A Light in the shadows by El Pace

The Light in the Shadows is the haunting first installment of the Born of Shadows series. It follows Skia, the daughter of the ruthless King of Shadows, who was born with light inside her - a gift stolen by her father. As two kingdoms teeter on the edge of war, Skia must decide who she is: the weapon her father raised, or the spark of rebellion destined to burn the Shadowlands to the ground. Across the border, the newly crowned King of Light is drowning under the weight of a kingdom that worships the sun but hides its own secrets in the dark. When fate binds him to the enemy's daughter, he faces a choice: protect the light, or let it burn everyting he's ever known. As war brews, ancient magic awakens, and a prophecy threatens to unravel both realms. Skia must decide: Will she become the monster they fear- or the storm that breaks them? Enemies to somwthing more. Betrayal with teeth. A crown made of shadows. For fans of morally grey heroines, star-crossed destines, and dark fantasy that hurts so good.

Celadon: A Strange Space Novel by Katie Silverwings

It's the dawn of a new era... The Novan War has just begun. All that stands between humanity and utter destruction are the ships of the Sol Coalition Defense Fleet. The only problem? None of those ships are equipped with the all-important Quantum Space Drive which allows humanity to travel between planets and stars at a reasonable scale of time. The Drive needs Florivan QSD Engineers to run it, and Florivans are pacifists. Their Council of Elders has never allowed service on military vessels. The Fleet can do little more than sit at the edges of the Coalition’s seven member systems and wait for the Novans to attack. Celadon Toreval is the Youngest of the Florivan Council of Elders. If anyone can come to Fleet Admiral Marvin’s aid and help her save her people—and theirs—it’s them. Celadon, though, has their own reasons to get involved... The time to act has come. Celadon: A Strange Space™ Novel received the 2023 Richard Wright Literary Award for Best Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy from the Memphis Public Libraries. It is the second installment in Katie Silverwings’ award-winning Strange Space™ Adventures series of optimistic science fiction stories. Featuring friendly aliens, the occasional talking bird, and a future in which people are accepted for who they are, the world of Strange Space™ offers tales of adventure and friendship for readers of all ages.

Dim Stars: A Novel of Outer Space Shenanigans by Brian P. Rubin

SPSFC 2022

Kenzie Washington, fourteen-year-old girl genius, signs up for a two-week tour as a cadet on the spaceship of her idol, Captain Dash Drake. Too bad Dash, who once saved the galaxy from the evil Forgers, is a broke loser and much less than meets the eye. But when an intergalactic evil appears and launches an attack, Dash, Kenzie, and the ship’s crew escape, making them the next target. On the run and low on gas, Dash and Kenzie encounter cannibal space-pirates, catastrophic equipment failure, and a cyborg who’s kind of a jerk. Kenzie is determined to discover the bad guys’ secret plan. But for her to succeed, Dash needs to keep his brilliant, annoying cadet from getting killed …which is a lot harder than it sounds.