In a magical dystopia, one young man would sell his soul to save his siblings-and the Starbrite Corporation is buying-in this all-too-real urban fantasy.Seventeen-year-old Truth Medici scavenges for scraps to eat; weathers his parents' abuse; and battles derelicts, killer pimps, and demons in the soul-crushing stretch of desperation he calls home. Even the cops steer clear of the toxic Harban slums.But just across the canal live the magical elite, with their wealth, flying carpets, gorgeous mages, and custom spell beasts, all thanks to the patronage of the almighty Starbrite Corporation. Getting there, and taking his three vulnerable siblings with him, is Truth's only dream.When Truth's performance on the Starbrite Aptitude Test surpasses all expectations, it's the start of a new life. Granted use of the System Astrologica, his access to spells, cultivation tonics, and knowledge-not to mention real food-is limitless. But in Harban, even dreams come with a price tag . . .Turns out, something more than power has been implanted in Truth. Something beyond his control. As the motto goes, "A Starbrite Man Is Always Ready." But for what? Truth is about to find out. Because he's not just fighting to break free from the slums and save himself and his sibs anymore. Now he's fighting the world itself.
It's humans versus monsters when an apocalypse turns a simple cross-country trek into the road trip from hell in this breakneck LitRPG thrill ride.All that stands between rowdy long-haul trucker Jill MacLeod (aka Junkmouth) and her family back in Boston is two thousand miles of asphalt. Well, that and the monstrous game the System has had her playing ever since it descended on Earth. The reward: mana. Jill's goal: kill, score, drive-and stay alive. Behind the wheel of a turreted forty-ton semi named Bertha, Jill hammers east from Montana through a gauntlet of every kind of chomping, hissing, rabid creature imaginable.Barreling forward in her magical soulbound big rig and chalking up a bumper crop of roadkill, Jill isn't alone for long. Hitching a ride are stranded brothers Babu and Ras Bati, who just want to make it home to Billings in one piece, and Mia Williams, a school nurse with a rotary cannon and a crateful of ammo. The artillery, at least, will be handy, because what lies ahead is the biggest threat of all . . .Arriving in Billings, they find a city in chaos, led by a self-appointed psychopathic mayor using the monster-ravaged ruins for his own ends. But Jill hasn't come this far to be blindsided by a human-no matter how scary. There's still a game to be played: The System is watching, that metal-muscle fortress Bertha is transforming, and Jill and her shotgun-riding friends will do anything it takes to keep the terror in the rear view one gobsmacking mile at a time.
Ex-adventurer Rakta Velbrun navigates an uncertain future?and his otherworlder children's shadowy past lives?in the second book of a moving isekai series. Fighting monsters and managing a lordship are nothing compared to raising adolescents. And Rakta Velbrun should know?he's battled legendary foes to earn renown as a fighter, and delicately navigated dangerous politics to win respect as a ruler. But none of that was as difficult as being a single father to his son, Dalton, and two daughters, Daka and Natakia, all now on the threshold of their tenth birthday. Each of Rakta's children has his or her own strengths as well as concerns. Rakta must hone Daka's wild spirit into a fighter's, nurture Dalton's serious desires for leadership, and support Natakia's wishes to be a noble lady, all while facing one strange and unalienable truth: his children's souls are from another world. Tackling the task of guiding them through their unique struggles would be hard enough, but as the family sets off to celebrate the triplets' birthday in the capital city, they're hunted by a dangerous enemy, one who will stop at nothing to see Rakta, his children, and their allies destroyed. Filled with new discoveries and surprises, Noon is a stunning continuation of the powerful, character-driven series that gracefully tackles themes of fatherhood, coming-of-age, and belonging within a lush and imaginative world.
