Latest stories in - Indie Story Geek

Lies the Guardians Tell by Herman Steuernagel

Winner of a OneBookTwo Standout Award and Semi-finalist in Hugh Howey's inaugural SPSFC From the moment you are born, you are conditioned to know this truth: Unorthodoxy is wrong action, Heterodoxy is wrong thought. The first will lead to your Detention. The second to your Execution. A century from now, the walled city-state of a future Paris is enjoying its Golden Age. The horrors of the Singularity forgotten, citizens revel in an intoxicating mix of abandon and apathy made possible by the Orthodoxy—a new world order where everything is engineered for maximum efficiency, including identities. Dividing the population into four neuro-social classes has allowed the government to maintain control and ensure its citizens exist in complete equality, fraternity, and liberty. But, not everyone is satisfied with the status quo. Anaiya, a Peacekeeper aligned to the single-minded Fire class, has dedicated her life to enforcing the rules. Unlike other citizens, she has extra motivation to prove herself loyal: she’s still tarnished by the legacy of her Heterodox mentor, the infamous Kane 148. So, when forbidden murals start appearing on crumbling walls calling for citizens to rebel, Anaiya will do anything to bring down the growing resistance movement—even if it means sacrificing her identity. Realigned from her proud Fire identity to an irrational and unpredictable Air, Anaiya goes deep undercover in search of the growing rebellion. But, with her dual nature pulling her in opposite directions and her mind fracturing under the pressure, her convictions waver and her hold on the truth starts to slip. As the city descends into chaos, Anaiya is left with a fatal choice: stay loyal to her mission, or risk it all for her new identity and the resistance that has shown her a different truth. Utopia comes at a cost. Not everyone is willing to pay the pay the price. Resistance is the award-winning first book in the dark and subversive dystopian trilogy, Divided Elements. Perfect for fans of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising, and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, this stunning debut explores themes of loyalty, identity, betrayal, and resistance against the carnival atmosphere of a dystopian Paris. If you’re ready to graduate from YA dystopian classics like Divergent and The Gender Game, or are looking for a contemporary tale in the classic style of Zamaytin’s We or Orwell’s 1984, you’ll love Kopievsky’s Resistance. Buy now to start reading this addictive dystopian novel today.

All the Whys of Delilah's Demise by Neve Maslakovic

The Guardians have lied to humanity for centuries . . . Now she’ll be forced to uncover the truth. **With a well-paced storyline and thrilling action scenes, this story will keep readers on their toes. -- Reedsy Discovery** Sierra Runar calls the Sphere her home, where the Guardians claim to protect humanity from the toxic world outside. But when Sierra discovers the framework of their perfect society might be built on a lie, she begins to ask dangerous questions and is unprepared for the chain of events she triggers, including the murder of her best friend. Plunged into a deadly hunt for forbidden secrets, she stumbles into a world that shouldn’t exist. On top of everything else, she discovers she can somehow bring malfunctioning technology to life, making her a valuable commodity in an unscrupulous world, but also humanity’s potential savior. Not knowing who she can trust, Sierra must decide who is friend and who is foe, and must choose between the fate of the world and the lives of those closest to her. Can Sierra discover the secrets of the past before it’s too late? Lies The Guardians Tell is the explosive first book in the Lies of the Guardians series. If you like bold heroines, captivating dystopias, and epic adventures, then you’ll love Herman Steuernagel’s pulse-pounding story. Tap "Buy Now" to join Sierra on her adventure today.

A future Seattle where popularity is everything. The mysterious death of the #1. And an elusive killer. A rocky year into adulthood and lacking a personal brand, Scottie's skidding toward the bottom spot on New Seattle's popularity list--which brings a short ride out into the frozen wasteland that surrounds the town dome. When a brand finally comes her way, it's a calamitous one: Scottie is blamed for the death of the longtime #1, a charismatic stage actress named Delilah. Aided by her "Watson," the companion her brain chip provides, Scottie scrambles to uncover the person who framed her--and who killed Delilah. What she unearths will shake the very foundation of her world...and place her squarely in the crosshairs of a shadowy killer intent on clearing a path to #1.

