The Jack of Souls (Multi-award winner!) - Stephen Merlino - Wattpad

The Jack of Souls (Multi-award winner!)

Reads 414,350
Votes 24,650
Parts 66
Time 11h 0m

Reads 414,350
Votes 24,650
Parts 66
Time 11h 0m

dragon epic fantasy horse knight magic rogue teen thief warrior wattys wizard woman

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An outcast rogue must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. To survive, he'll need the sword of a maiden, the aid of an immortal, and the power of forbidden magic that could cost him the only girl he ever loved.  
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*** THE JACK OF SOULS won a Silver IPPY this year!
*** THE JACK OF SOULS won  1st place in the PNWA Competition in Fantasy! *
*** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the Southwest Writers competition! *
*** A "Featured Book" on Wattpad! *
*** Now a "Staff Pick" on Kickstarter! *
*** Available on Amazon in paper, hardback, and ebook ! *
*** My contract with Kindle Select won't allow me to post more than 3 chapters here, but...
*** Sign up for my newsletter on stephenmerlino.com for alerts when it's free on Amazon! *

MY INSPIRATION
 
I wrote this out of pure love of trickster rogues; I love the wit over brawn motif -- Odysseus over Achilles, Raven over Eagle -- so I like to play with it in my stories. In JOS I set the rogue and con-artist Harric against a foil of warriors in a land threatened by magic and civil war. 

Whenever possible I turn familiar tropes on their heads: instead of a handsome young Lancelot, I cast a broken-down ex-champion addicted to pain-killing herbs; instead of a dashing Squire Brian, the old knight reluctantly takes an ambitious young woman as squire. Similarly, I re-imagine the standard medieval milieu by infusing aspects of two of my favorite historical periods, Elizabethan England, and The American Frontier. Both eras boast a kind of nationalistic arrogance that borders on hubris, and a magnificent spirit of resourcefulness and re-invention that is fun to play with. 

SERIES

The Jack of Souls is first in a series. I am posting parts of the sequel here now (The Knave of Souls), to help me refine the story.All Rights Reserved

dragon epic fantasy horse knight magic rogue teen thief warrior wattys wizard woman

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66 parts

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Manipulation (MHAxOC) by KuroStudy

Started:04/01/2021 ongoing -Dabi's POV- She's the kind of girl that will turn your knuckles white with rage because she doesn't know when to stop. She would kill herself if it meant the ones she loves won't leave hurt. She tastes like what I imagine the apple that Eve ate in the garden tastes like. Divine and forbidden. I despise her and everything she stands for. I want to burn everything around her just to watch her walk towards me through the ash crying. She's never seen genuine hatred. She doesn't know true betrayal. But even still, she's beautiful as a church demolition. The place once filled with enlightenment and comfort being crushed and destroyed-beautiful stained glass murals strewed on the ground now reflecting the moon. A work of sacred art now defiled and tainted with the blackness of the gravel. She's been subject to the abandonment and negligence, and now no one can hear her sing. Her screams are starting to sound like archangels. Truth baring, sorrowful and destructive. I love it when she cries; I feel the drums of war in the far horizon, and the names of long-dead obscure gods are murmured. I want nothing more than to demolish her and put her up on display. I want to see her truly broken; I want to show her what actual violence feels like. I want to set her entire world on fire. She might even howl and dance in the flames you never know with her. I won't let anyone else have the privilege of ending her. But I think I might also consume worlds for her, if she asked Tags: Endgame Tomura, happy ending, time-traveling, created an origin story for the gods, and demons, OC eventually evil and gets revenge on heroes, OC has a cat that is actually a god, villain ending, Dabi steals OC from Shoto, fluff/angst, dadzawa, Endeavor apologist, heavy smut, possessive, Yandere, drug use, extreme violence, master/pet relationships, reverse harem, villains are mean, heroes are worse, jealously, serious deep plot, poetic thoughts, emotional/mental abuse.

