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By the Shining Sea: Khe 3 by Alexes Razevich Khe looked for a savior.She found monsters. Khe loves her simple life on a farming commune until she discovers her ability to make the crops grow faster is a death sentence. Terrified, she flees the only home she's ever known for the far-off city of Chimbalay in search of those who might save her But Chimbalay has its own dangers. When a powerful alien race takes notice of her and wants to use her for their own evil purpose, Khe must learn to fight. What she discovers about herself will change her planet forever. Khe deftly blends elements of sci-fi and fantasy, satisfying those wanting something new. Readers looking for solid world-building and strong female characters will especially enjoy this book. Khe's story continues in Ashes and Rain and concludes in By the Shining Sea. Click now and start reading instantly. |
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The Rise of Daan: Chronicles of Daan: Book 1 by D. Ward Cornell A young man comes of age on a desolate, isolated world... Generations ago, a prophecy was made predicting his birth and rise to greatness... It's a story of hope and betrayal, tragedy and redemption. It is my story... I was born on a Protected World. Youâd think that would be a good thing, but in truth, not so much. You see, a Protected World is a sentry world. One located along the edge of human space, there to sound the alarm if thereâs an alien invasion. A world that is marginally habitable, so unlikely to be a target, yet well connected to the rest of humanity, so able to sound the alarm. And thatâs the real problem. Marginally habitable worlds canât support a significant population. And for the few of us that live here, itâs difficult to scrape out a living. You might ask why anyone would want to live in such a place. I ask that question all the time. The short answer is that these worlds were given away to anyone that had the means to claim and settle them. A lot of adventurers couldnât resist the opportunity. My grandfather, six generations back, was one of those people. There are many stories about my ancestral grandfather. He was apparently quite a character, eccentric as well. Many of his sayings are built deeply into our culture, and most involve the number six. Spend a day in town and youâre likely to hear them. âBetter to do one thing well than six things poorly.â Or âbetter to have six good days than one good week.â Of his many sayings, thereâs the one my mother quotes all the time. âThe sixth son of the sixth generation will stand above them all.â Well, it turns out that Iâm the sixth son of the sixth generation. My father, and all his forefathers, were first sons of first sons down the line from the great Jared Daan. I was my fatherâs sixth son. Sixth son of the sixth most direct connection to our founder. My parents gave me the name of my ancestor, Jared Daan. Iâm the first to bear that name since the great man passed. My mother says Iâm destined for greatness. I think thatâs crazy talk. But my five brothers hate me for it. |
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The Slums of the Solar System by Kat Macleod MITWA: When a deadly plague ravaged the Earth refugees fled into space, crowding into any space station or lunar colony that would take them. Decades passed and the descendants of the survivors struggle to live in anything remotely spaceworthy. Omesh, banished from his Earthly home, finds himself in Barnacle Town. A collection of salvage clinging to the hull of a space station in lunar orbit. Thousands of lives cling precariously to the hull, at the whim of the corporation that owns the station. The station manager welcomes everyone. But then the CEO arrives, intent on scraping the hull of his craft clean. Omesh and his family, friends and neighbors? Not the corporationâs problem. With nowhere else to go, Omesh vows to fight for his new home. But physics? More merciless than any CEO. THE MARS OF MALCONTENTS: Valentina knows how to live in the community spread throughout the old mining caves under the Martian ice cap. A violent place in a forbidding climate, but home for her and her brother. Until she wakes from a coma to find her brother gone. Her father thinks her incapable of following them back to the equatorial cities. He underestimates her â her stubbornness, her courage and her inventiveness. But she underestimates the cold, airless surface of Mars. A journey from the polar ice cap to the Martian equator? Not enough to stop Valentina. Not with her brother on the line. THE WHOLE WORLD FOR EACH: After humankind fled Earth for space they discovered one inescapable truth. People die in space. And lots of dead people means lots of ghosts. April Nguyen earns a nice living getting rid of those ghosts. People all over the Solar System clamor for her aid. April's only problem? Never actually seeing a ghost. She pretends, she feigns, she completely convinces her clients, but she fears her inevitable exposure as a fraud. And then comes Hakim, the ultimate suspicious sceptic watching her every move. And yet April feels herself drawn to him. He knows a whole other world. "The Whole World for Each", a story about belief and disbelief and how we jump between the two. Humankind escaped Earth, but not death and what comes after. |
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It should have been an easy job, money for information, but the fixerâs room temp and Gregor Skotta's on the run with a battle synth and bounty hunters on his trail, corpses piling up behind him. Heâs being hunted through New Eden, down level through the Grind, operating on the edge, caught between loan sharks, the Guild, and a Multinational that wants him dead. "⊠As a setting, New Eden is fascinating. Skotta uses sci-fi tools, like enhanced combat reflexes and advanced combat armor, alongside modern-day technology like cell phones, wifi, and pistols. These elements exist in an odd sort of balance, creating an anachronistic setting that's really quite unique⊠All told, it's a rich backdrop that produces unique plot points and conflicts⊠I had a great deal of fun reading Entropy Angels. An extremely unique and detailed setting and well-executed action scenes make this book a great choice for readers who love action-packed science fiction." ViziVoir, OnlineBookClub.orgâ⊠This novel brings the kewl slang, outrageous violence, kinky sex, wild body modifications, and smug hacker smarts to a far-future environment ⊠fun and fast enough to keep fansâ mental joysticks busy.â -Kirkus Reviews |