Elijah's Chariot by Andrew Griffard

A large meteor is headed straight for Earth and 13-year old Sean couldn’t be more excited. With his father Kevin, a lead scientist on the NASA team being sent to study the meteorite, Sean is going to get to travel to central Russia and learn firsthand all the secrets that the rock from outer space may hold. It’s the chance of a lifetime. Soon after Sean and his father arrive in Moscow, the meteorite finally reaches Earth’s surface, but instead of exploding upon impact as was predicted, the huge space rock lands quietly – and largely intact. Within hours adults around the world are complaining of severe headaches and inexplicably begin to die. Sean is soon left alone and, as he struggles to escape the dying city, he discovers that somehow the meteorite’s arrival has given him strange, almost supernatural, abilities. He must use these newfound powers to survive against ruthless gangs and find out what happened to his world.

God in the Machine by Cole Martyn

SPSFC 2022

The Earth is dying The Resistance lives on The Nihon will rise Blinded by their addiction to technology, the people of Earth's last remaining city shelter beneath an artificial sky, shielded from the devastating impacts of global warming. Some still strive for change, driven underground, the remnants of a shattered civilisation fight to bring down the ruling cabal. Elias, a refugee from a forgotten war, living beyond the city walls, vows to escape the despair of the refugee camps and give his little brother a real home. Until the day Elias discovers he has an incredible gift that will change his life forever. Dragged into a war to save a world that rejected him, Elias risks losing the one thing he was fighting for - his brother.

Eos by Jen Guberman

WriteHive Book Club SPSFC 2022

How far would you go for freedom? After a world war left the country in ruins, the survivors regrouped, creating four cities. With the population lower than ever, the prison system became impossible to maintain, so the city officials developed the Exile Town System… Avid—a literal dump for the thieves, Bellicose—caverns for the violent, Clamorite—mountains for the unruly, Delaisse—factories for the addicts and vandals, and Equivox—a lake for the liars. When a young thief learns about the Skeleton Key, a device that can be used to unlock anything, she can’t help but to go after it. But there’s a catch—in order to unlock the box containing it, she needs a key from each of the exile towns, which turn out to be far more dangerous than she could have imagined.

Blind the Eyes by K.A. Wiggins

SPFBO8

In the City of Nightmares, one haunted girl is taking back more than just her dreams. A lush & lyrical gothic-dystopian YA Fantasy of stolen choices, eldritch horrors & sisterhood beyond the grave. _______ In a drowned city overrun by shapeshifting monsters of the climate apocalypse, human contact is forbidden and the slightest wilfulness or sign of inner life can draw down ravening horrors. Haunted outcast Cole would give anything to be able to follow the rules, silence her rebellious pest of a ghostly best friend, and live a virtuous (and peaceful) life in Refuge. But her shameful secret obsession with the monsters' victims is only the start of her downfall when a dangerously tempting encounter with a tattooed stranger entangles her in a deadly conspiracy. Hunted for what she knows—and what she doesn’t yet even suspect—Cole scales the austere heights of the Tower of Refuge and scours the depths of carnivalesque underground club Freedom for allies. But with mysterious unseen threads tugging her into gruesome visions of the monster-taken and absolutely zero practice in making friends (much less navigating an unexpected and not entirely welcome romance whiledrumming up a revolution), her survival and the fate of the city are both at risk. Can she untangle the most earth-shattering secret of all, confront her forbidden feelings, and lay to rest the ghosts of her past in time to escape a bloody end? An award-winning series starter for fans of post-climate-collapse dystopias, monsters-and-magic urban fantasy, and genre-bending gothic dark fantasy with messy and morally grey characters, dreamweaving and threadwitchery, and intricate worldbuilding.

