Twenty five years real time/two months subjective time after the events of the first Strange Company, the company finds itself in the employ of the Monarch who betrayed it. Alongside simian guerillas and a rookie mech company, the Strange is thrust into the hottest fire in the galaxy: a desperate assault that will be the last stand for either the Monarchs’ Ultra Marines or the Strange Company itself. To survive, Sergeant Orion must use every trick he can to kill the galaxy’s elite before they can kill him. Even if it means using the psychics of Voodoo Squad. Even if it means opening the door to the dark things beyond normal sight. For the hammered remains of Strange Company, their survival rests in voodoo warfare.

Strange Company: Voodoo Warfare, by Nick Cole, wears its influences on its sleeves: a leavening of Warhammer 40,000, a touch of Macross, and a double fistful of Planet of the Apes. But the biggest influence of all is Glen Cook’s Black Company. And that is both Voodoo Warfare‘s strength and weakness.

Black Company spawned a plethora of grimdark imitators, many of which miss the truth and nobility beneath the grim dark realties of war. Not in a jingoistic sense, after all, the mercenaries of both the Black Company and the Strange, after hiring themselves out to questionable masters, are quite jaded about politics. War for pay tends to weed out the idealistic–usually with a bullet. Rather, there is a purity of purpose, adorned with all the foibles, failings. and fellowship of fighting men unable or unwilling to find any other work besides infantry. Cole steers into this, while not shirking from the cruelty and randomness of battle, taking time out among the spray of lead and plasma to touch the raw nerves behind why men joined the Strange. Ever since Heinlein, military science fiction has held a fascination with the reasons why men fight in war, with many notable writers vying for the title of the Bard of Battle. Nick Cole has ripped that mantle from Heinlein, Haldeman, and Ringo.

Unfortunately, the Black Company fascination is also a weakness. The Forgotten Ruin, written by Nick Cole and Jason Anspach, exists side by side with Strange Company. While the two series don’t repeat the same themes, settings, or set pieces, they do rhyme. The beleaguered fates of time-lost companies are each recorded by an official chronicler, and while the habits and addictions of Strange’s Sergeant Orion and the Ruin’s Talker are different, the voice of both men is similar to each other and to the Black Company’s Croaker. And whether Rangers in fantasy or Strangers in space, both series by Cole follow a similar pattern, with set piece battles blowing up to encompass an entire book–a feature also seen in Galaxy’s Edge season 2. Don’t get me wrong, what Cole does, he does well, and those who enjoy Galaxy’s Edge and The Forgotten Ruin will be thrilled to find a new source for such stories. But a pattern has been established across all three series, and the experimentation of Soda Pop Soldier and early Galaxy’s Edge is sorely missed.

And yet I will be along for Strange Company’s next ride.

Make sure to check the end for a partial list of current crowd-funding campaigns.

Androids and Aliens (Star Runner Series #3) – B. V. Larson

Two centuries after humanity colonized the stars, new dangers emerge. The peaceful inhabitants of the Conclave are threatened by expanding alien powers. Invaders threaten the star cluster, attacking our fringe settlements.

t’s time for the humans to strike back! Vile, ant-like aliens have already consumed the colonies of the Faustian Chain. Known as the Skaintz, these creatures destroy all living things and carry them back to their nests to be devoured. Now, they’ve begun to invade the stars of the Conclave.

Captain Bill Gorman, a smuggler from the Fringe, is called upon by the Conclave rulers to scout the enemy. Fleets and armies are launched in a desperate attempt to annihilate the Skaintz before they consume Humanity.

Cloak of Spears (Cloak Mage #7) – Jonathan Moeller

A broken memory. A lost fortress. And a weapon that might consume everything.

My name’s Nadia, and I serve the High Queen of the Elves.

My friend Neil Freeman also works for her, and he’s the deadliest assassin who ever lived. He paid a high price for his abilities, including a damaged memory.

But his memory holds secrets that might destroy the world.

So when the mad wizards of Singularity come to rip open Neil’s mind and steal those secrets, it’s up to us to stop them.

Because if we don’t, Singularity will build its new world atop a mountain of the dead…

Down Among the Dead Men (Daniel Faust #10) – Craig Schaefer

Daniel Faust’s last heist ended with a betrayal, a bullet in his heart, and a plunge from a lonely back-country bridge. Now he’s on life support, and the occult relic keeping him tethered to this world is counting down the last seconds to midnight.

That’s the good news. The bad news is, he just woke up in hell.

Marooned, lost, and hunted in an endless city of the damned, Daniel is racing against time. If he can’t make it back to his body before the clock runs out, he’ll be trapped in the netherworld forever. A host of enemies stand in his way. Some are desperate to silence him. Others, ghosts etched in blood and gun-smoke, are hungry for payback. Hell is the one place where you can never outrun your past.

And in the land of the living, Daniel’s family and crew gather to mount a desperate defense around his hospital bed as assassins close in from all sides. Survival will take a miracle, but this magician might have one last trick up his sleeve.

Dragon Heart (Blood of the Ancients #4) – Dan Michaelson and D. K. Holmberg

Rob must learn to control his icy essence, or he’ll fall before the Ice King.