As legions of undead swarm the Radiant Isles, a young warrior makes a chilling decision for the fate of the people, in this post-apocalyptic fantasy.For years, Zeke Blackwood fought tooth and nail to defend the powerless and avenge the fallen, becoming one of the strongest people in the world and a match for any monster or magic-wielding sorcerer in the Radiant Isles. One life-or-death battle after another forged him into the ideal solder, meant for a war between good and evil. But when an encounter with the demon realm leaves him transformed, his body shattered, he's forced to follow a far more dangerous path.As a cambion, Zeke stands on the thresholds of both Heaven and Hell, belonging to neither. Consumed with frustration at the tireless conflict between the mighty entities vying for supremacy throughout the Isles, he seeks the Portal of Ascension, a gateway that will allow him to escape the mortal realm once and for all.Meanwhile, Abraham Micayne has unleashed hordes of undead creatures in a quest to slaughter the living?or turn them into servants damned to do his foul bidding. Zeke understands this is a fight he can't win, no matter how powerful he becomes. The people of the Radiant Isles will have to face this apocalypse on their own.Now, to reach the Portal of Ascension, Zeke and his companions?his soul-bonded dire bear, Pudge; the unliving Talia Nightingale; and the archer Abby?must search high and low to uncover its location as they battle brigades of demons and other monstrous beings. But even greater enemies hunt the portal, and Zeke will face opposition from a rather unlikely source . . .
From the Dragon Award-nominated author of Astra Academy: One young woman leads a ragtag band of survivors across a fractured, post-alien-invasion America.Hacker Kita Yamasaki would do anything to escape the post-apocalyptic landscape that was the result of the Forever Winter. But for a normal person, the only options are the war-hungry nation-state of Ex Cathedra or the isolationist United California. Fortunately, Kita is anything but normal. When she finds a faded brochure for the BC Oasis-an underground greenhouse capable of sheltering a quarter million people-she jumps at the opportunity, even going so far as to steal a fission battery the oasis requires to operate at full capacity. There's just one problem . . . The battery belongs to the ruthless judges of Ex Cathedra. Now Kita finds herself the target of a deadly chase. In her race to safety, she picks up three fellow travelers: Dallas; his mute daughter, Crouton; and Bishop, a junk hunter. But will they betray her and take the battery for themselves? Is one of them a member of the cultist Iron-Blooded who worship the few remaining alien invaders scattered across Earth's wasteland? Faced with certain death if they're caught by the judges' power-armored soldiers, Kita must put aside her suspicions and make a headlong dash for sanctuary-and the promise of a new life.
Shattered by tragedy, consumed with rage, a young man surrenders his soul for the power to destroy humanity in the first novel of this dark fantasy series. After the death of his beloved mother, Swain is left at the mercy of his drunken father. His only respite from all the beatings and abuse lies in the words he scribbles down, seeking beauty in an ugly world through poetry. He has no friends until one day he meets a girl near his mother's grave. A restless spirit who calls herself Goose, over the years she encourages Swain's creativity, eventually helping him tap into a magical ability he never knew he possessed: a dark energy entwined with his despair, fueled by his anger, and controlled by his poetic verse.But this revelation is swiftly followed by a cruel betrayal that devastates Swain. Unleashing his power, he transforms into the Demon King and spreads a plague across the land, infecting every living creature in his path. He knows there's beauty to be found among the base and selfish people he encounters-the graceful dancer, the perfectionist painter, the master chef-and he twists their artistic desires to serve him. Hollowed out and reborn as undead entities, they join the corrupted army of inhuman beings bent on conquering those the Demon King believes allowed the world to become a horrid ruin.Ruhr, the half-elf river-sorceress adventurer, is in the city when it's besieged by demonic forces. The invasion is her opportunity to earn royal wealth and favor. But while her water magic purifies the monstrous legion, the Demon King marches on to remake the world according to his warped vision of beauty . . .
