Latest stories in - Indie Story Geek

For centuries, humankind has been extinct...until now. Six awoke from a dream, only to find himself in a nightmare. He is the last living human – lost and alone in a city of unrecognizable wonders. A new empire reigns over the Earth, a race of genetically engineered humans so evolved they bear little resemblance to their ancient predecessors. Before Six can get his bearings in this strange new world, he is framed for a heinous crime and exiled into the deadly wasteland beyond the city walls. As he struggles to survive in this hostile environment, and memories of his past slowly resurface, Six discovers that he has been marked for death. The empire has a secret, one so devastating its own people would be executed if they knew. Can Six decipher the hidden world of new Earth before they wipe out what is left of humanity? Grab The Ancestor today and let the adventure begin!

Bloodlines by Peter Hartog

Those dark and terrible things from your nightmares are VERY real. They walk among us, masquerading as your neighbor, your lover, even your friend. You see, Empire City is full of them…if you only know where to look. How do I know this? Well, for starters the name is Detective Tom Holliday. I work homicide for Special Crimes. My friends, what few I have, call me Doc. And the other reason? I’ve got magic of my own. Welcome to Empire City, where magic and technology co-exist, and humanity endures behind walls of stone and spell-forged steel. A place where danger lurks around every street corner, and anything is possible. When former hotshot homicide detective Tom “Doc” Holliday is recruited to join Special Crimes, he trades in his boring desk job for a second chance to do what he does best: hunt down killers. And his first case doesn’t disappoint—a murdered woman with a bogus past, her body drained of blood, and two eyewitnesses wasted on the designer drug goldjoy claiming a vampire did it. Armed with a fickle clairvoyance and saddled with a team whose past is as checkered as his own, Holliday embarks upon an investigation through a dystopian landscape filled with bio-engineered vampires, interdimensional shadow parasites, and the magical masterminds behind it all. But to solve this murder and safeguard his city, Holliday will have to uncover the truth behind an ancient shadowy conspiracy and confront a destiny he never wanted. Fans of Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London and Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files will fall in love with Empire City. Grab your copy of BLOODLINES today!

The Player Blackout by Lucas Flint

In 2043, Capes Online is the biggest, most popular VRMMORPG in the world. With over one billion active players and counting, gamers can become brave Heroes or cunning Villains, their every choice determining their Alignment. Everyone wants to play this game and almost everyone does. Except for 25-year-old police officer Nyle Maxwell, who can't log out. Killed in a car accident on his first day on the job, Nyle gets his mind uploaded to Capes Online to save his life. But the one way mind-to-game upload process means Nyle can never return to his physical body in the real world. Nor is he allowed to contact his friends and family outside the game or else he risks deletion by the secretive government organization that put him in the game in the first place. Things get even worse when a villain known as Dark Kosmos takes over Capes Online not long after Nyle's arrival. Trapping all of the players in the game and cutting off all contact with the real world, Dark Kosmos targets Nyle for death. Now Nyle must become a true superhero and save his fellow players from Dark Kosmos while adjusting to his new digital life. All of which would be much easier if he didn't have a hyperactive sidekick overly fond of puns or if he even wanted to be here in the first place.

Escape From Earth 1 by David DuBois

Steve is an aspiring computer programmer and business owner. Zander is a burnt-out but dedicated FBI agent. They don't know each other, but their paths cross when they find a portal to another world. The gateway is not random, and they meet Maximilian Beauregard, the Vice-Chancellor of the United Federation of Americas. He needs their help. Steve and Zander travel to this strange world, quickly embrace new technologies, and get pushed into politics on the world's stage. They want to help, but the more involved they get, the more they realize things are not as they seem. The duo soon get in over their heads and must depend on one another if they want to survive and escape from Earth 1. Author Note: This is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy blend, predominantly a buddy adventure that emphasizes world-building, a detailed portal system, mysterious elements, and powering/leveling up. The content is appropriate for all ages, with a target audience of teenager and up.

The Diamond Device by M. H. Thaung

SPFBO9 SPSFC 2022

After diamond power promises to replace steam, an unemployed labourer and a thieving noble unite to foil an international plot and avert a war. Alf Wilson resents the new technology that cost him his factory job, especially as his clockwork leg bars him from army enrolment. He daren’t confess his unemployment to his overbearing mother. Desperate over the rent, he ends up in a detention cell with a hangover. Impoverished Lord Richard Hayes maintains his expensive parliamentary seat by a mixture of charm and burglary. During a poorly planned break-in, he inadvertently witnesses a kidnapping. To cap it all, the police arrest him for the crime. At least he's using a fake identity. The real criminals make off with not just the professor who discovered diamond power, but her plans for a diamond-fuelled bomb. When Rich encounters Alf in the neighbouring cell, he sees an opportunity to keep his noble reputation intact. He persuades Alf he's a secret agent who needs an assistant. This chance association will take them to the oddest locations. But law-abiding Alf’s first assignment? Break Rich out of jail.

The Last Shadow by J.D. Robinson

The woman in the alley scratches a symbol into the pavement, then vanishes from the video. Now her desperate father is begging Bas Milius to accept one last case.In 1991, strange things are afoot in Boston. Bas is on the verge of hanging up his hat, until his final client—the missing woman’s father—suddenly claims to be someone else entirely. Someone without a daughter.Across town, Dee Khalaji finds herself seeing visions of someone in the shadows watching a recorded video—one that changes each time it’s played back.In a downtown compound, a secretive couple promises healing to lost souls through compulsory sessions of meditation and dance. But how have they been monitoring each member without the use of cameras? And why does the very first tape in their extensive surveillance collection focus on someone Bas lost a decade ago?A man on a mission to put the pieces together. A nonverbal autistic girl with the ability to see through others’ eyes. A story of identity, connection, and magic, set in a Boston that never was.

