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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Birth of an Empire (The Frontiers Saga: Fringe Worlds #7) – Ryk Brown

Getting to know old friends again…
Getting their hands on improved tech…
Unchaining the limits of their ability to protect…
A chance at a pair of assets that could change things forever…

The Free Fleet now has a powerful partner in the Ghatazhak. Together, they will finally be able to bring peace and prosperity to the fringe, and beyond.

“Rise of an Empire” is the 7th episode in Part 3 of the Frontiers Saga: Fringe Worlds.

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Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense #15 – edited by P. Alexander

Conrock and the others track the Black Star Reavers to the base of the mysterious Five-Thousand Fingered Hand in the hunt for the abducted Philean women!

On Earth to complete his training, Arrul Voruum learns of the discovery of an artifact of immeasurable worth and power from the days when the empire fell!

On his way to sell his services to the Earl Ryker, Burke Fletcher, the mercenary marooned on Rigel IV, is attacked by a strange and monstrous creature out of time! Stranded, Burke comes upon a beautiful Rigelian being pursued by White Giants!

In earth’s twilight, mankind’s numbers dwindle amongst the ruins! Can a lone ptero knight rescue two young women who might bear the next generation?!

…and more!

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Forsaken Colony (The Afterwar Saga #3) – Jaime McFarlane

On the distant edge of humanity, Far Post Colony suddenly loses contact with civilization. The lives of thousands hang in the balance as one small crew takes a stand against an alien menace.

Immoral and illegal doesn’t begin to describe the genetic engineering dreamed up by the Carashock corporation. Experimenting with a hostile alien seed, humanity might just have discovered a new way to usher in its own ruin. Horrified by video captured at the highest cost, Quinn Hoffen and his crew have a tough decision to make. Should they run toward danger or away. As a Hoffen, Quinn knows there’s only one choice.

Paying with their own blood, Quinn’s small crew will quickly learn the meaning of the word sacrifice. The problem is, will sacrifice and unyielding bravery in the face of overwhelming odds be enough to stop the invasion of Far Post Colony from spreading to the rest of civilized space?

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Forsaken Commander – G. J. Ogden

Humanity’s only hope is the commander they spurned.

Once, Master Commander Carter Rose was the Union’s secret weapon. An augmented, bio-engineered officer in command of the most powerful warship ever devised by human minds, Rose brought them victory against the post-human Aternien Empire.

Then they cast him aside.

A century later, living alone on a distant forest moon, feared and forsaken by the people he fought to save, Rose has grown bitter and resentful, while his superhuman body refuses to age.

When Major Carina Larsen seeks his help to save Earth from becoming the last frontier of humanity, Rose is reluctant to return to duty. Until Larsen reveals the real peril: the Aterniens are on the rise again, hell-bent on revenge.

And after a century of peace, the Union has forgotten how to fight.

But even if Rose can recover his marooned warship and assemble a crew, his allegiance is now a valuable commodity — and a secret weapon is only ever as dangerous as those who wield it…

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New Horizons – Chris Kennedy

Sixteen science fiction stories from Chris Kennedy across a variety of New Horizons!

Known as one of the founding fathers of the Four Horsemen Universe, you can expect a heaping helping of the knock down-drag out, action-packed scifi that has helped the series grow to almost a hundred books.

But there’s so much more. Also included, for the first time, are all the stories of Kat, made famous on the cover of “We Dare: No Man’s Land” as well as stories from the author’s original “Theogony” series, the Salvage Title universe, the other bestselling universes!

Inside, you will find everything that makes science fiction great—new worlds, new races, and the conflict that brings them together. Stories of technology gone right… and others where it’s gone very wrong. But always, there are strong leaders who will prevail, regardless of the odds.

It’s the best scifi from award-winning author Chris Kennedy. Come and get it.

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Reforged (Tower #2) – Seth Ring

Cursed and dying, Thorn has landed at a crossroad…

He can either give up and die, or walk a path he never wanted to touch. Reluctantly accepting that his only chance at life rests in corrupt magic, Thorn soon finds himself exploring a world of ancient mysteries, all while trying to hide his tracks from those who want to hunt him down.

Pursued by bounty hunters intent on dragging him back in chains, Thorn soon discovers the plot is deeper than he thought. Even the Tardoff clan, one of the powerful challenger families, is intent on capturing him and extracting his knowledge of ancient runes. To make matters worse, they’re coming after him themselves.

When Thorn discovers that some of his companions from Angoril might be with them, he is forced to confront his pursuers, leveraging every ounce of his strength, intelligence, and courage to escape with what is left of his life and reforge himself, in both body and soul.

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The Rider Fall (The Lost Riders #7) – Jasper Alden and D. K. Holmberg

When Kryo Karda unleashes the Undead Legion, old alliances might not be enough.

Hal knows that he must face Kryo Kara but must be stronger to handle power like his.

Completing the fabled Challenge might be what they need, but it’s one that can only lead to a deadly result.

While Hal and Keershan work to find answers, the others deal with their own problems.

But stopping Kryo Karma is not enough. They’ll need to overpower the gods themselves if they want peace.

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Death Flex – a crowdfunding campaign by Pilum Press

The headsman of Nuremburg, Franz Schmidt put an end to hundreds of convicts, each of whom merited a line in his ledger:

“Schober was beheaded by favour; Marti was hanged, and the bleachers made him a pair of very white hose, a doublet and stockings of Cologne linen.”

Introduced by the best-selling author, Brian Evenson, Pilum is proud to publish four new writers who take us into the forgotten reality behind these laconic entries in Schmidt’s fascinating sixteenth-century execution records. Brian Renninger, JB Jackson, Lester Glover, and John Daker rescue final truths only fiction can properly deliver. The back half of this beautiful, yet lugubrious volume examines the reality principle at play in the fiction of Jack Vance by leading Vance critic, Paul Rhoads. Further fictions from Messrs. Alexander Palacio and CD Crabtree transport us to settings uncomfortably proximate and movingly legendary. Finally, Jeffro Johnson meditates on the significance of death, ludic and otherwise, among players of D&D.

The crowd-funded campaign will close on 19 June, 2023.