Secret treasures and otherworldly dangers await a band of adventurers in the second book of this fantasy series set within the Arcane Ascension universe.After the Tortoise Spire climb claims three members of Team Guiding Star Legacy, surviving combat experts Nieve and Hane?teammates by chance if not by choice?cope with their losses by joining another delving group to ascend Tiger Spire. Allied with bickering siblings Rose and Mason, an Architect and a Transmuter, and the Biomancer Lief, they're led by Odette, an Analyst, who has meticulously studied the spire's scenarios to locate the mythical Vault of Shadows and claim its priceless treasures.Their quest takes them aboard a train transporting rare cargo, but their mission is vague. Odette believes they're either supposed to protect the cargo or capture someone. As the team splits into factions to solve the mystery, they encounter the notorious thief known as the Magpie. Sa'rhi Nereux is a Controller, commanding powerful minions to help them steal a creature capable of granting life or death with a single bite.Even if the adventurers are victorious, greater threats await them within the spire if they're to unearth the Vault of Shadows. Nieve, still grieving her lost companions, wants to befriend her new team to face these threats together. But Hane prefers distance, even from Nieve, leaving her to bond instead with a being of unimaginable power . . . Praise for Crystal Awakening ?Nicol's fantasy novel offers a promising start to a new spinoff series, set in former role-playing game designer Rowe's popular Arcane Ascension world. . . . Surprising elements and shocking twists [lead] to a harrowing final life-and-death battle and [set] up an intriguing premise for a continuing series. . . . Fans of anime, RPGs, and the authors' previous work will be eager to follow Guiding Star Legacy's further adventures.? ?Kirkus Reviews
A young man yearning for adventure must confront the harsh reality of a world that might not be the real one to begin with in this LitRPG fantasy adventure. For Prince Hail Teoran, there's never been a greater hero than his own father, a true living legend who came through the gates with his fellow Travelers years ago to rescue the continent of Lagrea from the forces of darkness. Unfortunately, when the young prince actually meets his dad for the first time, he turns out to be, well, a total jerkweed.Naturally, Hail is crushed. That is, until he's visited by a seemingly all-powerful administrator who explains that Hail, his mother, and everyone in their world are part of a game the Travelers are constantly playing. But that doesn't mean Hail isn't special. In fact, as a product of the union between his Traveler father and NPC mother, he's an ever-evolving AI?or native player character?which means he has the ability make his own way, seeking adventure, facing danger, and occasionally screwing up in truly epic fashion. And the more Hail learns, the stronger he grows in levels, stats, and experience, all of which he'll sorely need when his game world faces a peril that did not come to play . . .
A scrappy young off-worlder fights for his life while searching for his missing family in this thrilling LitRPG fantasy series from the author of Ascendant.When Luke Bennet wakes in a world where time flows differently than it does on Earth, he discovers his family, gone missing over the last year, has been dead for a hundred years here. Left to survive in the wilderness as marmots, murderous goblins, giant spiders, and a two-ton raccoon all try to kill him, Aros's latest off-worlder must depend on his newly acquired system to help him level up and live to fight another day. When Luke finally wends his way to civilization, the locals think he's a Guardian-whatever that means. Soon he's brawling in a fight club to earn his keep and hone his skills. But danger finds him both in and outside the ring, and now the dreaded inquisitors are on his tail. With the beautiful, sharp-tongued Zea by his side, he'll have to up his stats and locate the God Machine as quickly as possible if he wants to bring his family back. But nothing's as it appears in this new city, and Luke's own system seems to be trying to manipulate him. If he can't trust it, who can he trust? The first volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series-with more than 600,000 views on Royal Road-now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
A young man finds himself trapped in a nightmarish realm beyond belief in the second installment of this action-packed LitRPG/gamelit series. Lukas Aguilar used to think he knew everything. Mainly because he believed only what he could prove for himself. No gods, fate, or any such nonsense for him. But that seems like a lifetime ago. Because when an earthquake destroyed his earthly home, he suddenly found himself in a dark dungeon world where gods and monsters are all too real-and supreme goddess Inanna had taken up residence in his mind. Upon learning the rules of his new existence-levels, skills, abilities-Lukas fought his way from victory to victory. That is, until he came up against an anomaly that got him killed (at least for a month or so). When he finally reawakes, Inanna is gone, and his own powers have increased exponentially. But that victory comes at a cost. Now Lukas finds himself in a borderland, beyond the reach of the Asukan Gods and rife with ever more lethal paths. They may lead him to Inanna . . . or to his ultimate demise . . . or to ancient secrets that could shatter the very foundation of this world. The only thing that's certain is any path he chooses will result in a whole lot of death and destruction. The second volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series-with almost a million views on Royal Road-now available on Audible and wherever ebooks are sold!