A Summer in Amber by C. Litka

The Dark That Dwells by Matt Digman and Ryan Roddy

The past is the future. A young physicist, Sandy Say, is dispatched to a Scottish highland estate to secretly decipher a decrepit manuscript that may hold the key to reinventing the 21st century, devastated by a series of solar storms. There he finds whispers of a reincarnated wizard, a hidden laboratory that is said to be the gate to the Otherworld, and a girl. A Summer in Amber is set in Scotland and England in the not too distant future, after a series of extremely powerful solar storms has laid to waste the modern world of cell phones, computers satellites, and even the power grids. Britain exists as an eclectic mix of the 21st and 19th century, with both steam engines, and pocket computers. A Summer in Amber is a quiet, enchanting novel of adventure and romance, with a unique steampunk air. C. Litka writes old-fashioned novels with modern sensibilities, humor, and romance. His lighthearted novels of adventure, mystery, and travel are set in richly imagined worlds and feature a colorful cast of well drawn characters. If you seek to escape, for a few hours, your everyday life, you will not find better company, nor more wonderful worlds to travel and explore, than in the novels of C. Litka.

In Times of Peace: Dance of Darkness & Light Episode 1 by The Loneliest Lone Wolf

The first installment in an immersive new space opera series combining the epic scale of the original Star Wars trilogy and the ensemble-cast adventure of Firefly in a world where alien technologies, hidden magic, and ancient evils push the limits of reality itself. Beyond the edge of known space, the Frontier awaits four souls... Fall Arden, freelance Ranger for hire, wields an unbreakable sword and a mechanized bow. Low on funds, he's taken a job on a dangerous expedition, one that promises a hefty reward. But danger lurks in the Frontier, a fact his employer refuses to acknowledge. Ban Morgan, leader of an Alidian marine squad, fights to regain his honor. But the man who ruined him stands in his way. As he prepares for the orbital assault on an enemy installation, he draws strength from the words of an ancient knight's order, one he dreamt of joining before he lost his way. Tieger of Westmarch, Malleus Maleficarum of the Elcosian faith, hunts down the arcanist witches wherever they may flee. Using the mighty gifts of his god, Elcos, and a technologically advanced ship predating the dawn of history, he scours the stars for his prey, burning a path to their hidden world. Sidna Orin, a mercurial young arcanist, searches for the power to save her people. In a lost temple on a forgotten world, she's closer than ever to finding what she seeks. Able to harness the dual forces of fire and lightning, she won't let anything, or anyone, stand in her way. Forced together by fate on paths that collide in chaos, they must fight to survive in a galaxy on the brink of war. As their stories interweave in love and hate, redemption and revenge, one threat will eclipse their greatest fears: a being of utter darkness and its imminent return. THE DARK THAT DWELLS: a thrilling debut that blends science fiction and fantasy, essential for readers craving a robust, character-driven saga set against the backdrop of an expansive universe with deep world-building at its core.

Against the backdrop of an immortal War that has entered into its final chapter… A girl and a boy from a ravaged planet hope to start the first chapter of their new lives… But no one could see what was lurking in the darkness that lies beyond what their eyes can see… A SAGA SPREAD ACROSS THE UNIVERSE WITH A VERY GROUNDED CAST OF CHARACTERS... As The Empire prepares for the inevitable war against an unseen, unimagined enemy from beyond the realm of the known, an enemy that is determined to destroy everything at any cost... a group youngsters from far and wide are brought together to begin their initiation into The Imperium and face their faceless foe... and in this group of outstanding people there are two that stand out... a girl and a boy... They are the first of their people to be allowed back into The Imperium in generations... for it was generations ago that the rebellion against The Empire had failed and their people were pushed into exile, an exile that had to come to an end when the War came calling... but as they're now being cautiously welcomed back into the mainstream fold... some are more careful about it than others... Join them as they try and find a place for themselves in a changing new world as their old world begins to collapse… two lost souls alone in the vast star system trying to help each other find their true paths... just as a great War charges ahead on its path to them! DESTINIES WILL BE CHANGED... LIVES WILL BE LOST... WHEN THE PAST & PRESENT COLLIDE! The epic story that was in the making for a thousand millennia… is finally ready to be told… This is that story... the story of an epic war as old as time itself... the story of how that immortal war finally died... this is the story of the Dance of Darkness & Light... Witness the beginning of the end with… Episode 1...