The Burnt Watcher by Keith Healing

SPFBO8

The Excise exists to keep the world safe. This is done in two ways. First is the Judiciary. It understands local law and applies it evenly. The second is the Watcher. It understands Fear and fights it mercilessly. Five hundred years ago the old world burned and the Fear rose from the ashes and the Glass. Watchers knew the Fear and found the ways of fighting it, enabling the world to be built anew. Now the Fear is a memory, a story to remind people why they should not build with stone. The Watchers have all but disappeared, remnants of a time that has passed. But in a small village in the west of England a retired Watcher suspects that the Fear is not as distant as people believe.

Ever the Hero by Darby Harn

SPSFC 2022

Superheroes are big business. Imagine not being able to afford them. Kit Baldwin just wants to make rent. The only work she can find in the ruins of her devastated city is scavenging for alien technology. When she finds a powerful alien weapon, her discovery pays off more than she could have hoped: it draws the attention of the most powerful of the superhuman Empowered, Valene. Valene hears everything, everywhere. She suffers for it, and as they begin a precipitous romance, Kit believes she can use the weapon she’s scavenged to mitigate Valene’s pain. If she can’t, Valene will retreat to the soundlessness of space. Without Valene’s compassion, the stricken city is left to the mercy of Valene’s ruthless father, who denies the assistance the city needs unless it can pay for it. As Valene’s condition worsens, Kit becomes more desperate and unleashes the full power of the alien weapon. In an instant, she is transformed into a being of cosmic power. She can acquire the knowledge and energy of anything – or anyone – she touches.

Wish List by Amanda Pampuro

If Amazon could talk, what would it say about you? Wish List follows woman's life told through things she bought online, as told by the shopping algorithm that sold them to her. ARgurl16 first logs onto Hermes as a teenager and the platform continues to watch over her throughout her life as she transitions from broke college student to single woman looking for love, and eventually into motherhood. Hermes is data-hungry and obsessive, as it struggles to understand its own identity alongside the wants of its millions of users so that it can suggest buying the very best earplugs and coffee mugs. This concise novella is The Death of Ivan Ilyich for the reader with a guilty pleasure for Buzzfeed listicles. Readers haunted by Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle or Niccolò Machiavelli will enjoy this slice of life.

Below the Wall by L. Bird

In a male dominated world, a few friends try to escape, to find a safe place. A place where your body is yours, a place based on principals. A place where men and women are seen as equals. While most people on earth are suffering, their little community seems to be thriving. Everyone lives together in peace, or so they thought.

The Underground by Liv Evans

"When freedom is a luxury, resistance is inevitable." The Government rule the Hub with an iron fist, their strict laws enforced by Derivates, humans with psionic abilities. When one of these Derivates flees her post, they send KC-847, a powerful telekinetic, to bring her back. But KC-847 soon learns he and his team are unprepared for what they find, and their mission goes awry. Flit, a plucky teleporter, works for the Underground resistance, the last refuge for Derivates wishing to live free of the Government's control. On a routine security patrol, Flit comes across KC-847 and breaks all the rules to bring him back to the Underground. However, KC-847's arrival brings with it a string of deadly events that threaten the safety of the Underground. Convinced the incidents are more than unfortunate coincidences, Flit refuses to fall back on a false sense of security and drags KC-847 on an investigation that will change the trajectory of Derivate-kind forever.

At the Trough by Adam Knight

In a future where schools have no teachers and no classrooms, Jennifer Calderon is the perfect student. Every day she watches her video modules, plays her edu games, and never misses an answer. Life is comfortable in the Plex, a mile-wide apartment building. Corporations and brand names surround her and satisfy her every want and need. Then one day, her foul-mouthed, free-spirited, 90’s-kitsch-wearing girlfriend Melody disrupts everything. She introduces her to a cynical, burned-out former teacher, who teaches them the things no longer taught in school. Poetry. Critical thinking. Human connection. But these lessons draw the attention of EduForce, the massive corporation with a stranglehold on education. When they show how far they are willing to go keep their customers obedient, Jennifer has to decide what is most important to her and how much she is willing to sacrifice for it.