The Silver Fighter | ✓ by LiseR05

"I already killed your mother, Cam." As the words left my enemy's mouth like a mocking sneer, I growled under my breath at the mention of my old name. Memories started to boil up that I had been wanting to squash deep into my heart. Bad memories. "As you can guess, I'm here to finish the job." He continued with that ever-present sinister smirk on his face. And in that moment, a sudden burst of confidence just appeared within me. Or blatant stupidity. 'I'll take either one.' I silently admitted to myself. I rolled my eyes at his so-called 'threat', not really intimidated in the least. "Yeah, like that went so well the first time. The first time, you fucked up enough to get caught by the police." I pointed out. "The second time, your grown-ass men got their asses handed to them by two teenagers." I snorted at him. "Your odds aren't looking too good here, Berti." ~•~ Losing her father? Lovely. Getting in a car accident with her aunt, uncle, and cousin and being the sole survivor? Fantastic. Losing her mother because a deranged psychopath holds a grudge even better than The Grinch? Amazing. Being ostracized from her own family save from her paternal grandparents, and getting the blame for her mother's death? Cherry on top of the cake. Having to make sure three idiotic twats don't get themselves killed because they couldn't mind their own bloody business? Bloody hell, that's an entire ice cream cake with ten pounds of gummy bears. ~•~ Join Grace Stanton as she faces her demons and the demons of her past all while trying not to commit murder against her three new friends. Fun times. (First book in the Gilded series) ~•~ [#1 Streetracer - 4/21/21] [#1 Gangs - 9/16/21] [#1 Boxer - 9/12/21] [#1 Fighter - 12/11/21] [#2 Boxing - 9/3/21] [#1 Girlpower - 2/12/21]

A Ballad of Snakes and Shadows [Dark Sebastian Sallow x MC] by Crepuscu1um

[{COMPLETED}] **PLEASE SEE LIST OF WARNINGS AND TRIGGERS BEFORE READING** It's been three years since Ominis and I made the choice for Sebastian - to send him away. The consequences of our actions have the shadows talking back. Their voices are lovely, alluring, and most of all sinful. With their wicked tongues, they offer a temptation I may not be able to refuse. I can't help but wonder if we made the wrong choice. *** This is a dark enemies to enemy/lovers romance for Sebastian Sallow, and my OC Hyacinth "Hattie" Hills that takes place during her last year at Hogwarts. She is still in the throws of recovering from her first year, heavily stricken with the grief and trauma it caused her. Now that she's begun to heal, there's a shadow stalking the grounds that threatens to undo all of that progress. All participating characters are 18+, as this is set a bit in the future and with an added year at Hogwarts. This work contains many dark themes and triggers. There is some Ominis/OC but this is not for the Ominis girlies, unless you want to see him hurt. This fic is heavily inspired by Zade Meadows, and a thirst for the darkness. TW: Stalking, Obsession, CNC, Death, Trauma, Knife Play, Blood Play, Edging, Cuckhold, Orgasm Denial, Mirror Play, Spit Play, Heavy S&M, Face Fucking, Verbal Humiliation, Primal Play, Breeding Kink, Degradation, Sebastian is Cruel, We are going to traumatize Ominis Gaunt, ect....and will add others down the road, it's a lot to tag. You can find a full list of tags/warnings on the Ao3 copy of this fic and I will be adding warnings to every chapter that involve heavier themes. Each chapter title is based off of songs that inspired them, creating its own ballad - there is a link in the intro/warning chapter. (Cross Posted to Ao3) (Hogwarts Legacy does not belong to me, only the OCs and plot.)

