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Even the Stars Deserve to Die by Ramon Miravitllas Mas On Earth, the cities of humanity crumbled to dust, turning into fossils. Forests burned and life went extinct. But, billions of years later, it rained one last time. The siblings were born from that rain, strange creatures of human appearance and mind. Their life on the desert of Earth has no purpose, until they discover the wick, a molecule burning around their genetic material, condemning them to death one hundred years and three months after birth. In search to find out if life is worth living, a researcher explores a cave billions of years old. The brain inside a simulacrum misses its dead father. The commander of a spaceship travels to meet a mysterious satellite in the bowels of the solar system. In this story of philosophical dimensions, the power of the word merges with the nostalgia for an irretrievable past, where fear of death coexists with the sadness of losing the parents you will never see again. A hard science fiction book dealing with topics such as molecular biology, stellar evolution and the future of Earth, combined with poetry, sculpture and the early artworks of creatures who yearn to be human. |
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Escape from OtherWorld Island by Sage Rooker Thereâs never a dull day when you and your older sister are the worldâs top teen-scientist-adventurers. But when your arch-nemesis manages to trap you on a remote tropical island (complete with a volcano about to explode)âŠWell, thatâs when things get really interesting. Itâs a race against time for Team Rugged Stuff and the inhabitants of the OtherWorld! Danae and Rachel Ruggâs scientific discovery of a brand-new world has been hijacked by their rival, the young evil mastermind Colin Null. The clock is ticking as they try to make their way home and foil his plans before he steals their research for his own and lays claim to the girlsâ latest inventionâa meteor-powered transportation portalâand the new world to which it leads! Joined by their cousins Noah and Levi (a pair of part-time special agents in their own right) and Colinâs sister, Nessa (smart, rich, beautiful and just whose side is she on, anyway?), the sisters of Team Rugged Stuff take on the challenge with their trademark wit and grit that is a celebration of the determination of tough young women everywhere! |
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Two friends, divided by tragedy, race to thwart an insidious plot that threatens humanityâs survival across the galaxy. 10,184 A.D. Britta is heir to the Silverstar legacy and the youngest ambassador in Galilean history. Crystal is the smartest scientist in ten generations and is happy to live in her lab without talking to anyoneâexcept Britta. Even diametrically opposite interests havenât managed to separate these childhood friends whose journey has led them to a space station orbiting Enigma, a planet with strange atmospheric properties that nullify their technology. A tragic drop-ship disaster leaves Britta stranded on the planetâs surface, and Crystal fleeing for her life. Each possess a critical piece to diffusing a plot that may allow their ancient enemy to annihilate the Lost Colonies Alliance, from outside and within. Equipped with only her prized hairpin, Britta must survive a harrowing trek across a primitive landscape to have any hope of helping the colonies, while Crystal must embark on a mad flight across the stars in a desperate mission to save her own colony, who are also hunting her for the alleged murder of Britta. Timers on both sides are ticking. If either fails to reach their goal, it could spell the end for the entire human race. Enigma is a science fantasy adventure set in the expansive Lost Colonies universe. |
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Two galaxies. One microbe. Trillions at risk. When an unidentified microbe sweeps across Earth, curing all disease but crippling the global economy, heiress Aubrey Hope hatches a risky plan to save her familyâs pharmaceutical empire. To succeed, sheâll need the help of a brilliant microbiologist, a master hacker, and a pop star with a secret. In another galaxy, Matthai Valtrellin, unexpected heir to the high priesthood, is burdened by grief and duty. But when a bloodied alien claiming to be his mate teleports from the future, his world turns upside down. Caught between his obligations to her, his family, and the countless Valmoran citizens he is meant to lead, he finds himself torn between fate and destiny. But with the help of a luck-obsessed smuggler, an empathic politician who finds most people âinvariably intolerableâ, and a four-armed ex-gladiator, he may just find himself on a perilous journey to a mythical planet ⊠called Earth. As these complex characters navigate love, duty, and the weight of their choices, their paths intertwine in unexpected ways. Nothing is as it seems, and the truth could reshape two galaxies forever. Perfect for fans of the grand-scale world-building of Dune, the ragtag crew dynamics of Firefly, and the mind-bending twists of Black Mirror, The Valmoran Chronicles: Emergence is a thrilling space opera that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. |
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Embers of Esper by Tyler Aston Kyra groaned as she uncoiled the swords from her waist. It looked like she was about to spend another night shampooing entrails out of her hair⊠Tristan is on the verge of becoming a Warden. It is one of the greatest honours the galaxy can bestow â not bad for a scrawny kid from Earth. With it comes a new life of responsibility, dedication and sacrifice. But after a lifetime on the run, the rainbow-haired mercenary Kyra has a problem. Her past, it seems, has finally caught up with her⊠And innocent people are paying the price. Her family are in danger. Her home planet is under attack. She is the only one who can make things right â but she canât do it alone. Join Tris and Kyra on a desperate mission to the furthest reaches of space. Together they must confront an enemy that has haunted Kyraâs dreams, and pursued her across the stars since she was a child. But you canât fight the past. Or can you? Find out now, in this fast-paced and explosive space opera â perfect for fans of Firefly, The Expanse and Killjoys. |