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Stowaway (Aeolus Investigations Book 1) by Robert E Colfax The year is 2026. When Lexi first met Ron, she was a 24-year-old doctoral student at a university on the west coast of the United States. She had a plan with clear goals for her life. Lexi hoped to be on the first space mission to Titan, although, in a pinch, Mars would do. Ron was a student there too, except it turned out he already had a job as an insurance investigator. One with an undercover mission. While it wouldn't be fair to say that Lexi was knocked off her feet, she certainly felt a strong attraction. Ron abruptly left after their first date without much of an explanation. Bummer! What does a bright young woman brimming with curiosity and an overabundance of determination do? She followed him. Of course. Who knew he was an alien? Right? Determined to save Earth from (an imagined) invasion, what could a girl do other than to stow away on his small starship. Her plans of space missions quickly go out the window. Joining forces with her alien boyfriend Ron, his mother Geena, and the sentient starship Urania, they manage to recover the 50,000 year-old, alien, artifact known as the Rose of Light. Thatâs when the fun starts, or more precisely, the havoc begins. Aeolus Investigations is a lighthearted space adventure with tongue-in-cheek humor and a dash of romance. Join Lexi, Ron, Geena, and Urania, the Aeolus Investigations team, in Stowaway, the first of their ongoing adventures. |
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Zena the Lesbian Space Pop Star by Summer Rena A brilliant scientist, skilled fighter, adored pop star, and incredibly modest about it all, Zena Starr is the most beloved woman in the galaxy. And only a few people want to kill her for it. One of them? A bloodthirsty aristocrat from Zena's past. The other? The mutant assassin she hired to bring back Zena's head. Thereâs nothing Zena hates more than losing, and the assassinâs trap awaiting her at an empty lunar amusement park risks the loss of everything Zenaâs ever given a damn about: her stardom, her reputation, and her eccentric crew of misfits that have become Zenaâs family. To protect what she loves, Zena must survive a life or death battle with the most dangerous assassin to ever cross the stars, facing off with murderous singing robots, rogue petting zoo monstrosities, and off-the-rails hyperspeed trains along the way. |
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Dusted by Stars by G.A. Matiasz Stacy Jones is a small-time contractor and proud citizen of socialist Mars. But she barely makes ends meet as an independent starship pilot and freight hauler. When Stacy takes a commission to transport the mythical sangrael possessed by the legendary Medea AeĂ«tes she unknowingly puts her life and livelihood at risk. Stacy teams up with Kryz, a diminutive Rarj, to battle thieves and hijackers across a galaxy swarming with aliens and riddled with danger. Together they maneuver through bar brawls and mercenaries, armed seizures and dogfights, suicide attacks and death squads to protect her precious cargo. Stacyâs action-packed mission culminates on Kapala in a transcendental experience that exposes secrets and lies before new paths forward are revealed. This far future science fiction adventure thriller is a rollicking space opera with a touch of fantasy. Set in the universe of the authorâs previous books, Dusted by Stars is lavishly illustrated by Jon Hunt and comes with a bonus near-future cyberpunk mystery The Death of David Pickett. |
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Gatekeeper: Planetary Colonization meets Elemental Fantasy (The Berikatanyan Chronicles Book 1) by John Beresford; He went to the stars to start over. His troubles have just begun. Earth, 2072. Jann Argent has no memory of committing the murder that landed him in prison. So when heâs offered a chance at freedom, he accepts the price of exile to humanityâs first colony planet. But when the ship crash lands on the new worldâs surface, heâs shocked to discover an indigenous population and a strange sense of familiarity. Stunned when he and several other shipmates develop mystical powers, Jann discovers previous colonists have all joined one of two rival native houses. And with a tyrantâs power play set to devastate the realm, heâs about to become the lynchpin in a magical war that could destroy him. Can Jann uncover his destiny in time to stop a terrifying plot? Gatekeeper is the first book in the genre-bending Berikatanyan Chronicles science fiction fantasy mashup. If you like gritty heroes, elemental magic, and journeys to other worlds, then youâll love John Beresfordâs towering tale. Buy Gatekeeper to fulfill an interstellar fate today! |
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Neon District: ALPHA(The Neon District Trilogy, Book 1) by Chad Campbell NEON DISTRICT, Caiden Nyx, a brooding prodigious black-hat hacker living his life on the fringes of criminality. Plagued by clouded memories of his past, and haunted by his extraordinary mental and physical capabilities. His desire to learn his past thrust him toward a thrilling, perilous journey uncovering dangerous government conspiracy, and cathartic self discovery. Forming unlikely friendships, he presses forward into the unknown madness of the sprawling city-state that will not only test his willingness to adapt, but his will to survive. |
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Koinobi: Book one of the Koinobi Trilogy by Reid Minnich How far would you go to help a parasitic insect from the stars? Tweeskzaht nudges human civilization and technology forward from the shadows. Unaware of the war in the stars above it, Earth is in the cross-hairs of both sides. To save her adopted home, she must reveal herself to a small band of humans. Will Mikeâs self-sacrifice, Kindraâs cunning, and Davidâs intelligence be enough to save Earth from becoming a hunting ground? |
