Best of
Space-Opera

2014

Empire of Man


David Weber - 2014
    It probably wasn't too surprising that someone in his position should react by becoming spoiled, self-centered, and petulant. After all, what else did he have to do with his life?  Then warships of the Empire of Man's worst rivals force his crippled vessel out of space and Roger is shipwrecked on the planet Marduk, whose jungles are full of deadly predators and barbarian hordes with really bad dispositions. Now all Roger has to do is hike halfway around the entire planet, then capture a spaceport from the Bad Guys, somehow commandeer a starship, and then go home to Mother for explanations.  Fortunately, Roger has an ace in the hole: Bravo Company of Bronze Battalion of The Empress' Own Regiment. If anyone can get him off Marduk alive, it's the Bronze Barbarians.About The Empire of Man Series:"Will fascinate sophisticated readers (the manual of arms for a four-armed, 10-foot soldier is a thing of beauty) . . . [and] grip straightforward action lovers."—Publishers Weekly"Coauthors Weber and Ringo excel in depicting the lives and times of soldiers both on and off the battlefield."—Library Journal

Throne of Stars


David Weber - 2014
    After much travail, Roger has developed into a competent and compassionate leader of men. That competence will be tested when Roger and the Marines face an even greater challenge. The Throne of Man has been usurped. With his brother dead and the forces of an interstellar empire arrayed against him, Roger must avenge his family and fight for the just rule of a thousand stars.About The Empire of Man Series:"Will fascinate sophisticated readers (the manual of arms for a four-armed, ten-foot soldier is a thing of beauty) . . . [and] grip straightforward action lovers." Publishers Weekly"Coauthors Weber and Ringo excel in depicting the lives and times of soldiers both on and off the battlefield." Library Journal

The Abyss Beyond Dreams


Peter F. Hamilton - 2014
    Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel—self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void.Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics—the Fallers—that are intelligent but merciless killers.Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever—if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers’ relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers—before he is killed by the very people he has come to save.

Starship's Mage: Omnibus


Glynn Stewart - 2014
    With no family or connections to find a ship, he is forced to service on an interstellar freighter known to be hunted by pirates. When he takes drastic action to save the "Blue Jay" from their pursuers, he sets in motion a sequence of events beyond his control - and attracts enemies on both sides of the law! Starship's Mage was originally released as five separate episodes.

Rookie Privateer


Jamie McFarlane - 2014
    When you are old enough to finally become an Earth Mars citizen, everything should be perfect. Right? Not for Liam Hoffen. He's stuck on a mining asteroid called Colony 40, helping his father work a claim that is never going to pay out. His best friend, Nick James is set for life in James' Rental business and Liam just discovered that the girl he's known forever thinks he's pretty great and now she's leaving for the Mars Naval Academy. Liam dreams of sailing the stars. Whenever he gets the chance, he jets into space and floats, wishing to be free of the asteroid that has claimed him. What he doesn't realize is that fate is about to change everything. Sometimes you have to lose parts of yourself to gain the stars, and Liam discovers that while it isn't easy to literally lose parts of yourself to the pirates who attacked your home, gaining the stars is worth everything. He and Nick are about to find out what the real world has to offer and they end up meeting exciting people along the way.

Into the Dark


J.A. Sutherland - 2014
    Her options are few. She must marry and watch a stranger run the lands, or become a penniless tenant and see the lands she so dearly loves sold off. Yet there may be another option, one that involves becoming a midshipman on a shorthanded spaceship with no other women.

Starship's Mage: Episode 5


Glynn Stewart - 2014
     But even at the outlaw station of Darkport, their enemies have sought them out – and now the very leader of the galaxy’s largest crime syndicate pursues them with a stolen warship. With their backs to the wall, the Blue Jay’s crew must seek any edge to survive, for one thing is certain: This will end in fire. Starship's Mage Episode 5 is a 26,335 word novella, the last of five in a serial. An omnibus of all five episodes has also been released.