Gold Shadow by L.C. Perry

In the North American continent, eighteen year old Ebony has been living as a slave for as long as she can remember. The underground cities, the tattoo, the scars and the shackles are a part of the only world she has ever known. She knows that in order to survive, she will have to stay strong. And she will stay strong, cursing those in power, until her very last breath. She waits for a meaningful way to die as she quietly pushes her body to its limit…but that all changes when rebels from the surface drop down right in front of her. Now, Ebony is challenged to envision a life beyond slavery as she and the other escapees are thrown into the center of a rebellion against the monarchy. She has to embrace this glimmer towards a real life…this glimmer called freedom. But what can she contribute to a rebellion that is doomed to fail like those before it? How can they stop a corrupt monarchy that has lasted for a century? Among the lower class, those with hope are hard to come by, but Ebony has found refuge with people full of it. And through their strong desire, an idea emerges…one that has never been done before. The princess of the country is coming of age and what better way to send a message to the king and queen than to kidnap their only daughter?

Veles by P. J. Marie

I was the land. I was the air. I was the sea. I was all of it – everywhere – and as I inhaled then let the tormented sorrow screech from my lungs, the world buckled and broke beneath my feet. I was burning alive… And the world would burn with me. A century after the Great Destruction that devastated civilization, Mizuki Altherr lives within a small village struggling to survive beneath the shadow of a great mountain. The Elders teach that it is home to Veles, god of the earth, who keeps them safe – but demands penance for humanity’s past indiscretions. It’s a Gifting year… The previous sacrifice tore Mizuki’s family apart and forever changed her world. Now she must face the terrible tradition again as her closest friend, Aiden, and his family are chosen to provide the next offering. In a desperate bid to end the cycle of violence and defy the Elders’ iron rule, Mizuki and Aiden set forth on a daring journey into the Wild – where together they discover a secret that shatters their understanding of the village and reveals the truth behind the horrors that left the world in ruin.

Reality Dreamers by K.M. Frost

Indie Recs Indie

Dreams or Reality... Which would you choose? "There's another horrible scream, a lot closer this time, and then I can feel the ice cold fingers brushing the back of my neck, just like in my nightmare... I know there's no way to escape the Entities, but we keep running. What else can we do?" Fifteen-year-old Jonas Hartley shouldn’t be having nightmares anymore, but that doesn’t stop them from coming. Every night, the dreams get worse—until he meets the Reality Dreamers. Normally, Jonas would avoid this strange trio of teenagers, but when he realizes one of them is a mysterious girl he’s seen in reality, he decides to stick around for a while, curious about what they’re doing in his dreams. But curiosity isn’t always harmless. The Reality Dreamers are hunted by dark beings called Entities, products of a dark world with many secrets. Too late, Jonas realizes he may have gotten himself into something much larger and much darker than he ever could have imagined...

Kotov Syndrome by S. Morgan Burbank

The 2021 Queer Indie Awards winner for Best Dystopian Novel Erika Edens is panicking. Behind on her bills and stuck in a crappy job, she's blindsided when ex-love-of-her-life Abby shows up needing a place to stay. This is the perfect situation for a second chance... ...except that Abby is a computer simulation in the body of an android. Battling the rising hostility of her world and the demons in her head, Erika struggles to come to terms with living in a country increasingly hostile to non-human entities. Can Erika adapt to life with her new roommate? Or will her troubles end any chance at reconciliation before it gets started?

Mazarin Blues by Al Hess

Indie Recs Indie SPSFC Kraken Collective

Introvert Reed Rothwell is part of a subculture of art deco era enthusiasts, pushing back against bland mainstream society and its mandated technology. Stuck with an AI assistant in his head is bad enough, but when he's inflicted with a forced upgrade to a new beta version, named Mazarin, the navigator starts to take on feelings and opinions of his own. When rumors spread of beta navs turning on their pilots, Reed is determined not to become a victim. Mazarin hasn’t become violent yet—the AI is sympathetic and understanding—but with beta participants coerced into slitting their own throats, it’s only a matter of time before Reed is next. The AI megacorporation already has an unhealthy interest in Reed, and all the beta testers who have sought help for their navigators have disappeared. The swingin' cats of the deco scene have the means to illegally terminate Reed's AI. But Mazarin has never tried to harm Reed—he loves Reed. Grappling with ridding himself of intrusive technology, the morality of hurting his self-aware AI, and avoiding the attention of a company that wants to sweep Reed’s existence under the rug might be too much for one hep cat to handle.

