The Executioner of Rowling by Voshin Machin

Hunting in her forest, Iris glimpses ominous signs of bloodthirsty witches and white beasts descended from The Pearl Mountains. Many times, she has confronted her own mortality, and often she yearns for greater strength. Her life and sanity stand as testaments to her resilience, but a mercenary's arrival thrusts her far beyond her own limits. Surrounded by an aura of power and mystery, the helmetless knight carries a well-worn sword over his right shoulder. The Executioner. The Arm of the Reaper. The Storm Sword. Of course Iris has heard of him. The notorious witch hunter's reputation precedes him, but Iris's independence tempers her belief in rumors. After all, no one is truly invulnerable. Fueled by curiosity and a thirst for growth, Iris seizes the opportunity to approach The Executioner, only to find herself in the midst of a witch hunt that transcends any story or rumor. Too late, she learns that

Light and Shadow: Revenge of the Forsaken by Denis Shanagher

In this first book of the Light and Shadow trilogy, the kingdoms of Amoria, unbeknownst to them, are at their breaking point. While political tensions build in the south, a forsaken history emerges in the east after many years in the shadows. As chaotic war sweeps across the world, a question is asked: who can rise up against unfathomable power and insidious plot? Royals, Knights, soldiers, and citizens alike attempt to resist against this destiny written in darkened past, but it will take more than just sword and rifle to achieve victory.

FALL: THE LAST PRINCIPLE (Time) by M.A Essan

"And what would an angel like you know about intimacy? What it feels like, what it tastes like, what becomes of you when it is done?” ~Lilith to Hel'el (Lucifer) Adam had become a threat to all things, but with the help of Lucifer, can the Principles stop man, and the devices of El'Ohim? In this Epic dark fantasy romance and Adaptation of the creation story, Adam and all mankind became the most powerful weapon in Sion's arsenal and the potentials of Man terrified the PRINCIPLES (a Primordial force that governed Existence). Mankind was El'Ohim's masterpiece, and he created billions in males and females, but only twelve had attained self-discovery, and were conscripted into the Host as KNIGHTS OF SION. The potentials of a Knight rivalled the power of a Primordial being, and Adam, being the first among all men had a potential to rival his creator. Eniola’s late Father was an avatar of the Primordial Principle of Time (an anomaly created by El'Ohim to upset the Principles), and Eniola was a young beautiful woman with mystical powers granted to her by a Relic owned by the mighty leader of the Principles. The Principles compelled Eniola to travel back in time to arrest the Primordial Principle of Time, but the Primordial Principle of Time imprisoned her in a time loop that made her to witness and partake in the undocumented events that predated to the Fall of Man.

Company of Slayers (The Company of Slayers Book 1) by Justin Waine

Money and Blood For over a thousand years the Nerlinean Ocean has been the fulcrum of the world. The battleground for waring empires, conflicting religions and avaricious merchant companies. On a ship in chains are five slaves, a small group among the many that are traded across the waters every day. These five are not like the others for they are resolved to escape. Kyrian the champion wrestler and his sister Dryana a priestess of the Great Goddess. Balinor a slave since birth but with the instincts of a warrior. Slinker the last war mage of the Tancree. Saliana a singer of songs and a teller of tales. Their escape will begin a journey from servitude to wealth and power, but the group have secrets, some so terrifying they will shape the fate of kingdoms.

Blood for Blood: Volume One Part I: (The Blood of Houses, Vol.1) by J.A Garza

SPFBO10 SPSFC 2024

Game of Thrones with Lightsabers A secret is trivial for one, adequate for two, and fatal for three. There’s power in blood. Such is the legacy of House Vega, a Sovereign fiefdom standing on the brink against General Basil Zeren of Taras. There, Jase Vega of Attica declares neutrality in his family’s war, in vein and virtue. A militant pacifist, he ventures beyond the neon city to train his clandestine daughter, Seva, how to wield their inherited powers: the roaring tides of Hydrokinesis and the collateral-inducing damage of Super Strength. Far across the Royal Strait, along the secular shores of Siteia, lie devote conjurers and more—an innate power severed from the dynastic kings during the generation-long uprising, yet emerging with grievous consequences and divine authority not seen in centuries. But a more civil disturbance rises to the east, where Shoshana Vega, the General of War, has decreed an ultimatum for her heretic brother: join the destructive conflict or face execution for treason. Now, Basil is charging west to Attica, bringing his daughter, the apostatized but fierce Rome, her daughter, the infamous, immeasurable acolyte Seva, and the indomitable genetic powers of House Zeren—the first an inferno like Dragon’s breath, the second a psionic enhancement of hearing. All are colliding in Attica, unaware of a fifteen-year mystery condemning Seva’s birthright that will link the two feuding houses in blood forever. Game of Thrones with lightsabers in Blood for Blood, Volume One Part I, in the Series The Blood of Houses. Part II will release later this year. This novel features supernatural abilities, battle sequences, and political intrigue.