Olympus


Ivan Kal - 2014
    Earth is recovering from a devastating nuclear war. An age of technological advancement. A find at the bottom of the Ocean. A man driven by a dream. The time for humanity to reach to the stars is now. A find provides Tomas Klein with the tools to speed up his timetable and execute his plans. He will reach for the stars, the only question is will humanity follow? Adrian Farkas an orphan boy, is given opportunity to change his bleak future. To go to space, and shape the future of all mankind. Will he rise up to the challenge? Olympus is 73,000 word novel and the first book in the "Rise of the Empire" series, it sets the stage and introduces the characters for the books to come, and is a origin story for the main characters. The series will follow humanity as it takes its first steps into the Solar system and beyond, eventually becoming a true galaxy spanning empire. Rise of the Empire Book 1 - OlympusRise of the Empire Book 2 - Sanctuary Rise of the Empire Book 3 - Out of the Ashes Rise of the Empire Book 4 - Warpath

No Honor in Death


Eric Thomson - 2014
    Some called her overly aggressive. Others simply called her reckless. What the enemy called her was something else altogether. That she gave the Shrehari a good drubbing along the way didn't matter in the least, because not all her enemies wore an Imperial uniform. A reputation for bad luck was pretty much the only reputation she had left.Sailing yet another ruined starship home after a near defeat, she wanted nothing more than a long, long rest, because this time, she had escaped by the thinnest of bluffs. Unfortunately, the Admiralty had other ideas.  The frigate Stingray was known as the unluckiest ship in the Fleet and her Captain had just been removed in disgrace for cowardice. Some in the Admiralty would dearly love to retire the old warhorse. After all, she was the last of her type left in service, and perhaps it was time to break up the jinx permanently, along with the crew. But in the midst of an interstellar war, every ship that could fight was needed.In short order, Dunmoore went from staring down the Empire's finest on the bridge of a wrecked battleship to taking on a demoralized, semi-mutinous crew, scheming Admirals and a deadly mystery. Stingray's bad luck wasn't just superstition gone rampant. Between a crew that won't talk, political enemies who want her gone, and her personal demons, she's got her hands full. Taking the frigate into battle under those conditions would seem foolish to anyone else, but Dunmoore was never one to shrink from a good fight.  Failure was not an option, and defeat not an acceptable alternative, for there was no honor in death. She would redeem herself and her ship or be damned for all eternity.

Starship's Mage: Episode 4


Glynn Stewart - 2014
    But other powers have learned about the Blue Jay, whose Ship’s Mage has transformed her into a deadly weapon. Bounty hunters trail Damien Montgomery and the crew at every turn, forcing them to seek new allies. With both the criminal underworld and the soldiers of Mars pursuing them, they make a deal for a risky delivery in the shadow of a dead system. On the run, the Blue Jay and her crew set a course for the Fringe worlds, trailed by powerful forces who will stop at nothing to bring them to heel. Starship’s Mage is space opera set in a future we would never have predicted: where humanity’s far flung interstellar colonies are tied together by the Protectorate of the Mage King of Mars and the magic of the Jump Mages. Starship's Mage: Episode 4 is a 23,775 word novella, the fourth of five in a serial. All five episodes have been released, including an Omnibus of the entire serial.

Empire of Bones


Terry Mixon - 2014
    Long live the Empire! Commander Jared Mertz, the bastard son of the Emperor, and his half-sister, Princess Kelsey, barely speak to one another. To their dismay, their father seizes an opportunity to change that and sends them on a dangerous quest to explore the fallen Empire. Separated from home by an impassable gulf and struggling to redefine their relationship, they find themselves thrust into a vicious war. Unless they work together to stop the Empire’s deadly legacy, billions face a horrific fate.

Starship's Mage: Episode 3


Glynn Stewart - 2014
    Wanted as criminals, they seek sanctuary in the UnArcana worlds. When the Captain is offered a contract by the secret enemies of the Mage King, Damien must ask himself: how far can a Mage trust those who despise all things magic? Starship’s Mage is space opera set in a future we would never have predicted: where humanity’s far flung interstellar colonies are tied together by the Protectorate of the Mage King of Mars and the magic of the Jump Mages. Starship's Mage: Episode 3 is a 25,786 word novella, the third of five in a serial. All five episodes have been released, including an Omnibus of the entire serial.