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âA chunk of white rested inside the dip of her collarbone. She fished it out and flicked it away, its rattle echoing as it bounced under a display table, alerting her to the silence. The ringing in her ears had finally stopped. The mask and goggles were long gone; fallen off in her haste. Pointless to wear them now, anywayâŠâ Caede wants to complete her masterâs degree, refresh her dating profile, and finally join the land of the living. Instead, she wakes up on a cold, wet pavement, surrounded by dead bodies and ferocious monsters. Kai waits anxiously for his sister to return from the worldâs longest night shift. Ravi hides under a desk in his office, and Efia lays unconscious in a garage. Jonathan, recently dumped and drinking himself to death in an empty flat, is waiting for the end to come⊠until a grizzly attack sends him stumbling into the path of Caede, and all the horrors of an apocalyptic London. |
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Drowning Earth by Sean Willson Her sub can break the underwater speed of sound. But can she outpace the threat of nuclear winter? In 2055, with global tensions nearing the breaking point, humanity teeters on the brink of annihilation. Their only hope lies with Captain Kel Williams and her loyal team, crewing what some call the deadliest submarine ever built. Kel races to stake a claim to valuable undersea biomassâa lifeline that could prolong humanityâs demise. But deadly Russo-Chinese factions lurk in the lightless depths, determined to stop her at every turn. Besieged by threats within and without, Kel finds herself walking a razorâs edge to maintain control. Surrounded on all sides, she relies on her crewâs dedication and her Bull Nuke Oscar Allen to maintain order and avert disaster. Yet unbeknownst to all, salvation may lie in secrets lurking deep beneath the waves. Hidden truths once dismissed as myth. Whispers of impossible doorways and gods long forgotten. With danger at every turn, will anyone escape the deadly snare, or do ancient myths hold the key to humanityâs survival? Drowning Earth is the pulse-pounding first book in the Portalverse Elemental Origins science fiction techno-thriller series. If you like bold characters, dystopian conflicts, and wild surprises, then youâll love Sean Willsonâs plunge beneath the waves. |
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In the sprawling tapestry of the Aurorion Galaxy, Atlas Viridian dreams of escaping the junk-strewn life of the Salvage Belt. However, his aspirations crumble when his father is arrested under suspicion of being the elusive terrorist, âTyphon.â Accused of aiding and abetting, Atlas is thrust into the relentless grip of Horizon Corporation, condemned to toil for resources beneath the surface of a distant moon. Trapped in the Dome of Dierock 88, Atlasâ destiny becomes entwined with the clandestine machinations of âVanguard,â a shadowy Black Operations group. Their motives remain elusiveâAtlas is the key, but to what? Learning to live with a ragtag group of very different people, heâll navigate the treacherous depths and discover that Horizonâs facade of happiness conceals a darker Deadly creatures, remnants of the ancient alien Kosmonautai, haunt the caverns below. Every descent brings not only deadly adversaries but inexplicable mental turmoil. BENEATH THE SURFACE, SECRETS AWAIT. In the crucible of survival, heâll grapple with the tragic lives around him and the harsh truths of the galaxy he inhabits. Dierock 88 becomes a dangerous journey of self-discovery, challenging a young man to unearth the mystery of his own existence, and decide what matters most in an unfair, and cruel society. Will Atlas survive the descent and emerge from the darkness? Or will the battle within himself be his downfall? TORN ALLEGIANCE. FRACTURED TRUST. BE REBORN. |
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Dawn of the Seekers by Alex OâConnor War rages between the Kaltari Empire and the United Celestial Alliance! Nova Team, a UCA special forces team, finds themselves on the front lines chasing a dangerous enemy leader. With rumors emerging of future battles, an unlikely ally is on the verge of discovery. As Nova Team courts the boundary of friend or foe, they must attempt a mission that could see the end of the war as a deadly new weapon emerges. |
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Bleeding Mars by Asher J. Quazar Dezi doesnât own the clothes on his back or the blood in his veins. Heâs a college dropout working a dead-end job on the most backwater planet humanity has ever colonized. Heâd always dreamed of traveling the system, but when heâs framed for a facility malfunction, heâs forced to flee to the capital of Marsâa city teeming with gangs and space-age aristocracy. He manages to land a job at a luxury casino where a VIP selects him as his regular host. Umbra is a perennial, one of the few wealthy enough to extend their lives through a blood-based medical process, and he might be Deziâs ticket to paying off his bounty, but the immortal is as eccentric as he is generous. He claims to be an authentic vampire, and his appetites have Dezi questioning whether he might just be telling the truth. As Dezi falls headfirst into a web of seduction and deceit, he must decide what heâs willing to do to survive a city where the weak end up as blood bags. |
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In 2140 the strange had become the norm. Human life has been transformed by the cy-lnk cognitive implant that connects the physical brain to the âOnline Environmentâ. On board the first manned trip to colonize Proxima Centauri B, all is not well. Chief Engineer Gus Salatin and Science Officer Dr Lilian Garcia are among the few who refused to have âthe operationâ. They believe the company is using cy-lnk to control the crewâs thoughts. As the ship passes through the Keiper Belt on its way out of our solar system, chaos erupts. A mysterious planet suddenly appears, the crew begin hallucinating, and a terrifying secret about their destination is revealed. Brace for a oddly believable, darkly humorous, and hopeful read. |