The Faceless Minion: Nemesis: Volume 2 of the Faceless Minion by AE Icolas

In a world of superheroes, the great mastermind behind it all is...that faceless minion over there?! A (mostly) lighthearted comedy about a minion trying to make his chaotic world less annoying! Book 1 of a 4 part series! Bob was your everyday, average henchman working for a great supergenius...but everything changed when the superheroes attacked. And now, as Bob picks up the pieces, he comes up with an idea. An idea that will change everything. that will take these gods and geniuses and bring them down to Earth. Can one faceless minion change the world? Can he find a way to move mountains and hold heroes and villains in the palms of his hands? The story of the Faceless Minion begins now! About the Series: Watch a simple minion explore and manipulate a world filled with heroes, villains, magic, monsters, martial artists, and more! Learn how the villains find all those minions in the first place, and watch as a normal, powerless man outsmarts them all! An affectionate parody on the superhero genre, with references to other genres such as SciFi, shonen anime, and xianxia!

A Gyrfalcon for a King: A fantasy novel of intrigue, loyalty, and dark portents (Stormclouds) by Jane Wiseman

A peregrine for a prince. A tiercel for an earl. But a gyrfalcon for a king. Rascally King Ranulf struggles under a dark curse brought down on him by a mighty gyrfalcon appearing on the tail of a comet foretelling blood and change. Why this king, no stupider, no more callous than many another of the ordinary folk wielding power in the kingdoms underneath the Nine Spheres? Merlin knows why the mighty bird has singled out King Ranulf, and he knows the damage the curse brings to the world beneath the Spheres. Locked in a battle of wits and will with another of his kind, the rogue mage Gilles de Rais, Merlin despairs for the world. The prophecy against Ranulf is stark: “One of your sons will do his duty. One will try to destroy you. One will ride out as leader of The Rising to avenge you.” But of all King Ranulf’s sons, the most mysterious is his misbegotten son John. John the bard. “Bards are dangerous,” Gilles de Rais tells John, deep in the forest. “Did you know that?” Terror-stricken by these words and his own hidden powers, John flees, aided only by the birds whose language he speaks. A younger son, an illegitimate son, barely acknowledged at all, how can John possibly help his father the king? “Or the world itself,” Merlin whispers. Dark bird. Comet screaming out of a cloudless sky. Dark portents. Merlin can read the signs. He fears the role John must play. He worries he won’t be able to help John, or not enough. The fate of the Spheres rests on John, a heavy weight to bear. Just as heavy, to John, the deep hidden knowledge he must learn to wield, to hone like the sharpest weapon so that The Rising can use him for its vengeance. Book I of the Stormclouds fantasy series.In chronological order, the Stormclouds/Harbingers fantasy novels are: STORMCLOUDS prequel series--A Gyrfalcon For a King, The Call of the Shrike, Stormbird. HARBINGERS fantasy series--Blackbird Rising, Halcyon, Firebird, Ghost Bird. BETWIXT & BETWEEN companion series--The Martlet is a Wanderer, The Nightingale Holds Up the Sky. STAND-ALONE novel set in the world of the Stormclouds/Harbingers fantasy series: Dark Ones Take It, being the origin story of Caedon and his brother Maeldoi, the Dark Rider. Read less

The Dark Protect Us: Book 1 of The Gatherers of the Light by Freenan Isaac Hyzer

Nimroden, Kinslayer, and Stealer of the Light, Dark God of the mountain of Conde, sealed his people away after he burned the world with fire. Before he closed the mountain, he vowed to create a nation to destroy the God of Light. For over a millennium, he used perverted powers to change his followers into unnatural beasts that he would unleash upon the world. The only prophesied hope for the world was a single line. A Child of Darkness would restore that stolen light. Abran, a young child born in the mountain of Conde, remembered his mother's simple prayer. A prayer of love and light. It sent him on a journey where he discovered the joy of family and found his faith in the God of Light.

Lightwarriors (The Gathering Darkness) by Brian L Jackson

Charlie MacLeod, a young and beautiful girl, was gifted at birth with the power to set the world alight; a power she neither wants nor can easily control. A victim of tragedy, Charlie is adopted by David and Catherine McAuliffe, a young couple with similar god-like powers who only wish to live a quiet, normal life. Events quickly spiral out of control as Charlie is marked for death by the NSA, and later pursued by another, far more dangerous entity that seeks to exploit her power for its own dark ends.

The Shepherds of the Sunstone: Book One - Sunstone Saga (The Sunstone Saga) by Nicolin Odel

SPFBO10

A murdered father. Awakened magic. Nightmares of drowning in the dark abyss. Something hunts in the deep of the night through the endless sea of sand. Adventurous, captivating, and complex, The Shepherds of the Sunstone plunges into the world of fantasy with a blood-curdling scream. Hata thought she was ordinary until she discovered her power to bend the earth to her will. Simon had a dream of drowning, and then his nightmare became a reality. He was kidnapped by a savage tribe and enslaved in the desert. His wife, Saudett, is a soldier who would stop at nothing to rescue him. She joins forces with a band of warriors and Hata, the mysterious girl with earth-shattering magic. But they were not the only ones who wanted Hata’s gift. A powerful order of mages is hunting her down, and they will stop at nothing to capture her. And as they journey across the desert of the Burning Sea, they face a malevolent force threatening to destroy them all. Can they survive the perils and save Simon from his fate? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure, where magic, grit and courage collide. Fans of Patrick Rothfuss, Andrzej Sapkowski, Sarah J. Maas, and Robin Hobb will find this first installment in the Sunstone Saga an intense, tactile, dark, and action-packed journey.

