Best Middle Grade Books Of The 21st Century

"Mira!" She hears her name being called sweetly, and feels the presence of someone whose voice bring more warmth than her husband's. "Mira!!" A voice who warns her and loves her more than she could ever imagine, and a being whose unrequited love would never be. Memories of lingering attachment to a woman and a family she is unfamiliar with, and a new family with many dark secrets to hide. A repetition of history and a forbidden love that can never be. Still someone hiding in the shadows devotes himself to bringing her happiness. He who is a being with the greatest sins amongst them all. 'A devil' as they call him. Dedicates his life to her. Was history wrong, or is there more to the tale of these two.

In the small town of Eastwood, the mysterious disappearance of 12-year-old Daniel from his abusive family had left a void that no one could fill. Over a decade later, Daniel, now a suave, enigmatic billionaire arms dealer, returns to Eastwood with two purposes in mind: to reconcile with his past, particularly with his beloved younger sister, and to wage a secret war against the dangerous underbelly of the town. His first encounter in town is with Kate, a beautiful waitress with a challenging life of her own. They're immediately drawn to each other, sharing a connection that neither can explain. But with this connection come complications: Kate is tied to a world Daniel is fighting against, with a looming arranged marriage to a millionaire who has dark secrets. As Daniel delves deeper into the town's affairs, he uncovers a network of narcotics trade, child traffickers, and corrupt officials. All the while, he keeps his true identity hidden, trying to get closer to his family without revealing himself. Kate becomes both his anchor and his weakness. Her association with the town's malevolent forces, especially her fiancé, threatens to tear them apart. However, as they grow closer, their combined strength becomes a force to reckon with. Throughout their journey, they'll face intense challenges, both from external enemies and internal demons. The town of Eastwood will witness a storm of love, action, betrayal, and redemption. But the question remains: can love truly conquer all, even the shadows of a tortured past?

The Forgotten. Massacre and regicide under the orders of an unspeakably evil priesthood decimate the ranks of the honourable Galadon Knights, and destroy the Royal family who the Knights are sworn to protect. Now outlawed and despised, the Knights are forced, for four generations, 120 years, to hide in secret as they regain their strength for their final confrontation with the religious order. But their biggest secret is that they also hide the last surviving member of the Royal family. Finally strong enough, the last surviving Royal is brought out of hiding and told of her heritage and true identity. Unfortunately a key part of her heritage, a mysterious and magical amethyst pendant, is lost and without it her legitimacy to the throne can not be proven. So starts a desperate quest to search for the pendant to prove the claim of Princess Astrid who must be crowned before the first full moon after her 21st birthday. As more of her heritage is discovered so is passionate romance, bloody battles, betrayal, magic and alliances with the mysterious Elves, Dwarves, Dryads and Mrawlers of the planet. With her 21st birthday quickly approaching, the amethyst lost and the armies are moving into position for a final confrontation, this is their last chance, and time is running out.

Betrayal. A young woman, Gu Xi, was deceived and murdered by those she deeply trusted. However, instead of dying, her soul was sent back 5 years into the past, giving her the chance to relive her life. Only this time, with enough knowledge about the future to change her destiny. Now she seeks revenge against those who have wronged her, and to live the life she believes she deserves.

"Watch and learn. On how the person you called a pathetic commoner would be the one to bring you to your knees." - Augustus Fordman. *** In a world that shunned him, August Fordman was the perpetual outcast. From being labeled as the "pathetic commoner" to the heartbreak of Samantha betraying him, followed by a reputation-shattering scheme, he reached rock bottom. But this was the last time everyone could cast stones at him. Rising from the ashes, he reclaims his true heritage as the heir to the highest-ranking family. Now armed with immense power and wealth, he vowed a promise to himself: They'll soon taste the torment he once endured. He will return the same pain everyone made him feel!

Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone—including her own mate—she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed—a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous—he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.