Love is Blind- Fenrys Moonbeam (TOG) by x_lyndon_x

I lean close enough that our lips brush when I speak. "He isn't worth it." I say, but he doesn't look convinced. I smirk as an idea pops in my head. "If you behave...we can do whatever you want tonight." His eyes widen, and a wicked smile grows on his face. He pulls back slightly, looking me in the eye. "Whatever I want?" He asks, and I grin wider, nodding. "Whatever you want." **** Jax has never had what would be considered an "easy" life. She's been beaten, tortured, and hunted. Yet she's survived it all, and came out stronger because of it. Now, she's facing an entirely new challenge. A court of the strongest warriors known to man, and she's somehow made her way into the middle of them. And she's running blind. *** MAJOR TW: This story contains MANY mature themes, and there will not be warnings at the beginnings of chapters. These themes include but are not limited to: swearing, abuse, blood, gore, torture, mature scenes, and fighting. Rankings: #1 in tog #1 in blindfold #1 in fenrys #1 in fenrysmoonbeam #1 in dorianhavillard #1 in yrenetowers #1 in aedionashryver #1 in aelingalathynius #1 in manonblackbeak #1 in rowanwhitethorn #1 in chaolwestfall #1 in aelinashryver #1 in lysandra #2 in blind #3 in fae #4 in warrior (ik this isn't top 3 but HOLY SHIT THATS IMPRESSIVE) **I DO NOT OWN THE THRONE OF GLASS SERIES OR THE CHARACTERS, ALL CREDIT GOES TO SARAH J MAAS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OC'S**

The Nost by Spbond

Jack and Ann have taken me on a great adventure full of mystery and incredible technology, I hope you'll join us. I know you have a lot of reading choices, but if you have space left in your literary adventure cup, please join Jack and Ann as 2021 turns into 2022, happy reading! __ The demon whispers inside Jack's mind. "They are not worthy, they are cattle, these new humans you covet. The so-called creator has betrayed you, replaced you with these organic imitations. Slaughter them all." It's funny, not in a ha-ha funny way, but a sad, my madness doesn't make sense type of way, Jack thinks, because wasn't he human? Worse still, the voice comes with impulses that are hard to resist. Violence usually ensues. That's why he joined the military. A way to channel his urges into mind-numbing physical effort and war. It works for a time. But alcohol and fighting can only carry on for so long. Finally, he realizes, his only way out is suicide. But when he opens his eyes, he's in the In-Between. The creator has other plans for him, and she won't take no for an answer. Apparently, this isn't his first life and if he doesn't free her from her prison, it won't be his last. His curse is to be reborn without end, without rest, without memory. Only madness. Now Jack is on the run from forces he doesn't understand. It's a new world. The mundane replaced by ethereal artificial intelligence, spontaneous virtual realities, and homicidal bible salesmen. But the creator promises the demon's voice will disappear as soon as he finds the right girl, the right bond. After that, they just have to escape the clutches of those who hunt them, find the Isle of Song, and free the creator from her prison. Or maybe this time, in this life, Jack will figure out what true freedom is. Come along on this action-packed thriller as Jack fights to remember who he is, tries to end an eternal war, and atone for sins he doesn't remember...yet.

The Chronicles of Arnora: The Curse of the Blood Moon by Arnora-Books

Book One is finally complete, please look forward to Book Two, The Chronicles of Arnora: The Zemorian Invasion! Thousands of years ago there was a great war between the powers of light and darkness. The army of good had defeated the powers of evil, however darkness doesn't truly die.... Now thousands of years later that evil has returned to finish what it started all those years ago. The hope of saving the world now rests on the shoulders of one young man. Can he stop this evil before it rises again? Or will the darkness snuff out the light and reign supreme? Find out in the first exciting installment of The Chronicles of Arnora: The Curse of the Blood Moon! My story takes place on a alternate Earth, in the fictional realm of Arnora. A place abundant with magic and full of different races such as Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Witches and Wizards. I've taking inspiration from some of my favorite well known sources to bring this story to life. Some of them include The Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, Eragon and even Harry Potter. If you enjoy epic fantasy stories then I think you'll enjoy my story The Chronicles of Arnora: The Curse of the Blood Moon. This is an original story of my own creation with my own original characters. Before I started publishing my story on Wattpad I've had several people read it and they've told me it was good and they enjoyed reading it and I hope you all enjoy it as well. I've always been told I have a very active and creative imagination and I should use that i it a like and follow for more chapters to come. Please feel free to point out any grammatical errors you find that I may have missed as I'm constantly editing the story to make it better. *If any names in my story are that of real world people it's completely coincidental, I use a random name generator, which creates countless names, to help with the naming of some of my characters.