The Shift by Mihai Pruna

SPSFC SPFBO Finalist SPFBO6

"If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others." -Philip K. Dick It’s prom night for Pinkersville High School senior Jimmy Zarici. A proud space nerd, until today all he wanted to do was study aerospace engineering, play video games, and get to home base with his girlfriend. Tonight, his life will change forever, but not exactly as he’d hoped. In the blink of an eye, the constellations in the night sky are replaced by unfamiliar stars. Earth is thrust into chaos as humanity realizes the planet has been transported to another star system. But we are not alone: Seven other versions of Earth, plucked from alternate universes, orbit a star much like our Sun. On one of these planets, the Third Reich is in charge—and they have armed spaceships headed our way. Jimmy finds himself part of a select few who will determine the future of humanity. Led by US President Fairuza Bishil—a committed leader, haunted by loss and suddenly called on to guide the world through an unprecedented interplanetary crisis—they include Tim Brown, an underemployed genius working the NASA night shift until the universe changed on his watch, and Anna Kozinski, a psychology professor finally finding her place in a world that has lost its own. Against a backdrop of fear, anxiety, and global crisis, this brave and diverse team must navigate family drama, terrestrial conflict, and a whole bunch of complicated equations as they struggle to save Earth from the greatest enemy it has ever faced. Join them as they collaborate across nations and universes to battle the forces of evil—and find love along the way. The Shift is a treat for readers who enjoyed The Expanse, Ender’s Game, or The Man in the High Castle. Get your copy today!

The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin

We fight, so the rest shall not have to. In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight so that the rest can remain at peace. Cego is a mysterious Grievar boy forced to fight his way out of the slave Circles into the world's most prestigious combat school. At the Lyceum, Cego will learn a variety of martial arts from eclectic teachers, develop deep bonds of friendship and fight against contentious rivals to climb the school's rankings. But, Cego will find far more than combat studies at the Lyceum. He will find the mystery of his past unraveled by forces greater than he could ever imagine.

THE BOY WHO WALKED TOO FAR by Dominic Watson

Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days by Drew Melbourne

It’s the end of the universe, and everything has come undone. Entropy has won the war, but one last battle rages in the half-ruined city of Testament. No one knows who created this last outpost and peopled it with billions of species. However, it is here, under a sky with no stars, that the last remnants of life in the universe live, love, and pray to their many gods. It is here where Godrich Felstrom dies. Most residents of Testament care little for the affairs of a single, fragile human, but the event brings back bad memories for Heironymous Xindii. It has been many years since the dreamurlurgy professor discovered his true potential and doomed four people in the process. Now, he lectures to bored students who dream of the many pleasures Testament has to offer. Xindii, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with the mysterious Godrich and his missing soul. As he and his valiant companion, the Neanderthal Solomon Doomfinger, look back at Felstrom’s last steps, they discover the shocking truth about Felstrom’s death, his destiny, and the future of Testament and all those angels, demons, liars, and dreamers who call it home.

Memories of the Khassos by Leah Flaherty

The year is 20018. The famed magician Illuminari is dead, and his greatest illusion has died with him. Dark forces now seek the Engine of Armageddon, the ancient, sentient doomsday weapon that Illuminari hid amongst the stars.Enter Percival Gynt, accountant and part-time hero, whose quest to find the Engine before it falls into the wrong hands may be our universe’s last best hope for survival. It is a quest that will take him from the highest reaches of power to the lowest pits of despair and through every manner of horror and absurdity between.But beware. This accountant has a secret. A secret that may damn us all.Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days is a sci-fi/fantasy adventure novel full of swashbuckling, math, dark secrets, space-faeries, obtrusive product placement, Nazis, beating up those Nazis, unlimited baked beans, zombie cyborg assassins, fate with a capital "F," love, betrayal, wizards, jokes, paradoxes, a sentient doomsday weapon, eleven-dimensional space, clones, monsters, space-nuns, and at least one rat-chef.(Only one rat-chef.)

Synthesis:Weave by Rexx Deane

SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

A tsunami on a space station. An explosion with no trace of the bomber. Cyber-security expert Sebastian knows evidence doesn’t magically disappear, yet when he and his colleague Aryx, a disabled ex-marine, travel the galaxy to find the cause, there seems to be no other explanation. Can they unravel the mystery before his family, home, and an entire race succumbs to an ancient foe?

The people of Anatan have lost their home and their means to create a new one, but the one person who could solve this problem doesn't remember who or what she is. With more than one civilization hanging in the balance, an Anatani criminal may be their last hope. When the ancient beings of Anatan get involved, powers old and new collide in a cataclysmic showdown. Will the mystery of their dangerous past be unraveled in time or will the memories reveal an even more dangerous threat?

Edge of the Breach by Halo Scot

We all become monsters at the edge of the breach. In a post-apocalyptic world where season of birth determines power — spring healers, summer mages, fall shapeshifters, and winter shields — a man and a woman emerge from tragic childhoods to lead humanity on opposite sides of an interrealm war. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ There is a hole in the sky. They call it the Rift. A portal to the gods. The scar of a suffering world. Through it, the gods rule the last scraps of civilization, harkening war. As chaos beckons, two leaders emerge from the ashes of a dying planet. Julian Kyder is the son of an abusive rape victim who compensates for his abandonment through psychopathy. Sira Rune is a cancer survivor who dedicates her life to living free and fearless while experiencing the taboo and the unorthodox. Rune is the only one unafraid of Kyder, and that terrifies him, because he only knows how to function through fear. Even though she gives him more chances than he deserves, how much violence can she forgive? When is a person beyond redemption? While he struggles to control his demons and she struggles to find purpose, the gods drag the ruined world into war. Amazon Top 10 New Releases LGBTQ+ Sci-Fi Amazon Top 25 New Releases LGBTQ+ Fantasy CONTENT WARNING: The Rift Cycle is a highly graphic series intended for mature audiences.

