Pop Smoke by Stephen Landry

SPSFC 2023

Two brothers on opposite ends of a secret war, one fights for what is right, the other fights for survival. It’s been 200 years since the ascension of mankind, and 400 years since the multiverse split open and the apocalypse, known as the cataclysm, swept across Earth gifting humans with game-like abilities and strength. Eli and his brother grew up seeing the stars from space, living on a space station. As soon as they were old enough they joined the Aggregate, an empire of aliens who wield humanity as a weapon against all who oppose them. When a mission to stop a rebellion goes south the two brothers worlds are ripped apart by fate. Now, years later on opposing sides only one will make it alive. This book is a standalone light novel, a love letter to sci-fi LitFPS with post-apocalyptic LitRPG elements, non-linear storytelling, and multiple POVs.