A father travels to the future to team up with himself and change the past in this thrilling sci-fi sequel from the bestselling author of Sol Saga. Andrew Frost doesn't have time to relax. Having defeated an enigmatic killer and made a massive sacrifice to protect his family, he now has an even bigger problem on his hands. It seems his daughter's mere existence could bring about the collapse of the universe. So, on the advice of Tim, his super-intelligent canine AI companion, Andrew decides to travel forward in time to get some help from someone who should know exactly what to do: himself. After journeying through the wormhole, Andrew and Tim arrive in a strange world where the rich inhabit towering skyscrapers in vast metropolises while the poor live in squalor in crumbling ruins walled off from the wealthy. Future Andrew is (not unexpectedly) pissed to see his younger self-and he's mysteriously strong for his own advanced age. Whether they want to or not, Andrew and Tim will have to work with their alternate selves to find out how to stop the destruction of the universe. But they'll also need to watch their backs. Because a deadly enemy has returned, poised to wipe out any Andrew from any timeline . . .
A young woman navigates a web of politics, assassination attempts, and romance in the first book of a new series set in the world of the House Witch trilogy.Katarina Ashowan was not made for courtly life. Sure, her father is the famous house witch of Daxaria so she was raised among majestic castles, proper manners, and royal expectations. But Kat is also a mutated witch whose power aligns predominantly with fire. She's more comfortable riding horses or learning to fight than she is making polite conversation and wearing fancy dresses. Which is why her upcoming assignment-serving her best friend, Alina, the soon-to-be crowned Troivackian queen-is anything but ideal.Even worse, Kat is forced to make the long journey from Daxaria to Troivack with Alina's extremely irksome brother, Eric, the crown prince of Daxaria. Kat and the formerly missing prince are constantly at each other's throats-until, that is, they begin to form an unexpected kinship . . . with perhaps something more flickering beneath the surface. Now Kat must contend with the strictures of Troivackian court, mysterious assassination attempts, and her unsettling new feelings for Eric, all as her fiery powers are becoming harder and harder to control.In this fast-paced, humorous, and romantic start to the Burning Witch trilogy, the same charming magical mayhem that wooed readers of the House Witch series gets a brightly burning new star in Katarina Ashowan.
From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Dresden Files comes an all-new, action-packed fantasy adventure set in the Cinder Spires universe. Benedict Sorellin-Lancaster hasn't even broken in his lieutenant's insignia when he's summoned to meet with the Spirearch of Spire Albion himself for a very special-and very secret-purpose. The Spirearch needs Benedict to retrieve a bag he's "misplaced" on the Colony Spire known as Dependence, which has strangely cut off all contact with the outside world. It's a delicate mission at best, a potential bloodbath at worst. To this end, the Spirearch has supplied Benedict with backup in the form of three Warriorborn. But unlike the courageous lieutenant, this trio has formerly used its special gifts for crime, carnage, and outright bloody murder. And all of them were caught and imprisoned because of Benedict. Now, if they behave-and make it back alive-they'll go free. But when the odd squad reaches Dependence, they soon discover something waiting for them: a horrific weapon that could shatter the balance of power among the Spires. And Benedict will have to bring his own Warriorborn skills to bear if he, his team, and Spire Albion are to have any hope of survival . . . "While readers familiar with the series will have a better understating of the ins and outs of the Cinder Spires world, this is mostly a stand-alone story that, despite its brevity, packs a lot of punch in an engaging, fast-paced read with well-defined characters . . . Add Steampunk vibes, terrifying monsters, charming talking cats, and an open ending that tantalizes readers into reading the series-this is a recipe for success. A delectable slice of SF adventure." -Kirkus Reviews
Imbued with superhuman power, a young woman becomes the ultimate weapon, in this post-apocalyptic cyberpunk series from the bestselling author of Death: Genesis. Ninety years ago, Earth was consumed?and irrevocably transformed?by a cloud of alien nanites known as the Mist, bestowing humanity with uncanny abilities and enhancing technology far beyond early twenty-first century science. But these advancements came at a high price: Billions are dead. The planet has been overrun by vicious monsters. And alien overlords await the opportunity to swoop in and exploit what remains of Earth and its people for all their worth. Mirabelle Braddock was born into this much-changed world. In the megacity of Nova, built above the flooded ruins of New Orleans, she lives a privileged, though isolated, life as the niece of Jeremiah Braddock. Jeremiah survived the onset of the Mist to become one of the planet's most dangerous men, and he intends to use his hard-earned power to accomplish a single goal: train Mira to withstand Earth's imminent Integration into the larger galaxy. Soon, the alien factions waiting in the wings will descend and strip the planet bare, leaving little more than a wasteland. To ensure Mira's survival, Jeremiah has given her a unique Tier 7 Nexus Implant, granting her abilities heretofore unseen. Further augmented with cybernetics and an arsenal of advanced weaponry, Mira has the potential to become the most powerful being on Earth?and possibly even save the world from its seemingly inevitable destruction.