A Call to Duty


David Weber - 2014
    the two things his neglectful mother couldn't or wouldn't provide. So when Travis enlisted in the Royal Manticoran Navy, he thought he'd finally found the structure he'd always wanted so desperately.But life in the RMN isn't exactly what he expected. Boot camp is rough and frustrating; his first ship assignment lax and disorderly; and with the Star Kingdom of Manticore still recovering from a devastating plague, the Navy is possibly on the edge of extinction.The Star Kingdom is a minor nation among the worlds of the Diaspora, its closest neighbors weeks or months away, with little in the way of resources. With only modest interstellar trade, no foreign contacts to speak of, a plague-ravaged economy to rebuild, and no enemies looming at the hyper limit, there are factions in Parliament who want nothing more than to scrap the Navy and shift its resources and manpower elsewhere.But those factions are mistaken. The universe is not a safe place.Travis Long is about to find that out.

Starship's Mage: Episode 2


Glynn Stewart - 2014
    Starship’s Mage is set in a future we would never have predicted: where humanity’s far flung interstellar colonies are tied together by the Protectorate of the Mage King of Mars and the magic of the Jump Mages.Damien Montgomery, Ship’s Mage on an interstellar freighter, broke the rules to save his ship from pirates.Now he and his crew must repair the damage and find a cargo – without anyone learning how they survived!

The Churn


James S.A. Corey - 2014
    Corey...Before his trip to the stars, before the Rocinante, Amos Burton was confined to a Baltimore where crime paid you or killed you. Unless the authorities got to you first. Set in the hard-scrabble solar system of the Expanse, The Churn deepens James S. A. Corey's acclaimed series.The Expanse (a major SyFy Channel television series)Leviathan WakesCaliban's WarAbaddon's GateCibola BurnNemesis GamesThe Expanse Short Fiction The Butcher of Anderson StationGods of RiskThe Churn

No Middle Ground


Caleb Wachter - 2014
    With twenty years of military service under his belt, it was time to settle down on a colony somewhere and start the next phase of his life. But without warning, the Empire of Man withdrew its support of the Confederated Spineward Sectors, taking the vast majority of high-value military assets - including capable officers - with it. The would-be retiring Lieutenant Commander was improbably given a field commission of Captain, and tasked with a simple 'wave the flag' operation by his even more improbable commanding officer, Admiral Jason Montagne. So Captain Middleton set out to patrol the adjacent Sectors, and carry out his orders to the best of his ability. But, as is so often the case, one thing leads to another and Middleton finds himself and his ancient warship, the Pride of Prometheus, caught in quandary after quandary as the shadows of a Sector-wide conspiracy loom wherever they turn. The further down the rabbit hole he goes, the less he likes what he finds and his simple patrol mission soon turns into something much, much larger. With a crew of rookies and society's unwanted - including a pair of teenagers from a world very different from his own - Captain Middleton will discover one simple, incontrovertible truth: In life, there is no middle ground.

First Strike


Christopher G. Nuttall - 2014
    It’s desperate. And it’s Earth’s only hope. A massive alien power looms over humanity, claiming Earth as its territory and humanity as its slaves. The Hegemony has already taken over one colony, yoking hundreds of thousands under their brutal rule. Every tactical exercise, every wargame and every simulation gives humanity zero chance in a defensive campaign. Earth’s only chance to win the coming war - is by striking first.

Swallow the Sky: A Space Opera


Chris Mead - 2014
    Professionally edited and proofed..Swallow the Sky embodies the essence of classic science fiction: real science, adventure, high spirits, and above all, a sense of wonder.Galactic culture is still reverberating from the nanotech disaster that destroyed Earth. But this is ancient history to Carson, an inter-stellar mailman and a collector of antique technology, until he learns of the secret location of Earth’s lost treasures. Carson is not alone in his discovery and becomes embroiled with a wealthy megalomaniac determined to capture the bounty for himself. As their race across the galaxy accelerates it becomes chillingly clear that far more is at stake than ancient artifacts, leading to the protagonists’ final confrontation in the ruined kingdom of Sol."Somewhere, EE Smith, Gene Roddenberry, and Iain Banks are sitting around wishing they'd written a Space Opera as entertaining as Swallow the Sky. Intelligent world-building, strong characterization, and settings that are just rip-roaring good fun! It tells a tale the old-fashioned way - brilliantly!"Chris Garcia, Hugo award-winning editor“This book is fun, filled with machines who have sassy personalities, leviathans who enjoy a good-natured game of hide-and-seek, and sentient insects who trust that someday, humans will evolve... Carson really is a unique antique himself, and an adorable good-guy to spend time with as a reader.”Yvette Keller, Science Fiction in San Francisco Magazine

Boone's Journey


Kirstin Pulioff - 2014
    Talia likes her solo expeditions - no micromanagement, no small talk, and no one to share her hidden stash of vodka. But when the mission goes awry and her cruiser malfunctions, isolation can have deadly consequences.

