Planetary avatars, post-apocalyptic vault dwellers, interstellar privateers, and alien hijackers feature in this week’s collection of science fiction’s newest releases.

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After the Sky (Spirits of the Earth #1) – Milo James Fowler

The meek have not inherited the earth.

The world isn’t how they left it. When the bunker airlocks release them after twenty years in hibernation, the survivors find a silent, barren world outside. But they are not alone. There is a presence here, alive in the dust—spirits of the earth, benevolent and malicious as they interact with the human remnant.

Milton is haunted by a violent past he’s unable to escape, despite the superhuman speed the spirits give him.

Not interested in bearing the next generation, Daiyna is determined to destroy the flesh-eating mutants lurking in the dark, pierced by her night-vision.

Luther is a man of conviction who believes the Creator has offered humankind a second chance, yet he’s uncertain they deserve it—and he’s perplexed by the talons that flex out of his fingers.

Willard is a brilliant engineer-turned-soldier who refuses to leave his bunker, afraid of becoming infected and willing to destroy any obstacle in his way.

As their lives collide, the mysteries of this strange new world start unraveling, culminating in the ultimate life-or-death decision one survivor will make for them all.

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Archangel Rising (Archangel One Book 2) – Evan Currie

Archangel Squadron faces off against the forces of the brutal Protectorate to claim a prize, and save humanity, in a gripping novel of deep space jeopardy by the author of the Odyssey One series.

At the helm of a commandeered freighter, Captain Steph Michaels has infiltrated the Free Star systems. Leading a captive crew, and posing as a privateer, he’s on a mission to seize a precious resource from an enemy outpost. Backed by his Archangel Squadron, it’s a smash-and-grab operation he can pull off in his sleep. Until it isn’t.

Before he and his “pirates” can strike, they’re met with an unexpected obstacle. The mining compound they’re targeting also houses camps of slave laboring families. It’s an innocent population Steph refuses to sacrifice as collateral damage, and his morality will drive him to greater extremes than ever before. With a ruthless enemy commander facing them down, Steph will find himself in conflict with not just the Free Stars but potentially with the Empire itself.

The odds of victory? Impossible to foretell.

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Between Two Worlds (Four Horsemen: Guild Wars #2) – Chris Kennedy and Alex Rath

The Omega War is over, but conflict continues.

The Peacemaker-enforced ceasefire brought an end to the hostilities, but the Mercenary Guild’s moratorium on new contracts has given the other guilds time—and freedom—to redress long-standing grievances. It has also led to a mindset of “while the cat’s away, the mice will play,” and many are taking liberties they wouldn’t have normally.

On Earth, the Golden Horde continues to rebuild, because Sansar Enkh has a good idea of what’s coming. In addition to rebuilding her forces, she knows the Humans will need all the advanced tech they can get their hands on, so she sends Captain Markus “Spartan” Nicolos to search the home world of the SalSha for remnants of Kahraman tech.

The mission is a two-pronged one, as the SalSha leader Thorb needs to return to the world of his birth to recruit new pilots for his war-depleted bomber wing. He also needs to stop along the way at Capital Planet in hopes of getting the SalSha recognized as a mercenary race.

Nothing is as it seems, though, and forces are jockeying in the shadows for power, through all means possible—both legal and not. The team of Spartan and Thorb leave Earth heavily armed and armored…but will it be enough?

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Glass World (Undying Mercenaries Series #13) – B. V. Larson

The Galactics arrived with their Battle Fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined a vast Empire that spanned the Milky Way.

More than a century has passed since the glorious day of Earth’s annexation. Struggling to hold on to a handful of planets in the frontier provinces, humanity is at war with Rigel. After the destruction of both our fleet and theirs, a time of quiet rebuilding has begun.

James McGill was hoping for a peaceful break in the conflict, but an opportunity to gain a significant technological edge arises. He’s summoned to Central and sent off to the stars, searching for a strange planet dotted with crystalline formations. There, the vicious apex predators from Rigel manufacture their impenetrable body armor.

McGill is sent to the new planet first as an agent, then at the forefront of Legion Varus. He must face death, evil aliens, and his own untrustworthy government. Find out who lives and who gets permed.

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Invaders: Dreadnought Ocelot (Invaders #4) – Vaughn Heppner

Logan and the survivors of America’s Counter Alien Unit are stranded on an empty alien space station near Saturn. Luckily, a Galactic Guard dreadnought is coming. They believe the ship belongs to the Galactics that have quarantined Earth for over six thousand years. Logan hopes to join the Guard and see the stars, and escape those on Earth trying to kill him.

But when the dreadnought arrives, the captain beams giant killer apes with laser rifles onto the station. The captain, a criminal hijacker, hopes to loot the Earth of lost Polarion technology. Worse, he plans to destroy the planet later to hide his tracks from the real Galactic Guard.

To save the Earth, Logan will fight the aliens on the station. He will fight them in space, and he will fight them underground. He will never surrender.

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Luna (Tuscany Bay’s Planetary Anthology #2) – edited by Declan Finn

These are the tales of the orb that lights our night sky and drives the tides of our oceans. The bright companion that orbits our planet, invades our dreams and drives us mad.

Includes:

The Doom that Came to Necropolis, by Steve Johnson – Necropolis is a small town, complete with small town values and small town myths. Unbeknownst to them, their doom is about to arrive, riding a motorcycle, and armed with the weapons of science.

Samaritan, by Karl Gallagher – Thomas’ people settled on the Moon to avoid contamination from biotech and nanotech gadgets. But when a high-tech spacer crashes Thomas must risk exile from his home to save the stranger’s life.

The Mask of Dhuran Zur, by John C. Wright – Some manuscripts you just shouldn’t read.

Squeeze on the Moon, by Lou Antonelli – An expert in disaster recovery gets the opportunity of a lifetime – plus a little walk down memory lane.

…and more

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Commodore Henry Gallant (The Henry Gallant Saga #6) – H. Peter Alesso

A gigantic Unidentified Flying Object materialized over the capital of Earth – terrifying the world.

The ancient Chameleon race wants to work with Humans to stop the genocidal Titans. The Chameleon are humanoid but have an AI chip implanted in their brain which gives them unique abilities.

Henry Gallant’s exceptional ability to interface with AI makes him the key to negotiate a mutual defense treaty and obtain the alien’s superior stealth technology.

Using the advanced tech, Gallant leads a raid against the Titan’s homeworld.