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Cosmic Strife: Assault by Steve Gavin The Ragner family name carries weight amongst the United Global Navy. Colyn Ragner had been a hero of the war 15 years ago when he assisted in an attempt to defend the alien world of Casbaria from the evil Luyons. The humans were unsuccessful in fighting off the invaders and Casbaria was lost. The human fleet was able to escape back to Earth, at the heroic expense of Colyn sacrificing his life to make this possible. Colynâs children are now all grown up and in positions to assist the human plight in an upcoming rematch. Aalin is the eldest Ragner and a senator who is conflicted about re-entering a bloody battle. She is ambitious and morally driven but her anti-war stance is seen as a hinderance to some of her opposing senators, one of which is fully driven to stopping her efforts at all costs. Will she yield her position or hold her ground amidst a growing pro-war sentiment. Nolan is the middle sibling who is looking to pave his own way through the military ranks while at the same time battling peers who would otherwise see his career fail due to his popular family name. Assigned to the legendary Triton battleship Hyperion, he is immediately met with a superior who wishes to see him fail because of his lineage. Vance is the youngest Ragner who chose to follow in his fatherâs footsteps and become an elite fighter pilot for the Navy. Vanceâs rebellious nature inside the cockpit gets him into trouble and puts his career into jeopardy even before it begins. Will he be sidelined for the biggest fight that humanity has ever faced or will his skillset help win the day for the outgunned Earth Navy. Each sibling must play the role of hero in order to save everyone from certain death. As the battle soon rages, it will test the mettle of the Ragner family. As the humans plan an attack to go back and liberate Casbaria from the Luyons from its capture many years ago, the seemingly distant threat may be looming much closer than anyone realizes. There is an additional unknown malicious force dead set on hindering the Ranger family as they try to combat their individual plights. Follow the events of this cosmic strife as the characters fight for human existence against a power hungry Luyon race headed by a ruthless and fear inducing leader. Who will strike first? The fate of all humanity hangs in the balance. |
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Company Assassin by Claudia Blood Time is coming apart at the seams, and a tech-savvy teenage orphan is the only one who can save the past and the future⊠Turning eighteen in the orphanage on Kalecca means starvation for those who arenât hired into a Family, so no one is celebrating Duff Romanâs big day. Outside the Family compounds lies the jungle. And in the jungle lies death. And Relicsâthe only real currency on Planet Kalecca. The orphans are Duffâs family, and heâs sacrificed everything to keep the orphanage running, even his chance to move on. But without him to bring in extra money, the orphans will starve under the Companyâs control. Duffâs only chance to save them is to find a spot on an independent crew and hopefully find a Relic to sell. When a seemingly chance encounter with Z, leader of the most feared independent crew, offers Duff his opportunity to score a Relic, it also gives Z a chance to relieve the guilt he feels over his past. But a Company assassin has plans to lay waste to Duffâs future and destroy the people he cares about the most⊠|
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Children of the Fall by H. S. Down Hypatia is a companion child, a cyborg with the consciousness of a child, designed to help her non-verbal human sister, Alexandra, navigate the world. When a flash knocks out the power and a civil war erupts, the sisters are forced to travel through powerless cities and dangerous country roads in search of refuge on the eastern coast of the United States. Realizing that without access to a charging station itâs only a matter of time before her battery fails, Hypatia must deliver Alexandra to safety before itâs too late. Yet, as Hypatia and Alexandra encounter other companion children that have gone berserk, Hypatia begins to suspect the flash may have done more than just take out the power. Can Alexandra trust her sister, and is Hypatia exactly what she seems? |
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Chasing Naomi by Mark Bossingham July 1969. Clive, Iowa, Earth. Sixteen-year-old Allie has a big decision to make: Watch the lunar landing with her mom in their run-down double-wide trailer or boost to the stars aboard a grumpy, sentient deep space exploration vehicle (DSEV-424) buried in her backyard for 5,000 years. Accompanied by Gem, a dead space captain, now a glitchy hologram, Allie stops on the moon and surprises Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard the Eagle lunar lander. (Neil never mentioned the encounter to Houston). With Gem as her guide, Allie survives her first space battle and drops Gem off at a military regrow center in the middle of a spaceport casino. The teenâs adventure lifts off at a military space academy, where she faces danger, makes friends, battles enemies, and discovers her own surprising abilities. Along with Rin, Sky, and Gem, Allie sets out on a mission to locate and defeat a rogue fleet led by Naomi, a mad-as-a-hatter warship, all while navigating the complexities of growing up and finding her place in the galaxy. |
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Ceres Station Calling by R. M. Bradley Heartbreak hurts, even in space. When it comes to love, Maeveâs luck has never been great. First, she followed her cheating boyfriend to a clandestine rendezvous, only to be abducted by aliens and sent to a mining colony on Ceres in the asteroid belt. Then, she accidentally fell in love with one of the aliens in her mining unit. Itâs really too bad that his heart belongs to another biocarbon and heâs due to be released from Ceres Station. Not that Maeve should be obsessing over anyone. Distractions lead to death on Ceres. Between mining highly explosive ursadium while trigger happy, laser-wielding drones monitor her every move, and defending her unitâs mining position against violent poaching, unrequited love should be the least of her concerns. But the ache in her chest never ceases, and because of this, sheâs willing to risk it all to escape Ceres and start a new life among the stars. |
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Centauriâs Shadow by Ross Garner Eight years ago they sent a single ship to test our defences. Now theyâre building an armada.â Cole grew up in the shadow of grief. Kyoko grew up in the shadow of war. Two pilots, separated by time, set out on parallel journeys to Proxima Centauri. What they find could be the start of something new. What they bring with them could be the end of all we know. In this sweeping science fiction debut from Ross Garner, readers will find an Earth that is transformed by fear of an imminent invasion; a space station in orbit that acts as a gateway to other worlds; a Martian colony with all of the threat and violence of the Old West; and a distant star where answers can be found. What is âthe signalâ? A greeting, or a threat? |
