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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Breaker of Horizons 2 – NoDragons

Nic has been Selected.

Chosen to leave his own body behind and become a monster.

Chosen to live or die on his own wits. His own strengths.

He’ll adventure out into a new realm as a footsoldier for the System’s relentless integration of new worlds.

Meanwhile, the pressure of being Earth’s champion builds…

As Nicholas Winterhome builds his own city in the wilderness, he strives to make sense of a world full of foreign powers. His strength in battle might not be enough.

It’ll take wits and determination to survive; and if he wants to sleep at night, he’ll need someone he can trust to watch his back. It’s time to find some allies.

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Dragon Realm (Blood of the Ancients #9) – Dan Michaelson and D. K. Holmberg

The power of the five realms flows in Rob. He must master it before he’s destroyed.

Rob has learned how to reach for each type of essence he possesses, but most require outside help. As the danger of the Eternal intensifies, he knows the key is in awakening the rest of his essence—only he’s not sure how to do it.

Time becomes the enemy. Fearing a return of the Netheral, along with the renewed attack from the Eternal, Rob must connect to his power.

This time, progression might not be enough as a power beyond his comprehension awaits.

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Genocide of Mankind (The Last Marines #5) – William S. Frisbee

Humanity rests on the razor’s edge of extinction!

The odds are against Mathison and his Marines. The Republic has abandoned them, and the Governance has collapsed. The vanhat are sweeping through human space almost unopposed, crushing the few humans still scattered throughout the ruins of the Governance.

While some survivors seek to rally and rescue who they can, the Governance has retreated to Sol, where it cowers behind its countless automated weapons platforms, closing itself off from the rest of the galaxy. Unfortunately, the enemy has already breached the line and is just waiting its time to strike.

But Marines don’t give up. There is a rumor that researchers have discovered a weapon that can be used against the vanhat, and the Marines must infiltrate a vanhat-infested SOG star base to recover the secret location of the research facility.

Hunted, will the Marines discover the weapon they need, or are they running into the trap that will be the end of them?

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Halloway’s Charge (Tears of Perseus #6) – Kevin McLaughlin

Will he follow his orders or his conscience?

The war is over, but humanity is far from safe. Lieutenant Halloway’s orders are clear: get the VIPs evacuated and withdraw. But when two groups of survivors threaten to wipe each other out, Halloway and his crew can either act or bear witness to the slow death of a planet.

Caught between his duty and his conscience, Halloway has to choose between saving his crew or protecting the civilians who rebelled in the first place. Or he could release his cargo—a superhuman AI with frightening capabilities. That might win them the battle, but at what cost? The damage the AI could do if it managed to escape containment would be devastating. The choices Halloway makes will reverberate through history.

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Jungle World (Undying Mercenaries #19) – B. V. Larson

A new threat arrives from the rim of the galaxy. From the colorless depths of space, unknown invaders strike worlds across the Frontier Zone. Rigel is a thousand lightyears farther from the Core Worlds than Earth, so they suffer the first attacks.

The mood at Central is jubilant. Our greatest rival is falling—now is the time to strike while they’re weak! Legion Varus is deployed to Jungle World, a vital planet deep in Rigellian territory. Our foes, fighting on two fronts, are driven back with ease.

But one man questions the wisdom of this move. Should Earth expand with greed, aiding new monsters from the Galactic Rim? That lone voice of reason comes from James McGill.

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Tango Down (Drop Trooper #11) – Rick Partlow

The end is near…

Cameron Alvarez and the crew of the Orion are hot on the trail of the Seekers, following the Predecessor faction on their quest to find the source of the Skrela infestation. But the crew is close to the breaking point, and their commander, Colonel Hachette, is long past it. The death of Sgt.-Major Campbell has left him devastated and unable to lead.

And the only one left capable and willing to take command…is Cam.

Cam leads them on the hunt for the legendary Womb, the world where the Skrela are created…and learns the horrible secret of who created them. A secret that might not just spell the end of their mission, but the end of everything.

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A World of Dinosaurs (Mintari #1) – Daniel Arenson

Dinosaurs. Majestic giants. They’ve captured our imagination for generations. On planet Mintari, they live again.

Mintari is far from Earth. Wild. Pristine. A world where triceratops herd across grasslands, pterosaurs soar over golden mountains, and T-rexes prowl the misty forests.

But these magnificent beasts might soon disappear. And only one man can save them.

They call him Jurassic Joe. A semi-mythical figure. A ranger who lives in the wilderness of Mintari. Defender of dinosaurs. Bane of poachers. Folk hero. But is he real?

He better be. Because big game hunters are landing on Mintari. A lot of them. It will take a hero to stop them. And they must be stopped. Or the dinosaurs of Mintari will be lost forever.

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Tales of the Mongoose and Meerkat: The Redemption of Alness – a Kickstarter from Cirsova Publishing

Two years have passed since the fall of Alness. And two years have passed since the brash young sellsword Mangos teamed up with Kat, the mysterious Alnessi rogue. Together, they have made a name for themselves as the Mongoose and Meerkat!

The ravaged northlands still smolder as the warlord Rhygir holds Alness in an iron grip. Rumors swirl that a member of the Alnessi royal family may have survived, but Rhygir is intent on hunting down any resistance that might rally to a rogue prince who escaped the slaughter.

Though Rhygir has been consolidating power in Alness, the Mongoose and Meerkat have been hard at work, gathering resources and making alliances in Alomar and abroad. But can the new allies and old friends overcome the army of Rhygir before it can be bolstered by elite mercenaries?

All of the pieces of the King’s Game are place!

This Kickstarter will remain open until 20 February 2023.