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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City of Steel and Shadow (The Last Eternal #5) – Jacob Peppers

Death has a voice.

The wanderer knew that, for he had heard that voice often enough.

And as he walked through the village of Alhs, past the corpses of those who had chosen to stay, he heard it again.

He heard it in the rasp of the wind along the eaves of the abandoned homes he passed, heard it in the slow, methodical banging of window shutters with no one to secure them.

Death has eyes.

Eyes that looked out from the corpses of those the wanderer had not been able to talk into coming with him and the others, that watched him walk down the empty street, searching in vain for any he might help, any he might save.

And with each body passed, each tragedy witnessed, the wanderer made himself a promise.

There would be a reckoning. He would see to it.

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Galaxy Unknown (Forgotten Galaxy #1) – M. R. Forbes

Two hundred years ago, the generation starship Pathfinder fled a war-torn Earth, never to be heard from again.

Now, Captain Caleb Card and his crew are on a mission to investigate a transmission believed to be from the lost ship. Ambushed upon arrival, they immediately fear the worst. But the beacon isn’t only still active, it’s on the move, and where it leads will change everything they thought they knew about the universe. Thrust into a galaxy of danger, treachery, intrigue, and mystery, they’ll need to adapt quickly if they want to survive.

Caleb knows war. He’s been fighting most of his life.

He’s never seen anything like this.

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Gemini Drifter (Gemini Man #2) – J. D. Cowan and Thomas Plutarch

On the Road to Nowhere

Matthew and Jason are on the run. With bounty hunters, magical monsters, and an entire alien world after them, the pair have their work cut out for them. At the same time, a mysterious cult has infiltrated the town of Albion and the only one that can stop them is the Gemini Man.

Can the two fugitives work together to stop the invasion of another world? Or are they doomed to wander the back roads forever?

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Perry Rhodan NEO #14 – Michelle Stern and Christian Humberg

Aescunnar follows Hetcher out into the untamed Martian landscape, desperate to save him and find some answers. Meanwhile, the Tosoma has docked at a Mehandor Web for repair, but intrigue and secrets threaten to derail the mission. Rhodan and his crew face off with an alien race while facing uncomfortable truths among their own ranks.

On Topsid, the chase is on for Eric Manoli and Khatleen-Tarr, who have been forced to go on the run now that dissidents have turned the streets into a war zone. With a hunter on their trail who will stop at nothing, they are forced to take refuge in the sewers. But these are no ordinary sewers, and Manoli is about to learn why the Topsidans fear descending into them…

Back on Earth, Bai Jun is determined to find out what Adams is hiding and sends Lhundup into the depths of the Stardust Tower, where its foundations are being built. Poor Lhundup doesn’t make a very good miner…but who is this mysterious woman he meets there, and what secrets does she hold?

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Soulseer (Divine Progression #2) – Jake Brannigan

Lives saved. Levels gained. Threats higher.

Glenn Redwood, Town Guard, has steadily gained levels while protecting the Townsfolk of Wolfpine and its young adventurers from monsters.

The lives he has saved make his duty worthwhile, and fleeting visits from his childhood sweetheart Becka… now training as a Junior Blazer… makes standing watch a bit more bearable. Glenn is content living a good life among good people. Yet the Gods are far from done with him.

When Glenn’s old friend, Zack Silverstone, and the fugitive Soulseer, Anna Bronzelight, uncover an ancient threat that could destroy Wolfpine, Rebecca Coldbreaker and her fellow Blazers are called to action once more.

Circumstances arranged by the Gods will set Glenn, Zack, and the Blazers on a path that may end up costing all of them their lives. Even if they manage to save Wolfpine, none will ever be the same… and some may not survive.

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Surviving Wormwood (End Times Prophecy #3) – Toby Neighbors

We’ve lived through the worst events in human history. The world is forever, irrevocably changed, and yet I know a secret you may not want to hear… things are only going to get worse.

The global government claims to have everything under control. The wars are dying down, and the death flu has burned itself out. But in North America, the tiny population of survivors are desperately struggling to survive each and every day. So priority one is to find shelter, and priority two is to get the word out. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have run wild over the world, but there are more judgements coming. And no one is safe.

These are the days of the seven years of tribulation. God is removing his protection from the world, and Satan is seizing complete control. A few of us are willing to resist. We risk our lives everyday. But that’s what it takes to stand up for the truth. We see past the political spin, and the excuses of the main stream media. These are the End Days prophesied about in the Bible.

My name is Hank Downes. I’m just a regular guy living through the worst period of human history. This is my story.

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ANVIL: Iron Age Magazine Issue #2 – a crowdfunding campaign from IronAge Media

In this age of derivative and propagandistic mainstream media, creators across mediums and genres have begun pushing back. ANVIL celebrates and highlights those artists and authors drawing inspiration from the roots of comics and pulp. Heralding the rediscovery and refocus on quality over ideology which is already underway, and gaining momentum.

Published and organized by IronAge.Media, a site focused on connecting Iron Age creators with new fans, edited by Daniel P. Riley, of Whimsyland and supported by Jacob Calta of 365 Infantry as Designer. Issue #2 is upping the ante with more fiction and more comics than before, over one hundred pages of short fiction and comics will give you a taste of the best the indie sphere has to offer.

This crowdfunding campaign will remain open until 1 September, 2023.

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Saga of the Swordbreaker: Invincible Under Heaven – a crowdfunding campaign by Kit Sun Cheah

Previously on SAGA OF THE SWORDBREAKER, Li Ming entered the martial forest, filled with dreams of fighting evil and attaining immortality. He battled beasts and bandits, became ensnared in the schemes of the Five States and Ten Corporations, and discovered the dark undercurrents of the rivers and lakes. In the space of a year, all his delusions were stripped away, leaving him wondering what he should do with his life.

Now in the second half of the series, INVINCIBLE UNDER HEAVEN, Li Ming’s journey reaches its climax.

Follow Li Ming as he journeys to attain the apex of martial skill. Witness his rise through the ranks of martial cultivators. Fight beside him as he battles secret societies, powerful monsters, and devil cultivators.

And together, discover the true meaning of the ancient phrase ‘invincible under heaven’.

This crowdfunding campaign will remain open until 21 August, 2023.