Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

Aetheric InFusion (Magical Fusion #3) – Johnathan Brooks

Exposed as a “Fusion prodigy” to the Mages of Copperleaf Academy and the Martials of Fort Pinevalley, Larek struggles with the attention and expectations this label brings. Not only does he need protection against those who may wish him harm, but he also has to contend with the needs of his Professors and the Dean of Copperleaf Academy, who wish to use his abilities to help teach others about his discoveries and to outfit the local Scission Interception Corps with his powerful creations.

It’s not because of selfish reasons that they desire the SIC to be better equipped, though, but one of necessity. Changes in Scission and monster behavior throughout the Kingdom has thrown all of their previous defensive strategies into turmoil, and more and more member of the SIC have to venture out from behind the safety of the city’s walls to hunt down and kill the threatening monsters roaming across the landscape.

If that wasn’t bad enough, word of Larek’s abilities – and potential origin – have begun to spread, leading to rumors that, if they were to reach the wrong ears, could result in devastation. The powerful Fusionist must now juggle the expectations of his Professors with keeping his presence at the Academy a secret, or else his entire world might come crashing down.

Echoes in the Deep (Peacemaker Wars #2) – J. N. Chaney and Terry Maggert

With Veteran pay comes veteran problems. And the Guild, more often than not, is the issue.

He’s become an effective enforcer of the law, but unfortunately, crime is growing a lot more complicated. Someone is slaving artificial beings to ships, running contraband across the stars in a fatal practice that marries murder, theft, and kidnapping. Even as Mark’s crew grows, he discovers these crimes aren’t just horrific—they’re common.

And he means to stop it.

Deep in the black between stars, Mark finds an ancient and bizarre place, filled with the galaxy’s discarded junk. And in the middle of that cold, distant void lies a massive ship—one that holds secrets that will rock the halls of power in known space—and turn crime into profit.

Diving headlong into new cases, Mark will find that the elite criminals aren’t scared of a farm boy from Iowa. That professional killers are lurking in the shadows.

But he’s no longer alone.

Implacable Resolve (The Last Hunter #12) – J. N. Chaney and Terry Mixon

In war, even the simplest things are hard.

Admiral Jack Romanoff and his people have begun the liberation of Vesuvius from the xenophobic Novarites, but even something that straightforward is difficult. The enemy outnumbers them, and removing the threat won’t be easy. Worse, they are killing humans in job lots, so time is of the essence.

When retreat isn’t an option, you must advance.

Jack wants to spare as many Novarite civilians as he can, but the killing must end. With them on a planet and him in space, that limits his options, but he will compel their surrender by any means necessary. It will be a delicate dance, but he won’t stop until they admit defeat or die.

In the face of overwhelming odds, never let your resolve waver.

Orphan of the Shadowy Moons (Wild Stars #6) – Michael Tierney

Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

The Forever World – Ethan Rhodes

On a routine border patrol, pilot Zane Lucas encounters a mysterious cluster of drones. When he reports it to the Scorpius head office, they quickly sweep it under the intergalactic rug and place him on leave.

That same night, Zane is contacted by an estate lawyer from the distant planet Earth and learns he’s the sole beneficiary of a person he’s never met. Determined to get answers, he finds himself thrust into a dead man’s quest, along with a resourceful colleague, Julia Rossi.

Zane’s mission is tied to an old myth based on The Forever World book.

His father used to read it at bedtime, before he went missing during a bloody war with the Gral twenty years earlier. Their alliance is on the brink of collapse and the revolution is just beginning.

Can Zane find The Forever World, if it in fact exists?

Would this fabled planet help restore the balance?

Time is running out, and the drones are multiplying.

Grilled Armageddon (Cooking with Disaster #1) – Dakota Krout

The world as we knew it is gone. Food and water are poison. Learn the new rules, or die trying.

