Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

The Anvil’s Mark (The Queen’s Blade #3) – D. K. Holmberg

A deadly power upends everything a Blade knows. The Queen’s Blade saga continues.

Zaren, steadily forging alliances in the bustling Busal City, finds solace in his growing network, a stark contrast to the oversight of his mentor. This newfound stability, however, is short-lived.

The unearthing of a mysterious and arcane ritual on the city’s fringes catapults Zaren into action, exposing gaps in his preparedness.

A series of sinister events, marked by an escalating number of casualties, propels Zaren into a quest for clarity. In his search, he leans on his allies for insights, but unexpectedly, it’s his enemies who shed light on the true magnitude of what’s at stake. The conspiracy he’s long feared stretches deeper than he has known.

And the Queen’s Blade may be all that stands before a deadly power that threatens to consume the city.

Eagle’s Flight (The Chronicles of Adalmearc #1) – D. E. Olesen

The King is dead. His heir too young to rule. Who will claim the crown?

The noble houses gather to choose a new Lord Protector, sparking old rivalries. If they can’t agree, civil war looms. That is if foreign kingdoms don’t smell blood in the water and invade first.

Lord Vale wants to take up the mantle, spurred by his ambitious brother Konstans.

Lord Isarn likewise seeks this power. He is aided – or thwarted – by the return of his brother, the knight and war hero Athelstan, whose squire, Brand, hopes to restore his family’s fortunes no matter the cost.

Through all of this, an enigmatic traveler makes plans with jarls, scribes, and priests for his own mysterious purpose.

Only one thing is for certain: War is inevitable.

Fallacy (Starship Lost #5) – Craig Martelle

The preliminaries are out of the way. The real fight begins.

The Malibor are putting up staunch resistance, fighting as if their lives depend on it.

Which they do and they don’t. The Borwyn aren’t using a scorched earth approach. They’re not destroying everything in their path. They’re willing to live in peace with the Malibor.

Which is something the Malibor have no interest in. Victory or death! They will defeat the Borwyn, or they will die trying.

There is no glory for anything other than the one who is still standing after the battle is over.

Read the latest installment of this military space adventure.

The battle is joined.

Mythica: Revenant – Dean Henegar

A warrior reborn. An enemy fueled by death. A fight for humanity.

Mercenary captain Sabine Giroux knew that death was a constant companion in her line of work, and when it finally happened, she wasn’t surprised.

What surprised her was that she didn’t stay dead.

Brought back as an undead revenant by the god Gnessos, Sabine is tasked with stopping a foe that seeks to siphon the power of death and destroy everything she holds dear in the process.

With a lifetime of combat experience to draw upon, Sabine must gain Gnessos’ favor to grow more powerful and fulfill her role as his champion. But with every rank of favor that Sabine gains, more of her humanity is lost as her undead nature threatens to take over… Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

Game of Immortals (Saga of the Swordbreaker #5) – Kit Sun Cheah 

Immortal Glory is the most prestigious tournament in the rivers and lakes. Martial immortals from around the world gather in Shengang to battle for the position of leader of the jianghu—and with it, fame, fortune, and the patronage of the Ten Corporations.

Li Ming doesn’t care. Not until he learns that the Wanjianhui seeks to subvert the tournament and win over the rulers of the world.

Joining forces with allies old and new, he participates in a counter-conspiracy to infiltrate Immortal Glory. They don’t have to win. They just have to make sure the Wanjianhui loses.

But the specter of commercialism casts a long shadow over Immortal Glory. Billions of yuan are at stake. Hard-won reputations are on the line. Even the support of the authorities won’t be enough to overcome dirty tricks, foul play, and naked greed. As he battles renowned fighters and secret societies, Li Ming comes face-to-face with the dark heart of the rivers and lakes.

And under the bright lights of the leitai, the legend of the King of Breaking Swords will be born.

Gone Nova (Backyard Starship #19) – J. N. Chaney and Terry Maggert

Van is proving that with power comes danger.