The Synchronicity War Part 4


Dietmar Arthur Wehr - 2014
    Over a hundred Sogas ships appear to be headed for Earth and Space Force is in no condition to stop them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the nightmarish Insectoids will be arriving in Earth orbit within months to finish off the survivors of the impending Sogas attack. Admiral Victor Shiloh, Commander Amanda Kelly and Valkyrie will have to make some heartbreaking decisions if Humanity is to have any chance at all of avoiding extinction in this final chapter of the Synchronicity War saga.The paperback version is now available on createspace.com.Fans of this series will also like The Retro War, a stand-alone novella set in the same Synchronicity War Universe.

Exploration Command


Doug Dandridge - 2014
    Short on every resource but the intelligence of their personnel, Exploration Command goes where no human has gone before, discovering new worlds, species and civilizations, pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and always on the lookout for new discoveries that could help the Empire in its struggle against the invader. In this volume are three novelettes about Exploration Command, the scientific part of the Fleet. In Retribution, a Command team finds a devastated alien civilization being aided by missionaries from the Empire. Or are they? In Timeless, an ancient derelict is found in a place where no ship should be. Does it hide the secrets to a technology the Empire has sought for over a thousand years? And in They Don't Care, alien species are being wiped out by a renegade race. Can a single two ship team stop them, or will more species go into the long night? For those readers of Exodus: Empires at War, these stories fill in some of the background of the Empire and add to the series. For newcomers, they are a great introduction to the series.

The Gates of Hell


Jay Allan - 2014
    He's led massive armies in the greatest battles ever fought in space. But once he was only a captain, thrust into command when a crucial operation went horribly awry. The Second Frontier War had raged for a decade. Throughout human-occupied space, worlds were in ruins, the battlegrounds of the Superpowers' eternal struggle. The climactic battle would be fought on the planet Persis, and Holm would have to fight not only the Caliphate's elite Janissary soldiers, but treachery and betrayal from his own government. The Gates of Hell is not a full length novel - it is a prequel novella set in the Crimson Worlds universe. The Crimson Worlds Series: Crimson Worlds I: Marines Crimson Worlds II: The Cost of Victory Crimson Worlds III: A Little Rebellion Crimson Worlds IV: The First Imperium Crimson Worlds V: The Line Must Hold Crimson Worlds VI: To Hell's Heart Crimson Worlds VII: The Shadow Legions Prequel Novellas Tombstone Bitter Glory The Gates of Hell Coming April 2014: Crimson Worlds VIII: Even Legends Die

Shiva XIV


Lyra Shanti - 2014
    A galaxy in peril. And only the reincarnation of an ancient god can save them.Prophesied to become the messiah of his kingdom, Ayn is charged with saving his people from disease and war. But when an unknown enemy threatens everyone he loves, the destiny he thought was his spins out of control.His sheltered existence torn asunder, Ayn finds himself on an epic journey where he meets new friends, foes, and a mysterious cat creature that no one but Ayn can see. Is the supposed reincarnation of "The Great Adin" losing his sanity? Or is everything guided by Fate? Ayn must decide before the entire galaxy is destroyed! *Adult themes, intended for mature teens and up.Other books in the series:The Veil of Truth: Book 2The Riddle of the Gods: Book 3The River of Time: Book 4

The Return: Conglomerate Series


William S. Frisbee Jr. - 2014
     When the battle was over, the enemy fleet was shattered and Luke Kishi had lost the love of his life. She had made him promise to live, and he would keep that promise. However, on the other end of the wormhole the Conglomerate had other plans. It was a harsh and unforgiving society and Luke became a mercenary, fighting for the ruling Topa. Wishing for death, but honor bound to live; Luke receives a mission that sends him to a distant corner of the Conglomerate. The Topa have plans within plans, and Luke has to find something worth living for besides honor or the human race will executed.

