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

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Cirsova #16 / Fall 2023 – edited by P. Alexander

Tales of heroic adventure and daring suspense that include:

Krallenburg is beset by a werewolf! Can witchhunter Friedrich Rosch stop the monstrous curse before the town succumbs to siege by Protestant mercenaries!?

Kat has a daring plan to trap Rhygir’s forces, baiting them into a bend in the river where they themselves risk being cut off! Can Kat and Mangos hold their lines and catch Rhygir outside of Alness before his reinforcements are able to arrive?!

Jesus Dunn Jr. plans to do away with his abusive father… And there are no wit-nesses, except for the strange Goth girl who has started following him around!

In a ghoulish tale that drives to madness, the blasphemous corpse wizard Lord Tryphon, cheater of death, must make his grim way to the revelry of Dionysus!

…and more!

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Deadman Walking – C. B. Titus

In the wasteland, you do whatever you can to survive…

Even after the bombs fell, even after countries unleashed weapons beyond imagination on one another, even after lawlessness became the norm, people still expect their mail.

As a deadman, I’m uniquely suited to deliver it.

Rads don’t bother me, and people who try to hurt me typically wind up dead. Sure, humans may not like dealing with a face like mine, but hey, it’s not like you’ve got many options here in the wastes.

Now in the middle of my route I’ve come upon a new Job, and maybe the opportunity to start thriving instead of surviving.

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Galaxy Unstable (Forgotten Galaxy #2) – M. R. Forbes

Left stranded, his starship’s life support failing, Caleb initiates a distress signal, hoping that help will arrive before his time is up. Only the response to his plea isn’t what he had in mind…

Assuming command of an infamous pirate vessel, Caleb sets his sights on shaping the unruly and unpredictable crew into a skilled fighting force. It won’t be easy, but if Caleb wants to prevent the Legion from cementing their tyrannical grip on the galaxy, he’ll need to knuckle up, double down, and risk everything to make it happen.

Or see humanity enslaved.

Forever.

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Harrier: Justice – Jaime Castle and C. J. Valin

Crimefighting is illegal. Punishable by life in prison beneath the ocean.

That won’t stop Harrier.

In a world where crimefighting is a criminal act, and justice comes at the cost of freedom, one masked hero refuses to bow to the law.

Meet Sawyer William Vincent, a man with a mission, and a name that’s more than a mouthful. Once known as Red Raptor, he’s now the enigmatic Black Harrier, New York City’s last hope against the darkness that threatens to consume it.

Blending the best of DC and Marvel with a fresh twist, in a city where vigilantes are hunted, where friends have become foes, and where every punch thrown carries the weight of a life sentence beneath the ocean, Harrier stands undeterred.

Join Harrier as he defies the odds, upholds justice, and fights for a city that may no longer recognize him. In a world where being a hero means being a criminal, Harrier is the beacon of hope the world needs.

Get ready to soar into a superhero epic like no other—because when justice is outlawed, only the Harrier can bring it back.

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The Shadow Elemental (The Binding Trials #1) – Jaspar Alden and D. K. Holmberg

The discovery of a strange elemental will change everything for Lathan.

Lathan spends his days chasing elementals, hoping to bind only a fragment of their power. When he finds a unique elemental he’s long sought, he thinks fate is finally on his side.

Then the deadly Derithan attack.

Lathan must stay ahead of them to protect himself and his friends. Outrunning them isn’t enough.

To survive, he’ll need to learn truths about the elementals—and about his connection to them.

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Amaranth Angels – a Kickstarter campaign from Yakov Merkin

Saya Nishizawa was a starfighter pilot prodigy, flying alongside her big sister Kurenai in the Amaranth Angels performance squadron. where they conducted elaborate flying demonstrations and competed in mock battles–which they nearly always won.

Things were perfect, until tragedy struck, and Kurenai lost her life in a sudden accident. Scarred by this, Saya wanted nothing more than to run as far from a starfighter cockpit as possible. So she resigned from the squadron, and left Earth to start anew at a new school on a space station near the edge of the solar system.

However, fate has ways of forcing people back to their calling.

When the station comes under attack by an unknown alien force, Saya and her friends, caught completely unprepared, need to take flight in order to survive.  But when the smoke clears, the five of them are stranded far from home, and thrust into a far bigger fight than they could’ve ever imagined.

This crowdfunding campaign will remain open until 20 October, 2023.

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Saga of the Swordbreaker: Invincible Under Heaven – a crowdfunding campaign by Kit Sun Cheah

Previously on SAGA OF THE SWORDBREAKER, Li Ming entered the martial forest, filled with dreams of fighting evil and attaining immortality. He battled beasts and bandits, became ensnared in the schemes of the Five States and Ten Corporations, and discovered the dark undercurrents of the rivers and lakes. In the space of a year, all his delusions were stripped away, leaving him wondering what he should do with his life.

Now in the second half of the series, INVINCIBLE UNDER HEAVEN, Li Ming’s journey reaches its climax.

Follow Li Ming as he journeys to attain the apex of martial skill. Witness his rise through the ranks of martial cultivators. Fight beside him as he battles secret societies, powerful monsters, and devil cultivators.

And together, discover the true meaning of the ancient phrase ‘invincible under heaven’.

This crowdfunding campaign will remain open until 20 September, 2023.