Twisted Wonderland Sun Moon Star by BokimkatjeKomiks

"Once upon a time... A princess fell in love with a prince from another kingdom that they are at war with... From that love, she gave birth to 3 little princesses... one that shone as bright as the sun, one that illuminates the night like the moon, and a one that twinkles like the stars.... sadly their mother and father died leaving the 3 princesses all alone... one day they came upon a dark raven who flies down a rabbit's hole... out of pure curiosity, the 3 princesses follow suit.. and that is where the story truly begins." 3 orphaned sisters; Himari, Tsukiko, and Hoshiko had lived a life of neglect and abuse from both relatives and the world. With only the memories of their late Parents and Godmother, they move forward in life with hopes and dreams. One day, an accident causes the 3 sisters to be magically transported to the realm of Twisted Wonderland. The Headmaster of Night Raven College, Dire Crowley offers them shelter in Ramshackle Dorm as well as to enroll in his prestigious school along with Grim, a rowdy magical creature; while trying to find a way to return home. Along the journey, the girls meet and interact with the highly skilled and highly unruly members of the student body. Together, they unlock secrets and magic within the walls of the school, encounter monsters, friends, foes, and their destined half. A fate that will reveal itself, will it end happily ever after or spell destruction to them and the world they will come to love? Welcome to the world of Villains! *********************************************************************** Based off of Aniplex/Disney Japan's "Twisted Wonderland" video game. All right go to original creators. Artwork belongs to Yana Toboso. Himari, Tsukiko, and Hoshiko Akari are my OC's

The Evil ~ YouTuber Fanfiction ~ (Book 1 of the Arcane Powers) by PhoenixWritesFics

THE ARCANE POWERS; BOOK 1 -- disclaimer: characters do not belong to me i wrote this as a prepubescent teenager please don't judge me -- The Evil is rising. Every decade, seven teenagers are chosen to fight the Evil. The Seven are given powers that men can only dream of. But, because of the Arcane Seven (the heroes chosen before these), the Kingdom of Magic has turned against the Seven. The Lord himself declared that anyone who is discovered to be part of the Seven is to be killed on sight. The Evil has a new member. And she is the reason why the Seven is to be killed on sight. She is the Seven of Hate. But the Evil also has seven new opponents. And they are willing to take them down. No matter what it takes, they will persevere and end the Evil's reign of terror once and for all. Join the Seven Heroes as they battle new foes, meet new friends, and find new love. -- Credit to @FizzySoda_ 's book 'Sevens.' -- I apologize in advance for making this specific YouTuber the villain. I do not hate her, in fact, she is one of my favorite YouTubers ever! I just thought that she deserved the chance to be the villain of the story. After all, the villain is the one who makes a story, a story. What would Percy Jackson be about if Kronos never rose to destroy Olympus? Think about it that way. Still, I love you and this YouTuber! -- Highest Rank: #198 in Fanfiction -- All rights reserved. I do not own these characters. They are people in real life with YouTube channels. I only own the storyline and setting.

His innocent obsession by Roraprinz

You're right, Abby. You did see me. I've been showing up there a lot. Just to catch a glimpse of you. And until yesterday I've had no luck." I brush my hands along the clothes hanging as I walk closer to her. "So I sat there for an hour just to watch you. It was the best hour of therapy I've ever had." I take the nightgown from her hand, debating on whether I should put it on her or throw it to the ground. "Jackson" She whispers my name like a prayer. I close my eyes and rest my head against hers. "Say it again, Please." "Jackson" Her voice still breathy. Letting the garment drop to the floor i hold her hips. "You're mine Abigail. Do you understand? I'll never be able to let you go." "Then don't Jax." Abby's future brother in law assigns his cousin, and head of security Jackson; to be her personal bodyguard. She wants him to be more than that. Her sister Celeste wants her to find the love of her life-as long as it isn't Jackson. And all Jackson wants is Abbigail. He knows his criminal past and time in jail doesn't make him good enough for her but he can't keep his mind off of her. Being around her 24/7 doesn't help. Their relationship blossoms, but someone has been watching them, and is hell bent on ending their little romance. Even if it means kidnapping Abby. Read to find out what happens. **this story is rated mature. Mature scenes, language and themed. If you aren't into explicit details of an intimate scene then scroll to the next story. Don't report, or complain about a sex scene when you've been warned. Please feel free to leave comments or questions. I always answer. Updates should be frequent. And please don't forget to hit the star and like it. And please follow for updates! Happy reading!***