Of Cinder and Bone by Kyoko M

Things They Buried by Amanda K. King & Michael R. Swanson

OF CINDER AND BONE is Ron Howard's Ransom meets Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park! After centuries of being the most dangerous predators on the planet, dragons were hunted to extinction. That is, until Dr. Rhett “Jack” Jackson and Dr. Kamala Anjali cracked the code to bring them back. Through their research at MIT, they resurrected the first dragon anyone has seen alive since the 15th century. There’s just one problem. Someone stole it. Caught between two ruthless yakuza clans who want to clone the dragon, Jack and Kamala brave the dangerous streets of Tokyo to steal their dragon back in a race against time before the world is taken over by mutated, bloodthirsty monsters that will raze it to ashes. Of Cinder and Bone is an all-new sci-fi thriller from the author of the Amazon bestselling Black Parade novels. Don’t miss out on this explosive first-in-series! Fans of Westworld, I Robot, Pacific Rim, and Reign of Fire will fall in love with this mashup novel that opens up a whole new world of possibilities into what we know and love about dragons. Of Cinder and Bone was selected for the Top 30 books in Hugh Howey's 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Contest.

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2019 "...uses dazzling worldbuilding and a hodgepodge of characters, cultures, and fantastic species to tell a powerful, human story. ... The worldbuilding is nearly flawless in its execution, which will entice readers to immerse themselves in the story... The intriguing plot makes excellent use of its primary characters, resulting in a breathtaking, harmonious read. An empathetic, complex, and offbeat tale." —Kirkus Reviews (starred) "The creepy threats and fierce fights in this densely imagined novel will gratify fans of dark fantasy, especially those who want real depth in between thrills." —BookLife Under the dirty streets of Ismae's greatest port city, an old nightmare waits for Sylandair and Aliara, one that is stealing Dockhaven's children, one only they can end. When the pair escaped their owner and abuser years ago, they left him behind in a ball of blue flame, but as more children disappear near the city's desalinization plant, their suspicions turn to the predator they believed dead. Accompanied by their less-than-reliable puka scout Schmalch, they delve into the forgotten depths of the patchwork city. Their search will lead to a twisting world of corruption and experimentation, uncover horrors greater than any they imagined, and summon memories they never wanted to exhume. A dark science fantasy action adventure, Things They Buried is the first full-length novel of Ismae, a world where science sometimes appears as magic and history as myth, where monsters make themselves and heroes are wholly unintentional. This novel contains adult themes and violence.

The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King

John Carver has three rules: Don't drink in the daytime, don't gamble when the luck has gone, and don't talk to the dead people who come to visit. It has been almost five years since the incident in Kabul. Since the magic stirred within him and the stories began. Fleeing the army, running from the whispers, the guilt, and the fear he was losing his mind, Carver fell into addiction, dragging himself through life one day at a time. Desperation has pulled him back to Afghanistan, back to the heat, the dust, and the truth he worked so hard to avoid. But there are others, obsessed with power and forbidden magics, who will stop at nothing to learn the truth of his gifts. Abducted and chained, Carver must break more than his own rules if he is to harness this power and survive. Packed with mystery, suspense, and snark. Download today to discover why readers of Dean Koontz, Jim Butcher, and Myke Cole love this high-octane fantasy thriller by #1 best-selling author Graham Austin-King.

Souls of Astraeus by Jeramy Goble

The Bygone Wars 1: Songs of Space and Time by Scott Robinson

Living one life is hard enough. Try living billions of lives. Akal Atka, a simple and submissive young man of the future is faced with losing the love of his life. Within moments, however, a catastrophic event makes him aware of the fact that he has lived billions of previous lives. As he explores the multiverse using exciting ships and technology, he reacquaints himself with countless races and gains access to the knowledge and abilities of his previous lives. But, why did this happen to him? Will he be able to save his love? Are there others like him? If so, how are they using their gifts?

Fifty thousand years ago, people were genetically engineered to take on different roles on the interstellar starships of a great civilization. For a while dwarves, elves, trolls, halflings, and giants worked with humans exploring the galaxy and colonizing amazing worlds. But then we discovered we weren't alone and, of course, we argued about what should be done. Nasty words were exchanged. Wars were started. And, of course, everything fell apart and the great civilization collapsed. Soon there were just scattered worlds with myths and legends to hint at what had come before. And, eventually, civilizations rose again... After years in the army, then more years backpacking around the world, Kim thinks she's seen just about everything there is to see. But she has to admit to being a little bit surprised when the giant bats started dropping bombs. And then the aliens came. There she was, wondering what a medieval hotdog might have been filled with, and five minutes later she was battling ugly, leathery-skinned aliens, beating them over the head with a historically accurate mace. And if that wasn't strange enough, she was shown a portal to another world, with the same war being fought on the other side. Kim knows the information she holds could be vital, but she doesn't like authority all that much, and it doesn't like her either. So, when the leaders of the Earth's defenses test her friendship one time too many she sets out to end the war on her own. Well, just her, an elf, a giant and a dwarf who may well be completely nuts. *** Please note-- "The Bygone Wars" series is the same as "The Tribes of the Hakahei". It has been rearranged and repackaged as 2 books instead of 4. (The books don't align though, so don't mix the series) The series is completed in All the Wars Of Heaven. If you have already read The Tribes of the Hakahei, don't buy this book. And if you read this book, follow it up with All the Wars of Heaven (Well, you can if you like, just don't say you weren't warned)***

