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

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Ace in the Hole (Black Badge #3) – Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

On the run and out of time…

Everything changed back in Crescent City when Crowley made his choice to stand up to his angelic handler Shargrafein. It was either her or Rosa, and the choice was clear. Now, there’s no going back.

Something about Rosa has everyone scrambling—a hidden power. It’s up to Crowley to bring her back to land of the living, and discover exactly what she is. Only then might they have a chance against the forces of Heaven and Hell, both of whom want her for their own devices.

So what if that makes him a traitor to the White Throne? They kept the truth about her from him. Made him a pawn in their endless war.

But those above and below aren’t the only ones after Crowley and Rosa. An old rival has resurfaced and he’s out for vengence, no matter what takes.

If they hope to evade capture, Crowley will need to trust old friends and allies. And trust doesn’t come easy to a man shot to death by his own boss.

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Fae’d To Black (Honeymoon from Hell #5) – Declan Finn

After “Happily Ever After” Comes “Until Death Do You Part.”

One is a predator.
The other’s a vampire.
They’re a match made in Heaven.
They need to make it to the church on time.
And God help anyone who gets in their way.

Something has been hunting Marco and Amanda before they were married. It has stalked them across the country. It sits in the dark, hiding in the shadows.

The two of them need a plan to drag the monster into the light. They need bait … and they may be it.

It’s time to hunt the darkness down, once and for all.

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Fists of Iron: Round One – Robert E. Howard

Before Conan, before Solomon Kane, Robert E. Howard was going toe-to-toe with roughnecks at the local icehouse-trading blows with oilfield bruisers, seasoned pros, and anyone gutsy enough to step in the ring. Around town, folks called him Bob. In the ring, they called him unbeatable.

Fists of Iron – Round 1: The Ultimate Edition is the explosive first volume in a four-part series collecting Howard’s boxing fiction, poetry, fragments, and articles. These are not just boxing stories-they are tributes to endurance, raw power, and the blood-and-sweat brotherhood of the ring. Written by a man who trained, fought, and knew the pain and glory of every round, these tales are laced with wit, grit, and a deep respect for the fighting spirit.

This edition includes not only fully restored texts from Howard’s original typescripts and carbons-sourced from archives such as the Glenn Lord Collection and the Cross Plains Library-but also rare material such as newspaper articles, unfinished stories, alternate versions, and poetry that captures the atmosphere of smoky gyms and roaring crowds.

Inside you’ll find pulp classics like “The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux,” “Iron Men,” and “The Voice of Doom,” plus little-seen gems like “Dula Due to be Champion” and “Tunney Can’t Win.”

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The Shattered Souls (The Beastcaller Chronicles #5) – Dan Michaelson and D. K. Holmberg

Two ancient threats return. One realm hangs in the balance.

With the Unbeast parasite removed from the Supreme Realm Lord, Leo Stormrider carries hope for Arinthia’s future: his Purifying Hand technique can save those possessed by the Unbeasts. But when the Children of Kong kidnap him and cast him into the Realm of Emptiness, Leo faces a terrifying truth—the ancient Beastcaller Kong plans to possess his body and return to the physical world.

Trapped in the void where no life should survive, Leo discovers power he never knew he possessed. But to save himself and his Familiar Shadowshine, he must embrace the Call of the Beast—risking the very humanity he’s fought to preserve.

Meanwhile, Lord Lightninghand sends his own daughter Sylvia—a secret Beastcaller—along with Major Realm Lord Calavian Darkthorn and swordsman Yohji to investigate a damaged seal beneath the Great Crater. But their mission takes a deadly turn when the last Dragon breaks free after a century of imprisonment. As the ancient beast threatens to burn Arinthia to ashes, Sylvia must attempt what no Beastcaller has done since Kong himself: command a creature that answers to no master.

With Kong’s spirit seeking rebirth and the Dragon unleashing its fury, Leo and Sylvia must each harness the dangerous power of their shared Path. But the forces they face are beyond anything they’ve encountered—and the price of failure is nothing less than the fate of Arinthia itself.

Sometimes the most dangerous path is the only one that leads to salvation.

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Skill Thief (Soul Canvas #1) – Kamikaze Potato

A new world. A unique power. He can reshape his surroundings.

Adam isn’t isn’t even given the chance to lick his wounds after a deep betrayal before a mysterious force pulls him into into a new, fantastical world.

He doesn’t mind much. Penniless, luckless, and aimless, Adam wasn’t particularly fond of his old world anyway. Maybe this can be the fresh start he needs.

First, he’ll have to deal with being attacked by shadowy monsters, imprisoned by guardsmen, and pressed into service by the resident nobility.

But unlike Earth…he’s not entirely powerless. In this realm, he has a strange ability with the potential to turn his surroundings into a canvas he can mold and control.

It’s time to take matters into his own hands. It’s time create a future worth living.

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Kamen America Alpha: The Manga – a Kickstarter campaign from Timothy Lim

When Kamen America Volume 1 first debuted in 2020, no one could have predicted how successful it would be, or even if it would make it past one volume. The story had to be condensed to fit into 56 pages, with very little room to breathe.

If given enough time and pages, what story would have been told? What would be the quintessential adaptation of the original work? That question is finally answered in Kamen America: Alpha.

Charlotte “Carly” Vanders had high hopes of becoming a fashionista. On the advice of her agent, she joins the USO as a seamstress and entertainer with the promise that this would open up new opportunities for her.

As fate would have it, Carly’s destiny rested among the stars: literally, as her transport vehicle was impacted by cosmic debris.

Carly soon finds out that doing the right thing isn’t always fashionable: discarding her corporate overlords and the fast track to fame and fortune, she rebrands herself into a self-made, self-reliant henshin heroine known as KAMEN AMERICA!

This Kickstarter campaign will be open until June 3rd, 2005.