An Appreciation of Cats by Des DeVivo

How do we know if it’s too late? Dr. Ian Devonshire, the beloved veterinarian of Holly Grove, is sixty-eight with no plans to retire—until a skin exam ends with an unexpected biopsy. Ian tells no one, privately worrying about what a worst-case scenario would mean for his practice and, more importantly, his assistant, Dr. Alec Tarley. Ian isn’t sure if Alec’s friendliness means what he hopes it does, though it wouldn’t matter if it did; Ian is old enough to be Alec’s father, and as his boss, Ian doesn’t want the small-town scandal of becoming involved. So even as Ian wonders what it might be like to have their afternoon tea somewhere other than behind closed doors, he convinces himself the risks far outweigh the gains. Especially now, as the pending results strand him like Schrödinger's Cat. In an attempt to protect them both from the heartache of a malignant prognosis, Ian makes the abrupt decision to retire. But when Alec refuses to take over the clinic without an explanation for the sudden change of heart, Ian must decide between what’ll hurt more: revealing his secrets or walking away.

Poison from a Scorpion's Sting by R. Ramey Guerrero

The Nez’kali has failed. Slate’s actions are to blame. Without Adahai to advocate for fire’s return, no one protested in the streets. There is only one day before the Age of Fire, and the Nez’kali is near death and under the scrutiny of the Council of Elders. Can Slate convince Wasii Pon Ruwa that Nokhum is not a danger to the people? “We run. We hide. We lie.”

Song of the Caged Warrior by Maria Perez

SPSFC 2024

An orphan with amazing powers forced to serve his enemies. Montor is a child, happily growing up on the planet of Aranda—until the Lostai, an imperialist alien race, invade his planet, then attack his seaside village. Soon, Montor loses his whole family to injuries, sickness, and punishment. With his aggressive temperament fueling dreams of revenge, Montor seems destined to follow the same fate as his family and succumb to the cruelty of Lostai enslavement. Then the Lostai military discovers that Montor is no ordinary child; he possesses dormant telekinetic and telepathic abilities. Montor is transferred to a military science station where a devious commander intends to turn him into a Lostai super soldier. Can Montor survive the brutal and humiliating bootcamp? How will he manage the anger, depression, and self-loathing that comes from serving in the very same military that decimated his people? Or will he refuse to be a pawn in Losta’s war and risk everything to take on the mantle of an Arandan warrior? This space opera features non-human spacefaring civilizations, galactic war, dark empire, supernatural abilities, and rebellion / survival / coming-of-age themes. It is a prequel to the romantic space opera trilogy, The Curse of Sotkari Ta, that can be enjoyed before or after reading the trilogy.

The Last Prince by E. G. Radcliff

SFFOasis

In a hellish city, the fate of a young boy rests on the very thing he fears most… Robbed of his childhood by tragedy and betrayal and forced onto the streets, only fury makes young Ninian feel whole - and in a world of gangs and fae, Ninian is more than willing to fight for his life. But it doesn’t take much to topple a life which is already balanced on the edge of a knife. And by the time a desperate Ninian realizes he’s crossed the wrong person, it is much, much too late. In his frantic struggle to right his collapsing world, Ninian’s furious, bloody efforts are dredging up history he’d rather forget - the past is tired of being held at bay, and even fighting cannot protect Ninian from himself. So when he meets a crimson-eyed stranger, a boy so broken he refuses even to speak, Ninian does not believe he has the capacity to care. He is wrong. And that will change everything… (This title is a full length prequel to The Hidden King)