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We have integrated science and technology into all levels of our daily lives. But imagine if this continued technological innovation took us into a world of cybernetics and a post-human universe where nothing is familiar. This collection of science fiction short stories dares to take that step towards redefining the concept of what we call humanity, just as the earliest pioneers of sci-fi have always done. As we become more and more dependent on science and technology â from prosthetics to mobile phones â biology and technological innovation come closer to being merged into cybernetics. Can we truly say now that we don't live in a post-human universe? At what point do we delineate between human and post human? Each of the science fiction short stories in 'Beyond Human' deals with characters whose lives have been twisted by the new era of technology. |
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Fox Hunt (Fox Meridian Book 1 by Niall Teasdale A spree killer with a purpose? A creative dispute taken to extremes? Itâs up to Tara âFoxâ Meridian to untangle the mess before more people die. Fresh back from a training visit to Luna City on the Moon, Fox Meridian is called to the murder of the main writer on an internet video show, Murder is My Business. Business has become very cutthroat. While it seems that the case may resolve down to a ratings war between two channels, as the trail of deaths continues, Fox begins to believe that the killer may have a more personal agenda, and that events from her past may be coming back to haunt her. Soon her job and her life are on the line as she races to stop the deaths and save her friend. |
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The Melody of Trees by Helen Whistberry Experience the unforgettable magic of these original stories and illustrations from the imagination of writer and artist Helen Whistberry. Youâll discover an elder god keeping a loving eye on their forest, a girl made of glass and other characters fighting for their lives against both impossible odds and monsters (human and otherwise), some wise guys having a supernaturally bad day, and the exploits of a loner gun-for-hire and his loyal dragon. From fantasy and folklore to horror and sci-fi, these tales are tied together not only by their forest settings but by a sense of humanity (even in those characters who arenât quite human), empathy for all creatures, and the weird beauty to be found in moments both light and dark. And be warned! There are dark and sometimes violent themes ahead and not all stories have a happy ending, but for those brave enough to venture into these wild woods, 10 unforgettable experiences await. (Visit author's website for complete list of content warnings.) |
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Chronicles of My Alien Invasion Life by Jes McCutchen Chuck and her friends lost a good one last summer, but none of them are convinced that Ghost is truly gone. Once she recovers from her accident, she's ready to find the truth behind where he went. With the help of her friends, Bailey, Corrin, and Pacey, Chuck will do what she can to track down Ghost, even if it means she maybe kinda gets abducted. It's complicated. Will Chuck be able to reunite her crew, and, more importantly, will she do it without embarrassing herself? Probably not, but she's gotta try. |
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4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss 14-year old Aaron Greenburg is trapped in a vegetative state. He's awake and aware of everything around him, but the doctors don't realize it. After being placed in a care facility, he receives a new roommate--an old eccentric jazz musician with dementia. When Aaron talks in his mind to stay sane, the old man hears his thoughts and replies. But no one believes the old man because they think he's crazy. And when the old man thinks he's living in the past with his dementia episodes, it pulls Aaron into those moments in time and he gets to experience 1920's New York City, World War II, and much more as the two develop an unlikely and unique friendship. 4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace is a humorous and heartwarming coming-of-age story, entwined with an end-of-age story, that will capture your imagination and renew your faith in the power of friendship. |
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The Lifeline Signal (Chameleon Moon Book 2) by RoAnna Sylver Parole is still burning. And now the day everyone has been waiting for is finally here: itâs collapsed. A lucky few managed to escape with their lives. But while their city burned, the world outside suffered its own devastating disaster. The Tartarus Zone is a deadly wasteland a thousand miles wide, filled with toxic storms, ghostly horrors, and just as many Eyes in the Sky as ever. Somehow, this new nightmare is connected to Parole. And itâs spreading. Now Paroleâs only hope lies in the hands of three teenagers reunited by their long-lost friend Gabriel - in their dreams. Growing up outside Parole, Shiloh Cole always had to keep xir energetic powers a secret, except from xir parents, Paroleâs strategist-hero Garrett, and Tartarus expert Maureen. When Parole collapsed, all contact was lost. Now, connected by Gabriel and their colliding pasts, xie joins collapse survivor Annie and the enigmatic, charismatic Chance on a desperate cross-country race, carrying a disc of xir motherâs vital plans, whose encrypted contents may be Paroleâs salvation. First theyâll board the FireRunner, a ship full of familiar faces that now sails through Tartarusâ poison storms. Together, theyâll survive Tartarusâ hazards, send a lifeline to lost Parole - and uncover the mystery connecting every one of them. The world outside Parole isn't the one they remember, and it didnât want them back. But they'll save it just the same. It's what heroes do. |