Keeper of the Stone: The Cavern by J.S Lundy

Thirteen stones, 12 dark, 1 white guard the land from the nothingness of chaos. For a thousand years the ruling class protected the twelve stones and peace reigned. Until five years ago when civil war broke out between two sisters. The Lady Gabrielle of the North Kingdom, the most powerful mage in history and the Lady Edith of the East. Lady Edith declared herself Queen; stole her sister’s power, cursed her kingdom and darkened her stone. Defeated and powerless Lady Gabrielle languishes in a dungeon, only kept alive for the knowledge she possesses as Keeper of the Stone. A small band of outlaws refuse to give up hope. Led by their Captain, Merrick and his men are hunted by the Queen. They must evade her clutches to rescue their Lady Gabrielle and take her to her awaiting uncle, across the land to the West mountains. Together, the Lady Gabrielle and Merrick must find a way to defeat the Queen and free the lands from her tyranny. But they will also face the hubris of their ancestors and uncover a prophesy hidden in myth that tells of one born in the West to bring peace.

Barnaby the Wanderer: Being the astonishing adventures of a widow’s son journeying the Land of Saints, with a magic cat, a dark ghost and the map of a by Raymond ST. Elmo

Barnaby spends his days staring into the embers of the hearth. Mocked for being the village simpleton, the family fool. But today he’s off to wander the world, with a penny in his pocket, a sack lunch and a treasure map. On the road he’ll meet wonder and horror, friendship and betrayal, battle and blood, love, heart break and the occasional fiend from Infernum. Gathering as he goes, a band of misfits to join his unlikely treasure quest. Together they’ll journey across lands of ston

The Dark Lord Lurking (The Chronicles of Aarastad) by Micah Swanson Harris

Enjoy character-driven fantasy? Then this adventure in the Chronicles of Aarastad is for you. They defied the Dark Lord to be together. Now, as their old enemy reaches out from beyond death to seek revenge, Princess Freyja and her forbidden suitor Ambrose face a new threat: A seductive prince who will stop at nothing to make Freyja his. Necromancy, romance, court intrigue...it's just another day in the kingdom of Aarastad. Note: This is Book Two in the Agents of the Rune Stone Ring Trilogy, but it also contains a complete story that can be enjoyed on its own. The historical fantasy epic reaches its conclusion in Book Three: Royals, Rogues and Dragons Arise!

The World Queen Awakens: Royal Secrets Meet Sword and Sorcery in a Classic Fantasy (The Chronicles of Aarastad Book 1) by Micah Swanson Harris

An innocent princess possessed! The evil goddess within her is ready to rise and reign in wicked glory as the Last World Queen! Then Princess Freyja meets Ambrose, the young royal tutor who is as lonely as she is…and who secretly loves her. Her only hope: if he can activate a ring of secret agents to combat her curse. But their leader is long dead, leaving the operatives unknown to each other. How will Ambrose assemble in time a group whose members each believe he or she is an order of one? Who will stand when... The World Queen Awakens! The World Queen Awakens isBook One in the Agents of the Rune Stone Ring Trilogy. It also contains a complete story that can be enjoyed on its own.

Keeper of the Cob: Backworlds book 1 by Thurston Leigh

Vrx Gnerghal is a ghoul with a family to feed in a world where his kind and their “liberal” dietary habits are frowned upon. With the help of a powerful magical artifact, he stumbles upon a portal to Earth, where the humans are fat, slow and delicious. When a teenager smoking weed in the forest catches Vrx sneaking through the woods with a sack full of fresh meat, he and his friends decide to follow the creature through the portal to the hidden world beyond, and are quickly roped into the machinations therein. They will be stabbed, bitten, transformed, stabbed again and have to put up with a lot of walking as they are dragged through the countryside by a reluctant bounty hunter in her quest to find Gnerghal, kill him, and retrieve the artifact he stole.

Sand to Glass (Tales from the Mythusian Empire) by Remy Apep

“A tight examination of the line between monster and human.” Foreword Reviews Somewhere at the edge of the Great Being’s dream lies a desert kingdom ruled by four young siblings. One burns with rage like fire. One battles monsters to make his siblings smile. One laughs with ruthless charm. One itches with desperation. All teeter on the edge of madness. In Remy Apepp’s harrowingly beautiful Sand to Glass, the Kingdom of Ordyuk finds itself faced with destruction. Endlessly attacked by accursed beings, the kingdom relies ever more heavily on the four siblings. Under such a weight, their only choice is to grow into monsters themselves—

Necromancer Arising: Book One of The Asterisian Chronicles by Devon Salvin

"His power flooded into dead flesh, forcing it to move. The flesh remembered how to work, and as Lyre commanded, limbs obeyed. Back muscles contracted, the spine snapped straight. Lyre fed more and more power into his Risen and imparted but one order: to kill." Hated and feared for their magic, Necromancers have been hunted to extinction- or so it was believed. After ten years of isolation, Lyre Asterisian escapes an enchantment containing the ruin of his town and plunges into a plagued world on the verge of war. Lyre is forced to develop his unique powers and uses Necromancy in ingenious ways to survive. By steel, bone, and Risen flesh, Lyre defies death and, instead, strives to control it.