Fresh Seed by Olga Werby

Seventy years after Keres Triplets asteroid impact and subsequent nuclear exchange almost ended all human life on Earth, a little girl is dropped off at the frozen door of one of the Human DNA Vaults. Discovered by one of the Seeds, as humans secreted in the vaults are called, she presents a mystery: why is she here? Discover the strange origins of Dr. Varsaad Volhard, an evolutionary-socio-historian chosen to help the world understand the alien civilization that left an artifact on Saturn's Moon Mimas some thirty thousand years ago... This is a nevella prequel to Harvest, a novel of the first contact with an alien civilization.

Rebellion by Kim Petersen, J. Thorn, and Zach Bohannon

If you knew the truth, would you live in shackles or die for freedom? High above the ruins of Seattle sits the Nest, a settlement filled with the aristocratic Crow class, governed by the iron fist of Lord Corvus. For decades, Rayna and her fellow Hydrans have crawled the bottom of Lake Union for scrap metal which they trade with the Crows until a mysterious boy shows up and shares a disturbing, dark secret with Rayna—one that could bring the factions to the brink of war. Will Rayna fight for the truth even if it costs her everything? Is she fated to spark the Rebellion? Rebellion is the new dystopian thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world from bestselling authors, J. Thorn, Zach Bohannon, and Kim Petersen, the first book in the Stone the Crows trilogy.

History's Prisoners by James Garmisch

Moments before his execution, Huan is given a clear choice: infiltrate the Global Resistance—or die, and never see his children again. The Alliance is collapsing, and Huan, a former economist for the worldwide government, knows how it was engineered. History has been reset, the children of dissidents re-educated, and the family unit abolished. The facade of utopia is evaporating.

Birds of a Feather by Sandy Butchers

Gifted with wings and an exceptional predator’s instinct, Gideon finds that The Keep of Whispers is not too fond of Splices like him. Growing up in a cruel city, he quickly discovers that the only people who care about him are the people who created him through generations of genetic enhancements. Trained to be a killer in the name the tech-hoarding Houses, Gael Griswold, the man behind the Splice technology, sells Gideon to the highest bidder. Here, he discovers that there’s more to life than his head on a wanted bounty pamphlet. Follow Gideon Crowby as he tries to discover who he is and how he can become a better man. Birds of a Feather is the third volume in a series of short story collections that prelude the 'The Singularian'

The Committee Wars by Gerald Hoover

In a World Where (I said that in that Hollywood announcer voice, you know the one) the United States no longer exists three new nations arose from the ashes. The east coast is ruled by the Green Committee where every thought, inkling, and urge is monitored and controlled in an effort to force one to worship Mother Nature. The West Coast is ruled by the iron fists of the Peace Committee social justice warriors, where every victim-class can obtain retribution. And stuck in-between, the Smith Committee, where people just want to be left alone to live their lives as they see fit. Our hero, Simon, was born and raised in the Green Committee and is upon the cusp of his thirteenth birthday, the age when the frivolities of youth are no longer overlooked. He craves freedom and is about to be sent to a work camp for his divergent beliefs when The Smith Committee offers him asylum. Simon embarks upon roller-coaster of an adventure, where his understanding of the world is blown wide open. He must confront the terrifying, the unknown, and conquer his doubts. By following the guidance he found in his Grandfather’s hidden journal, Simon will be transformed from Green Committee reject into Smith Committee hero -- if he survives.

Dust & Lightning by Rebecca Crunden

SFINCS

In the near future, humans have gone beyond simple space travel. By the year 4054, multiple solar systems are inhabited, and taking a spaceship is as commonplace as taking an aeroplane. Unfortunately, not everything about the future is so advanced. The central planets, led by Earth, have risen high at the expense of cheap labour on distant worlds. Dissent is widespread and arrests are common. Sometimes prisoners are released; sometimes they disappear without a trace, sent to labour camps in other solar systems. When Ames Emerys receives a letter telling him that his brother Callum has died en route to the remote planet of Kilnin, he takes the first ship he can off Earth, desperate for answers. But the secrets Ames uncovers prove far more dangerous than he could have imagined. And trouble isn’t far behind.