Spitfire Station: Triple-Cross


Richard Tongue - 2014
    A former operative of the Triplanetary Service drafted back into the fleet, he has been placed in command of a run-down space station in the middle of nowhere, a haven for smugglers and petty criminals, with a crew of drunks, has-beens and rogues. When the most wanted man in the galaxy arrives on his station with the spaceships and assassins of four governments on his tail – a man that Logan is sworn to protect – he must keep the peace and prevent the outbreak of a new Interplanetary War...or die in the attempt... Triple-Cross is the first book in the 'Spitfire Station' series, a spin-off from the 'Battlecruiser Alamo' series of novels.

Far From Home: The Complete Second Series


Tony Healey - 2014
    The series has proved a best-selling sensation and has captured readers imaginations the world over. So buckle up and prepare for the ride of your life!

Children of Earth: Tales from the 23rd Century Book 1


Paul J. Fleming - 2014
    Attacks against Martian corporate interests within the colonies of the Solar System begin to escalate, leading to the Martian fleet enacting a systematic purge of resistance groups within the Core Worlds who may harbour members of the group calling themselves the 'Children of Earth'.The crew of the tramp freighter Erstwhile are on the run and soon find themselves drawn into a sequence of events which puts them squarely in the path of a plan to subjugate the people of the Core Worlds, devised and prepared for by the twisted Artificial Intelligence at the heart of the Children of Earth.Now with the very freedom of the Core Worlds at stake, Captain Maddox has to deduce the real reason behind the attacks and the AI's desire to return to Earth before it is too late, for both him and the free citizens of the inner worlds.

Chasing Shadows


K.N. Salustro - 2014
    Founded at the start of the Andromedan War, the Star Federation obliterated its opponents and now stands as the guardian of the galaxy. Its power has gone largely unchallenged in the wake of the war, and its officers now busy themselves with minor troubles. Once in a while, however, a powerful force surfaces and demands more attention, be it a drug lord, pirate crew, or a bounty hunter worthy of the Alpha Classification. Following the assassination of one of the Star Federation's officers, Fleet Commander Lance Ashburn goes on the hunt for the Alpha Class bounty hunter known as the Shadow. One of the best officers the Star Federation has ever seen, Commander Ashburn comes closer than anyone ever has to eliminating the Shadow, but upon meeting her, he discovers that much larger and more dangerous enemies roam the stars. Enemies that even hunters fear. Determined to do his duty as a Star Federation officer, Commander Ashburn fights for the galaxy, but the price of enduring peace may be one that the Shadow is not willing to pay. Tethered to her own demons, bounty hunter Lissa aka the Shadow has seen the harsher side of the Star Federation, and her priorities do not include carrying out the agenda of a fleet commander. When her past catches up with her, however, Lissa must either surrender herself, or make a stand. Working with and against Commander Ashburn, Lissa could push the galaxy into war... or save it.

The Retro War


Dietmar Arthur Wehr - 2014
     The Synchronicity War is over and the Insectoid beachheads in our spiral arm have been destroyed but the aftermath of the war holds some nasty surprises for Humanity and its loyal AI allies. Somebody is messing with the human timeline. Is it the Friendlies, the Sogas, the Insectoids or a new race? This stand alone novel set in the same universe has new human and AI characters. Find out what happened to Valkyrie, Casanova, Iceman, Gunslinger and the other Rim AIs. The Retro War spans time and space in a galactic chess game with humans and their AIs as the pawns.

Echo of Tomorrow: Book One


Rob Buckman - 2014
    They say that vengeance is a dish best served cold, but to the men and woman who went with him over the border to deliver that vengeance, it was dish served hot, and out of the barrel of a gun and cannon, and from the air. Yet in victory came defeat as he found three hundred years later in the world he woke up in. One far different from the one he'd left behind when he went into cold sleep. Now he had to find a place in this strange new world, one without the means to wage war against an alien race raping the planet of its young people. First, he had to build an army, navy and air force from scratch while fending off attacks from the aliens and the secret government that wanted to put him and his men back into cold sleep or the grave.