Eli ‘Nacho’ Naches is a fearsome assassin who has lost everything in a post-apocalyptic world full of monstrous creatures. He knows where he fits in this horror-show, and he’s only been hanging around to see what’s going to be thrown at him next. When he’s finally put in chains and sent to the chopping block, he goes readily… only to be unexpectedly sent back in time to his younger body with his memories intact, and the chance to make a difference.

But Nacho isn’t interested in saving the world. He just needs to save the people that matter to him, and give them a chance to survive in a world where everything but the air itself is poison. Knowing that all their lives are on the line, Nacho the battle-scarred killer needs to get his college-age friends to listen to him, plan their builds, and secure a safe location to bunker down. Obviously, each of those goals is an Epic quest all on its own.

Welcome to the Juxtaposition. May Your Future Be Delicious.

Prince Conqueror (The Prince of Britannia #7) – Fred Hughes

The empire’s assault on the Sol System is imminent, but scouting reports reveal the Mordorians have nine of their hard-to-kill dreadnaughts protecting the system. It took everything the imperials had to defeat three of the powerful ships in the Pegasus System, but Marshal King, aka Crown Prince Henry, has finally gathered a sufficient force to make the attempt.

Events back home have forced his hand, as what Hazard feared most has happened—they’ve lost control of the Black Dragon Virus. Someone stole a sample from the Marxist planet of Lenin, and now it’s ravaging the planet Delhi.

After a hurried meeting with the Empress, Hazard rushes back to the front with a new battle plan, for they can’t wait any longer—billions will die if he doesn’t find a sample of the original virus. Ready or not, the Imperial Fleet heads for a showdown in the Sol System. It’s time to find out if Hazard can become the Prince Conqueror. Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

An Outlaw’s Vengeance (The Last Eternal #6) – Jacob Peppers

Some shadows are not shadows at all but Death, watching, waiting.

Only sometimes, Death is not content to watch.

Sometimes, he comes with purpose.

And tonight, on this darkest of all nights, Death came not for the wanderer, as it had so many times, but for his friends. To save them, the wanderer will have to stand in the darkness and face down the shadows lurking there. Shadows trained by none other than Assassin, the greatest killer ever to walk the face of the world.

Wounded, the wanderer plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse through the streets of Celes, one that isn’t over until his corpse, or those of his pursuers, falls lifeless to the ground.

But those are just the beginnings of his troubles, for even should he survive the night, the darkness will return. Death will return—he always does.

The Queen’s Blade – D. K. Holmberg

A soldier with a past meets a future he cannot ignore. The Queen’s Blade saga begins.

Zaren Joha, once a formidable soldier, now spends his days maintaining peace in a quiet tavern in Lavrun. No more military rigors. No more blind obedience. The job is uneventful, yet it allows him a semblance of normalcy.

But his tranquil life in Lavrun is about to change. An encounter with the mysterious Waleith, a man with deep connections to the queen, draws him into a world where his brawn is not enough. The tavern’s usual hustle, the sailors’ brawls, and the regulars are soon overshadowed by a brewing storm of magic and intrigue attempting to topple the throne.

As Zaren grapples with powers beyond his understanding and confronts the echoes of a magic-tainted past, survival in this new world demands more than physical strength. To protect those he has come to care for and to navigate the treacherous currents of royal politics and ancient magic, Zaren must embrace a role he never anticipated.

No longer a soldier, he must become the Queen’s Blade.

The Shattered Construct (Essence Wielder Book 3) – Dan Michaelson and D. K. Holmberg

A unique connection to essence is key to protecting the empire.

Dax and his friends have settled into their roles at the Academy. They’ve stopped another attack, which has gained them notice, but also allows them a measure of freedom in their studies. With Desmond now serving as headmaster, they think everything will be different. Better.

But the flows of essence are changing.

Those who study such things don’t know what that means, but all agree it’s dangerous.

When asked to travel north during the term break, beyond the unclaimed lands, Dax has little choice but to go. What he finds changes everything he knows about essence—and what it means to wield it.

And it just might be the key to destroying the Order for good. Read More