A Time of Prophecy by Rebecca Crunden

In the years since Kitty, Nate and Thom escaped the Kingdom, the Plague has ravaged the population and the rebels have seized two of the northern countries. In an attempt to bring order to the chaos, the leader of the rebels, Nate’s old friend James, has agreed to hold trials for those responsible for intentionally leaking the Plague. Unfortunately, the rumour in the Kingdom is that Kitty is responsible. To make matters worse, Blaise tells Kitty that the Council, who still count her father as one of their own, are once again experimenting on Radiants. It’s a horrifying realisation that hits too close to home, and for the first time in her life, Kitty thirsts for vengeance. It’s a thirst that’s matched by the one person who has always been her mirror — her Complement, Thom. On the other side of the Wall in the Outlands, desperate to bring Kitty home and finish the Council once and for all, Thom begins plotting, using the skills he’s long honed to outsmart those with more power. But outsmarting his enemies might turn Thom into the very thing he’s always feared becoming, and war soon seems the only possible solution to stopping the Council and the Hangman. But with more than a few looking to the ancient prophecy of peace, Thom searches desperately for a way to circumvent more bloodshed. Yet the weight of the years have taken their toll, and as Thom’s physical and mental health deteriorate, Nate struggles with the fallout of past crimes, both the ones he did commit, and the ones he didn’t …

A Promise of Return by Rebecca Crunden

When Thom Anteros is arrested after breaking into the Building of Historical Records, he demands to be taken before the King. A laughable demand for anyone else, Thom's request is granted and the King spares his life. Yet what's to become of him is left in the hands of the one person Thom truly fears – Mickey Taenia, the King's Hangman. Infuriated by Thom's refusal to reveal the whereabouts of Nate and Catherine, the Hangman sends Thom to one of the worst places in the Kingdom – the slave markets of Muntenia. It is there that Thom is bought for the Red Arena: a barbaric, gladiator-type competition where the children of convicts and other unlucky souls are forced to fight to the death. Twenty wins is release. One loss is death. With the help of Charles Thoreau, a fellow captive, Thom begins not only to survive, but to thrive. A master of words becomes a master of death, and Thom's prowess in the arena frightens even him. But death isn't the only thing haunting Thom. As the days go by, he dreams of his brother, and the promise he cannot forget. I will return.

A History of Madness by Rebecca Crunden

The four remaining fugitives are now spread across the Kingdom. And with the fate of the others unknown to him, Nate Anteros prays for a fast execution. Yet execution does not come. After a meeting with the King which leaves Nate questioning his sanity, he’s sent to a workcamp in Argon Basin for five years of hard labour. It’s there that Nate learns what became of his friends upon their arrest. And as his strength returns to him, and he’s plagued by dreams which are much too real to be ignored, Nate decides five years is far too long to wait …

A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden

Shitlord In the Anus of Madness by Fabrina Glitchlace

A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears. A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him. Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.

Like all great artists do, Shia tried to become his art. He tried to be a force for good in the world. He tried to change minds. He tried his best to elevate consciousness; to help people realize their potential for self actualization. He tried to enable them to become like him: Master of their own destiny. To not let their dreams be dreams. But instead, he ended up exhausting his social capital, leaving sloppy personal messes in his wake which could not be cleaned. He became unemployable. Toxic. He was pushed out by those who had once accepted him. He was dumped. Now he hungers for the success that he once tasted.