Out of the Gray by Patricia Gilliam

Aliens, politics, and murder. Only the first one is new. Towards the end of the twenty-fourth century, it is common knowledge aliens have lived on the planet for a long time. The Hannarian royal family has stationed an ambassador to interact with Earth’s governments and to be an official bridge between humans and their race. They also want to assist humanity by offering access to advanced medical, communication, and transportation technologies. This does not ring true with the EIP, the Earth Independence Party. They are aware that Hannarians possess superhuman skills and abilities that they have kept hidden from Earth’s general population. To the people aware of these abilities, the Hannarians seem dangerous to some and downright demonic to others. They fear Hannarians pose a tangible threat to the Earth and every living human on the planet. The organization has spent decades preparing for the perfect opportunity to remove the Ambassador, expose the aliens what they truly are, and finally place themselves on equal footing with their enemies. Alex Verin, son of EIP Congressman Adam Verin, has had a very unexpected day. After chance meetings with the Hannarian Ambassador’s son and later the Ambassador himself, Alex has his beliefs about the Hannarians brought into question. Once at home and milling over what he has learned, Alex tries to figure out what is truth and what isn’t. When a visitor arrives at their home to speak with his father, Alex attempts to find out the man’s identity and why his father is being so secretive about him. While doing so, Alex overhears the man discuss plans to assassinate Hannaria’s Ambassador with his father. Rica Miller, the adopted daughter of Charlie and Rebecca Miller, is leaving Earth. After discovering that she is not human but Hannarian, Rica’s parents decide that relocating to Space Station Destiny would be the best option for her future. As a station engineer, Charlie has made arrangements for his wife and daughter to join him now that construction has entered its final phases. After boarding a transport leaving Baltimore, Rica meets Jernard. He introduces himself as the Hannarian Ambassador and explains he wants to ensure they arrive at Destiny safely out of friendship to Charlie. Rebecca does recognize Jernard, but considering she and Charlie told no one about Rica or that they were leaving, she is hesitant to trust him. How will Alex react to his father’s agreement with a plan to murder someone? Can Rica trust Jernard, and does he hold any answers on what happened to her birth parents? Will the EIP succeed in killing Hannaria’s Ambassador?

MOBIUS by Vincent Vale

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

The Dimensional Gateway is built... A plot against humanity revealed... Humankind's ultimate evolution. Theron Mobius has worked his entire life on a Dimensional Gateway that will propel humankind into a new era of space travel. When it's sabotaged by a mysterious entity, he uncovers a plot against humanity that's been underway for millennia. Theron is driven against all odds to stop the entity, only to discover he's an integral part of the entity's sinister plan. Together with a small group of travelers, he must journey across galaxies in search of an ancient Guardian of the universe. If he fails, humankind will face oblivion.

The Narrows by Travis M. Riddle

"Riddle’s intricate worldbuilding and familiar but strong narrative arc sustain fear throughout. ... Fans of eerie tales will easily fall into this one." - Publishers Weekly "I can show you how to enter the Narrows to find what you seek." Oliver and his friends have returned to their hometown of Shumard, Texas for the funeral of their close friend Noah. They each grapple with the loss in their own ways, trying to understand the strange circumstances of their friend's unexpected death. While visiting the site where the body was found, Oliver stumbles across a chilling discovery that he knows must be related to what happened to Noah. Wanting to protect his friends from these newfound horrors, Oliver takes it upon himself to venture into the grotesque otherworld known as the Narrows to learn what happened to his friend and find a way to bring him back. Entering the Narrows is one thing, but will whatever he finds there allow him to leave?

The Orphans of New Lur by Blake Vanier

Iona and Nero are Human orphans; one born with powers she can’t explain, the other bound to a terrifying friend no one else can see, both hunted by a woman that does not fail. When a ragtag bunch of five orphans stumble upon glowing canisters containing ethereal weapons designed to fuse with a Human’s soul, they unwittingly risk life and sanity by opening them. One canister is overlooked as it appears empty, but a lack of light in their world does not correlate to a lack of power in the other. Nero opens it to find an otherworldly being that cannot survive unless it finds a host; a being that must decide to either kill Nero or accept his offering… Confused and exhilarated, the empowered orphans must adapt to their new abilities to keep each other alive, as Isis, a woman of incomparable will, is determined to pursue these Humans in search of secrets to an ancient civilization. The Anterra Collection is perfect for fans of Mistborn, looking for a fresh, new epic fantasy series.

Steel Guardian by Cameron Coral

Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows by robert adauto III

The AI Uprising destroys society as we know it. Banking is wiped out overnight. No internet, phones, or electricity. Anything “smart” or “connected” turns against humans. The military’s SoldierBots have one function--seek and destroy. Block is a simple CleanerBot programmed to clean and serve hotel guests. Forced to leave his city, he must avoid dangerous SoldierBots and find a new hotel he can call home. But when Block discovers a human infant, his surprise attachment to the girl compels him to protect her while traveling across the metal infested wastelands of America to a safe haven. Without his help, the abandoned baby could die before they reach safety. When he encounters Nova - a surly soldier who becomes an unlikely ally - they must tackle the biggest challenge of their lives. Together, they face mortal danger from bands of scavengers, militaristic SoldierBots, and Combat Mechs. A cyborg Bounty Hunter will stop at nothing to find Block and the child - an infant who holds the key to humanity’s future.  If you enjoy characters with heart and action-packed adventure, then you’ll love the first book of this thrilling post-apocalyptic sci-fi series.