A young woman must navigate the dangers of a strange new world filled with magic and mystery in this imaginative and highly detailed LitRPG adventure.When Alice Verianna went to sleep, she was just another teen from the Denver suburbs. She definitely didn't expect to be transported to a magical alternate dimension, inhabited by monsters and presided over by a mysterious System. Here, people resemble RPG characters and everyone has access to their own status screens. Alice is determined to figure out why.Grappling with the mechanics of the elusive System isn't the only challenge Alice faces. It seems an underground organization known as the Society of Starry Eyes has taken a particular interest in other dimensions. If they find out about Alice, they will stop at nothing to hunt her down and forcibly extract from her the secrets of her world.Now, in addition to pursuing her own scientific endeavors, as well as learning to harness the magic that surrounds her, Alice must uncover the Society's ultimate intention-and piece together how she ended up here in first place-before it's too late . . .
Maven Alice enters a deadly game in which the ultimate prize could mean ultimate ruin in the second book of this dark progression-fantasy series. Back when Morgan Mallory was human, she dreamed of magic while drowning in self-destruction. Then she was transported to a fantastical new reality, and her dream turned into a waking nightmare. To survive against the monsters of the labyrinthine land of Pandaemonium, she became Maven Alice, a soul-devouring demon who kills with blade and spell. Now that she's tasted blood and escaped a fae king's trap, Alice has been pitted against six fearsome rivals in a contest in which the stakes are no less than life or death. Meanwhile, she's haunted by questions: Can she trust the mysterious changeling, Cheshire, who says she loves Alice? And what does the dark god of this universe really want with her? In order to get answers, she'll have to play-and win-the Game of Glass . . . Mixing elements of fairy tale, mythology, and horror, this seductive and disturbing fantasy inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is familiar and strange in equal measure. The second volume of the hit portal-fantasy series-originally released on Royal Road-now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
Romance, drudgery, and dungeons collide in the second book of this inventive progression-fantasy series blending office humor and RPGs. Ever since James Lyle found an alternate dimension hidden in the stairwell of his workplace, things have been, well, weird. For one thing, when he's not working the night shift, he's battling killer mail carts and ravenous swarms of sticky notes. For another, he's dealing with some very complex and intense emotions for several of his friends. Meanwhile, his parents have offloaded his younger sister on him, a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things but it certainly doesn't help. As if all this weren't enough, James's voyages into the dungeon world seem to be having a strange effect on the world in which he actually lives. His memories are disappearing, changing?to the point where people he knows should exist somehow seem to have been wiped from reality. Logic would say he and his questing mates should maybe, I don't know, stop heading into the eerie maze of seemingly endless cubicles and dubiously useful skill orbs? But if James is going to set his plane of existence right, he'll need to defeat the corporate darkness he's uncovered . . . Blending slice of life with snarky working-class humor, brilliant role-playing mechanics, and irresistible world-building, The Daily Grind 2 is a pitch-perfect continuation of an epic series, guaranteed to charm anyone who's ever dealt with the nine-to-five slog.
