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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Game of Immortals (Saga of the Swordbreaker #5) – Kit Sun Cheah 

Immortal Glory is the most prestigious tournament in the rivers and lakes. Martial immortals from around the world gather in Shengang to battle for the position of leader of the jianghu—and with it, fame, fortune, and the patronage of the Ten Corporations.

Li Ming doesn’t care. Not until he learns that the Wanjianhui seeks to subvert the tournament and win over the rulers of the world.

Joining forces with allies old and new, he participates in a counter-conspiracy to infiltrate Immortal Glory. They don’t have to win. They just have to make sure the Wanjianhui loses.

But the specter of commercialism casts a long shadow over Immortal Glory. Billions of yuan are at stake. Hard-won reputations are on the line. Even the support of the authorities won’t be enough to overcome dirty tricks, foul play, and naked greed. As he battles renowned fighters and secret societies, Li Ming comes face-to-face with the dark heart of the rivers and lakes.

And under the bright lights of the leitai, the legend of the King of Breaking Swords will be born.

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Gone Nova (Backyard Starship #19) – J. N. Chaney and Terry Maggert

Van is proving that with power comes danger.

From the shores of a secret planet to the halls of power in Washington, Van navigates a complex web of lies, law, and politics, all so that Earth can be saved from the clutches of ruthless criminals.

But these people aren’t from Earth. In fact, they’re not even human, and they see Earth as a ripe fruit, ready to be picked.

That doesn’t work for Van and his crew, so he begins fighting back with the dirtiest tactics of all: diplomacy. Since the aliens are among us, and they want money and power, Perry and Miryam will unleash their skills to craft a plan that uses Van, Icky, and Funboy to stop the exploitation of Earth cold, for the enemies are led by a new player in the galactic order.

The Tsarina. She’s cruel, she’s heavily armed, and she’s coming for Earth—with a ship that can match anything the Guild has. With enemies at the door, Van finds out that Masters can fail, and secrets are hard to keep, and the Earth is worth saving.

At any cost.

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Latent Prowess (Order of Scion #1) – Toby Neighbors

They say one wrong decision can ruin your life…

But one right decision, made at the right time, can make the difference between a life well lived, and a truly spectacular life.

Mitch Murphy’s life is at a dead end. He hasn’t been decisive in a decade, and after being overlooked and taken advantage of for so long, he’s practically invisible. But all that is about to change.

Latent Technologies has discovered the secret formula for unlocking the untapped abilities inside each of us. It’s a process that can transform an average guy like Mitch Murphy into almost superhuman proportions if he survives the procedure. The only catch is that to get Latency Enhancement you have to enlist in the Colonial Marines and agree to leave Earth behind forever.

Humans aren’t the only intelligent species in the galaxy, but they are very much alone in what they are learning is a very hostile universe. New Terra is the only colonized world outside the Sol system, and holding onto it is getting harder every single day. But mankind might just be on the cusp of something they have yet to imagine exists. They are being watched by the mysterious Order of Scion and soon the entire universe might just be at their doorstep.

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Perry Rhodan NEO #17 – Alexander Huskies and Gerry Haynaly

While in captivity, Rhodan attempts to learn all he can about his captors, the Naats. He plans on using that knowledge to formulate a plan using psychic communication with his comrades in the hope of saving as many of the Tosoma’s survivors as possible. But a power struggle is brewing among the Naats, and Novaal’s leadership is unexpectedly challenged by an unlikely opponent, potentially upending the current order.

In a base on Rayold’s largest moon, commander Tresk-Takuhn does all he can to defend his lunar fortress against the assailants amid a stunning discovery made by his old friend Hisab-Benkh. With the fate of Topsid at stake, his efforts are desperate—but he has a few tricks up his sleeve that the Naats don’t know about. Meanwhile, back on Topsid, Manoli teams up with the Arkonide robot, Rico, to repair the mysterious transmitter and escape the despot once and for all.

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Road to Mastery #3 – Valerios

To reach the top, Jack must rise through Hell.

Eight months remain until Earth’s grace period is over, and Jack is not nearly strong enough to defend it. Desperate times call for desperate measures. To defeat the planetary overseer within a year, he has to kill his way to the top.

Good thing the Animal Kingdom has a planet full of talented immortals.

Alone and deep in enemy territory, Jack must wage war while avoiding the Kingdom’s Elders and hidden masters. The dangers are endless. Every day is a gamble. Every step, against the odds.

Thankfully, the heart of danger is exactly where a cultivator thrives…

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System Interference (System Universe #5) – SunriseCV

With those he cares about safe and sound in the city of Savannah, Derek sets off to help another.

After a successful auction, the young Prince Edgar requested Derek’s help on an issue that concerned the safety of the entire Kingdom of Cydaria. A new, level 250 raid dungeon appeared, and Edgar needed the kingdom’s elite to help clear it before the unstable dungeon overflowed, or even worse, broke.

Leaving his shop in the trusting hands of Malorie, and with everyone’s insistence that he go, Derek agreed to the prince’s request and joined him and the others on the raid. However, the dungeon wasn’t what anyone was expecting, and when they went inside, they found that it was a trial dungeon: A dungeon with various trials and obstacles one must overcome to complete it.

Not only was a trial dungeon rare and virtually non-existent in raids, but the entire dungeon was also under a time dilation—causing the time inside the dungeon to pass at a different speed than the time outside.

Now, with two trials completed and another team working on a third, Derek was able to take time to focus on his own Class Upgrade. But after initiating it, he ran into a new problem—the Great System seemed unable to help and thus requested assistance.

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Jim Breyfogle’s A Bad Case of Dead – a Kickstarter campaign by P. Alexander

Edward has caught a bad case of Dead!

While hurrying to his clerking job in London, Edward is attacked by a strange creature in an alleyway. Feeling ill, Edward consults his apothecary neighbor who informs him he’s been infected with zumbiism, and is now among the Dead!

There is still hope, however! Sent on his way with a potent elixir that will stave off the effects of Dead, Edward must seek out the aid of a Necromancer in the Narrow World, a hidden realm of forgotten magic beyond the sea. But the next ship leaves in only an hour!

Edward is unable to say farewell to his beloved Becca before setting off on the adventure of a lifetime! For her sake, he will find a cure for Dead… Or die trying, if he were not dead already!

Even if he reaches the Narrow World, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to find a necromancer or convince him to cure his zumbiism. Edward must rely on his wits and determination to triumph over the challenges the Narrow World throws forth, including fickle merfolk, deadly sea monsters, religious zealots, and a plucky guide who is as ready to put him out of his misery as help him!

A Bad Case of Dead is an enchanting fairytale adventure, filled with action, magic, strange creatures, deadly perils, and romance!