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Kat Wallace is on a mission. After escaping tortuous enslavement, she sets her sights on ending the human trafficking that has flourished in 24th century Earth. Adopted by the leader of the pirate nation of Bosch, Kat Wallace is determined to prove herself as a member of the Bosch Pirate Force and use her skills to avenge her enslavement and free other thralls. But unexpected love and a test of loyalty threaten to rob her of what she wants most: a home. |
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The Blood We Spill by Jo Havens What would make the most ruthless ice-queen assassin in the Kingdom hesitate? Bound to the Kingdom for life, Cie serves a cruel King, her knives pledged to his word, her life at his mercy. She is also one of the Kingdomâs most privileged slaves â one of the Praetoria: five of the best, sworn to protect the Prince and, one day, to rule at his side. Itâs not a bad life â luxurious parties in any of the eighteen worlds, beautiful women falling over themselves to land in her bed, her orders to be obeyed by over forty-eight billion citizens. But when a routine job goes spectacularly wrong, Cie discovers there is a witness to her failure â a witness to a political assassination the King would never want revealed. Itâs Cieâs intense misfortune that the witness is a beauty â a woman with sweet, warm skin that Cie longs to sink into, with deep, brown eyes that hold promises that Cie has only ever dreamt of, a woman whose embrace offers a gentleness and a kindness Cie craves above all else. Jemma thought sheâd been in love before, but when she falls for the Kingâs assassin, she falls hard. Cie burns her up â the assassin plays fast and loves harder, and Jemmaâs head is whirling even as her body is thrilled. Jemma watches as a growing terrorist threat pushes the King to madness and Cieâs orders become more and more violent. The woman she thinks she loves is steeped in red. Is it even possible for a girl from the suburbs to love a person so drenched in blood? |
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Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver The city of Parole is burning. Like Venice slips into the sea, Parole crumbles into fire. The entire population inside has been quarantined and left to die - directly over the open flame. Eye in the Sky, a deadly and merciless police force ensures no one escapes. Ever. All that's keeping Parole alive is faith in the midst of horrors and death, trust in the face of desperation... and their fantastic, terrifying, and beautiful superhuman abilities. Regan, silent, scaly stealth expert, is haunted by ten years of anxiety, trauma and terror, and he's finally reached his limit. Evelyn is a fearless force on stage and sonic-superheroic revolutionary on the streets. Now they have a choice - and a chance to not only escape from Parole, but unravel the mystery deep in its burning heart. And most of all, discover the truth about their own entwining pasts. Parole's a rough place to live. But they're not dead yet. If they can survive the imminent cataclysmic disaster, they might just stay that way... |
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Fractured (Telepath, #1) by Gordon G. Bowman A teenage girl stumbles out of an alley in Ottawa, concussed, with no memory of her life. Fleeing sword-wielding operatives with inexplicable mental abilities, she soon learns that her name is Zoe, and that she not only possesses the same abilities, but is extraordinarily skilled in martial arts. As she scours Toronto for clues about her identity, she finds others like her, and is given refuge at the Academy, an international school for Telepaths. As fragments of her childhood return, she begins to suspect that she may not like who she once wasâthat she may be part of a shadowy organization more powerful than anyone suspects, and that she will soon be swept up in events that are thousands of years in the making. |
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Shades: the dragon and the fire by Atlas Theseus Schmidt The year is 2635. A techno-biological virus has transformed the human race and gifted some with superhuman abilities. Artemis Rhyex has lived in this virus-stricken dystopia for sixteen years, beaten and starved, surviving virtually on the bottom of society. As luck and choices take her higher through the echelons, she begins to notice that the divide between the privileged Overseers, the commoner Purities, and the super-human terrorist Shades, is far deeper than she has been led to believe. When Artemisâs status takes a sudden plunge, and she transforms from a Purity into the one thing she fears most, she is forced to confront the worldâs growing injustice while adapting to her new powers and learning to survive in a world that now wants her dead. She joins forces with the insane Shade âPyroâ on a vendetta to destroy the Overseersâ fascist regime, and ultimately challenge societyâs fundamental ideas of what it means to be a person. |
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Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage by Tycho Dwelis In the city of Segeno, itâs eat or be eaten. Someone has to rule the masses. A boy has lost his birthright. His parents killed. Dead and gone. A girl has lost her father. She means nothing to him now. The city of Segeno stands tall after a great war, the only city left of its kind. Terran has lost both of his parents and is now on the run from a tyrant eager to kill him and cut off the royal bloodline. Parisa struggles with her own identity as even her father rejects her for the color of her skin as he claws for the throne. Along their journeys, they meet unexpected allies and encounter unprecedented magick, but, most importantly, they learn what it is to stand up for themselves and take back their city from corruption. |
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Gabriel and Christine are prepped and ready for entrance into a top secret government agency. It should be a cinch for Gabriel to ace his final test while Christine prepares to enter training and say goodbye to her friends. But on the eve of Gabrielâs test, at a time when Christineâs friends need her most, a disturbing development threatens everything. An anonymous enemy sets them in a race against time to rid the agency of deep seated corruption and sabotage before the unthinkable happens. Who can they trust? To save themselves and everyone who matters to them, they must choose their allegiances wisely, and risk it all, friends, future, their very lives. Will they succeed or die trying? This thrilling conclusion to Dream Girl can also be read on its own as a complete novel. |