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Suddenly, a murdererâs memories force their way into Max Iversonâs mind. Max is horrified and bewildered. Surely this isnât real! Max is a private person by nature, isolated from his fellow humans. Now he is forced to know what the worst of them are thinking, and his nights are filled with nightmares. Even worse, he is drawn into helping the authorities punish the criminals whose thoughts he now knows. He is unaware of the danger this will expose him to. There is a cabal of criminals behind much of the major crime in the city. He didnât know of their existence, but they become aware of his, and now they are determined to eliminate him. Max must change from frightened quarry to pitiless hunter. His hunt leads him to the cabal and also to lifeâchanging discoveries about his own history. |
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A fractured mind or a global conspiracy? Uncovering the truth can be hell when nobody believes you⊠and you canât even trust yourself. âA fantastic science fiction thriller with a sincere and important message.ââKirkus Reviews âA breathtaking, deeply dark alternate-history Earth with complex characters, layered worldbuilding, and twist after twist after twist.ââJulianna Caro, Reedsy Discovery âCrisply and actively told, Cody Siscoâs Broken Mirror expresses powerful empathy for those suffering from the stigma of mental illness in our own society today.ââIndieReader Broken Mirror is the first volume in a queer psychological science fiction saga that looks at the stigma of mental illness and the hellish distrust and alienation that goes with it. Victor Eastmore knows someone killed his grandfather, the pioneering scientist Jefferson Eastmore. But Victor, diagnosed with mirror resonance syndrome, has been shunned by Semiautonomous California society. Nobody will believe a Broken Mirror. Now Victor must tread the line between sanity and reclassificationâa fate that all but guarantees heâll lose his freedom. With its self-driving cars, global firearms ban, and a cure for cancer, the science fiction world of Broken Mirror may sound like a near-future utopia, but on Resonant Earth, history has taken a few wrong turns. The American Union is a weak and fractious alliance of nations in decline. Europe manipulates its citizens through propaganda. And Asia is reeling from decades of war. Determined to uncover the truth about Jeffersonâs murder, pansexual Victor and his trans friend Elena set out on a road trip that takes them across the American Union from Semiautonomous California through the Organized Western States to the Republic of Texas. But Elena is holding something back, and Victorâs condition worsens. Amid shifting geopolitical sands, Broken Mirrors like Victor find themselves at a cyberpunk crossroads: evolve or go extinct. |
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Welcome to the Isulum Empire. Inflation is high, trust in the government is low, and unrest is growing. Here, oligarchs live offshore on superyachts with their pleasure androids, far from tax obligations and the crumbling, crime-ridden city center. The rest of the population retreats into the digital world of Parallel, a sanctuary that offers daily respite from the real world. Many of Parallelâs users have rallied around the speaker Rita Shor, who challenges the empireâs class division and the injustices faced by women. Shor and her followers adamantly oppose the radical ideologies of another charismatic speaker, Doctor Gagarin Sokolo, who promotes extreme misogyny in an effort to address the empireâs declining birth rate. Neither Shor nor Sokolo realize that in the depths of Parallel, a team of hackers is working hard to unite their disparate followers under a singular purpose: to dismantle the Isulum Empire. As Shor and Sokoloâs lives become further intertwined, the empireâs fate rests in their hands. But the price of victory may prove far greater than they ever imagined. |
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A colony ship left Earth to settle the planet Avalon with thirty-two hundred souls on board. The last radio signal received a hundred years ago said that they had arrived. Why did the signals stop? What happened to the original crew, their descendants, and Earthâs attempt to re-establish contact? |
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ASH by Grace Walker The mission was supposed to be simple: go to Xeiryn, complete the objective, and leaveâbefore itâs too late. Of course, thatâs where everything fell apart. Kade, an underworld operative, fights for survival on Xeirynâa planet on the edge of the galaxy where crime syndicates control the only antidote to the deadly atmosphere. With no other choice as a human, he is caught serving the syndicates under his protector, a woman called Ash. However, when her secret against the syndicates is revealed, their world is torn apart. After a devastating separation, Kade is forced into a struggle for survival in a new galaxy. Working with a crew of mercenaries, he has only one goal: Find his way back to Ash. When a powerful client offers the crew a secretive mission to Xeiryn, Kade canât resist the opportunity that could lead him back to Ash. But the mission quickly becomes the least of his worries when Kade and his sharpshooter comrade Xiara suspect their assignment isnât at all what it seems. Now, torn between his past and his future, Kade has to face the bitter reality of what it will take to find Ash and if she is truly everything he once believed. |