A heroic young Earthling continues his adventures beyond the realm of the living in the thrilling third installment of this action-packed fantasy series.Victor has seen better days. He just barely survived a savage showdown with the lethal warrior woman Rellia, which left her minus a foot and apparently cost him the life essence of his trusted magical axe, Lifedrinker. Then, much to Victor's surprise, Rellia asks him to visit her. And she does so not as an enemy but as an honorable opponent who owes him for sparing her life. Rellia wishes Victor's aid in claiming her family's land stake in a dangerous far-off realm. In return, he'll receive his own land and a place among the elite.But first, Victor must become even more powerful than he already is. To that end, he ventures into the wilderness, battling foes of every conceivable stripe in both the mortal and the spiritual realms in a never-ending storm of blood, and eventually uncovers a shocking truth. It turns out, he didn't simply stumble into the world of Fanwath. He was deliberately brought there by a cabal of magic users with their own sinister plans.Now, Victor must find the cabal, learn why they stole his former life away from him?and make them seriously regret it . . .
A laugh-out-loud, slice-of-life martial-arts fantasy about . . . farming????Jin Rou wanted to be a cultivator. A man powerful enough to defy the heavens. A master of martial arts. A lord of spiritual power. Unfortunately for him, he died, and now I'm stuck in his body.Arrogant Masters? Heavenly Tribulations? All that violence and bloodshed? Yeah, no thanks. I'm getting out of here.Farm life sounds pretty great. Tilling a field by hand is fun when you've got the strength of ten men?though maybe I shouldn't have fed those Spirit Herbs to my pet rooster. I'm not used to seeing a chicken move with such grace . . . but Qi makes everything kind of wonky, so it's probably fine.Instead of a lifetime of battle, my biggest concerns are building a house, the size of my harvest, and the way the girl from the nearby village glares at me when I tease her.A slow, simple, fulfilling life in a place where nothing exciting or out of the ordinary ever happens . . . right?
Could a seemingly average Premier League fan oversee a football club better than a top manager? Max is starting to think so . . . Max Best is not living his?ahem?best life. His job's a drag, his home's a shooting gallery, his hopes are nil, and lately, even his beloved game of football has devolved from a chaotic, ecstatic delight into a cold, calculating equation complete with stats, tech terms, and mindless lingo. But then Max rescues a mysterious old man from a mugging. ?Nick? seems friendly enough . . . until he innocently asks his saviour, ?Would you sell your soul to be a top football manager?" Naturally, Max says yes, and in that instant, everything changes. Suddenly, whenever he watches a footie match, the skills and attributes of every player are visible to him within an eyes-only display. While he's terrified at first, he quickly learns to appreciate his abilities?even embracing them to gain his own level-ups and experience. And he's going to need them. Because his otherworldly talent is about to have a massive effect on his real-world existence, catapulting him from small local matches to the insanity of top-tier football. But the more he succeeds, the more he's torn between the simple, happy fanatic he once was and the master of the pitch he's becoming. Soon Max will have to ask himself: Is football really a matter of life or death? Or is there something more important worth fighting for?
A hero's journey teeming with monsters and mystery is thrust upon an ordinary girl, who must struggle to stay alive, feed her family, and save the world. It wasn't the day the Gates appeared that changed Jynn's life; she'd only ever known an Earth where hordes of interdimensional monsters terrorized humanity. No, Jynn's life changed forever when she graduated from high school and tested positive as a Hunter: a breed of enhanced humans evolved to challenge the monsters who are ushering in Earth's apocalypse. The only problem is . . . she has the very lowest stats possible. Struggling to compete with the more powerful and skilled Hunters and barely able to support her family with the scant kills she does manage to log, Jynn knows she's fighting a losing battle. When she's suddenly kidnapped while on a Hunting trip, a mysterious System offers to make Jynn stronger if she agrees to become a pawn in its quest for revenge. Without regard for the consequences, she jumps at the opportunity. Now, fused body and soul to a System dictating her every move, Jynn endeavors to balance her new mission with her responsibilities as a Hunter. And as she levels up, defeating monsters and developing new skills, she'll soon discover the weakest Hunter in history might be the only thing standing between Earth and its total destruction. The first volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series-with almost 600,000 views on Royal Road-now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
Enter a frighteningly familiar dystopian world with the first book of a new series from the author of Falling with Folded Wings and Victor of Tucson. In the year 2107, the world has both made astounding leaps forward and reduced humanity to its most basic existence. While the megacorps and those who rule them enjoy lives of extraordinary comfort and ease, most people barely scrape by, doing whatever they can to keep going. Juliet Bianchi is one of the latter. She works cutting metal in a scrapyard and doesn't have much to show for it except for a small group of equally bereft, fiercely loyal friends. Still, she maintains a bright disposition, possessing more hope and optimism than anyone would expect her to?and she's going to need it . . . When Juliet stumbles upon what looks like a botched kidnapping, the victim dispatches his abductors and lives just long enough to give her a stolen AI chip. This gift soon transforms Juliet from a worker bee into a killer queen. Armed with far more power and skill than she can comprehend?let alone control?she finds herself drawn into a shadowy world where survival itself counts as victory. Juliet has never been one to push people around. But when it comes to fighting the corrupt corporate overlords, she's more than happy to push back.