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From the day Gabriel starts working with Christine at the library, he turns her life upside-down with sizzling chemistry, bizarre stories, and incredible dreams. Dreams so vivid they feel like real life. Christineâs friends think sheâs falling for Gabriel fast but they donât know about the secret life Gabriel and Christine are living at night. Who would believe her if she told? As the dreams become more dangerous, itâs clear theyâre being orchestrated by someone. But who? And more importantly, why? As Christine struggles to help Gabriel unravel the secrets of the dreamworld, she risks her closest friendships, her college plans, and maybe even her life. |
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The Symbiosis by Casie Aufenthie A hero lost. An assassin on the warpath. A villain forced to be a savior. Eight months after Tristan Faraday sacrificed his identity to save the woman he loved, the newest member of the Council faces danger on all sides. The woman he was programmed to care for, Emmeline Boucher, grows more unstable and dependent on him daily while he becomes embroiled in a deadly political game with the ruthless Head of the Council, Fang Chen, who will do anythingâdestroy anyoneâto hold on to her power. To honor Tristanâs legacy, Samara Zidan has thrown herself into ending the Councilâs reign, leading the Resistance in a furious offensive against them. However, her heart remains fixed on finding a way to save the man she loves. When an opportunity presents itself, Samara will end up in the path of the most dangerous people on the planet, risking both her heart and her life. Desperate to uphold his promise to make amends, Wyatt Faraday has worked tirelessly to find a way to fix Tristanâs faulty memories, but with Fang out for his brotherâs blood, time is running out. If he doesnât restore what was taken from Tristan soon, everything Wyatt cares about will be lost. |
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In a future where the human race has split into three species, the mentally-evolved Illuminatos have conquered the other two in a brutal Evolutionary War. Now, the seven most powerful Illuminatos, the Council, control the Earth, ruling over the other two human species through violent oppression. As one of the defeated physically-evolved Corporis, Samara lost everything: her family, her freedom, and her will to fight. But when her master, Lord Wyatt Faraday, commands her to find the mysterious leader of the Resistance, Tristan, everything she thought she knew is challenged. Tristan is an Illuminatos who has turned his back on his own kind to follow his principles. An idealist hoping to restore peace and equality for all species, he cannot escape his past, and it may force him to make a terrible choice. Their meeting will change the world, but will it be for the better? |
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The Hereafter Bytes by Vincent Scott Come for the cyberspace, stay for the laughs. Come for the laughs, stay for the cyberspace. Romeo is a digital copy of his dead bio selfâa ghostâin a spindly robot body. When Romeoâs friend Abigailâa dominatrix with a gift for uncovering secretsâtells Romeo sheâs at risk because of dangerous info from a client, Romeo agrees to help her investigate. Pursued by digital Golden Retrievers and a real-world assassin, Romeo slips in and out of cyberspace in a madcap race for survival. Can he unmask the criminal who threatens the integrity of cyberspace and the real-world economy before itâs too late? |
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Sibling Rivalry, A Short Story by Anthony Francis "A great choice for anyone who loves science fiction that asks hard questions about sentience and what it really means to make ethical choices." - Long and Short Reviews Nick Walker is the world's best designer of artificial intelligences, and today was supposed to be the pinnacle of his career: the field test of his greatest creation Nickolai. But now Nickolai is destroyed, its entire development team is dead and Nick's on the run, trapped in a deadly battle of wits with his previous creation, Nicole, a cold and devious artificial intelligence who has decided the last thing she wants in this world ... is a sibling. |
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The Empyrean by Katherine Franklin Emotion is a weapon. Harnessing its power could destroy worlds. Paliaâs emotions are in turmoil. After watching her son succumb to Empyrean fire, she barely escapes the same fate. Guilt ridden and alone, she will not stop until his killer is brought to justice. The Protectorate forbids Ferrash to have emotions. That suits him, since he cannot avoid the people who control the Empyrean. Making this sacrifice prevents them from hijacking his feelings and using them as a weapon against him. When Ferrash spots Paliaâs ship venting atmosphere, he is forced to save her. Having an enemy from the Hegemony on board could see him accused of treason. But when the Empyrean reveals its potential as a destroyer of worlds and Paliaâs link to it, Ferrash knows he canât let her leave. With billions at risk of succumbing to the Empyrean weapon, can the enemies join forces and prevent the same fate that killed Paliaâs son? The Empyrean is the first book in the Galaxy of Exiles series, a science-fiction space opera about a galaxy under the pall of weaponised emotions. Immerse yourself in a detailed universe of heroes, villains and more. If you like page-turning futuristic action, you'll love this. |