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All Hope of Becoming Human by Lonnie Busch The world is about to change in unimaginable ways⊠Earthquakes rock the planet, revealing massive metallic objects and vast subterranean graveyards. One such location is in the Arizona desert. Scientists believe this incredible discovery may hold answers to the origins of man, but when the site is suddenly shut down due to seismic activity, one researcher knows she must return. Assistant archaeologist Rebecca Duccati sneaks into the compound alone, and will have to dig deep to find clues in these strange underground caves and tunnels. The work is dangerous and frightening, but she feels a connection to this bizarre phenomenon that even she isnât fully aware of yet. FBI Special Agent Demzey knows nothing about archaeology; his specialtyâ anomalous crimes, the fringe edge of the aberrant and the unknown. Demzey is investigating a recent rash of vicious and brutal murders, the clues surrounding the killings both disturbing and inexplicable. He and his assistant Connie Wegman catch a break when they discover remains of two monstrous creatures unknown to science, believed to be a race of aliens responsible for attacks on humans across the globe. With the death toll ticking ever higher, scientists and intelligence agencies on every continent search for the source of these vicious creatures, until the combined efforts of Duccati and Demzey begin to unravel the mystery, though what they uncover could spell the end for the human race. |
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Alien Dissonance by Wendell Warman Jordan Ackerman garnered degrees in criminal and anomalistic psychology at a very young age. Yet rather than working as a consultant for the FBI, he opted to serve as a special agent where he could be more engaged in bringing criminals to justice. He loves his work, but the untimely death of his parents turns his world upside down. In a mysterious twist of events, Jordan is then asked to head up the Hostage Negotiation Team dispatched to investigate rumors of supernatural activity in the small town of Belmont, Kansas. As an anomalistic psychologist, he rejects paranormal phenomena, but what he discovers could very well mean the undoing of an unknown race of people and possibly the destruction of earth. With this new knowledge in hand, it becomes a race against time. Jordanâs investigations will literally take him into new and uncharted realms of abnormal and extraterrestrial psychology. Alien Dissonance brings together science fiction, psychology, mystery, treachery, romance, and irony that lead readers into a dissonant experience of their own. |
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After the Fall: The Engineer and the Apocalypse by Gerry Gainford Haley left Dublin for a six-week internship in Seattle. Four years later and sheâs living in the ruins of Washington State after the world fell in a cascade of nuclear bombs, computer viruses and human plagues. When she is accused of her friendâs murder, she flees into the night, with one destination in mind. Home to Marley, the love she left behind. To escape her pursuers, skip around the swathes of chemical and radioactive waste, avoid the Kings, a roaming gang of marauders, she will need to use every bit of engineering knowledge she has. Can she make it across the continent and an uncrossable ocean to finally get home? Does home still exist, or did it perish in the Fall? |
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Achilles: Origin of Heroes by Chad Retterath Jimmy Dale, an average middle-aged man, undergoes a life-altering transformation when he participates in an experiment that grants him super strength. Embracing his newfound abilities, he joins the secret government organization known as Olympus. In the Twin Cities, individuals with various powers begin to surface, turning Minneapolis into a focal point for powered criminals. |
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Strains is a research project, to find 1 solution to 2 problems: 1) Save thâEarth from humanity. 2) Save humanity from humanity. Not as easy as it sounds. We can solve the 1st one by destroying humanity â working on it. We can solve the 2nd one by destroying thâEarth. Actually, no, that wonât work, yet itâs been our consistent approach thus·far. Also, thatâs 2 solutions, and we need to solve both with just 1, so as to avoid thâadded burden of deconfliction, which would any·way fail. Not easy, yet the solution is simple, even obvious, to an outsider. No·one can believe it, because no·one will even consider it. So the 1st step is to trick us all into thinking thâunthinkable. No problem, we do that all the time. Just present it as fiction. After all, so much fiction already gets presented as research results, and turn·about is fair·play, so . . . Actually, better make it sci·fi. Just as well â saves having to apologize for all thâunorthodoxies. Non·standard fiction vs accepted reality . . . Faites vos jeux. |
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A Universe Upon Us by Marc DeGeorge When Ceri boarded the colony ship with her parents, they were escaping the destruction on Earth. Theyâd sleep in stasis for a thousand years, then wake on their new home, free from the ravages of war. But for Ceri, it was not to be. The adults of the Stratford stole her childhood and replaced it with terror. For seven years, they forced her and her squad to fight against a rival faction. They were called the enemy, but just like her, they were children, trying to survive. One day, Efa, her squad mate and friend, confesses a forbidden love that can only be considered treason. Ceri is furious, but also confused. They were like sisters. Why had Efa kept this from her? The reason forces Ceri into a choice. Should she do what Efa asks, or risk losing the only person on the ship she could trust? |
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A Quiet Universe by Kay F. Atkinson CERHA is a fabricant, and her job is simple: keep Annalise Fletcher safe, a role she performs dutifully and without fail, as she was designed to. Neither she nor her charge expected that this routine assignment could lead to love, but when feelings begin to bloom, neither see fit to stand in their way, and the two find themselves leading a shared life where both must walk a tightrope, precariously balancing between duty, and what domestic bliss is woven into the spaces remaining. For a time, they are as close to happy as they can manage. Then Annalise vanishes away to the embattled starship âUpon Silver Tidesâ, leaving a cryptic warning in her wake, and CERHA finds herself frantically in pursuit, on an illegal mission to save her objective-turned-lover and bring her home alive. She isnât sure what sheâll find. But what awaits is a web ensnaring both wayward lovers, far more tangled than either could possibly know, and lurking upon this forsaken vessel is a descent into insanity that will force CERHA to confront the bleak truth at the heart of her function. |