The year is 1892. A mythical book has been stolen, and the fate of mankind rests in the hands of two exceptional women: a brilliant detective and a deadly vampire. But they discover things are never that simple as they face a world much more dangerous than either could have imagined. Between enemies within and enemies without, can Coyle and Fang stop a madman before it kills hundreds of thousands?

The Hammond Conjecture by Martin Reed

The Hammond Conjecture is an alternative history novel which explores themes of memory, identity and historical narrative. It is also a lot of fun. Are you sure you know who you are? If your memories disappeared and were replaced with someone else's, would you still be you? And what if those memories were not just from another person - but of a different world? London 1982. Regaining consciousness in an isolation ward of catatonic patients, glimpsing the outside world only through a television news bulletin, that is the dilemma facing Hugh Hammond. Gradually Hugh's memories return – of his life as an MI6 officer a decade earlier. But in a world where Britain has been locked since 1941in a lonely Cold War against a fascist-dominated Europe. Are his memories false: delusions, or implanted as part of a mind-control experiment? Or was the television news fake – and if so, why? And what is the role of Carlton, the shadowy Intelligence officer who delivered him to the hospital? Hugh types out his recollections: an adventure which takes him from an opium den in Limehouse, via a hippie encampment in British-occupied North France, to a State Reception for the Deputy Führer in the Durbar Court in Whitehall, and a Le Carré-style climax in the divided city of Paris. Meanwhile in the hospital Hugh struggles to understand his predicament – and to escape from it. But escape only leads him into greater danger…

The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp

Jiao Tu’s Endeavour, Episode 1: The Kidnapped Mousling by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt

WHEN A GAME… Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries. TURNS REAL… Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her. WINNING IS EVERYTHING… Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late.

Ash Friday by Ariadne Blayde

Giving ghost tours on the decaying streets of the French Quarter isn’t exactly a high-profile career, but the guides at Spirits of Yore Haunted Tours are too strange and troubled to do anything else. They call themselves Quarter Rats, a group of outcasts and dreamers and goths who gather in hole-in-the-wall bars to bicker, spin yarns, and search for belonging in the wee hours of the night after the tourists have staggered home. Through the ghost stories they tell, their own haunted lives come into focus. Like the city they call home, these tour guides are messy with contradiction: they suffer joyfully, live morbidly, and sin to find salvation. Weaving together real New Orleans folklore with the lives of eleven unforgettably vibrant characters, Ash Tuesday is a love letter to America’s last true bohemia and the people, both dead and living, who keep its heart beating.

NYV: PUNK by K.D. McQuain

NYV: PUNK is a dark and sexy coming of age story of adventure, music and horror set in the harsh 1980s New York Punk scene. (UF / NA) With only his mother for company, rural isolation in East Texas was as boring and bleak a life as Christian could imagine. The most exciting thing to look forward to were monthly visits from the nice old lady who took his mother shopping in town. After being subjected to a bizarre and humiliating birthday ritual, Christian leaves home to think things through, and when the opportunity for adventure presents itself, he jumps at the chance. But being on his own is more terrifying than a sheltered and naïve teenager would ever have dreamed. Miraculously surviving a brutal attack in a bus station restroom, Christian finds himself being hunted across the country by an ancient, bloodthirsty evil, putting him and those he cares for in mortal peril. Homeless and alone, he is befriended by a group of streetwise kids but danger still lurks around every corner. He must quickly learn to navigate the hazards of the gritty streets of New York City if he is going to survive the tough Punk music scene long enough to discover his destiny. Can he survive on the street? Will he find the life of adventure he hoped for? And what the hell does OMFUG mean anyway? Oh… and there’s vampires.

On a multigenerational colony ship five hundred years off course, a lagomorph warrior must survive using only his wits and his sword. Jiao Tu has been hired to rescue a young kidnapped mousling. A tip leads him to the Below, home to the engines that keep the world in motion. His mission has hardly begun when an encounter with a monstrous being plunges him into the midst of a struggle not only for control of the Below but for the world itself. Teamed with an untested ratling warrior and the ratling leader of a gang of thugs, Jiao Tu must stop the monster and save the mousling—and the world—before it is too late. Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as Leigh Brackett’s planetary romances, Gene Wolfe’s Book of the Long Sun, Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane stories, Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, and the wuxia tradition starting with Water Margins and Journey to the West, Uitvlugt has created a world all his own that promises a far-future adventure unlike any other.

Dreamer by Amy Campbell

Their dream of freedom will turn into a nightmare unless these outlaws can stack the deck in their favor. Safely back in his chosen home, Breaker mage Blaise should only have to worry about his bakery and his complicated relationship with Jefferson. But the lies that shaped his life continue to haunt him, and he sets out to reconcile with his mother—only to discover that a band of magical desperadoes has taken her. With old friends at his side, Blaise sets off across the frontier, chasing down leads and unaware that his new foes hope to snare the Breaker, too. Meanwhile, Jefferson balances guiding his fledgling homeland to nationhood while concealing magic he’s not supposed to possess. The demands of his ambassadorship send him to a faraway country where he’s embroiled in a web of intrigue between a shadowy cabal planning to use him and malicious politicians who want to see him—and the new nation—fall. As Blaise closes in and Jefferson navigates the dangerous political waters, they realize their circumstances are once again linked. Will their combined magic be the ace in the hole that wins it all, or will they fold in the final showdown?