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Ever since a devastating magical war tore apart Ada Fletcher's homeworld, she and her family have lived undercover on the low-magic Earth. Stuck in a dead-end job in London, Ada has spent her life hiding both her true identity and her forbidden magic from the Inter-World Alliance: the organisation that polices the Passages between Earth and its magical neighbours. At least until a high-ranking Alliance official is murdered, and Ada is arrested as the main suspect. Kay Walker, grandson of the Inter-World Alliance's late founder, expects to spend his first week as an Alliance employee hunting rogue monsters in the Passages, not solving his supervisor's murder. However, the main suspect is a fierce young woman with dangerous magic from a world that should no longer exist⊠and the closer Kay gets to uncovering the truth, the higher the body count rises. The last thing Ada wants to do is help the infuriating Alliance guard who arrested her, but it soon becomes clear that the Alliance knows too much about Ada's homeworld -- and her magic. More, in fact, than she knows herself. One thing's certain: she's not the only one keeping secrets, and trusting the wrong person might cost more than her life.â |
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The Ghosts of Tantor by Adam Gaffen They think they're ready for this mission. They're wrong. The Terran Federation is finally at peace and ready to begin serious exploration. The TFS Pike is the newest ship in the Fleet, purpose-built for deep space missions. Four kilometers long, with a crew of four thousand, sheâs well-equipped for the years ahead. If only her crew was as prepared. Ensign Nicole Crozier, the former Premier of the Luna Free State, has left politics behind to pursue a career in the Fleet. But her stint as the Artemis Minister of War has landed her in Tactical instead of Science, her passion, and sheâs not happy about it. Still, sheâs been promised a chance to switch tracks, so for now sheâll deal. Everything changes when Nicole discovers a rogue planet, and sheâs given command of the landing party. Sheâs irritated her superior but thatâs the least of her problems when an ancient alien artifact emerges from the ice. As Nicole and her team explore the interior, the planet and her team vanish. The crew of the Pike must use all the tricks and tools available to get their missing people back. When they finally do, Nicole brings aboard a discovery which could change the course of history. Or end it. If you're a fan of Star Trek: Voyager, Battlestar Galactica 2003, Interstellar, or 2001: A Space Odyssey, then this is for you. |
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Invention Is a Mother by Rob Brownell RESPONSIBILITY IS OVERRATED. A recently graduated and happily unemployed engineer, Shaughnessy shirks responsibility whenever possible. He coasts through life, sidestepping every opportunity to follow in his father Waltonâs footsteps, until Walton begins to suspect that he has MFD (Mysterious Fatal Disease). The family coerces Shaughnessy to impersonate his father as a senior engineer at Critical Think Inc. There, he is immediately entangled in the development of an irrational consumer product. Pressured to innovate in the face of absurd challenges and fantastical demands, Shaughnessy teeters on the edge between breakthrough and breakdown. In a near future where you are what you wear, can an idling young engineer successfully navigate corporate startup culture, accept his familyâs medical crisis, and harness his full creative potential? Fans of The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy and Good Omens will enjoy laugh-out-loud collisions with the limits of reason in Invention Is a Mother. |
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The Last Human by P. S. Hoffman ALL HUMANKIND died thousands of years ago... âŠbut the xenos still worship them as GODS. Today, hundreds of alien civilizations thrive in the godsâ lost cities and fallen megastructures. One Empire has learned to harness the remains of humanity's forgotten technology to reconnect the distant worlds... and dominate them. Eolh is an old, jaded, avian thief who lives in the dark underbelly of a conquered city. When the Empire first opened the gate between worlds, they stormed his home, killed his gang, and burned everything he held dear. But that was a long time ago. Now, the resistance is dead. No one dreams of fighting backâfor the Empire wields the weapons of the gods: warships that fly, robotic constructs that hunt, and rare mysteries scavenged from the tombs of the gods. Eolh lives a half-life, thieving, running jobs, and selling his services as a freelance listener for the last gangs of Lowtown. He trusts no one, and only looks out for himself. When an unusual heist takes a deadly turn, Eolh must bargain with an overzealous android who carries an impossible secretâone that will shake the foundations of the universe. There is one last hope for salvation. For his people, or maybe just for himself⊠This is the story of The Last Human. |
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Realization by Joyce Reynolds-Ward THEYâVE ALMOST REALIZED THEIR DREAMSâŠBUT CAN THEY REMAIN THEMSELVES? The indentured labor wars heat up as Ruby Barkley and Gabriel Martiniere struggle with medical complications that interfere with their fight to stop the sinister goals of Gabeâs father Philip. Discoveries by their son Brandon about the degree to which Philip and the family corporation, the Martiniere Group, are involved in unethical, interdicted human experimentation push them into accepting a questionable treatment to speed their recovery. Philipâs direct challenge initiates Gabeâs final push to take over the Martiniere Group. Ruby and Brandon consolidate family support behind Gabe. When a high-profile assassination attempt at a political banquet reveals the existence of cyborged Martiniere descendants and clones of Philip intended to provide him with replacement parts, Ruby and Gabe must take action. One cloneâMichaelâstill survives. Along with their bid to win control of the Martiniere empire, Ruby and Gabe now face the dilemma of what is to be done with Michael. Can they save both the family and Philipâs cloneâor should they even try? The realization of their dreams is within Ruby and Gabeâs reach. Can they fulfill it while still remaining true to themselves? |