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In the Valley, A Shadow by Samantha Tano An action-packed sci-fi western tale of revenge, love, and identity. The frontier planet Celestine, millennia from now. It was supposed to be the furthest Alix could get from the Xypha Corporation, that all-consuming entity at the heart of humanityâs interstellar expansion. After the Xypha forward station arrives in orbit, Alix, a transgender pilot, finds herself out of work and her ship grounded. Sheâll do anything to pay off her mounting debts so she can fly againâeven if it means killing for the meanest crime boss in the Isidis Valley. As Xyphaâs influence grows, Alix is trapped in a web of betrayal and politics that threatens more than just her life. Armed with a pair of Plasveld-7s, a sharp wit, and with the love of her life by her side, Alix embarks on a deadly path across the valley. Can she flee Xyphaâs creeping shadow, or is it time to stop running and stand her ground? |
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âEarthâs time has run out. You must leave this decaying cradle.â With only a few words, Orinious Xaivâs deliberately small world is altered forever when heâs named Exim, the leader-elect of the Imitari. A theocratic group of genetically altered beings presiding over the dying Earth. As a âNamed,â Orinious receives an impossible task: to recover the lost seeds of mankind. Without them, all is destined for failure, resulting in not only his death â but that of all. Setting out with him on this mission is Veyra, one of the rare Chimaera with an elevated position among the Imitari. An elite personal enforcer, infamous for her ruthlessness and violent nature. Sheâs ordered to leave her masterâs side to protect Orinious â no matter the cost. Forced to work together to survive, theyâre confronted by gut-wrenching realizations about themselves, their world, and the true purpose of their mission. Unlikely friendships emerge and a forbidden romance dares to gasp, all while brutal attacks, unrelenting chaos, and bitter deception challenge them at every turn. Tracking down the seeds is only the beginning. Imitari is the first book in the exhilarating dystopian sci-fi ALTERA DOMI Series. |
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Hounds of Gaia by Sean M. Tirman Foxhound doesnât care about the gaps in her memory. Being a Contractor, a kind of spacefaring mercenary, keeps her occupied enough. Rather than dwelling, she rockets around the farthest reaches of the solar system, earning a steady paycheck hunting down neâer-do-wells and enjoying a semblance of freedom most folks in the outer colonies canât dream of. So when she receives an urgent prisoner transfer request from a cult starship, she accepts the gig. She figures that transporting a bone marrow-eating serial killer from the cultâs colony back to Earth is just another well-paying job thatâll keep her mind off things. Upon discovering that the suspect in custody is an orphan girlâone that could pass for her much younger doppelgĂ€ngerâshe decides itâs time to get some answers. Before she can piece together who the girl is and how their lives intertwine, a group of violent prisoners aboard Foxhoundâs starship breaks free. As the once-peaceful cultists take up arms in response, the Contractor teams up with her mechanized AI assistant and two of the cultâs wayward members to stop the barbaric escapees and elude the grasp of the cultâs radicalized leader. And when thatâs done, she can focus on figuring out the secret behind the mysterious, potentially dangerous girlâbut will she even want to know the truth? |
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Historian of Future Past by Revis Grey Alaina is a 26th-century data linguist and a historian specializing in 15th-century Turkey. Working with a quantum computer called Nexus, a machine able to record history in real time, she longs to be like the woman she observes, a red-head warrior temptress. But when an anomaly appears, and a peasant from the past is teleported into the future, anyone involved begins to be reassigned or disappear. Alaina finds herself thrust into the history sheâs been studying when her godfather, the Director of Operations, chooses to lose her in time rather than eliminate her. Alaina transports from a culture of peace and abundance to a world of scarcity and violence. She will have to navigate 15th-century strife with the aid of a holographic cohort and a 26th-century mirage of life rapidly fading. Betrayed and wrongly accused of murder, her last hope rests in a crooked dwarf merchant. When a mysterious reflection brings her closer to understanding the futureâs past. |
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Hi De Ho, Infecterino! by Andrew Marc Rowe Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out Larry Evans never asked for this, dude. As the front man for a rock band with the brand spankingest new deal with a major record label, the Irish-born Londoner was on the up and up. Finally, he could cease slinging pot to make ends meet and maybe â just maybe â make his father proud of him. One little âaccidentalâ fire and a faceful of sporulating destiny had another idea⊠Subject #30452 never really asked for it either. Not the injections from the strange men, not the development of sapience and self-awareness out of his easy-going life as a crow. Not to mention the fact that he was the sole one of his murdermates to have some kind of Cartesian epiphany in the California section of Parasol Industries. Escape â and revenge, served hot â might prove to be the first orders of business as brilliant bird of⊠opportunism. And what about Willy, the adult book shop worker who is trying to get clean from sex addiction? Or Hester, the brilliant scientist with the aesthetic challenges? Or Hector, the black ops Zen master? Or Constable Sheri Allston, the bobby who just happened to be thrust into a world of⊠Flesh-eating zombies that may or may not be tripping balls as they feast. There, I said it. Thanks to Parasol Industries, your friendly neighbourhood nefarious corporation on the government teat, some brand-new strain of fungus that is definitely not a derivative of jock itch and Albert Hoffmannâs beloved ergot is bringing humanity to the brink. But the brink of what? Will the monsters destroy us all? Will we use the nuclear option? Or is this all about⊠Evolution? |
