The Trials of Ashmount by John Palladino

SPFBO8

Cedain is destined to collapse. Across a world rife with blood, betrayal, and brutality, five people wade through unexpected tragedies. An egotistical student, a fleeing refugee, a nomadic warrior, a fallen noble, and a criminal in hiding navigate the sinister dealings of politicians, two sudden wars, and nefarious lies that surface at Ashmount—a university dedicated to teaching the five branches of magic. Survival means adapting or dying. Fans of Joe Abercrombie and hard magic systems will enjoy navigating a morally gray cast of characters in a world on the brink of collapse.

Wistful Ascending by JCM Berne

SPFBO8 SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

A superhero space opera for grownups. For fans of Invincible and Marvel Cinematic Universe films who like a little hard science fiction in their superheroes.
If Thor and Harry Dresden combined in a transporter accident.

On Impulse by Heather Texle

SPSFC 2023 SPSFC 2024

Heather Texle launches with a thrilling, non-stop, action-packed novel that is a blend of space opera adventure and sci-fi murder mystery that won the 2023 Minnesota Author Project contest in Adult Fiction. If you enjoy books with a strong female lead, a sass-talking spaceship’s computer, an annoyingly hot detective who won’t give up, and more action scenes that you can shoot a blaster at, then this book is for you! When the Department trained me to catch criminals, I never dreamed I’d become one. Agent. Suspect. Intergalactic fugitive. I was one of them until I shot my partner in self-defense. Even though the Department cleared me of wrongdoing, my co-workers didn’t agree. They turned their backs on me, so I turned my back on them. My partner’s actions never made sense. After ignoring my gut for a year, I asked my tech-genius best friend to dig into it. Now Jarrett’s gone dark, and I soon discover he’d been brutally murdered. An officer finds me standing over the body, blaster in hand. Even I admit it looks bad. There’s no way I can trust the Department to investigate further—not if I'm already the prime suspect. My only option is to run. Is it impulsive? Sure. Will having law enforcement dog me across the galaxy make life difficult? Most certainly. I’ll have to stay one step ahead of them if I want to solve Jarrett’s murder and clear my name. Doing that will require every trick the Department taught me—and a few I learned on my own. Grab it now to find out what mystery Jarrett uncovered and to what extreme Reliance will go to in order to bring her friend’s killer to justice.

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

Sam Becker loves—or, okay, likes—his job. Sure, managing a bed-and-bath retailer isn't exactly glamorous, but it's good work, and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git. Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn't get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn't remember anything? Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan's guilt—as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There's an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?

The Crescent Moon by E J Doble

The first novella in a new philosophical fiction trilogy by indie author E J Doble In the city of Arbash, nestled on the outskirts of a vast desert, the young girl My'ala walks out among the vineyards overlooking a delicate blue sea. Reaching a gnarled tree atop a small hill, she stumbles upon an old man, nestled among its roots - his name is Artemis the Hermit, and he longs to answer the simple question. What is the meaning of life? As the years pass, and the realities of a difficult life struggling to get by weigh heavy upon her, My'ala finds herself returning to the Hermit by the tree to seek counsel, and to find purpose in a world where she feels so lost. But when an enemy appears from the sea, and her family are torn apart by the spectre of war, it is in the Hermit's teachings that My'ala will find her answers - and how the meaning of life may just save her city from a swift and certain end...