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Ascendant by Joyce Reynolds-Ward WHAT DOES ASCENSION TO POWER REALLY COST? Six months after the triumphant collaborative conclusion of the AgInnovator Superhero game show, Ruby Barkley and her ex-husband Gabriel Martiniere still struggle with the professional and personal fallout from their victory. The Superhero money allowed Ruby to launch her line of agricultural biobots. But one of the RubyBot spinoffs, the Defender, leads to unsettling revelations about crop tampering using body-modified indentured workers. Their son Brandon uncovers even more disturbing information about the abuse of indentureds as he campaigns to end it. All of these disclosures lead back to the Martiniere Group, the family corporation controlled by Gabeâs malevolent uncle, Philip Martiniere. Meanwhile, Ruby and Gabe wrestle with what form their resumed relationship will take, as Ruby contemplates whether she wants to take on the role of a Martiniere wife. The revelation that Gabeâs father is not who they thought, and Philipâs attempt to force Ruby away from Gabe once again confirms her decision. But the need to rescue one of Brandonâs valued indentured informants turns celebration into catastrophe. Will Ruby and Gabe be able to recover from this disasterâor will Philip triumph yet again in his campaign to destroy Gabe? |
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Inheritance by Joyce Reynolds-Ward YOU CANâT ESCAPE THE INHERITANCE OF THE PASTâŠOR CAN YOU? Rancher Ruby Barkley and her ex-husband Gabe Ramirez are competing head-to-head for the AgInnovator game showâs new one-shot award, the Ag Superhero. The winner walks away with $3.75 million per year for five years, with no accountability or need to re-earn the Superhero, unlike the Innovatorâs other awards. But issues beyond those raised by their long-ago acrimonious divorce face Ruby and Gabe. Fence cutting. Rogue biobots destructively ranging beyond programmed parameters. Physical attacks. And the realization that they may need to reunite to save their son Brandon from indentured servitude. Then the secret shadow of Gabeâs hidden inheritance reveals itself. Will he step up to the Martiniere Legacyâand what role will Ruby accept in any future they may share? |
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Life in the Shadows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward IN A TECH-DRIVEN BIOREMEDIATION FUTURE, HARD CHOICES MUST BE MADE. Powerful mother. Powerful daughter. Sarah Stephens and her daughter Diana Landreth run bioremediation companies dependent upon neural nets and nanotechnology to operate complex biobots. Sometimes competitors, sometimes collaborators, while they disagree, they are still mother and daughter. And then the Disruption Machine begins its campaign of devastation. In the process of their collaboration to stop the Disruption Machine, the shadows in their lives force their paths into a dangerous divergence. Sarah chooses politics and power. Diana chooses research and family. What happens when their choices collide? |
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A Different Life--What If? by Joyce Reynolds-Ward What if Gabriel Martiniere's family didn't die in a plane crash when he was twelve? What if he didn't have to go into hiding after testifying against the atrocities committed by his father, Philip Martiniere? What if he met and fell in love with Ruby Barkley as himself, not as Gabe Ramirez, a broke saddle bronc rider on the run from indenture bounty hunters? Gabe's a billionaire nerd with a conscience, unlucky at love, striving to overcome the shadows of his past while searching for agritech to fight climate change. Ruby's a former rodeo queen, trying to get her degree in agricultural robotics, searching for agritech means to fight climate change, also unlucky at love and struggling with a shadowy past. Can Ruby and Gabe successfully negotiate the complexities of the Martiniere Group and launch Ruby's world-changing biobots without interference from competitors? |
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Adrift in Starlight by Mindi Briar When set adrift in the universe, some things are worth holding onto. Titan Valentino has been offered a job they canât refuse. Tai, a gender-neutral courtesan, receives a scandalous proposition: seduce an actor's virgin fiancĂ©e. The money is enough to pay off Taiâs crushing medical debt, a tantalizing prospect. Too bad Aisha Malik isnât the easy target they expect. A standoffish historian who hates to be touched, sheâs laser-focused on her career, and completely unaware that her marriage has been arranged behind her back. This could be the one instance where Taiâs charm and charisma fail them. Then an accidental heist throws them together as partners in crime. Fleeing from the Authorities, theyâre dragged into one adventure after another: alien planets, pirate duels, and narrow escapes from the law. As Tai and Aisha open up to each other, deeper feelings kindle between them. But that reward money still hangs over Taiâs head. Telling Aisha the truth could ruin everything... Their freedom, their career, and their blossoming love all hang in the balance. To save one might mean sacrificing the rest. |
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Braided Dimensions by Marie Judson Kay Halefin is drawn into a world beyond anything she conceived as a professor of ancient languages. She follows Baird, a medieval bard, into the past. Enigmatic, enchanting, he âkens her spirit.â But he has a partner in his time, Kyna - healer, weaver, magic worker, and Kayâs doppelganger. Living in Kynaâs mind, Kay gains knowledge of magic, time travel and mind melding. Yet her new skills will soon be tested by the most powerful mages of that time who would like to control Kyna and the Thirteen, her magical council. With a golden crystal and other tools, Kay begins to wield her own powers as she finds herself tangled in a web of connections with the past, as she tries to keep danger from those she loves in the 21st century. |