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Beautiful World Part 1 by Bill Sharrock In a broken future, ink-like stains have appeared on people's skin splitting the world in two. Now the beautiful people all wear masks and live in a luxurious haven kingdom where strict beauty laws are enforced. The others, âstainersâ, are segregated to a lawless life in the Outlands ruled by chaos and warlords. But when Chesterman, a mysterious, ruthless leader from the north rises to power with plans to bring the kingdom to its knees, people will have to find out what they truly want to live for beneath their masks. Beautiful World is a grand scale story of Anna, Barvarik, Talessa and the individuals who will shape destruction, hope, terror and change to a future where only the most beautiful can sit at its apex. |
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Ari Barlow has long survived on instinct. Itâs crucial for living in the crime capital of the Meridian System. Established for space travel and trade by Illyarium, a world of gods amongst men, the Port of Acheron is now a far cry from the holy image it was spawned from. Just how she likes it. Together, with her level-headed partner, Ari takes any job that brings in the credits. Chosen to investigate a simple distress call, the pair travel to a desolate planet looking to find an easy pay day. Instead, they stumble upon a child in danger, and their decision to intervene puts into motion a war that will span the universe. Out of options and out of luck, Ari is torn away from the person she cares about most and burdened with a new responsibility in the form of a young ward with mysterious origins. Desperate to get her life back on track, Ari charters a ship and meets a crew of unlikely allies. However, a target has been painted on her back and she is now enemy number one to mortals and immortals alike. Ari will be forced to make sacrifices, but the most dangerous battle to face is with the monster lurking inside her. |
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A Spectre in the Stream by Simon Tull In a world gone mad with bloodlust, can a girl with a fragmented past use her inner monster to save a boy from undying predators? Earth, post-Apocalypse. Prisma longs to understand herself. Two centuries after humanity died, the claustrophobic immortal is grateful sheâs not driven by the thirst for blood plaguing every other enslaved survivor. But when she encounters a strange boy with a cryptic message about her origins, she fears his existence has made them both a deadly target. As Prismaâs violently protective alter-ego gives her remarkable abilities, she and her curious companion track his mysterious origins through their decaying city and its virtual twin. But sheâs horrified to learn of a vicious truth that sends her split personality into dangerous denial when a psychotic assassin and a desperate bounty hunter close in for the kill. Can she unearth the secret that will renew their stricken planetâs hope? A Spectre in the Stream is the edge-of-your-seat first book in The Slip Saga science fiction fantasy series. If you like gritty characters, violent action, and dark-edged humour, then youâll love Simon Tullâs fast-paced adventure. |
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Ghosts of Colossus by Peter J. Foote Asa Kleve craved a life of intergalactic adventure. Instead, sheâs tasked with babysitting a group of demanding scientists on the dead planet Cozore. But all of that changes when a rival galactic power attacks and kidnaps the scientists, leaving her for dead. Rescued from the rubble by an alienâone long thought to be extinctâAsa makes a pact with her unexpected new ally to save both their peoples before itâs too late. This dead planet may not be so dead after all, and Asa is about to find more adventure than she ever bargained for. |
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Madame Eldridgeâs Wayward Home For Unruly Boys by Benjamin Ryan Deep in the heart of Virginiaâs dense backwoods, the Wayward Home for Unruly Boys hides more than just troubled youth. Under Madame Eldridgeâs watchful eye, three strict rules govern her behavior program: â 1. What happens here stays here. 2. You must complete all eight stepsâno exceptions allowed. 3. Forget your name; youâll be known only by your problem. â But, thereâs one unspoken rule that sends shivers down the boys' spines: never enter the forbidden third-floor bedroom of the boy who vanished, leaving nothing behind but whispers. When Vandalize and Stealer defy this warning, they uncover a treasure trove of bewitched artifacts, each with a strange and powerful ability. Using these relics, the boys tackle Madame Eldridgeâs whimsicalâand often bizarreâchallenges, only to learn magic always demands its price. â Amidst the chaos, Fibbsy stumbles upon a peculiar object that sends him hurtling back in time, revealing an unfathomable truth about Madame Eldridge, the eerie town, and the missing boyâs fate. But who will trust the words of a liar? â Bound by the houseâs darkest mysteries, Fibbsy, Defiance, Slob, and Secret form an unlikely friendship as they race to unveil the shrouded secrets surrounding the Wayward Home. Together, they confront their deepest fears, uncovering that the real magic lies in facing their own personal demonsâand each other. |
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Spark and Tether by Lilian Zenzi Working odd jobs across the Outer Ring gets a little lonely sometimesânot everyone loves having a synchronist with supraliminal perception around. But all Sacheri wants, he tells himself, is to wander the stars. Then he takes a salvage run to an abandoned moon where he meets the wry, reserved, strictly-by-the-rules archivist Jin. Mesmerized by their confidence and charm, Sacheri canât resist showing off his abilitiesâand instead of the damaged ai he was tracking, he stumbles onto a signal left by a synchronist who went missing decades earlier. Sacheri knows from previous experience that pursuing the truthânever mind justiceâcould destroy everything he loves. He would defy his employers, the institution responsible for the myconeural networks that make him a synchronist, and the leadership of several worlds. And it would complicate his new, passionate, and impossibly sweet relationship with Jin. They might be the best thing thatâs ever happened to him, but they work for the very entities that ended Sacheriâs last investigation. He knows better than to risk it. But heâs never been able to turn away from someone in need, and thereâs a voice in the void calling for aid⊠|