The Awakening by Adair Hart

Blackcoats: Dead Man Walking by Michael Lachman

What happens when a space and time traveler interferes with an alien abduction? Dr. Albert Snowden just wanted to take care of his niece, Emily. The last thing he expected was to end up in a virtual simulation on a damaged alien ship in another galaxy one year into the future. Unfortunately, the ship's power is failing, releasing apex predators that were captured by the aliens. Enter Evaran, a space and time traveler, and V, his trusty mobile artificial intelligence, who help those in need. They decide to interfere and help Dr. Snowden and Emily, along with two other humans who were also abducted. In addition to all that, Jerzan Graduul, leader of the Bloodbore mercenary pack, has boarded the ship in search of potential salvaging opportunities. Evaran and friends will try to reach Evaran's ship while dealing with the Bloodbores and apex predators.

ZOMBIES. CRYPTIDS. SECRET GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND ADAM THOUGHT HIGH SCHOOL WAS TOUGH. When Adam arrives home to find his house swarming with government agents, he quickly discovers that his father was a secret government scientist specializing in fringe science and the paranormal. An agent reveals that Adam’s father was caught performing illegal experiments, including genetically modifying Adam’s DNA. Now, with his father missing and the genetic tampering beginning to take effect, Adam’s only chance to find a cure is to help the agency track down his father. The mystery deepens as agents go missing, and all the evidence points to a man long dead. With the clock ticking and hints of a mole within the agency, Adam must uncover the traitor, find his father, and secure a cure—before it’s too late. Blackcoats: Dead Man Walking is the first book in the Blackcoats series.

Earthweeds by Rod Little

At the end of the world - it's the start of something new, with puzzling and terrifying origins. A green fog descends over every major city in the world, and the populations disappear one by one. By nightfall, every living soul in every metropolis is gone. Earth grinds to a halt. Only a few stragglers are alive in the rural countryside. When Sam and his brother return from a mountain camping trip, they find only empty city streets. Alone, they look for any survivors to give them answers. The next day, lizards the size of Komodo dragons flood the city and attack the remaining humans. When these creatures are confronted by giant spiders, the two species fight each other for the remaining food supply.... with the humans caught in the middle. A teenage boy with electric powers - stemming from his DNA. His brother with a strong iron will. A college student who can understand and communicate with animals. A scientist with a secret. And a band of psychopaths with an agenda of their own. Defending each other from the evils of men and creatures alike, the last humans must race to unravel the mystery of the empty cities, the swarming creatures, and the disappearance of humankind.

Ignite The Shadows by Ingrid Seymour

Seattle. The near future. A dark force infects humans and takes over their minds. Seventeen-year-old Marci is a hacker. The best in the city. Ever since she can remember, her mind has been under attack, but lately it’s getting worse. A dark force overrides her and makes her do awful things. Her mother and best friend believe that she’s a rebel child and that she meant to race her bike with the cops hot on her tail. She wasn’t in control. Someone else was. Time and time again, Marci defeats the invading shadows and remains herself. The ability to prevail doesn’t go unnoticed by James McCray, the leader of a rebellious group known as IgNiTe. He soon recruits her and assures her she’s not crazy. It turns out it’s far worse. Marci is infected by a terrible plague, and so is half of Seattle. People are being supplanted at an alarming rate. The human race may be doomed, unless Marci, alongside IgNiTe, can find a way to stop the spread of the infection before it's too late. For fans of dark urban fantasy and apocalyptic fiction. Ignite the Shadows has intrigue, romance, and a heck of a lot of action. If you enjoyed Divergent, you will love this series.

Heir to The Sun by Karen Lykkebo

After a volatile relationship, all Aura wanted was to start a new life far from her ex-boyfriend, Dave. A sleepy café in a small town seemed the perfect place to reinvent herself, and when a mysterious woman befriends her, enchanting her with fairytales and offering an escape to another world, Aura could have got into more than she bargained for. But when Dave unexpectedly shows up, angry and determined, Aura’s left with little choice but to run. This time, she runs far, far away, across an invisible border to another world; a world of magic where everything is possible. A world, where Aura is known to everyone but her, as The Princess of Light. And although her new title comes with the daunting responsibility of saving the world, the prize of doing so could give her what she’s always wanted: A family. As Aura engages on a magical journey of discovery, her hopes to break free from Dave once and for all soon start to fade as she realizes that breaking up with The Angel of Darkness is easier said than done. And even the light needs darkness to cast shadows... Will Aura have the courage to embrace her new world, or will the shadows of her old life keep her in darkness forever?