From the shores of a secret planet to the halls of power in Washington, Van navigates a complex web of lies, law, and politics, all so that Earth can be saved from the clutches of ruthless criminals.

But these people aren’t from Earth. In fact, they’re not even human, and they see Earth as a ripe fruit, ready to be picked.

That doesn’t work for Van and his crew, so he begins fighting back with the dirtiest tactics of all: diplomacy. Since the aliens are among us, and they want money and power, Perry and Miryam will unleash their skills to craft a plan that uses Van, Icky, and Funboy to stop the exploitation of Earth cold, for the enemies are led by a new player in the galactic order.

The Tsarina. She’s cruel, she’s heavily armed, and she’s coming for Earth—with a ship that can match anything the Guild has. With enemies at the door, Van finds out that Masters can fail, and secrets are hard to keep, and the Earth is worth saving.

At any cost.

Latent Prowess (Order of Scion #1) – Toby Neighbors

They say one wrong decision can ruin your life…

But one right decision, made at the right time, can make the difference between a life well lived, and a truly spectacular life.

Mitch Murphy’s life is at a dead end. He hasn’t been decisive in a decade, and after being overlooked and taken advantage of for so long, he’s practically invisible. But all that is about to change.

Latent Technologies has discovered the secret formula for unlocking the untapped abilities inside each of us. It’s a process that can transform an average guy like Mitch Murphy into almost superhuman proportions if he survives the procedure. The only catch is that to get Latency Enhancement you have to enlist in the Colonial Marines and agree to leave Earth behind forever.

Humans aren’t the only intelligent species in the galaxy, but they are very much alone in what they are learning is a very hostile universe. New Terra is the only colonized world outside the Sol system, and holding onto it is getting harder every single day. But mankind might just be on the cusp of something they have yet to imagine exists. They are being watched by the mysterious Order of Scion and soon the entire universe might just be at their doorstep.

Perry Rhodan NEO #17 – Alexander Huskies and Gerry Haynaly

While in captivity, Rhodan attempts to learn all he can about his captors, the Naats. He plans on using that knowledge to formulate a plan using psychic communication with his comrades in the hope of saving as many of the Tosoma’s survivors as possible. But a power struggle is brewing among the Naats, and Novaal’s leadership is unexpectedly challenged by an unlikely opponent, potentially upending the current order.

In a base on Rayold’s largest moon, commander Tresk-Takuhn does all he can to defend his lunar fortress against the assailants amid a stunning discovery made by his old friend Hisab-Benkh. With the fate of Topsid at stake, his efforts are desperate—but he has a few tricks up his sleeve that the Naats don’t know about. Meanwhile, back on Topsid, Manoli teams up with the Arkonide robot, Rico, to repair the mysterious transmitter and escape the despot once and for all. Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

The Casebook of Patrick Midnight – Arbogast

The 1920s. The Jazz Age. The United States is beaming after its victory in World War I and its new standing as the chief economic engine of the world. But, amidst this good cheer, there lurks evil. This is where Patrick Midnight comes in. He is a secret agent working for the Society of Gentlemen Geographers—a powerful and well-connected private organization of American financiers, European nobility, and former British Army officers. Midnight is their man for any task, from artifact retrieval to espionage.

But Midnight is not alone. He is haunted quite literally by the spirit of an ancestral shade named Reverend Increase Blackstone, a 17th-century Puritan militia captain and preacher who damned his soul by committing especially sanguinary deeds during King Philip’s War. Together, Midnight and Blackstone take on human and inhuman evil armed with a .25 automatic and rapier.

The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor Volume III – Byron A. Roberts

THE WOLF OF THE NORTH UNLEASHED!

From a time-lost age of arcane legendry, the barbaric warrior-king Caylen-Tor rises once more to hack and hew his way to blood-spattered glory! In this, the third pulse-pounding volume of sword & sorcery tales by renowned Bal-Sagoth vocalist/lyricist Byron A. Roberts, the iron-thewed Lord of Wolves voyages across pirate-thronged seas in search of an ancient treasure, leads a warband of ferocious clansmen into battle against malefic sorcery, and ultimately faces his vengeful nemesis in the blighted depths of the netherworld itself!