The Recovering Materialist by Tuomas Mäkinen

“How much are you willing to sacrifice for your dreams?” At 25, Tuomas comes up with his answer: everything. Stuffing his life into a single orange suitcase, he moves across the globe to a Hindu monastery deep in the redwood forests of Northern California. He expects to finally find the tranquility, truth, and harmony he has always yearned for, but instead comes face-to-face with his darkest shadows. As it turns out, ashrams are a lot less “Kumbaya” and a lot more like rehab centers. The greatest battle of Tuomas’ life begins, and there’s no knowing whether he will land on his feet or his ass. “The Recovering Materialist” offers a candid, raw, and at times sidesplitting portrait of the hardships and victories of a life dedicated to spiritual enlightenment. In lean and inventive prose, Mäkinen takes the reader on a rollercoaster from his alienated years of hardcore punk and societal underperformance, through his relationship dysfunctions and family drama, to crying alone in a dark yurt and barely averting a fist fight with a fellow monastic, all the way to tentative contentment through building a temple. There is no middle ground in this memoir. The story is in constant movement between the depths of darkest despair and the heights of spiritual ecstasy. Get ready!

The Configuration of a Soul by Irina Diamond

In a world where knowledge is considered power, Scholar Eris has witnessed firsthand why secrets are the difference between life and death, and why trust and attachment are dangerous. However, that doctrine was challenged almost a decade ago when she met the altruistic and pragmatic siblings Aaron and Natlee in the slums. Now, when Aaron is murdered at gunpoint protecting an innocent Supine, she may just be willing to defy everything she's ever known, and death itself, to bring him back. The only problem is, just who can she trust?

When The Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew

A maiden of the stars. A monster from the shadows. A collision that rewrites their worlds. Princess Laila Rose is a fallen star in human form. A beloved guardian to humanity. Yet in spite of these fantastical origins, she has never much believed in prophecies. That’s why when a demon of apocalyptic legend is presented to her in a block of ice, she feels fascination rather than fright. Curiosity kindles into mutual desire once he breaks free of his captivity. Far from the rampaging beast of mass destruction everyone expects—he is monstrously handsome, deviously articulate and alluringly mysterious, a prince among his kind. Eager to discover his origins, Laila travels from her idyllic seaside realm into a land of unspeakable horrors, relying on her wits to survive her journey. She arrives aiming to establish peaceful contact with the aid of the besotted prince. However, it becomes clear that the heartless demon king does not desire peace at all, only war and conquest. When diplomacy fails, Laila turns to the king’s suave and manipulative bastard son in the hopes that she can inspire both him and his trueborn brother to go against their father. But soon it is her heart she must keep from being torn between their centuries-old dangerous rivalry. This gothic fantasy set in a vibrant gaslamp world is a must-read for fans of Catherynne Valente and Angela Carter. It’s written in lush, lyrical prose full of intricate worldbuilding, courtly intrigue, and magic that seeps through the pages. Beneath its light, romantic and whimsical veneer, you can expect darkness, brutality and passion.

Of All Possibilities by Joe Butler

SPSFC 2022

What does someone who can slip between universes do for a living? They help shape the fate of this reality. When his grandfather dies, a young Eli Clarke takes over as the Key: an individual with the power to traverse the multiverse. Raised inside a cult that works with the government, he erases targets from the timeline. Then he meets Jess, a fellow outsider who shows him what it is to question everything. Set in the 80s, 90s, and now, OF ALL POSSIBILITIES is a universe-hopping, punk rock love story about loss, identity, and obsession that explores the repercussions of the choices we make and what makes us who we are.

Data Mine by Lou Iovino

SPSFC 2022

No more secrets. Political scandals. Corporate greed. Embezzlement, disinformation, and fraud. Schemes perpetrated, year after year, by an elite few—and yet it’s always, always the little people who are victimized. Who pay the price. Those little people have finally demanded action. Powerful elites must be watched. And our leaders have responded . . . by mandating that all individuals who wield global influence receive Harvesters—nanoparticle-infused, flexible circuitry tattoos that transmit a person’s biometric data for monitoring and analysis. Analysis by Data Miners—like Gwen Elliott. Gwen is one of the data mining industry’s most talented analysts. She sees things that others miss. And it’s led to her being chosen for a critical assignment: personal data miner for Senator Rosemary Martin, the leading candidate for President of the United States. But Senator Martin has a dangerous secret. One that she’s determined to keep hidden at all costs. Only Gwen can solve the mystery buried deep in the senator’s data . . . but first, she needs to figure out how to survive.

A Hardness of Minds by Eric Kay

SPSFC 2022

A Near-Future Hard Sci-Fi about Data, War, and First Contact in our Solar System. Life exists under Europa’s ice, but there’s doubt in the data. Against of backdrop of escalating tensions, double-sided revelations of first contact ripple through all involved as the probe attempts the first landing on the ice of Europa. The novel intertwines perspectives of Earth and under Europa as all struggle for truth. For fifteen years, the Europa Clipper has hinted at life under the ice-shell of Europa. An eccentric mogul, bent on expanding his legacy—funds and launches the first privately funded probe to Jupiter. The robotic submarine can reach the ocean floor and returning by an expertly trained AI. Tensions flare between the United States and China, while cyberattack threatens the project. Meanwhile, Dalton, a self-sabotaging synthetic data engineer, longs to make a name for himself in the scientific community, even at the cost of being infamous. Unknown to Earth, alien society has penetrated up the kilometers of ice, and has long researched ‘Nullworld,’ the mysterious ‘ether’ beyond the ice from which no sonar returns. Tensions in their global society have escalated as their city-state fights with a neighbor whose hydrothermal vent has run cold. Now the military caste is in control, halted all research, and pressed capable scientists and engineers into militia service. The alien scientist must escape and bring back research he hopes will diffuse tensions: the revelation of another water world. This is the second hard sci-fi novel by author Eric Kay (No Lack of Sunshine). It explores issues of data integrity in the age of adversarial information warfare, moving minds away from the brink of war, and experience versus knowledge by proxy.

