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Ascendant by Richard Denoncourt
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Red Rising
Pierce Brown - 2014
"That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.""I live for you," I say sadly.Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Reader
Erec Stebbins - 2013
Out of the past, a last hope.She was a VICTIM: enslaved after her parents' murder. She was made a MONSTER: deformed, modified against her will. She became a MESSIAH: opening the Orbs and leading a galactic rebellion.Share the cosmic quest of seventeen-year-old Ambra Dawn, Reader, and the most unbelievable step in the adventure - will be your own.
Ravenous
Erica Stevens - 2012
But in some strange way, ice was the end; or maybe it was the beginning of something more.Bethany is stunned and horrified when she finds herself suddenly alone in a world that was alive only moments before. Terrified, she flees into the streets of her town, looking for answers, and desperate to reach her family. Panicked, she is nearly captured by the monsters hunting her until Cade steps in to rescue her. Dark and distant, most people in school are wary of Cade, yet oddly fascinated by him. They had once been close as children, but it has been years since Bethany has had any real contact with Cade. As their situation becomes even more perilous, Bethany struggles to come to terms with her past, her terrifying new reality, and her growing love for a boy that is powerful, mysterious, and perhaps even more frightening than the aliens hunting them. Aliens that want more than their lives, they also want their blood.
Dearly, Departed
Lia Habel - 2011
But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead - or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie? The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria - a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible - until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead - and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.
Red Gambit
Luke R. Mitchell - 2017
. . It's been fifteen years since the raknoth made a smoldering heap of Earth. But for some survivors, the problems are just getting started. Jarek Slater is a sword-slinging nomad with a powerful exosuit and a mean vigilante streak—or was until his exosuit was stolen. He wants it back.Rachel Cross is an energy-bending arcanist who wants nothing more than to find her brother and bring him home safely.When their paths collide, Jarek and Rachel are reluctantly pulled into a race across the nuclear wasteland to reclaim his suit and save her brother. All that stands between them and their goals is a vicious alien warlord, some grating interpersonal tension, and a whole bunch of violent marauders. Oh, and a mysterious alien device that may bring on the second apocalypse.Together, they might just be strong enough to pull it off. Assuming they don't kill each other first . . .----------------------------------Red Gambit is the first book in the Harvesters Series, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure complete with blood-sucking aliens, power armor, and energy-bending arcanists. If you like Star Wars, Halo, or the likes of Neal Asher, E.E. Knight, and Michael Anderle, you'll love this series for its "fast-paced adventure," "compelling characters," and "wonderfully wise-cracking dialogue."
Through Glass: The Dark
Rebecca Ethington - 2013
Fighting monsters to save the world was not part of my five-year plan.I had it all figured out. Graduate high school and head to college. It was just icing that my college of choice also happened to be where my lifelong crush and the gorgeous boy next door, Cohen, was already attending. I had already been accepted. Everything was working out perfectly. The only problem was that ‘perfect’ didn’t involve a freakin’ invasion. So, when everything went dark and monsters, literal monsters, fell from the sky, I had no idea what to do.Hey, I’m not your perfect dystopian heroine. Hell, I’m not even your everyday human. It took some time, and a bit of work, but now instead of graduating and following Cohen to college I am now hunting massive winged demon... things. Worse yet, any chance of a happily-ever-after goes to pot when my demon hunting turns into boyfriend rescuing, and I have to risk it all and go into the Dark. Boys, am I right? One minute everything is on track, and the next… well, it’s the end of the world. My name is Lex, and I guess I hunt monsters now. Perfect.
Underground
Chris Ward - 2012
Now it is their only chance for survival... Britain in 2075 is a dangerous place. A man known only as the Governor rules the country with an iron hand, but within the towering perimeter walls of London Greater Urban Area anarchy spreads unchecked through the streets. In the abandoned London Underground station of St. Cannerwells, a group of misfits calling themselves the Tube Riders seek to forget the chaos by playing a dangerous game with trains. Marta is their leader, a girl haunted by her brother's disappearance. Of the others, Paul lives only to protect his little brother Owen, while Simon is trying to hold on to his relationship with Jess, daughter of a government official. Guarding them all is Switch, a man with a flickering eye and a faster knife, who cares only about preserving the legacy of the Tube Riders. Together, they are family. Everything changes the day they are attacked by a rival gang. While escaping, they witness an event that could bring war down on Mega Britain. Suddenly they are fleeing for their lives, pursued not only by their rivals, but by the brutal Department of Civil Affairs, government killing machines known as Huntsmen, and finally by the inhuman Governor himself.
Half Way Home
Hugh Howey - 2010
The colony ship they arrived on is aflame. The rest of their contingent is dead. They've only received half their training, and they are being asked to conquer an entire planet. Before they can, however, they must first survive each other. In this gritty tale of youths struggling to survive, Hugh Howey fuses the best of young adult fantasy with the piercing social commentary of speculative fiction. The result is a book that begs to be read in a single sitting. An adventurous romp that will leave readers exhausted and begging for more.