A lone survivor embarks on a post-apocalyptic quest for revenge in the seventh installment of this gritty zombie-thriller series. Killing the sadistic warlord known as the Dog Tongue took everything Gus Berry had, including the woman he loved. Now, all he wants is to get away from the bloody scene of their final showdown. But when he heads west in a stolen truck, a brutal snowstorm forces him to turn back?and seek refuge in the Dog Tongue's former headquarters. Though it's littered with human carnage, the abandoned luxury hotel has a lot to offer a guy like Gus. But in addition to soft beds and working toilets, he encounters still-lurking dangers both living and undead. Determined to destroy the Dog Tongue's followers once and for all, he resolves to follow their ominous trail wherever it may lead . . . Combining dystopian suspense and zombie-killing action with complex characters and dark humor, Skull Road is the seventh book in Keith C. Blackmore's thrilling Mountain Man series?perfect for fans of HBO's The Last of Us
A new generation fights back against the undead in the final volume of this zombie horror trilogy perfect for fans of HBO's The Last of Us. Lucas and Lena Morel were children when the zombie plague was first unleashed on the world. Surviving for ten years against all odds, they now lead a small but disciplined team of fighters: a mere eight souls gathered from across Europe, dedicated to salvaging what remains of humanity. Having fought numerous battles together, this brave band has grown into a formidable unit. But they're not the only ones who've gotten stronger and more resilient. The zombie hordes have developed new methods of increasing their numbers-methods that make life in the so-called safe zones increasingly unsustainable.To turn the tide of death, Lucas and Lena must execute a dangerous information-gathering mission across the Adriatic Sea. But as they attempt to learn what they can from the zombie-controlled city of Shkodër, they will discover lessons in monstrosity from an all-too-human past.Following The Stranded and The Lost, and available for the first time in English, The Battered is the climactic final novel in Dinko Skopljak's apocalyptic trilogy.
An Earthling villain must learn to embrace her inner bureaucrat in the second volume of this inventive series mixing humor, cyberpunk, and fantasy. Via, aka "Empress," used to be a Supervillain-powerful, cunning, manipulative, cruel-until one of her technological innovations glitched and stranded her and her nemesis, the Hero Electra, in an alternate realm. Now, despite her best world-dominating intentions, Via finds herself in a position she never thought she'd be in: local politician. With her attention divided among building up her city's defenses, using her high-tech prowess to create amazing industrial inventions, and helping her citizens with their never-ending litany of requests and concerns, Via hasn't had much time for scheming or wickedness. So when a lesser Vecorvian royal lands on her doorstep seeking asylum and assistance in battling the manipulative Seneschal who's taken over the city of Silverwall, it's time to let her villainy shine. Only, the more she plans her attack, the more she realizes that if she has any hope of success, she'll need to learn to work with others and even make *gulp* friends . . . A wise-cracking, fast-moving, action-packed isekai, Be Thou My Brilliant is an irresistible continuation of the series that blends the best of superhero stories, LitRPG, and character-driven urban fantasy. The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than one million views on Royal Road-now available on Audible and wherever ebooks are sold!