Having discovered the icy threat behind the Spread, Rob struggles to master control over his essence. None from the Dragon Queen’s kingdom can teach him, and the Borderlanders know only life essence.

The only way to learn is to cross the Spread and find someone able to teach.

What he finds reveals a greater truth about his pure ice essence, where he discovers he may be the key to stopping the Ice King, but only if Rob can progress before he’s destroyed. Read More

In the Sacred Valley, sacred artists hone body, mind, and spirit to influence the world around them. All except for Lindon, who was born “Unsouled” and forbidden to learn any of the sacred arts. But when the heavens open up and give Lindon a glimpse into a future cataclysm, his path is decided. To save the Sacred Valley, he must leave the Sacred Valley and become strong enough to drive away giants. But just how powerful can a mere “Unsouled” become?

Eleven books later, and Linden is on the verge of becoming a Monarch, a sort of living god too dangerous to remain on Cradle, as his mentor, Eithan Arelius, found out. After Eithan’s ascension, Lindon swears to end the cataclysm that ruined the Sacred Valley. To do that, he must force the Monarchs on Cradle to ascend to the heavens in order to destroy the Dreadgods that ravage his world.

Of course, the Monarchs will not go into the higher realms willingly. So Lindon and his friends must challenge the eight Monarchs and the four Dreadgods for the safety of Cradle.

I admit to having concerns about Will Wight’s choice to take Lindon’s adventures beyond Eithan’s ascension. Because Wight follows the royal road and golden way of shounen manga, it seemed that there was no practical way to continue escalating the stakes as the conflicts in Cradle and the heavens appeared to be resolved by Eithan’s ascension. Dreadgod’s story does not necessarily assuage many of those concerns, but it does hint at how the Cradle series will resolve in its next and final book. Read More

After Brandon Sanderson’s epic Kickstarter campaign and the smash success of Eric July’s Rippaverse, Kickstarters will be added to the regular New Release rotation.

An Atlas of Bad Roads – a Kickstarter from Misha Burnett

There are many strange places off the beaten paths in this great land of ours. From the abandoned shopping malls where squatters revel in violent nihilism to the new subdivisions built atop ruins where tragedies lay buried, Misha Burnett is your guide to the weird and out of the way places that are haunted by the past and the future.

This all new collection from Misha Burnett includes 16 strange tales of the macabre as well as 16 original poems, exploring the mysterious nature of the seemingly mundane world, where the run-down warehouses, shady night clubs, and even 24-hour gas stations may be home to magical fae creatures or skulking maniacs.

You’ve been offered a map to these beautiful vistas and disturbing local attractions. Just try not to get lost.

Open until 10 August, 2020.

The Bizarchives #3 – edited by Dave Martel

On the abysmal fringes of sanity itself lies a repository of tales from realms untold. The Bizarchives: Weird Tales of Monsters, Magic and Machines holds secrets of far flung galaxies, haunted dimensions and fantastical heroes. Inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft and Robert E Howard, this compilation of short stories takes a reader through all things strange and exhilarating.

In issue 3 we bring to you a dozen more strange tales from up and coming new authors in the genres of fantasy, sci-fi and cosmic horror. Several of your favorite authors from our debut issue return alongside some fresh faces making their debut in print.

The Caribbean Affair (Jack Barr Thrillers #1) – Nick Thacker

It was just a family vacation… until the terrorists came aboard.

Jackson Barr, Jr., along with his wife and kids, are enjoying a Caribbean cruise when all hell breaks loose.

At port in Jamaica, an explosion rocks the ship, and all passengers are sent to shore on lifeboats, where they are told they’ll be reunited with their children.

But Jack senses something’s not right, and hides on the ship.

His wife calls from shore: the kids are not there.

Now alone on a ship with terrorists in control, Jack must fight for his life — and his kids’ lives — in order to reunite his family and bring down whoever’s doing this.

Isom #1: Ill Advised – a crowd funded campaign by Eric July

Avery Silman was once an entry-level hero known as Isom in the city of Florespark, Texas shortly after gaining his special abilities. A certain event had him hang up his suit, and now he stays on the outskirts of the city, living as a rancher.

Avery’s sister, Altona, gives him a call and wants him to visit an old friend by the name of Darren Fontaino. Another family friend that was interning with Altona has gone missing and she last heard that she was dealing with Darren. But Darren has much changed since he was hanging out with Avery when they were young. He’s a cold-blooded shot-caller and one of the most feared men in the city.

This visit turns into one of the longest days in Avery’s life. Around these parts, people call ‘special beings’ Excepts. And unfortunately for Avery, he has the luxury of running into some of them. The Alphacore and Yaira have their own set of conflicts. A man built like a tank by the name of Santwan reappears and he’s had previous confrontation with Avery. So what happens with Avery and Darren’s meeting? Who and where is the family friend? Just grab Isom #1: Ill-Advised Pt. 1 and find out for yourself!

Open until 23 September 2022.