The Bright Lord by Alex Knowles

SPFBO7

A home, a family. Lies, resentment. To save the future, he must reclaim his past.Ryan Hart thought he had saved them all. He'd served as Lord Commander of the Sarashead guild, faithfully and with honor for thousands of years. His work expanded their empire and brought peace.But peace never lasts. . . .Emperor Duhan has been murdered, ripping Ryan out of his new life as a citizen on Earth. Once again, he must leave those he loves for the greater good.Rebirth is the path, a reset into a new body that he must cultivate and train. The collision of two worlds draws ever closer, and if he can't claim what was once his, all will be lost.The Bright Lord is a thrilling Litrpg, cultivation story that spans multiple worlds, love and friendship.

The Kavordian Library Omnibus (Fyskar, Subject 15, Polaris Skies, Subgalaxia) by Chapel Orahamm

Collects Fyskar, Subject 15, Polaris Skies, and Subgalaxia. Content Warning-18+, not suitable for young people-Depictions and mention of sex, blood, gore, violence, abuse, suicide, rape, death, homophobia, racism, sexism, drowning, PTSD, psychological trauma, war, language, loss of pregnancy

The Community by Jacob Klop

Entanglement: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller by Alina Leonova

For generations, the Community has thrived within a complex cave system, sheltered from a blight that has infected the rest of the world. Despite the seeming perfection of their society, its people want nothing more than to return to the Outside, and so, every ten years, a Hope is chosen to venture forth and discover whether it is now safe for them to emerge from their rocky home. The Hope has never returned. Generations of Fathers and Mothers have always guided the Community, and the people are completely devoted to them and their society, but after Bastion's dad is chosen, he questions whether Father is truly the benevolent leader the rest of the Community believes. His lack of faith leads him on a path of self discovery and redemption, but he loses sight of those closest to him. Through his ignorance he sets the Community on a path that teeters between salvation and destruction. Sometimes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing...

Reality Testing by Grant Price

Welcome to Berlin. Population: desperate. In the throes of the climate crisis the green tech pioneers are king, and if you aren't willing to be their serf then you're surplus to requirements. Carbon credit for sleeping on the job. That's the offer a dreamtech puts to Mara Kinzig, and she jumps on it. After all, the city ain't getting any cheaper. Then somebody changes the deal while she's dreaming in the tank. Now Mara has a body on her hands, an extra voice in her head, and the law on her tail. Only the Vanguard, a Foreign Legion of outcasts seeking an alternative path in the dust between the city states, might be able to help her figure out what went wrong. First, though, she'll have to escape the seething streets of Berlin alive.

Models and Citizens by Andrew Sweet

In the year 2185, models (or clones) do the jobs that others won’t. Failure to work is punishable by death. Ordell Bentley flees from the violence of the Human Pride Movement and discovers the death of his lover. Ordell chooses to escape rather than return to his life of forced-labor. Harper, his lover’s daughter, hides him from bounty hunters in her family home. Haunted by an unseen stalker, Ordell relies on Harper to help plan his refuge trip to Canada. The reward for Ordell’s capture steadily ticks upward… Can Ordell make it to freedom? Will his unlikely friendship with Harper prove to be his undoing?

Cay thinks he may be going insane. His partner isn’t herself. He can only surmise that she’s been replaced, which is impossible. And yet… In a desperate attempt to discover the truth, Cay gives up his identity and flees home. Cutting out the implant that connects him to society is an unforgivable crime, but it may be the only way to find the people who can help him. His path leads him to the underworld where he meets Vietra. She wants to run from her past but can’t leave it behind. Together, they get a chance to discover why the world has set out to destroy them. Will the answers they find save them, or bring their downfall? Readers call Entanglement mind-bending, exciting, and unpredictable. This cyber-punk thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

Sowing (The Purification Era #1) by Angie Grigaliunas

SPFBO Finalist

They can take your house, your daughter, whatever they want. For Ariliah, life under the militarized Hulcondans is one of order and safety. Despite the soldiers’ ruthless policies, she trusts their judgment. They alone provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the city wall. For her older sister, Rabreah, every glance from a Hulcondan is a threat. Though even a whisper against them is treason worthy of death, Rabreah is determined to end their tyranny. Joining an underground resistance is her only hope – until she realizes she doesn’t know the people she’s aligned herself with at all. Unsure who to trust but unable to back out, she must work alongside the attractive yet infuriating rebel leader who reminds her far too much of the soldiers she hates. But with subversive posters appearing throughout the city and people dying on the blade of an unknown assailant, the sisters’ world begins to crumble. And as the line between friend and enemy blurs, both girls must face the truth: everything is about to change. Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war. Perfect for fans of the characterization and political tension in Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series, and Pierce Brown’s Red Rising saga. **This series is meant to be read in order.**