Admiral's Lady: Ashes for Ashes, Blood for Blood


Luke Sky Wachter - 2014
    For reference its about twice the size of the previous Admiral's Lady book. Product Description: While Jason was getting back and gearing up for his Revenge, Akantha wasn't just sitting quietly in the corner or out waving the flag on a PR tour. She was gearing up for some revenge of her own. Determined to punish those who planted the knife in the MSP and just as or even more importantly her own people's back, this is one Hold-Mistress who isn't about to let the events that took place at Omicron Station pass. As far as she's concerned her Protector was far too lenient, a mistake she's not about to repeat. You see she has a name for her pain and it is King James, the very man who sent the traitors that took their ship and killed their people. There will be ashes, there will be blood and while victory may not be possible one thing is certain... whether she goes home carrying her shield or carried upon it, they will suffer as she has suffered. Or her name is not Akantha of Messene!

The Rifle's First Wife


Sharon Lee - 2014
    

The Antaran Codex


Stephen Renneberg - 2014
    Sirius soon finds himself entangled in an interstellar plot to make humanity a cosmic outcast, denying it its place as the newest member of the vast and ancient community that has governed the galaxy for eons.With mankind’s fate in the balance, Sirius must overcome ruthless alien adversaries and deadly human rivals as he seeks to discover the secret of The Antaran Codex and safeguard man’s future among the stars.

Conscripts: The First Book of The Off World Trilogy


Patrick Locke - 2014
    He had finished his education, found the right girl, and was now just waiting on that ideal job that would launch him towards his perfectly-planned-out future. Instead, he awakes to find himself forced onto a different path—as a human conscript in an alien war—far from everything he knows and loves.Propelled into danger against his will, he will soon realize that his only choice—and that of his new comrades—is to rise to the occasion, to endure unimaginable difficulties and help each other beat the odds and make it home. Unbeknownst to Jacob, not only is he in a struggle for his life, but one that will impact humanity itself and the balance of his planet. Back on Earth, when a mass disappearance of people across the globe calls for governmental investigations it is quietly dismissed as an unsolved and strange coincidence, like the flocks of birds that drop dead from the sky. With so little information, even the 24-hour news cycle soon abandons its coverage. The only ones that appear unable to move on are the loved ones that the missing left behind. Luckily for Jacob, his family refuses to give up on him. In this survival story, science-fiction writer Patrick Locke transports us to new worlds and epic battles filled with unfair circumstances, tough decisions, fumbles and despair, victories and betrayal, courage and hope, but most of all heart.

Gateway


Brian Dorsey - 2014
    A promotion, an engagement to a beautiful (and powerful) woman, and the restoration of his family's honor. But this newfound prestige comes with a price, and Stone is soon ordered to carry out a fool's mission by a commander who is unfit to lead. Amidst the decimation of his battalion, his eyes are opened to the truth via a most unlikely source, a woman, from the same people who are his sworn enemies. As he struggles to understand the nature of the war his home planet has been waging for so many generations, Stone must accept that his fate is his responsibility alone. He is willing to die for his country; is he willing to kill for it too?

Valentine Bell: The Golden Year


Rowan Maness - 2014
    The young orphan is unaware of her powers, only knows that she has been born with a scar, and seeks greater adventures than what life has provided for her.She finds it in the form of Orion Sides. Orion uses Valentine’s fascination to entangle her in his father’s gang of thugs and thieves, who run the ship’s underworld.But Orion knows something Valentine doesn’t— that her scar gives her a special ability to bestow luck upon anyone who touches it. Aided by her de-facto dad, Tycho, and her best friend, Luke, Valentine realizes that Orion’s been using her luck to pull off a heist, and when a set of priceless jewels goes missing from the cabin of a powerful Ambassador, Valentine is sure she knows who’s taken them.Out for revenge, Valentine embarks upon a dangerous journey that takes her into the Valan jungle, spurred on by a strange connection to the precious jewels. As she learns about her own tangled history, and forges a path to her future, Valentine discovers that she has a role to play in setting things right, talents beyond her imagination, and a thirst for justice that takes her down perilous paths.Rowan Maness’s stunning first novel invites readers into a dizzying world unlike any they’ve ever seen, and introduces a character whose journey will enchant anyone who has ever questioned their place in this world or any other.