They Will Be Coming for Us by Kim Catanzarite

SPSFC 2022

A young woman’s greatest dreams and darkest nightmares are pivoted against each other in Catanzarite’s dynamic sci-fi thriller, the first in the Jovian Duology series. Svetlana Peterman desires nothing more than a peaceful life with a devoted husband and a child to dote on. Andrew Jovian, an astronomer with powerful cosmos-obsessed parents, gives her both, along with a suffocating extended family and a mother-in-law preoccupied with the idea of immediately having grandchildren. Svetlana does her best to settle into her new married life, but quickly finds herself at the center of an unusual—possibly intergalactic—mystery that endangers everyone she loves. With no one to trust and everything to lose, she must find the strength to fight and survive.

Heritage (Tales of the Phoenix Titan 1) by S.M. Warlow

SPSFC 2022

Heritage is the debut novel from S.M. Warlow and the first instalment of the Tales of the Phoenix Titan series. This space opera is perfect for fans of Firefly, the Expanse, Star Wars and Mass Effect. Make them proud, son of Earth. 25 years after the fall of Earth, the Commonwealth is locked in a vicious, galaxy-spanning war against the Revenant. Countless worlds have been lost in the fighting, and now one crew must come together and stand in the way of galactic annihilation. Nathan Carter is an efficient criminal, but when he's hired to steal supplies from a Commonwealth warship, what starts as an easy job soon transforms into something that could change the course of history. Now, Nathan must work with a group of unlikely allies to protect a woman whose heritage is the key to everything.

The Pono Way: A Solarpunk Novel by Kirsten M. Corby

SPSFC 2022

In 2050, the United States of America finally crumbled. Jake Weintraub’s family fled the burned-out ruins of Chicago for the safety of the artificial island steading of Pono. Now grown, Jake works as an independent journalist, but the horrors of the Chicago River Riots still haunt him. As Pono watches, safe in the Pacific Ocean, the successor West Coast state of Cascadia collapses under a further series of catastrophes. Thousands of desperate refugees arrive on Pono’s shores – homeless, stateless, and hungry. Jake throws himself into covering their story, even as their plight evokes memories of his own trauma and flight. Can Pono, a carefully constructed island society, accept this influx of strangers? Or will this crisis tear Ponoan society apart?

EMP Strike: EMP Apocalypse Survival Thriller by Bo Thunboe

SPSFC 2022

THE ROAD meets SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON Dan Fallon is a courtroom warrior at the pinnacle of his profession. That’s what he knows—it’s who he is. As he’s driving back from the biggest victory of his career an electromagnetic pulse [EMP] wipes out modern civilization and strands him hundreds of miles away from his family. Dan’s legal skills are worthless against the chaos he must battle to get home. Is he strong enough? Is he ruthless enough? Can he can be the man his family needs him to be to survive in this new world? Back home Mary and the children face their own challenges. Mary has run out of her medication and struggles to separate the apocalypse from her delusions. Erin is stranded at a Taekwondo tournament and decides to head home through the chaos alone. Sean thinks playing video games has better prepared him for the apocalypse than for picking a college major. Do they have what it takes to survive in this new world? Can they come together as a family against all that tries to tear them apart?

Panacea Genesis by L. Ana Ellils

SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

Mariela Stafford’s life just hit rock bottom. Her boss, the CEO of Panacea Corp, created a digital clone of himself, demoted Mariela, gave the clone her job, and told Mariela to train it. Now the clone wants her to help it kill the CEO. In 2115, embedded chips, virtual reality, and the threat of extreme weather have led to a market for businesses that keep a person’s body alive in a habitation pod while the person lives entirely in the metaverse. But not everyone embraces technological advances– a group of people have adopted the tech of 2005 while isolating themselves from the temptation of advanced technology. Panacea Corp – the world’s most powerful corporation – connects both worlds through providing the metaverse, the pod warehouses, and the land to the technology resisters. Mariela Stafford, a vice president for Panacea Corp, is demoted after her new boss assigns his digital clone to take over her job. Assisted by Amoco, an eccentric polymath who also works for the corporation, she schemes a way to get rid of the clone. To delete it, they’ll need to recruit a team to access an eighty-year-old server farm in a remote location—which would be a lot easier to do if the records on the location of the server farm hadn’t been lost. This ‘earth’ opera—a tale with all the drama, expansiveness, and varied cast of a space opera, but set on earth—will appeal to anyone who’s ever felt out-of-control of the technology in their lives. Panacea Genesis is book one in the Panacea Trilogy.

Pink Apocalypse by Carpenter Gibson

SPSFC 2022

Forget diamonds, in the Post Apocalypse, Bullets are a girl’s best friend! Pink is a mysterious woman who walked out of the wastes. She is an up and coming member of the Patrol. They are the sheriffs of the wild wastes, taking on zombies, mutants, bandits and robots left over in the ruins. Pink is now freshly promoted and set out on a seemly mundane mission with three other wasteland warrior women at her side. However, she is haunted by a failed expedition to find her mentor in more ways than one. Pink must now lead this team of bad ass bullet babes into the wastes for answers. The End of the World was just the beginning of Action and Adventure!" The world ended in the weird future of an alternate earth. Zombies stalk the wasteland! Mutants lurk in the ruins! Forgotten robotic soldiers still patrol the devastation. Raiders and rival tribes war over scraps. But there is hope. Braves souls still seek the tame the wasteland and ensure humanity's survival. Intrepid settlers and traders struggle to make a slightly better future. In such strange times tales of adventure abound. Pink's story is but one. Come see the wild west of the post apocalypse with us!