Alessa found herself in the unexpected role of replacing her older sister as wife, after the latter refused to marry a man who had supposedly suffered burns to ninety percent of his body during a terrible accident. However, Alessa's adoptive father's motivation was purely financial, as he wanted to take advantage of the fortune the deformed man had. So Alessa was pressured into marrying this billionaire tycoon. Once she arrived at the mansion, her life became a daily challenge, as she had to deal with a superficial and appearance-obsessed husband, while facing personal insecurities due to her own body. The pressure to live up to the physical standards imposed by society aggravated her self-image, especially as she didn't fit the traditional standards of beauty. However, behind the billionaire's façade was a secret that escaped everyone's notice: a supernatural dimension that encompassed his entire family lineage. This mysterious secret was about to unite Alessa's fate with that of the billionaire in unimaginable ways. Thus, Alessa's life became a complex labyrinth, intertwining relationships, superficial appearances and hidden secrets. She would have to navigate these challenges to discover the true meaning of this unusual relationship and unravel the mysteries surrounding the family of the man who became her husband.

Her marriage has been unsuccessful since that day she got married to him. One sided love, and his unknown hatred towards her. "I'd rather sleep in the guest room than with you". His threatening voice echoed inside the room before he left. She finally understood the reality, married to him for a whole five years, only to discover now that he only used her to claim his inheritance. She was so heartbroken when she caught her own husband and his Mistress on a date that he has never taken her to, not even once. Anyways, who was she to call her his Mistress?. She should have understood that the Lady was his only Love of his Life, on the other hand, she was just an urgent second choice because his family didn't support his marriage with a lowly class. But now he actually became the Boss that he was, he didn't care about any bullshit from his family. "I guess, I won't regret what I'm about to do, I'm tired". Night falls, her drunken Handsome Husband she had admired all those years was finally at her own mercy. "There's no backing down this time around!. I won't always be treated like some pushover!". When the morning time arrived, a document "DIVORCE AGREEMENT" could be seen at the top of the bed. "Where is she?!". "E…. Em…. Your wife already left Boss".

“Elena,” he says. My name has never sounded more filthy. He slams the door shut behind him with a kick of his foot and I flinch. My hand remains behind my back, it is a good thing he does not notice that my hands are now free. He inches forward and I take as many steps back as I can until I hit the wall. He comes even closer until his ugly face is mere inches away from my own. I can smell the stench of his wolf as he roughly grabs me by the chin. I quake uncontrollably, it is as if a wave of parasitic worms has taken hold of me, his touch is repulsive as it is nauseating. This man, who is old enough to be my father leans in and smiles. My eye starts to water and a sob escapes my lips. ****** Elena is a wolf-less girl who hails from a long line of omegas. One day, the enemy pack comes demanding for tributes, virgin girls to work as their slaves and to save her family, Elena volunteers to become one. She ends up a slave to the alpha of the enemy pack where she is horribly tortured. All hope seems lost and all she wants to do is to die, but then her savior comes in the form of Hunter, the alpha of the Storm Riders pack. Hunter takes one look at her and realizes she is his one true mate. But the only problem is, she has already been claimed by the alpha of the enemy pack. Will Elena be set free and allowed to choose her own path and happiness? Or will she be forever doomed to live in the shadows of her scars and past?

The supernatural creatures of the world have long been governed by The Council, made of representatives of each faction: werewolves, vampires, witches, and fae. The Council’s main goals were to keep the existence of magic from humans and keep any one group from becoming too powerful. Legends of a creature, a hybrid capable of being more than one supernatural creature, have existed as long as the beings themselves. A hybrid would be able to topple The Council, and whichever faction they were loyal to would rule with ease. As such, the purposeful creation of such a creature was forbidden. In 2012, ancient vampire Elias Elhassan found Claire Luna. After years of living in and out of the oncology ward, the 26-year-old was ready for death. Until he approached her and offered her a way to live without the constant pain she had become so accustomed to. 24-year-old Colin Lucin, the youngest, bastard son of the Alpha of the Half-Moon pack, did not want much from life. After a childhood filled with loss and pain, he was more than satisfied to be the pack’s nurse and stay out of the way of his father and eldest brothers. But in order to maintain a long-held pact with a local coven, once every generation, a witch is destined to mate with a wolf of the Alpha line. Thrown into a political battle that neither knows anything about, Claire and Colin are forced to navigate a centuries-old web of lies, torture, and manipulation. Though they are fated to be together, can they trust each other’s words? Can they even survive long enough to find out? Trigger warnings: Depictions of: violence, blood, language, sexual content (to what degree is yet to be decided) Implied: abuse, sexual content