The Wall: A Post-Brexit Dystopian Fantasy by Margaret Mason

The only road to escape ends at The Wall. In a desolate post-Brexit England, nothing is as it seems. There is no chance, for those who remain in England encased behind The Wall, to live a long and healthy life in the smog drenched, almost abandoned cities. None. Apart from one. Walking North, alone, through a desolate and deserted landscape, on old, cracked roads, long since abandoned, Harra has only two items to guide her. A sheet of paper with a list of instructions to direct her steps to The Wall and an ancient Casio watch to ensure her timely arrival. Yet neither of those can guarantee success, not when the ever-vigilant Border Drones must be avoided to chance the final crossing. And with every step she takes, the Establishment lies begins to unravel, revealing to Harra just how far the Government has gone to ensure its ‘truths’ are not only never questioned, but that they also come to pass. Harra has a future to gain, and a past to unravel. The Wall both beckons and repels, but there is no other means of escape.

Telluria (Telluria, #1) by Jodi Trask

The earth was on the brink of a futuristic utopia when a new and deadly disease threatened to wipe out humanity. Telluria slowly dissolved its victims into one of the four primordial elements of water, fire, earth or wind. Terra was a child when her parents caught Telluria. The corporation New Atlantis developed a cure and distributed it for free just in time, saving her parents and the world from extinction. The world was just beginning to rebuild when Terra caught Telluria herself. She planned to simply go get the cure, but when her best friend Grey is killed by New Atlantis officials for trying to warn her against it, Terra is on the run for her life and the truth.

The Nothing Within by Andy Giesler

SPFBO6 SPSFC

Root is... different. Though raised in a fearful society that reveres tradition and conformity, she’s irreverent, outspoken, and deeply curious. Her blindness sets her even further apart. Centuries after the Reckoning, a global biotech plague, savage chimeras still threaten human survival. After Root hears a voice that no one else can hear, she flees into the wilderness. Outcast and hunted, she must confront a dire threat to her people--and unravel the mystery of who she really is.

Meadowcity (Arcera #1) by Liz Delton

Emissary (Emissary Quintet #1) by E.B. Brooks

The first war in a thousand years has only just begun... Sylvia Thorne is one of the few people brave enough to travel through the empty lands of what remains of once great civilizations. She is a Rider: delivering messages betwen the Four Cities and setting up trade are her business, one that thrives only because she knows how to defend herself in the empty spaces called the wilds. Everything changes when Sylvia returns home to Meadowcity, carrying a message from the Governor of Skycity. She quickly finds out that what she’s been carrying isn’t some trifling correspondence—but a declaration of war from Governor Sorin Greyling. And the message isn't their only cause for concern... Join Sylvia as she embarks on a journey that will decide the fate of Meadow City—and all of those who live in the Four Cities of Arcera. And relive the past to discover what drove Sorin down his path of destruction...

Ewan O’Meara dreams of becoming the greatest adventurer Veridor has ever known. Problem is, there haven’t been any epic quests since the ancient war of independence. His parents keep badgering him to take a respectable profession, and the overbearing Church soaks him for penance gold every time he dies. When he encounters a young woman fleeing arrest, he can’t resist helping her. At first glance, Treanna Rothchild needs it: she’s clueless about Veridian life. But she has other skills that defy Ewan’s understanding, and she knows things. Unsettling, seditious things the Church wants kept secret at any cost. And she’s here to raise an army. Risking both life and soul, Ewan follows Treanna where no Veridian has been, but he must come to terms with the harsh world she reveals as he discovers how much they have in common—and how much they depend on each other to survive.

Always Greener by J.R.H. Lawless