Every week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy.
Fire in the Bones – James Alderdice
Hell hath no Fury like a Dark Goddess
Life is good for Gathelaus, he won back his crown, his kingdom and his woman – too bad the dark goddess Boha-Annu hasn’t forgotten and is plotting her revenge.
She knows his weakness, his temptations and his obligations, she will use all of his strengths against him.
Nobody holds a grudge like a spurned Goddess…
There will be a Fire in the Bones!
Minakai: Monster Tamer #3 – Jordan Allen
A mysterious invite heralds the beginning of the Palace Royale, a new tournament that sees both friends and enemies pitted against each other.
Aurin, Luna and Kyle each receive invites to a brand new tournament at Lord Kensington’s palace, which the distinguished nobleman has named the Palace Royale. Dozens of competitors gather, with three Minakai apiece, and the last tamer with a Minakai still standing will be declared the victor and receive one of the greatest prizes known to man.
All the while, the Zodiac Squad elites have gathered in Hazelton, setting themselves up to enact their final plan. With time running out to stop them, Aurin and his friends are determined to squash the devious group once and for all. The only question is, can the tamers stand up to the might of the Zodiac Squad’s toughest monsters?
The Complete Tales of the Mongoose and Meerkat – Jim Breyfogle
Reclamation (Kingdom Lost #3) – Chris Kennedy
The way is clear!
Hellen, Andrew, and Jayme have stopped the Algarian assault on their kingdom, but there’s no time to rest on their laurels. The way into the Algarian domain is clear, and it’s time to take the battle to the enemy and defeat them for good.
The problem, of course, is that their fleet has been destroyed, and their troops have been slaughtered in the battles they’ve fought. Can the siblings amass a force that will be able to finish the war?
Even if they can, though, that’s only half the battle. They must still figure out a way to reclaim the throne from the usurper Duke Alessio Valente, who also holds their brother Jonatan as an unknowing hostage after killing their parents.
The rumors of their existence are spreading, and they’ll have to finish the Algarians quickly, for every moment they waste gives Valente more time to secure his hold on the throne and prepare his defense. After decades of war, the kingdom can’t afford to be plunged into a long-lasting civil war, so they’re going to need a foolproof plan… but such a plan doesn’t exist!
Rock and Roll Mercenaries – edited by N. R. LaPoint
Fifteen rocking tales of adventure and mayhem that will set your bookshelf on fire!
Get ready for heroes on alien worlds, concerts gone terribly wrong, ghost towns brought back to life, eldritch abominations, and death machines!
Whether it is bands fighting evil, a tale inspired by a song, or an artist, roadie, vet, or dragon on a mad odyssey, Rock and Roll Mercenaries will keep you moving until the final beat.
- Man Against Machine – Nathan Dabney
- An Unexpected Bonus or Backstage Tickets To Freakin’ Psycho Trauma! – TJ Marquis
- On a Hot Summer Night – Christopher R. DiNote
- Viper: Devil’s Due – Milton Lane
- Dead Ringer for Love – Aaron Van Treeck
- Spirit Rock – JD Cowan
- An Airbrushed Odyssey – Jacob Calta
- The Supersonic Voyage of the Rock Dinosaurs – Drako Billson and Pen Billson
- Heavy Metal – NR LaPoint
- Worst Live Show Ever – Michael Gallagher
- Scales on the Heart – John A Pretorius
- If You’re Gonna Play in Texas, You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band – Denton Salle
- Bad Attitude – Jack McLiam
- Red Tales: Serial Killer – Hawkings Austin
- Sign of the Black Lotus – Erik Waag
Shadows Fall (Ember War: Terran Expeditionary Corps #4) – Richard Fox
Betrayed from within, Terra Nova fights its most desperate battle for survival.
When an elderly hermit, Knight, witnesses Chief Carson in an impossible feat—fully recovered from captivity and conspiring with a mysterious Yamnaya alien—he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens Terra Nova’s fragile peace. Pursued through the unforgiving wilderness by a relentless alien hunter, Knight’s desperate flight sets off a chain of events that draws Governor Ken Hale, Armor soldier Ely Hale, and Ambassador Danny Standish into a web of deception and betrayal.
As the colony grapples with internal sabotage and the looming shadow of the Inheritors, Ely must navigate his fractured past and the weight of his family’s legacy to protect a powerful alien artifact that could tip the balance of power. Meanwhile, Danny confronts her own demons, striving to forge peace in a world teetering on the edge of war. With the Yamnaya’s true intentions revealed and an alien flotilla closing in, the Terran and Ibarran forces must unite for a daring counterstrike that could either save humanity or doom it forever.
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.
Always good to hear about a new Alderdice novel!