Sudden Death by L.L. Richman

SPSFC 2022

'Sudden Death’ is just a theme park thrill ride. Until it's not. Fresh off his first Marine deployment, Boone must now choose between two schools: Intelligence or Scout Sniper. Though he’s shown clear aptitude for the second, he’s not sure he has what it takes to do the job. When he puts the decision aside to join his buddies on a day of leave, the last thing Boone expects to see is a naval weapons locker in the hands of a man who is clearly not Navy. On impulse, he shadows the man, only to find himself running for his life… smack into a Unit operator. Now he has two options: join the fight or remain behind. But the choice he’s been given is really no choice at all. For the only way to save the park is for Boone to embrace his calling. The fate of thousands rests on this one decision. He’d better make it a good one.

Mercuryville by Tara Summerville

SPSFC 2022

Things were great in the desert. We ate pancakes, shopped at farmer's markets, casually murdered, drank hot cocoa by the fire, dodged cannibals, sunbathed, decorated for Christmas, buried bodies, looked through old photo albums, and did minor home improvements. Then, things took a weird turn. Mercuryville follows the story of Kid, a self-proclaimed recluse that knew she needed a change. When a stranger asks her to join her for a mystery project in the middle of the desert, she follows him. As she drives across the country, her imagination explores all of the terrible things awaiting her at her destination. Even after two days on the road, what she finds in the small cabin in the middle of nowhere is beyond anything she imagined.

Ian by M. Warren Askins

SPSFC 2022

My son eats people. He doesn’t translate languages or shut off trash chutes. He doesn’t transform into a truck or a fighter jet. He doesn’t morph into liquid and seep through sewer grates. He eats people - My son eats people. Well, yeah, that's what he was designed to do. You see, my son is a robot. And me? I'm a sworn pacifist, raising him as best I can. So when a stranger came knocking one day, well, some stuff happened…

Dim Stars: A Novel of Outer Space Shenanigans by Brian P. Rubin

SPSFC 2022

Kenzie Washington, fourteen-year-old girl genius, signs up for a two-week tour as a cadet on the spaceship of her idol, Captain Dash Drake. Too bad Dash, who once saved the galaxy from the evil Forgers, is a broke loser and much less than meets the eye. But when an intergalactic evil appears and launches an attack, Dash, Kenzie, and the ship’s crew escape, making them the next target. On the run and low on gas, Dash and Kenzie encounter cannibal space-pirates, catastrophic equipment failure, and a cyborg who’s kind of a jerk. Kenzie is determined to discover the bad guys’ secret plan. But for her to succeed, Dash needs to keep his brilliant, annoying cadet from getting killed …which is a lot harder than it sounds.

Zer0-Day by Al Davidson

SPSFC 2022

Who Am I? What am I? These questions have plagued Joshua since childhood. Mysterious amplified senses and boosted reflexes have helped him survive and thrive in a brutal, lawless megacity, and he leads the notorious Epitaph gang with keen street instincts. When Joshua’s unexplained abilities draw the attention of a covert government entity, he finds himself on the run. Only his skills, street smarts and a rogue hacker named Shelby keep him one step ahead of his relentless hunters. They know what he is. They know who he is, and they will tear apart a megacity, placing everyone he cares for in danger, to bring him in.

Samurai Barber Versus Ninja Hairstylist by Zed Dee

SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

Change is in the hair. Ninjas are wreaking havoc by cutting people’s hair without their permission. Behind this follicular terrorism is a master ninja, the Ninja Hairstylist, whose chaotic hairstyle embodies the anarchy that is about to tear the city apart. The Samurai Barber must step up and cut down the evil strands on the Ninja Hairstylist’s head. It is not just keratin that is at stake. The Samurai Barber must fight for one of the cornerstones of modern civilization; the freedom and self-determination to choose your own hairstyle.

Lottery to Haven by William Gee

SPSFC 2022

JENNIFER MI feels nothing but contempt for the new world and those choosing to abscond there. For the richest few, the new world represents an escape from a dying Earth; a place to start anew, free from responsibilities to society. With every launch, a global lottery is convened to select one lucky winner to accompany each paying passenger. Cast in the lottery without her knowledge, Jen is drawn into a desperate snare that even her skills as a budding cyber security specialist are ill-equipped to untangle. Joined by four other winners, she must uncover New Worlds’ shadowy motivations for THE LOTTERY.

In Every Clime and Place by Patrick LeClerc

SPSFC 2022

Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful. The motto of the United States Marine Corps. Words to live by. On the ragged edges of civilization, Corporal Michael Collins has lived those words, taking on riots and evacuations, rebels and terrorists. Asteroid belt patrol is just another deployment. Ninety nine percent boredom, one percent terror. But soon the platoon of Marines find themselves entangled in the threads of a conspiracy of corporate greed, government corruption, piracy, and a band of war criminals. As the fire team leader struggles with tensions in the close knit unit, Collins and his fellow Marines find themselves outnumbered in a pitched battle to stop a corrupt land grab that seems right out of the Old West, but on a new, wider, more unforgiving frontier. And now he must confront the harsh demands of being “always faithful.” Semper Fi. Words to live by. Words to die by. Time to earn that combat pay, Marines. Welcome to the Suck. And remember, you volunteered for this.