The Benevolence Archives, Vol. 1


Luther M. Siler - 2014
    1 is a novella-length collection of six short stories set in a common universe. Combining elements of space opera-style science fiction and high fantasy, THE BENEVOLENCE ARCHIVES describes the adventures of Brazel, Rhundi, and Grond, a gnome/halfogre team of smugglers.THE PLANET IT'S FARTHEST FROM: A simple job in a saloon goes poorly for Brazel.THE CLOSET: Brazel and Grond are hired to teach someone why gambling can be a bad idea.YANK: Dwarven pirates. 'Nuff said.REMEMBER: Brazel and Grond are hired by one of the galaxy's most powerful people for a suspiciously easy job.THE CONTRACT: Rhundi tries to get through a simple business negotiation without anyone being shot.THE SIGIL: Brazel and Grond encounter something horrifying on a frozen rock in the middle of nowhere.

PIRATES OF GOO'WADDLE CANALS (SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA Book 3)


Dale C. Musser - 2014
    Tibby and Kala are enjoying life together at their estate on Megelleon, when they receive word that one of the Mirage Fighters Tibby commissioned for construction and loaned to the Federation has been taken in a raid by the Brotherhood rebels. The Admiralty has asked Tibby’s assistance in reclaiming the ship, as it has been taken to a non-Federation planet to be reverse engineered. Because the ship has been taken out of Federation space and Tibby is technically the owner, the Federation cannot go after it, lest it be deemed as an act of war against the planet. Tibby, on the other hand will not be viewed in a harsh a light, whatever his efforts may be to recover or destroy the ship. Tibby has barely begun his mission to retrieve the stolen Mirage Fighter when word arrives that a solbidyum shipment has been intercepted and taken. It, too, has been removed from of Federation territories and its exact location is unknown; so Tibby and his crew must go undercover on a clandestine mission to find and retrieve the solbidyum. During this mission Kerabac must take on the disguise of a Ruwallie Rasson trader, while Tibby and several of his crew disguise themselves as slaves, in order to move about alien worlds in their attempt to find the solbidyum. But their search is hampered by the Brotherhood, who also seeks the individual who has taken the solbidyum. Matters get worse when it turns out there are more Ruwallie Rasson traders operating in the space around the planet Goo’Waddle, who consider Kerabac to be in violation of their guild rules. The Ruwallie Rasson try to commandeer Kerabac’s ship, slaves and cargo as a penalty for his not having joined their cartel. Rumors are also heard of a new enemy force that has aligned itself with the Brotherhood. The rumors imply that this ally possesses a powerful weapon said to be capable of penetrating the RMFF shields of the Federation ships.

Forgotten


Dani Hoots - 2014
    Since then she has been searching for any trace of herself, only to find nothing. Wanting to move on with her life, she decides to enroll into college only to run into someone she feels familiar with. Did she know him before the accident? Did he have the answers she had been desperately searching for? With strange men following her and a man who seems to know more than he is letting on, Angela Starr may finally find what she has been looking for.

Street Candles (Stardrifter #02)


David Collins-Rivera - 2014
    The tramp starship Grizzelda needs a gunner. But what starts as a last-minute personnel replacement soon turns into something far more, with a non-functional duty station, his predecessor's emotional fallout, and a deeply buried secret that will change the course of nations.Through a dark odyssey across a violent, frozen world, and a haze of lies and shadowy clues, Ejoq will face frenzied zealots, frightened elitists, and dangerous mercenaries on an unknown mission.Revolution, intrigue, and battles among the stars...Better take a deep breath!

The Eye of Orion: Gearjackers


Mitch Michaelson - 2014
    The galaxy believes the doctor died when knight-mercenaries blockaded the world and destroyed every ship that rose from the surface.Now a young hacker - a fugitive in his own right - has learned that the doctor may be alive and developing a new superweapon. Steo and his crew of aliens and outcasts set out to track down the old war criminal and stop him. They will certainly be surprised to find what the doctor has been growing in his lab. And shocked to discover an even more sinister presence behind the doctor’s experiments.