which is fine. Except he doesn’t wear pants.

I promised to avenge my parents. But their killer is still on the loose, and he's stolen more than my parents' lives. Now, as he draws closer to his mysterious goals, he's poised to destroy what little I have left. I promised to translate an ancient grimoire. But it holds the secrets of my family - and the secret history of demon summoning. I fear its answers as much as I need them. Who was the foremother of Demonica...and who am I?

I thought I understood power. My parents taught me that magic attracts equal danger, and everything I've seen since becoming a demon contractor confirms it. I've witnessed how power twists and corrupts - and I've tasted power no human should wield. I thought I knew greed. Ambition and avarice drove my family into hiding. My parents died for someone else's greed. I've never hunted anything in my life, but now I'm hunting their killer - with my demon's help. I thought I'd seen evil. But with each step closer to my parents' murderer, I'm uncovering a different sort of evil.

I'm bound to a demon. For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I'm responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer. Demons are evil. That's what my textbooks say. That's what I see. He's ruthless, he's temperamental, he's cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he's hiding a heart behind his hostility. My demon is a monster.

When I arrived at my uncle's house, I expected my relatives to be like me - outcast sorcerers who don't practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else. Rule two: Don't listen to the demon. My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I'm supposed to act like I don't know how illegal and dangerous it is. Rule three: Don't talk to the demon. All I had to do was keep my nose out of it.

Battle Mage or Magical Engineer? Like that was even a real question. Battle Mage...obviously. Magical Engineers live quiet, boring lives. I crave excitement. And as an agent for the Arcane Mage Intelligence Agency, that’s exactly what I get. It’s a pretty great life. I go on solo missions, kicking ass and taking names, I hook up with men whenever I want to blow off some steam, and I hang out with my family if I’m ever after company. Everything changes when my psycho uncle fails in his attempt to kill my father. Now, I’m in charge of the manhunt against him.

Life as a Magical Engineer has never been quite as I expected it would be, but the truth is, I wouldn't change it for the world. Sure, there have been a lot of obstacles. My apartment was blown up, I was kidnapped, my psycho cousin even tried to have me killed. And now, my parents are forcing me to marry someone they picked. However, I also met some pretty amazing people, helped AMIA dismantle the resistance, and even stopped a coup from happening. But most of all, I found love.

Every time I close my eyes, I see those who are about to die, and I’m unable to do anything to stop it. Until one day, when I try to save yet another victim, something inside of me just…flips. The shadows rise, and they’re hungry. All I ever wanted was to be normal. Instead, I found out just how different I am. I must learn to control my powers in order to take charge of my life. Because if not? Well, there are angels out there hunting me.

A supernatural swarm. A treacherous scheme. A tinker's apprentice may be the village's only hope. This collection includes Steamborn, Steamforged, and Steamsworn. Grab it and crank up a whimsical thrill-ride today!

From the minute I graduated, my life was turned upside down. And things only got worse when I helped AMIA in their efforts to take down the resistance. Now Logan, Theo, and I are at the rebel's mercy. They want us dead, but we’re determined to see another day. All we have to do is find a way out of this hole, fight a bazillion rebels, And save the day, so I can go back to my men. No big deal, right? If we live through this, and I get to see my men again, I'll be Ecstatic. And if I take down my psycho cousin while we’re at it, that’s even better.