Prepare for the fall harvests with a round-up of September’s fantasy new releases.

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Bushido Online: the Battle Begins – Nikita Thorn

Seth Kinnaman’s dream has always been to become the best fighter the world has ever seen. After spending his entire life training, he’s finally ready to test his skills in the biggest tournament on Earth where hundreds of the fiercest competitors vie for the supreme title.

In the semi-finals, Seth is getting the upper hand when his opponent uses an illegal blow to take him out. Upon waking up from a coma, Seth finds out he’s lost his sight. He’s become blind and he’s completely devastated. All his dreams are now shattered, and he soon falls into depression. What is he going to do with his life?

That’s when he’s introduced to Bushido Online, a game that promises to keep his skills sharp while he figures out what his next move is going to be. Set in feudal Japan, this VRMMORPG is the land of ninjas and samurai. A world where the most honorable warriors meet the vilest bandits, and where mythical creatures roam free. When he’ll enter that new reality, Seth will discover that while it’s easy to make friends there, one doesn’t have to try very hard to get his fair share of powerful enemies.

Soon, he’s going to have entire clans hunting him down as he struggles to learn the ropes and regain a sense of normalcy. Thankfully, Seth has a few things going for him: his extensive knowledge of combat, and a never-say-die attitude.

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Seven Fold Sword: Sword Bearer (Seven Fold Sword #2) – Jonathan Moeller

The quest of the Seven Swords kills anyone foolish enough to seek its secret.

Ridmark Arban is the Shield Knight, but he is the only Swordbearer in the realm of Owyllain.

That means he is the only warrior capable of defending Owyllain from the forces of dark magic.

But the powers of darkness have servants in Owyllain, servants who are more than willing to put a dagger in Ridmark’s back…

“If you enjoy historical type fantasy with plenty of battles and magic, then give this author a try.”

“This book was an absolute pleasure to read, once I started I didn’t want to put it down.”

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Some Dark Holler (The Redemption of Ephraim Cutler #1) – Luke Bauserman

Ephraim Cutler has blood on his hands and a hellhound on his trail.

When his mother forces him to kill an innocent man, Ephraim Cutler’s quiet life in the Appalachian Mountains is thrown into turmoil. With a bounty on his head, Ephraim flees to the hills and hollers where he discovers that his crime has drawn more than the law’s attention—the Devil’s in town with his eye on Ephraim’s soul. Desperate to escape, Ephraim is torn between two clashing figures: an outcast granny doctor rumored to be a witch—and the local preacher. As the line between grim reality and the supernatural disappears, Death rides the ridgetops on a pale horse, and the Devil’s hound haunts the backwoods. Ephraim must decide who to trust, evade the hangman’s noose, and find redemption.

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Tales of the Once and Future King – edited by Anthony Marchetta

It is said that King Arthur will return in Britain’s hour of greatest need.

That time is coming.

Four travelers, searching for the Pendragon, are quickly embroiled in a plot to rescue the beloved of a banished forest lord. And while they concoct their desperate plan a Bard, the new Taliesin, regales them with stories: Tales of Knights, yes, but also tales of robots and vampires, music and monsters, airships and armies – tales to inspire heroism and hope. And when all seems lost, perhaps these tales will be their salvation.

This is “Tales of the Once and Future King”

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The Gordian Knot (Schooled in Magic #13) – Christopher Nuttall

The post of Head Girl of Whitehall looks fantastic on anyone’s resume. It places the lucky winner on equal terms to the staff, granting them authority, power and responsibility that no other student can even dream of possessing. A student lucky enough to win the coveted post is destined for greatness. Everyone will want to know their name.

Naturally, Emily doesn’t want it.

But when she returns to Whitehall for her sixth and final year, she discovers that the staff has elected her to the post – and refusal isn’t an option. Worse, the Grandmaster wants her to run his pet project – a formal dueling club – even though it’s the last thing she wants to do. Reluctantly, she starts to carry out her new duties, unaware that deadly enemies are waiting in the shadows, preparing themselves to strike at her when her back is turned. Someone is spreading rumors about her, someone is sabotaging her projects, someone is weakening the ties that bind her to Whitehall …

And, as matters start to spin out of control, as the life and soul of one of her closest friends is thrown into terrifying danger, Emily must decide between carrying out her duties or walking away, knowing that either choice will cost her dearly …

… And leave her alone at the center of a deadly storm.

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The Mad Lancers (A Powder Mage Novella) – Brian McClellan

In the colonial cities and towns of Fatrasta, peace has never been easy. Immigrants fight amongst themselves or turn on the native population, while the governing power of the Kez Army steps in only to enforce the will of apathetic local governors assigned by a distant crown.

Young war hero Ben Styke commands a colonial garrison in a sleepy frontier suburb. When the governor’s cruel brother stops for the night, rising continental tensions force Styke to protect the people of his town in a brutal escalation that threatens to destroy everything—and everyone—he has fought for.

Occurs twelve years before the events in Sins of Empire.

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Tithe to Tartarus (Moth & Cobweb #6) – John C. Wright

Inflicted with amnesia, Yumiko Ume Moth has managed to discover the identity of the lost love whom she cannot remember. And she has learned the truth of her mother’s murder. The party responsible for the absence of the one and the death of the other appears to be the same: the Supreme Council of Anarchists.

Now she hopes to rescue the brilliant young man who may or may not be her fiance while seeking vengeance for her mother, the Grail Queen. But her only allies are a scatter-brained fairy and the Last Crusade, which consists of a young knight and his dog. Nevertheless, the Foxmaiden will not turn from her path, though all the dark forces of Tartarus stand in her way.

John C. Wright is one of the living grandmasters of science fiction and the author of THE GOLDEN AGE, AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND, and IRON CHAMBER OF MEMORY, to name just three of his exceptional books. He has been nominated for both the Nebula and Hugo Awards, and his novel SOMEWHITHER won the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel at Dragon*Con. The first book in the Moth & Cobweb series, SWAN KNIGHT’S SON, was a finalist for the 2017 Dragon Award for Best Young Adult Novel.

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War Demons (The Prodigal Son #1) – Russell Newquist

When he came home, so did they…

Driven by vengeance, Michael Alexander enlisted in the Army the day after 9/11. Five years later, disillusioned and broken by the horrors he witnessed in Afghanistan, Michael returns home to Georgia seeking to begin a new life. But he didn’t come alone. Something evil followed him, and it’s leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

The police are powerless. The Army has written Michael off. Left to face down a malevolent creature first encountered in the mountains of Afghanistan, he’ll rely on his training, a homeless prophet, and estranged family members from a love lost…

But none of them expected the dragon.

Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden collides with Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter International in this supernatural thriller that goes straight to Hell!