John Sinclair: Demon Hunter #7 – Jason Dark

May they be lurking in London or across the world, demons never rest. With news of the rise of vampires in Hong Kong, John Sinclair is called to investigate. Perhaps a word with the reporter, Mike Kilrain, will set things straight… Suko, meanwhile, visits his old master, the great Li Shen, only to be told that John has walked right into a trap! But in his efforts to hunt down his partner, Suko falls for a mysterious lady called Shao — will he win her heart, or will she kill him first? Accompanied by new allies and with an appearance from the renounced Professor Zamorra, will Sinclair escape with his life?

Overmind – a Kickstarter by Jon Del Arroz

Ayla Rin, Agent of Terra Prime has uncovered a plot against the Imperium! 

On a faraway colony planet, the governor is linking his populace into an ethernet where they are being mind-controlled by a rogue artificial intelligence that seeks galactic domination! 

Only Alya Rin can stop this nefarious plot and save humanity as we know it. 

Fans of Valerian, The Incal, and Saga will love OVERMIND!

Open until 13 July 2022

Revenging Dungeon (Monster Haven #2) – J. D. Astra

Can Dolli’s poisonous past save her from a dungeon eater?

Dolli was just getting to like the idea of being the overlord of Monster Haven when a roaming Warmonger set his eyes on her dungeon core. Some of her citizens have defected to the enemy horde for the promise of safety, and now Dolli has a choice to make.

Does she wipe them out to save those who remain, or does she sacrifice herself to save them all?

But the defectors don’t know that the Warmonger has an even more sinister plot than just consuming Dolli’s core—and when they finally see his true monstrous nature, will it be too late? Dolli needs a killer cure, a poison so toxic it might wreck her and the enemy. She needs… a Hero.

The Scepter Heist (The Dragon Rogues #2) – D. K. Holmberg

An impossible heist was only the beginning.

Having pulled off an impossible heist, Jonathan wants nothing more than to relax and take a few simple jobs as a distraction. But nothing is ever simple for the Dragon.

When friends go missing, an old enemy returns, demanding Jonathan take a job even more dangerous than the last.

If he refuses, new friends will suffer, but if he takes the job, Heziah may gain a power to overthrow the Society itself.

Dreadgod (Cradle #11) – Will Wight

The battle in the heavens has left a target on Lindon’s back.

His most reliable ally is gone, the Monarchs see him as a threat, and he has inherited one of the most valuable facilities in the world. At any moment, his enemies could band together to kill him.

If it weren’t for the Dreadgods.

All four are empowered and unleashed, rampaging through Cradle, and grudges old and new must be set aside. The Monarchs need every capable fighter to help them defend their territory.

And Lindon needs time.

While he fights, he sends his friends off to train. They’ll need to advance impossibly fast if they want to join him in battle against the kings and queens of Cradle.

Together, they will need power enough to rival a Dreadgod.

From Beyond – Jasper T. Scott and Nathan Hystad

Are we alone? It was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed….

Commander David Bryce is scheduled to lead a routine re-supply run for the Orbital Development Group (ORB) to the fledgling colony on Mars. Without warning, he’s taken away by government agents and told the mission parameters have changed.

They’ve discovered something. And it’s drifting closer to Earth.

Atlas Donovan tirelessly hunts for an artifact, and tracks it to Lake Como, Italy. After the recent news from ORB, Atlas is more drawn to the trail than ever. He continues his search, determined to uncover the significance of the strange markings, and more importantly, where the artifacts really came from.

As both Atlas and David draw near to their objectives, they realize a secret organization is working against them; a clandestine force with so much influence, they seem impossible to oppose.

Are we alone?

No, and they’ve been here before…

Gods of War (The Last Marines #1) – William S. Frisbee, Jr.

The mission was supposed to be his last.

After more than twenty years in special operations, USMC Gunnery Sergeant Wolf Mathison wasn’t looking forward to retirement when—implanted with an experimental artificial intelligence—he deployed on his last mission with a platoon of Marine Raiders being sent to the Jovian moon Europa.

The USS Jefferson was destroyed en route, though, and only Mathison and three other Marines survived. Trapped in stasis, they were hurled into the outer reaches of the solar system, where they wouldn’t be found for hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the United States is destroyed and a fascist regime rises to power, expanding into the galaxy to plant its boot heel on the necks of humanity. But SOG, the Social Organizational Governance, is not unopposed, and researchers at a top-secret research outpost are working on a solution that will let SOG reign supreme. Unfortunately for the Marines, they’re awakened from stasis at the same time the researchers awaken a threat that endangers the entire human race.

The odds are against them, but that’s nothing new for the Marine Raiders.

The Last Fanatics – J. D. Cowan

Once upon a time, there was a tradition of storytelling that went back into the Gothic romances all the way through the fairy tales into the classics. It was a world without genre boundaries, checked boxes, and corporate writing workshops. This tradition created all the things you grew up with, the stories and ideas you hold dear, and the beating heart of adventure that has sustained us since the beginning of recorded history.

And then it was destroyed.

Learn how a gaggle of Fanatics poisoned the well of discourse and imagination by turning storytelling into mechanical formulas with rules and boundaries that never existed before. Who gave them this power, and how much of their garbage still taints discourse and the industry today? In The Last Fanatics, all will be laid bare.

It is time for the truth to be shouted out loud! Read More