Earthship by John Triptych & Michel Lamontagne

SPSFC 2022

Our world will be destroyed. Only a chosen few can escape. In the near future, a cataclysmic collision with a rogue planet destabilizes the sun, causing an exponential increase of its output. With the ever-increasing heat, life on earth will be extinguished within a decade. As the global crisis deepens, it falls on a handful of individuals who will determine whether humanity survives. NASA scientist Dr. Olivia Quinn must outwit a corrupt government system and warn the public before it’s too late. Veteran astronaut Valerie McKinnon and her son Sawyer are in a race against time to build a space ark that could rescue countless lives. And Armand Balkan, a cutthroat trillionaire who seeks to maintain his empire by any means possible, could either save or doom them all.

Clowns by Peter Cawdron

SPSFC 2022

First Contact occurred a decade ago with a traveling circus in the high-altitude desert plateau of Uzbekistan. The US Government has been covertly monitoring extraterrestrial activity around Earth since then but has struggled to make contact. They've kept tabs on the circus and its founder, Buster Al-Hashimi. Four years ago, Buster returned to the US to start a counter-culture group called The Clowns, challenging the sociopolitical status quo in America. Clowns asks the question: What would an extraterrestrial intelligence think about our intelligence? FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.

Intelligence Block by Kit Falbo

SPSFC 2022

Talos June performs with the creed of never break character. It lets him hide his awkward self from the universe as the ancient and powerful Wizard Joontal. No one knows the man behind the curtain. It is a good job, and he has his artificial companions to keep him company as he plays with the most fabulous technologies the colonized planets have produced. Technologies as dangerous as they are exciting. Content with playing it safe, and slowly climbing up the ranks of techno-wizardry, Talos works passionately in his field. It’s all business until the risks of the job come calling for him, and then it gets personal.

Night Music by Tobias F Cabral

SPSFC 2022

The colonization of Mars has begun. Following a rapid expansion of the manned space program due to the discovery of a potentially catastrophic Earth-crossing comet, Zubrin Base has been established on the Red Planet to oversee the capture of the rogue object. During final preparations for a second expedition, however, contact has been lost with the outpost. Pilot Seth Boaz finds himself re-tasked for a rescue mission, one which will force him to confront his own past, as well as otherworldly forces with profound implications for humanity's future. A "Hard" Science Fiction space exploration novella, with affinities to the work of Greg Bear, Michael F. Flynn, and Arthur C. Clarke, NIGHT MUSIC incorporates realistic, near-future space technology and Mars mission and colonization models, as well as elements of Complexity Theory and nanotechnology. The author is a clinical psychologist, who applied that experience to the development of distinct and fleshed-out characters who speak with realistic voices.

The Audacity by Carmen Loup

SPSFC 2022

A wild ride stuffed to the cut-lines with humor, heart, and space shenanigans. May’s humdrum life gets flung into hyperdrive when she’s abducted, but not all aliens are out to probe her. She’s inadvertently rescued by Xan who’s been orbiting Earth in a day-glo orange rocket ship, watching re-runs of “I Love Lucy”. Seizing the opportunity for a better life, May learns how to race the Audacity and pilots her way into interstellar infamy. Finally, she has a job she likes and a friend to share her winnings with—until the Goddess of Chaos screws the whole thing up, and Xan’s unmentionable past makes a booty call. If Douglas Adams got punted into a sticky orange pool of feminism and made sweet love to Futurama, you’d have something approximating The Audacity. Fans of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will appreciate the style, fans of Futurama will love the blend of laugh out loud humor and feels, fans of Steven Universe will enjoy that Space is Very Gay. If you’re tired of the same old cynical, militaristic sci-fi and crave characters who genuinely care about each other and an image of life in the Universe that isn’t all gloom and doom, you’re going to have a good time in the Audacity.

Titan Hoppers by Rob J. Hayes

SPSFC 2022

Courage Iro will shatter the Gates of Power to protect his fleet. Born talentless, Iro has all but resigned himself to a life of drudgery, watching his sister hop across to the massive space titan for supplies. But when the titan explodes and his sister is killed, Iro finds a new determination to take her place. He's not about to let weakness prevent him. When the fleet encounters a new titan, filled with powerful monsters, deadly traps, and mysterious cloaked figures, Iro is the first to spontaneously manifest a new talent. Now sent to a different ship, to train with others far beyond his strength, Iro will have to train twice as hard just to catch up. To protect his fleet, and to uncover the mysteries of the titans, Iro won't just open the Gates of Power. He'll break them.

Alphapoetica: A Poetry Primer for the Everyday Poet by Kate McCarroll Moore

Artifacts, birds, ghosts, rocks, and rain. These are some of the everyday poetry sparks found inside this very different kind of poetry book. Part memoir, part guide, part manual, all heart - this is a collection that invites and inspires. From the first poetic awakenings as a child to the daily rhythms of a working poet, Kate McCarroll Moore's collection is a how-to chronicle for turning ordinary observations and experiences into poetry. Following an introduction that lays out the book's structure, poems are arranged both alphabetically and thematically. Each poem is introduced by the circumstance that inspired its creation, followed by an invitation to the reader to craft a poem of their own. This book will inspire readers of all ages to pick up a pen and begin.