Willow's Legend - Original Version by _xcrybabyx_

Okay guys, this is a really old account that I created when I was 13 years old. This book is a really old story of mine but I'm not going to delete it cause, well, it's my first novels (as embarrassing as it is). I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're reading this in 2016+, this is all really, REALLY old haha don't judge me. I do NOT post updated or new stories anymore, please please stop asking, I'm sorry it's just that posting your writing on the web may affect a publisher's decision and starts lots of arguments with copyright and public domain stuff so I'm avoiding all that. Although I don't post I'm still active on this account so feel free to message me with questions and requests and the such. Thank you all for understanding xx - I * Fate is never in your favor. Willow Glasspiers was eating lunch with her best friend, Jasper, when she first sees them; Ganashes who claimed they were from the UnderWorld. These Ganashes-Michael, Alicia, Chelsea and Chris-take her to the Ganash Headquarter of RiverPlain on a quest to find her fate. Machire is part of the Amnesian Government in the UpperWorld. He is a well-known, persuasive man and his job is supposed to be keeping peace amongst the Faery world that his hidden within Earth. But, when he discovers the UnderWorld, his thirst for power grows. And just like any other greedy man would do, he tries to put the UnderWorld under his wing. A legend claims that this will not go well, that instead of ruling the worlds, he will destroy them. It claims that the girl who slays the Incoy Dragon is the Savior, and that her name is Willow. In a rush to speed up the prophecy, Ganashes have been taking Willows and sending them on almost-sure-death missions to kill the monster. Willow Glasspiers is next in line to determine her fate. Is it to slay the Incoy Dragon, or is it to have her corpse piled among the hundreds of Willows who have attempted to kill the monster?

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Slide 1 of 10

Manipulation (MHAxOC) cover

The Silver Fighter | ✓ cover

A Ballad of Snakes and Shadows [Dark Sebastian Sallow x MC] cover

Love is Blind- Fenrys Moonbeam (TOG) cover

The Chronicles of Arnora: The Curse of the Blood Moon cover

Twisted Wonderland Sun Moon Star cover

The Evil ~ YouTuber Fanfiction ~ (Book 1 of the Arcane Powers) cover

His innocent obsession cover

Willow's Legend - Original Version cover

Manipulation (MHAxOC)

Started:04/01/2021 ongoing -Dabi's POV- She's the kind of girl that will turn your knuckles white with rage because she doesn't know when to stop. She would kill herself if it meant the ones she loves won't leave hurt. She tastes like what I imagine the apple that Eve ate in the garden tastes like. Divine and forbidden. I despise her and everything she stands for. I want to burn everything around her just to watch her walk towards me through the ash crying. She's never seen genuine hatred. She doesn't know true betrayal. But even still, she's beautiful as a church demolition. The place once filled with enlightenment and comfort being crushed and destroyed-beautiful stained glass murals strewed on the ground now reflecting the moon. A work of sacred art now defiled and tainted with the blackness of the gravel. She's been subject to the abandonment and negligence, and now no one can hear her sing. Her screams are starting to sound like archangels. Truth baring, sorrowful and destructive. I love it when she cries; I feel the drums of war in the far horizon, and the names of long-dead obscure gods are murmured. I want nothing more than to demolish her and put her up on display. I want to see her truly broken; I want to show her what actual violence feels like. I want to set her entire world on fire. She might even howl and dance in the flames you never know with her. I won't let anyone else have the privilege of ending her. But I think I might also consume worlds for her, if she asked Tags: Endgame Tomura, happy ending, time-traveling, created an origin story for the gods, and demons, OC eventually evil and gets revenge on heroes, OC has a cat that is actually a god, villain ending, Dabi steals OC from Shoto, fluff/angst, dadzawa, Endeavor apologist, heavy smut, possessive, Yandere, drug use, extreme violence, master/pet relationships, reverse harem, villains are mean, heroes are worse, jealously, serious deep plot, poetic thoughts, emotional/mental abuse.