Surviving the zombie apocalypse requires supplies?like booze, weapons . . . and toilet paper?in the second prequel to the Mountain Man series. Living off the land and adapting to a changing environment takes a special individual with the unique skills, training, and determination necessary to survive. Gus Berry is not that individual. The former house painter barely made it out of Annapolis as its population underwent a violent transformation, leaving everyone he knew and loved dead?or undead. Now, Gus needs food and booze, weapons and armor, clothing that fits, and above all, toilet paper, preferably two-ply. But getting his hands on any of these essentials requires the one thing he can't face doing, and that's leaving his modern mountain fortress and returning to Annapolis and the horrors that roam its streets in search of the living. With winter looming, Gus must procure these much-needed supplies quickly, before the snow piles too high and blocks the roads. And that's when he'll face the greatest challenge of all: maintaining his sanity . . .
An overnight gig turns into a nightmare when zombies start coming for blood in this prequel to the apocalyptic horror series. After a long day on the job, house painter Gus Berry is looking forward to relaxing and hanging out with his girlfriend before returning to work the next day. That's not going to happen though. Gus's coworker Benny has found them a painting gig at the local Mollymart East, and it has to be done by morning. If Gus and his crew can complete the work on time, it could mean huge business with a major grocery store chain. But as Gus and his fellow painters are about to discover, the much-anticipated zombie apocalypse doesn't start with a bang but on a Monday. And barricading themselves inside a megastore isn't the end?it's only the beginning . . .
Four friends work together to break the system and make the world a better place in this cozy, fun-filled fantasy-adventure filled with twists and turns.In the Prime Kingdoms, the system dominates everything. It dictates one's strength, skills, and power. It spawns dungeons and guides the actions of their monsters. But every system has its limits, and it's about to push four oddball adventurers to theirs.First there's Derivan, an enchanted suit of armor in the middle of an existential crisis. And then there's the tanklike half-orc Misa, who loves exploiting the system but misses her family-unlike the anxious-but-lovable Vex, a lizardkin wizard who's run away from his own. And lastly there's Sev, a cleric who would rather have tea with his god than worship him. None are prepared when a simple quest goes off the rails, interrupted by the appearance of a mysterious dungeon linked to each of them.Something is deeply wrong within the Prime Kingdoms. The system is malfunctioning, and the world itself seems to be falling apart. If Derivan, Misa, Vex, and Sev hope to survive-let alone determine the source of the chaos-they must rely on their trust for one another, share their secrets, and perhaps even engage in a bit of healthy communication.Now if only everyone else would do the same . . .
\*\*\*A Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of 2023\*\*\* In this action-packed space-opera adventure, one disadvantaged hero must ask himself: How do you defeat a galactic empire that can read your every thought? The Majority always gets what it wants. Thomas Hill just wishes it didn't want him. There's no way to escape a galactic mob of mind readers, no way for him to blend in with his foster family and other average Americans. Because Thomas invented a way to save his own life. His custom medicine halts the progress of his degenerative neuromuscular disease. Newscasters proclaim him the next Einstein, but mere humans have no idea his bioengineered processing capacity rivals that of a supercomputer. They just think he's smart. However, there are other bioengineered supergeniuses in the Majority. In fact, it's shepherded by them. Some?such as the teenager known as the Upward Governess?are secretly trying to devise opportunities to break free from social constraints so they can invent weapons of planetary annihilation and become unchallenged masters of all living things. If Thomas is going to end the utopian tyranny of supergeniuses and their sycophants and slaves, he'll need more than cunning. He'll need social skills. Oh, and power. Lots and lots of power. It's a good thing his friendly foster sister has befriended a colossal superhuman. Ariock is oblivious to his own dangerous powers and wrongly assumes he's just an overgrown loser. Superhumans like him are doomed to die as entertainment fodder for the Majority?unless Thomas can figure out a way to trick thirty trillion telepaths . . . ?Thoughtful explorations of morality, altruism, justice and mercy, and the idea that godlike powers come with godlike responsibilities add depth and breadth to this auspicious entry in SF literature's mutant-superman genre. . . . An Earth-shaking opening to the chronicle of a rapacious galactic empire.? ?Kirkus Reviews ?Engaging from the start, this complex space opera features relatable, believable characters; highly original, meticulous world building; and difficult ethical and moral dilemmas. Both young adult and adult readers are sure to be absorbed by Thomas' intergalactic journey. Luckily this is just the first installment of an epic series.? ?Booklist
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