All hail Caylen-Tor… the mightiest monarch of a savage, antediluvian epoch!

Levon’s Scourge (Levon Cade #12) – Chuck Dixon

They came for the Cades and now Levon is coming for them…

A team of professional killers comes to the Cade Idaho ranch on a mission to kill Levon Cade and his entire family, setting Levon on a globe-spanning one-man mission to bring down the men who ordered the hit. The time for running and hiding is over.

Standing in his way is a vast criminal network and international law enforcement. In order to see his family safe, Levon travels from the depths of Mexico to the jungles of Vietnam on a hunt that will leave either him or his enemies standing.

Mark of the Fool #6 – J. M. Clarke

To preserve the future, Alex must find the secrets of the past.

After a devastating battle, Alex Roth is left with more questions than answers, and—as the Ravener grows more aggressive—he and his companions struggle to learn the truth of Thameland’s Cycle.

But—thanks to an old enemy—they do have one lead, though it will take them into the bowels of the darkest Hells.

To prepare, Alex will have to reveal who he truly is to the other Heroes of Thameland, and deal with the consequences.

On the line are not only truths about Thameland’s endless, bloody cycles…but also the greatest secret of the patron Saint of Alric…

…the Traveller.

Read More

Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.

Foiled Ambitions (Four Horsemen: The Phoenix Initiative #11) – John M. Olsen

What do you do with technology that could ignite a second guild war?

After being saddled with a money-pit spaceship needing a long list of repairs, Jonathan Smith has bills to pay to keep the Sub Rosa Infiltration Company afloat, and when the perfect reconnaissance and retrieval contract falls into his lap, he snaps it up.

But when he finds out what he’s supposed to snatch, it becomes obvious that there’s more in play than what their employer let on, and a second guild war could result from the research being conducted on the small planetoid. And even worse, with so much on the line, their employer has authorized a second team to perform a “scorched earth” strike on the facility with Jonathan’s team still potentially in it.

How hard can it be to sneak into a research facility on an isolated planetoid, confiscate some illegal equipment, and make a quick getaway?

Jonathan is about to find out.

The Guild’s Bard (The Queen’s Blade #2) – D. K. Holmberg

A guardian reborn faces a destiny he cannot evade. The Queen’s Blade saga continues.

Zaren Joha, once a formidable soldier, now chases the arcane mysteries of Busal City. No longer just a warrior; his path has shifted. The relative calm is a welcome change, but it’s a fragile peace.

In a world where his combat skills are secondary, he chases the hidden and often dangerous magic that pulsates within the city. The discovery of a strange—and powerful—powder leads him toward a discovery that forces him to reconsider everything he’s known.

He must navigate a realm where power shifts like the waves in the harbor, and where his journey to protect the queen thrusts him into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the realm.

Zaren must rise as the Queen’s Blade and embrace a destiny that intertwines his very essence with magic. 

Imperial Marine (Star Dragon #1) – James David Victor

Immortality can be nice. Of course, having your consciousness downloaded into a robot and being forced to serve the galactic emperor as an Imperial Marine isn’t exactly life in paradise.

Keel Hennity was one of the greatest gladiators in the universe, the victor of countless glorious battles. He was assigned to guard the most dangerous creatures on his home planet. Then he died, and his life truly began.

When Keel’s consciousness was downloaded into the robotic body of an Imperial Marine, he was tasked with protecting the emperor and controlling the incredibly dangerous creature that ended his first life. Can Keel unlock the secrets of Star Dragons and protect the galaxy from a dragon-human war that could end life as we know it?

Imperial Marine is the first book in the Star Dragon series. If you like incredible stories that are part space opera, part military sci-fi adventure, and full of non-stop action, be sure to check out the Star Dragon series today. Oh, and don’t forget about the space dragons.

Download Imperial Marine and see why you really don’t want space dragons flying around your home planet.

Read More