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The Grandmaster's Gamble by Paul G. Zareith An unparalleled academic genius of his generation - Norman has a bright future ahead. While he may be the rising star of the famed Illustrious Academy, in the brutally competitive Irvanian socio-political landscape, opportunist vultures lurk at every corner and no tactic is too low. The biggest obstacle in the way of his grand ambitions though, is an ancient alien parasite that has made his body its nest. Oh, and there is also the problem of a high profile murder investigation that is likely to destroy his career. Will Norman be able to reassert control over his life? Or will he succumb in his pursuit of the forgotten arts of soul harvesting and become something else... Find out in this grimdark cyberpunk fantasy. Sometimes being the best among the best is still not good enough. |
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A Country of Eternal Light by Darby Harn A rogue black hole tears apart the solar system. Maireadâs life is already in pieces. The Earth has less than a year to survive. Asteroids rain hell; earthquakes rattle cities; manic tides swamp coasts. Mairead intends to give herself to the erratic waves that erode her remote Irish island, the same that claimed her child. When Gavin, an American, arrives to scatter his fatherâs ashes, she becomes torn between wanting for life and death. Despite the tides, fuel shortages, and closing borders that threaten to trap him on the island, Gavin canât seem to scatter the ashes. He doesnât know how to let go any more than Mairead does and they find a strange comfort in their confusion. Their affair draws Mairead back to the world of the living, but the longer Gavin stays, the more it seems there might be a future for them. There is no future. Life closes down around them. The world they know shreds. Life drains into an inescapable abyss. And yet Mairead fights, both the gravity of her grief and the restless, dissonant desire to find some kind of peace no matter how brief. |
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Echoes (Entanglement Book 1) by Phil Oddy Who can you trust if you can't trust yourself? Estrel Beck doesnât want to be a software salesman. Yet here he is, newly arrived in the city-state of Trinity, for a make-or-break meeting with the local Administration department. Under-prepared, under-motivated and over-sensitive, every little thing about this strange place seems to stress Estrel out. When he discovers a message scrawled on the back of a napkin, in his own handwriting, telling him heâs trapped in a time loop, he knows for sure that heâs in over his head. Then the Administration building explodes. As Estrel struggles to make sense of his situation and find an escape, he is drawn into Trinityâs bizarre underworld and the struggles for power against Trinityâs corrupt Mayor Chaguartay. Echoes is a story about being trapped by your past choices and what it takes to break free. |
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Chloeâs Kingdom by Gregory Michael Six Motivated Thieves. One Deadly Heist. Chloe Espinoza is a wild-haired petty thief aboard the Kingdom, a drifting city spaceship. Once rich but now poor, Chloe is determined to break free from the Honeycombs and return to her life in the Gardens. Only one problem: she hardly has enough koin for a burrito, making a lavish apartment seem as distant as the stars. All that might change, however, when Chloe is offered a heist that could make her unimaginably rich. But she canât break into the impenetrable Koin Vault alone⊠A young mastermind who canât let go of her past. A mathematical genius in desperate need of koin. A privileged kid from the Gardens with a debt to pay. A bartender whoâs serving revenge. A mischievous raccoon with a bottomless appetite. A battered soul whoâs been wronged by the council. Gone are the days of stealing snacks. Chloeâs crew is aiming for the ultimate prize: the Koin Vault. Their plan? To rob the Treasury and bring down the corrupt council. But in a game where the stakes are jail or death, every move could be their last. |
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Raq by T.K. Toppin Lies that become truths⊠The Hlad are one race, the only race beneath the Great Abyss. The great Fire King deemed it so when the Great Mother birthed the Fire Kingâs children from the dry lake beds. All know of His power and scorn, and praise Him with each rising so He may shine down gently and with kindness. Warrior Class Lieutenant Raq of the Imperial Guard is a proud soldier, an adoring father to his sons, brave, dutiful and honour-bound, a devout servant of the Fire King. He is a true Hlad. But his faith is shattered when an alien craft crash-lands on Hlad from the Great Abyss. One alien, the Dayyid, survives the horrible massacre that follows the crash. Imprisoned, suffering from malnutrition, and studied by the reptilian doctors and scientists, he doesnât forget one of the creatures from the crash site. One who hesitated to kill. Forced to live together, Raq and the Dayyid learn to understand each other despite the language barrier. But when they learn of a threat to Earth, they discover an almost unbelievable truth that unites them against the Hlad. The rest of Hlad must learn this truth, and so, too, the rest of the universe. |
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To choose what is right would bring him in conflict with the vampires, but can he avert his eyes yet again when a child needs his help? In a world where Vampires make the rules, the hunters are bound by the terms of an ancient agreement and the witches are hunted. Ken is a vampire hunter having an affair with the vampire, Frederick. Navigating a relationship with a vampire while trying to help those he terrorises is not easy. If Frederick finds out what heâs doing, their relationship isnât the only thing in jeopardy. When a situation arises when Frederickâs ward, Mabel, needs his help, Ken knows his actions will pit him against Frederick. With his very life at stake, will he choose to do the right thing or follow the path of least resistance yet again? Life Remains is a queer, paranormal, dystopian fantasy novel with morally grey characters, found family and themes of redemption and making the right choice. If you love dystopian worlds with vampires, hunters, and witches, you will love this book. |