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Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle Even gods have secrets⊠On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of oneâs ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive. That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an offer: finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two companions: clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa. Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his fatherâs secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead. |
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Fyskar: Book 1 of Legend of the Bai by Chapel Orahamm 1692 The Isle of Skye Eoin has returned as a plague doctor after ten years of banishment for revenge and a birthright. Fearchar and Seonaid have allowed the man to set up shop in their croft at the request of an old friend. The Plague Doctor is keeping secrets, though, and killing an entire clan is only the beginning. The void is waiting. |
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Spectacular Silver Earthling by Mara Lynn Johnstone Hubcap used to be a rescue bot, getting humans out of every boneheaded scrape imaginable. His new career as a TV star suits him better: he can poke fun at the humans instead, while harvesting jetpods and tackling alien predators faster than any of them. It doesnât hurt that heâs also immune to the mysterious âspace frenzyâ that keeps sending his coworkers into a froth. The robot worries for his human friends, though he would never admit it. Not when itâs much more fun to deploy weapons-grade sass. The pressure ratchets up when a rival show aims to steal their sponsor. Hubcap has to film his most spectacular footage yet, while avoiding dangerous wildlife, plantlife, and emotions. But if anyone is up to the task, itâs the robot with skills second to none, and an ego to match. |
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The Brother's Curse (The Brother's Curse Saga Book 1) by Christine M. Germain A year after the brutal death of her parents, Crystal Francois moves back home to the eerie small town of Lakeview Falls. When one of her neighbors goes away abruptly leaves his home to be watched by a young man named Jason Warwick, Crystal finds herself falling for him instantly because of his charming ways and dashing good looks. Two weeks before her 25th birthday, she receives a rare antique purple amethyst stone necklace left for her by her late mother; A necklace with a deadly past and horrible consequences when worn. She finds out that wearing the necklace causes her and her friends to be the target of two sadistic tyrannical evil 18th-century old Shapeshifter brothers who will not stop till they find her and retrieve the chariot stone necklace that holds their father and 24 demonic Shapeshifters captive. When young men from town go missing, bodies appear eaten or skinned alive. Lakeview Falls is on high alert. It doesn't take long for Crystal to discover that the new guy in town isn't who he claims to be or if he is even human. |
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Impress of the Seventh Surge by Jessica Mae Stover In an outbreak everyone must make choices. What will yours be? With the definitive American pandemic accounting still pending, itâs trailblazing scifi author Jessica Mae Stover who brings the receipts and then sets them aflame in Impress of the Seventh Surge, a novella about a conscientious pandemic evacuee working to free the next victims of a mysterious virus. Familiar and otherworldly, explosive with originality and utterly unconventional, coated in the residue of rage and the red tinge of fever dreams, Impress of the Seventh Surge is a plunge into near-future social bonds, technology, law, love and fascism; a profound story about justice, psychic AIs, and rising body counts that demolishes the borders between literature and technology. In these electric pages Stover ingeniously devises the next evolution in cyberpunk fiction. With her trademark âdeep point-of-viewâ that pierces the veil between reader and character, impressionistic and startling prose, and the surreality of a video game, every twist of phrase in Seventh Surge is a knifing reminder that Stoverâs experimental framing is, in fact, all too real. Impress of the Seventh Surge is an astounding work of gravity and furious speculative fiction â a scifi âwhat ifâ that doesnât ask what would you do? but instead demands to know what you will do. |
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Awaiting Arrival by Steven Jaeger Follow the lifelong journey of Rick Lanson and his crew as they travel through deep space to a recently discovered planet, in hopes that this planet will be a new home to Earth's inhabitants. Throughout his voyage, Rick quickly learns that it is not his ship that poses the highest risk for mission failure, but himself. He will have to combat the trials inherent with deep space exploration, maintain his health as he ages, and cope with the mental stress of being part of a small, isolated crew. His mission will take him farther in space than anyone has gone before, if he can make it. |
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The Last 0-Day by B. R. Russell The cybernetics revolution knows no compromise. Luciana Gutierrez, a police officer, works ninety-six-hour shifts with a eugeroic hangover around the corner. Her investigation into those who stole her life is sidelined as a crime syndicate turns her precinct into a war-zone. Sent for backup, sheâs offered experimental technology that could turn the tide, if sheâs willing to risk mind, body, and soul. Anton Grissomâs birth was a crime, and his sentence is military service. Molded into an elite soldier, his path of atonement falls away when heâs caught on the losing side of a massacre. In the aftermath, heâs offered a second chance at lifeâif heâs prepared to pay. Weaver heals the broken and disposable, and in the process makes cybernetics a reality. Superhuman strength, intelligence, and connections to one another, it could solve humanityâs problems or tear society apart. But those concerns are secondary to Weaver, who just wants to see the next sunrise. All three are augmented for their own personal crusade and are on a collision course that will change the world. The Last 0-Day is an action packed adventure of the first cyborgs. Itâs Neuromancer meets Malazan Book of the Fallen with a dash of cli-fi. |