The Grim by K. H. Nelson

Yet another strand of thread holding the peace together, cut...and Sólan the Grim is the one holding the blade. Sólan the Grim is dead. He was murdered by the duke of the tundra-his father. No, he was executed by the forest's prince for his failure to swear the Oath of Light. Actually, he was beheaded by an infamous drug smuggler of the tropics. Tortured and killed at the hands of the desert's mortal king for his crimes. Perhaps he is not dead at all. The half-mortal bastard son of an elf duke, Sólan de Ciudelago learned to cheat death as a child. His mere existence has tumbled the Eastern Lands into the largest genocide against his own kind: The Crusade of Light. The fragile peace between red-blooded men and silver-blooded elves is fraying. Alliances and rulers' strongholds are waning. The Eastern Lands are on the verge of a second Great War in a millennium. Until now, Sólan's lot in life was to smother his past and fight the desert's slave market. Memories, however, are fickle things that can return with no warning. Now, he must face his trauma to topple more than just the desert's economy. He must now work with former enemies and an unlikely lover to quell the coming war that he caused. Will his blood be the ink that seals the suit for peace? Or, is he naught but a pawn in a much more sinister plot against the balance between day and night? Disclaimer: This tale contains material that may be disturbing to some readers. Such material includes graphic violence, sexual encounters, mental illness, and mentions of child abuse and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

The Hunter by Hannah E. Carey

Forced to flee her uncle's palace in the dead of night in order to save her own life, Duchess Rhiannon of Solis finds herself pulled into an ongoing war. She seeks safety on the shores of the island of Pern Coen, though she knows little of the strange land and its even stranger Spirits. A stroke of fate leaves her at the mercy of a band of rebels led by a notorious outlaw, a man the people of the island call the Hunter. Conor has lost his family and his home. Forced to live in exile, he dreams of the day that the people of Pern Coen win back their freedom. He has no love for the Empire of Kelnore, but when he finds an injured Kelnorian noblewoman, he can't bring himself to abandon her. Against his better judgement, Conor offers Rhiannon his protection, but the more time he spends with her, the more he finds his feelings toward her shifting. He's already had his heart shattered once, does he dare take that risk again with a woman who should be his sworn enemy? The longer Rhiannon spends with Conor and his band of outlaws, the more she finds herself torn between the life she knew and the life she has discovered on the island. Can she turn her back on all she's ever known? And can a rugged outlaw capture her heart? This Celtic inspired romantic fantasy features a slow burn, fade to black romance.

Chosen by Heather N. Russell

Pure of heart and human A chosen warrior comes The barrier shall be broken Two worlds unite as one. Growing up feeling insignificant and anchorless in foster care, Seline never expected to one day step through her front door into a world where myth and magic reigned. An ancient Fae prophecy names her Chosen, a hero meant to reunite the worlds of Earth and Fae. Blood-hungry enemies from the darkest of Earth legends seek conquest rather than unity, threatening the future she is called to initiate. While forces of evil gather to take control of one world in pursuit of the the other, Seline fumbles for mastery of new magical gifts and struggles to come to terms with destiny. Unexpected friends teach her trust, powerful enemies challenge her soul, and a memory wakens a long-forgotten identity. Can she fulfill the destiny written for her long ago and unite worlds divided by ancient treachery, or will evil consume the future as well as the past?

The Inquisitor by H.C. Harrington

A brutal murder, a disgraced inquisitor, and a city of secrets. From the Amazon best-selling author of Daughter of Havenglade comes, The Inquisitor. In the port city of Pax Grati, a highborn daughter betrothed to the son of a powerful lord has been brutally murdered. Nestor Atius, left to rot in the dungeons has one chance to find the killer and bring justice to her family and the realm. But when an unlikely friend reveals the investigation is more than meets the eye, Nestor must make a choice. As he uncovers the truth, it becomes more and more clear, he is the killer's next target. A fantasy mystery from the Havenglade World.

The Library by Casey White

With eternity ahead and all of man's knowledge at his fingertips, Daniel just wants out. He was too young to have any expectations when he was dragged into the grand Library of Alexandria - a massive, magical catalog of all human knowledge. Too young to understand the responsibilities being foisted on him. Too young to know that he was to become the next Librarian. He knows now. As the boy named Daniel grows into the Librarian named Owl, he realizes the truth; the cage he’s caught in is beautiful, and filled with knowledge, but a cage nonetheless. With that realization is born a longing for freedom he can’t push aside. Such longings can be used, though - and there are many who would seek power over the Librarian and Alexandria. But how can he tell friend from foe when all he’s ever had was himself?

The Nine by C.G. Harris

Winner of the Colorado Indie Author Project award for Adult Fiction! Hell is not what you think ... It’s bone-chilling. Gabe is a good guy making the best of eternity in a place not known for its hospitality — until he is recruited by Judas Iscariot (yes, that Judas) to join a sect of double agents dedicated to sabotaging the mayhem being released on Earth. Armed with a skill set of irritating quips and zero knowledge of the modern world, Gabe must figure out how to work with his beautiful, tough-as-nails partner without botching the mission or revealing his true identity. If this unlikely hero can’t figure it out before disaster strikes, facing the wrath of Hell will be the least of his worries … If you like snarky characters and dark humor, then you’ll love The Nine, the first book in the action-packed, supernatural Judas Files urban fantasy series. Series now complete!

One of One by S. R. Cronin

Heir to the Sun by Jennifer Allis Provost

Celebrate the superhero in each of us in this unique exploration of the connections we forge. A young Nigerian telepath faces a crisis when her sister is forced into a frightening marriage, then disappears. Once Somadina cannot locate her sibling's thoughts, she seeks another telepath to help. What she finds is Lola, a busy Texan scientist who has ignored the disturbing phenomenon in her mind for decades, and has no intention of embracing this nonsense now. Yet these two women have more in common than they know, and a powerful link will be forged. Once Somadina discovers her sister is a pawn in a dangerous political game, the stakes rise for everyone, including an ancient organization of telepaths compelled to intervene. For both women are stronger than they realize, and they have ignited the wrath of a fanatic willing to kill anyone to alter his nation's future.