ReBirth: Zodiac Book One by Azshure Raine

Time is something we all have too much of and too little. Our world turns at the mercy of the clock. Gaea is one of those worlds. The world has been reset Twelve times. Zodiac Book One is a romantic fantasy novel with “Final Fantasy” level storytelling. It tells the tale of the Gaea’s thirteenth cycle through multiple POVs, energetic prose, and deep world-building. If Titans, Zodiac, Star-Crossed lovers, and villains you love to hate are your thing, then grab an apple, pick up a copy, and may Fate smile upon you. Threads of gold, ancient and dangerous, pull them together; a bond neither can deny. Jase Raion receives an unexpected assignment—locate and retrieve a girl he was certain was dead. Expecting nothing, he goes to Brighton—a port town on the island of Aria—and finds her. The girl who escaped the fall of Aria. The girl who bears the symbol of Eternity. The girl whose blood the Titan of Time thirsts for. Liya Fairaway, the Princess of Aria, and his target. The moment he sees her, he knows she is not safe, from the Zodiac meant to protect her, the Titan of Time, nor his father—the King of Chall.

Woodpusher by S. Morgan Burbank

Erika Edens finally had everything she wanted. The girl. The quiet life. The stable job. But even the best situations can be turned upside down by powers well beyond our control. Now Erika finds herself in another universe full of gods, guardians, and advanced technologies. Along with her girlfriend and four other humans, they must undertake a plan to save Earth from a rogue deity. But for all the skills and talents this team has, one critical component is out of place. Will Erika be able to overcome her lack of skills - and her demons - to learn what she needs to save the world? Or will she trip herself up along the way?

Dust of Wrathful Years by Klara Łuczka-Hanzalová

1939… Childhood is cut short by the outbreak of war. After a short-lived era of renaissance, Poland is once again being torn to pieces. The endless struggle for freedom returns. Aniela, Jadzia and Kamil were simply adolescents growing up in a promising age of renewal. Part of a generation born with their homeland’s independence, they were to discover Poland as a free and thriving country… Only to later discover death and destruction. In the face of terror imposed by the German invasion, they take up arms to fight. The young scouts become bold soldiers, determined to defend righteousness against the all-encompassing and merciless evil. Dust of Wrathful Years is the first part of a trilogy following the trials and tribulations of the Polish resistance during WWII. Time to (re)discover this era through the unique perspective of youth in the scouting movement. After their lives are shattered, they must not only defend their country but also rebuild the ruins of their hearts.

The Fall That Saved Us by Tamara Jerée

Cassiel has given up the family tradition of demon hunting, leaving behind her sacred angelic duty and fated sword. What she can’t leave behind are the scars. To cope, she spends her days immersed in work, pouring all her attention into New Haven Books, her small bookstore and anchor in the new world she’s carved for herself. But the past hasn’t let go of Cassiel yet. When a succubus named Avitue arrives to claim her angel-touched soul, Cassiel’s old hunter instincts flare, forcing her to choose between old knowledge and her truth. What should be a fatal seduction becomes a bargain neither woman expects. As they grow closer, Avitue is surprised to find her own pain reflected in Cassiel, a nephilim deemed fallen by her own family’s standards. By choosing trust, they reveal the lies that bind them. Falling for each other begins a path towards healing. But exorcising the effects of trauma is harder than naming it, and to explore the unfettered possibility Avitue represents, Cassiel must find a way to reclaim and redefine her angelic heritage.

City of the Seventh Moon by Antano Sparreboom

SPFBO10

When he is chosen as champion of the noble Urwilar family, Verhan knows well that his main job is to fight other champions to settle political disputes. What he doesn’t count on are the machinations of the beautiful Lady Morani, and his pride is mercilessly turned against him. As he fights to survive the dangers of the capital, the influential Three Cities Council plans to assassinate the emperor’s chief advisor and take control of the entire imperial court.

Of Light and Nightmares: The Ashes of Magic Trilogy, Volume I by Alex B. Harper

When the monsters find you, the nightmare begins. Heir to her late parents’ fortune, Emmeline is happy to continue their philanthropic work for the rest of her days. But a rare public appearance sends her crashing into a world of monsters and magic. Emmeline learns that she’s one of two humans who can see those marked to become a nainthe — guardians between the human world and the violent realm of demon-like monsters, the raizour. The guardians have spent decades searching for her — for without her, they are doomed to extinction, and the monsters will devastate Earth. As Emmeline hones her newfound abilities, other dark and powerful enemies emerge, stacking the odds against her and the guardians. And her time is running out—because the monsters have astonishing intelligence and a thirst for blood, and they are ready to execute their chaos. This pulse-pounding urban fantasy will leave you breathless as two worlds collide in a horrific showdown, where even the winners will lose. Author's Note: Trigger Warnings (in alphabetical order): mentions of ableism, antisocial personality disorder, child abandonment, death of loved ones, domestic abuse, drug use, execution, genocide, hostage situations, infertility, mental illness, misogyny, murder, physical assault, scars, sexual assault, stalking, suicide and self-harm, violence. Content Warnings (in no particular order): mature subject matters, sexual content, gore and graphic violence, profanity.