Secondborn
Amy A. Bartol - 2017
Secondborns are the property of the government. Thirdborns are not tolerated. Long live the Fates Republic.On Transition Day, the second child in every family is taken by the government and forced into servitude. Roselle St. Sismode’s eighteenth birthday arrives with harsh realizations: she’s to become a soldier for the Fate of Swords military arm of the Republic during the bloodiest rebellion in history, and her elite firstborn mother is happy to see her go.Televised since her early childhood, Roselle’s privileged upbringing has earned her the resentment of her secondborn peers. Now her decision to spare an enemy on the battlefield marks her as a traitor to the state.But Roselle finds an ally—and more—in fellow secondborn conscript Hawthorne Trugrave. As the consequences of her actions ripple throughout the Fates Republic, can Roselle create a destiny of her own? Or will her Fate override everything she fights for—even love?
Recompense
Michelle Isenhoff - 2018
Jack knows the truth.Born into Capernica’s lowest social tier and not permitted to leave Settlement 56, Jaclyn Holloway refuses to pour out her years in the local fish cannery. She gambles on the one chance available to her to advance—the high school Exit Exam. In a country that still keenly remembers the horrors of the Provocation, the period of unexplained disappearances that led to revolution, the smartest and strongest are richly rewarded in exchange for military service. Jack is adamant that her best friend, Will Ransom, join her in striving for induction. But if Jack fails to pass the stringent physical standards and Will succeeds, she will not be allowed to see him again until his tour of duty is completed—in twenty years.Meanwhile, the government has been keeping a tight lid on a new string of abductions. Jack’s Exam score places her in a position to aid Axis, an underground organization charged with investigating events that threaten national security. The evidence leads her back forty-seven years, to a series of high-profile cover-ups linked to the Provocation. Blowing the whistle could place her in danger, but holding her silence means history will likely repeat.And Capernica could never survive a second Provocation.
Inhuman
Kat Falls - 2013
Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral.Crossing from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but rewarding—until he’s caught.Desperate to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal” mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy.
Yuma
Suzanne Jenkins - 2014
Dreams and goals came to an abrupt end soon after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast. The media reported that a virus was discovered in wood soaked by seawater, thought to have the potential to decimate the population. It became the excuse to relocate thousands of citizens from the coast, burning entire beach towns, the only known way to eradicate the virus, possibly the gateway to the Apocalypse. Soon, rumors spread that napalm is what the authorities used to burn without evacuating the people. A neighbor warned Laura and Mike that their town would be next as the destruction moves inland. Is it a drastic way to halt the spread of disease, or is there another catalyst? In survivalist mode during the post-apocalyptic time, the family uses the doomsday prepper skills Mike has acquired in his quest for self-sufficiency and to save the life of his family, including his amazing son who was born with Downs syndrome. Burn District, Jenkins new science fiction series, follows an American family as they flee from political insanity to save their lives in the Arizona Desert.
Dark Ages: 2020 (Dark Ages, #1)
J.D. Dutra - 2015
When societies collapse... How do the unprepared survive? After ancient Rome fell to the barbarian hordes and its light went out, 500 years of economic and cultural deterioration followed in Europe - The Dark Ages. In the 14th century, the most brutal pandemic to ravage mankind finally pulled this part of the world out of the darkness. The Black Death decimated over 60% of the population, creating an immediate surplus of goods and land, which catapulted Europe into a new age of the rebirth: The Renaissance. The Black Death pandemic of the 14th century was no act of nature. The outbreak was unleashed on purpose, by an ancient and occult cabal which still operates at the present time, behind the secret societies of the rich and powerful. In the year 2020, moved by the desire to launch humanity into a new era of enlightenment and scientific advancements, this same obscure society plans to release a virus which can wipe out up to 90% of the world's population. Political maneuvering and the biggest false flag event in generations sets their plan in motion, and immediately the President of The United States is caught in a web of horror weaved by this powerful global elite. In the midst of it all, a clandestine CIA agent is torn between honor, duty and family. A struggling entrepreneur obeys the State and yet pays the ultimate price. An influential philanthropist has a dark secret that can alter the course of history, one which might lead a trio of scam artists to get more than they ever expected. As modern society crumbles and the final unleashing of a New World Order takes place, these 5 lives will collide in a violent struggle for control, power and ultimate survival.
Warpworld
Kristene Perron - 2012
Cold, brilliant and desperate to prove himself as a Cultural Theorist, Seg breaks away from the recon squad sent to protect him, to scout out prime vita sources. But to find his prize he must face his biggest fear: water. Fiery and headstrong, Ama receives an ultimatum from her people's tyrannical overlords: betray her own kind or give up the boat she calls home, forever. When a wealthy traveler hires her as a guide, Ama thinks her prayers are answered - until a violent murder reveals Seg's true identity. On the run, over land and water, hunted by a ruthless and relentless tracker, and caught in the schemes of a political powerhouse, Seg and Ama will have to strike an uneasy truce to survive. The fate of two worlds is in their hands.