New Releases
It's too cold to go outside. Read a book instead!
Oof, talk about a cold snap! The new year has come in riding a wave of ice and snow, but there are not enough places where hot springs flow for most of us. There are those who wouldn’t mind a dip in such a spring about now but cannot. Darn.
Well, in lieu of taking a warm dip, why not dive into some great books? Curl up with a cup of hot cocoa, a blanket, and hopefully a fully functioning heating system and give this list a quick skim. You may discover something to warm your heart and soul!
Fear the Reaper (LitRPG Gamelit Apocalyptic Cultivation Fantasy) (The Dungeon Apocalypse Book 1) by C.J. Carella
Releasing: February 10
The world is about to change, and not in a warm and fuzzy way.
The System has arrived. Soon, magic will permeate the entire planet, society will be disrupted, and Dungeon-spawned monsters will walk the Earth. A few lucky people - or unlucky enough to become merely the first die horribly - have been given the honor of becoming Exemplars and given System-provided power to either help or torment their fellow humans. This is one of their stories.
Meet Roland Webb, former Army E-5, now team lead at a GameDrop store. His life has been shrouded in death since his birth, but it has now become boring and mundane. All that changes when he sees some strange lights on the road and is driven to investigate. What follows is a struggle for survival, making choices to advance in the Paths of the System, and figuring out how to become strong enough to protect his friends and family - and perhaps many more (or a lot less, if he drops dead along the way).
Armed with an Epic Class, a Dual-Path that includes Cultivation, a collapsible baton and a hefty helping of gallows humor, Roland goes on to meet all manner of strange creatures and beat, stab, and eventually shoot them to death. Along the way he gains a growing list of deadly game-like Skills to perform feats you’d normally only see in movies. comics or manga.
Fear the Reaperis the first book of the Dungeon Apocalypse series, which includes LitRPG and Gamelit elements, a Cultivation and Class system competing against each other, and plenty of action. It has no harem or explicit scenes and focuses on action and adventure with a few laughs mixed in,
Escape from Red Eye (Tyrus Rechs: Contracts & Terminations Book 6) by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole
Released: January 20
As the crime world of Red Eye slips into chaos, legendary bounty hunter Tyrus Rechs finds himself trapped in a nightmare of his own making. With his ship seized and his crew likely dead, Rechs must navigate a world where Lizzaar death squads patrol the streets, zhee war parties prowl the jungles, the only law is survival… and the only hope is escape.
Getting off the distant planet won’t be easy. Those with functioning starships are long gone, and Rechs’s only chance lies in the Beast Games—a gladiatorial bloodsport where slaves and desperate men fight for the promise of freedom. But the Games are rigged, the owners treacherous, and every victory only paints a larger target on his back.
As Rechs fights through deadly matches and deadlier ambushes, he’s unaware that something more than the jungle’s predators stalk him. Surviving bounty hunters sent by the crime lord Zauro will stop at nothing to claim their credits, even if it means following Rechs into the depths of hell itself.
From arena death matches to desperate raids on slaver vessels, Rechs must use every trick learned in centuries of war to stay alive. But when predator becomes prey, and the hunter finds himself hunted, even a legend can bleed.
Silverlight Hunter (The Immortals’ Mask Book 3) by Jay Krauss
Releasing: February 17
The call of the Void remains as Sataou's world continues to expand around him.
With his work at the Shengu Sect complete, Sataou finds himself thrust into the unknown by powers as mysterious as they are dangerous.
Meanwhile, a parting gift provides him with new abilities- and new challenges- as he learns more about who he is and what he is becoming.
Will one of the forces within him prevail over the other and take over his very existence, or will he manage to weather the storm that approaches and come through the other side with his mind and soul intact?
As the players on the global stage become more clear, and his own standing within his newfound Guild increases, only time and effort will tell which direction the scales will tip.
Hunter of Dissonance (The Dissonance Chronicles Book 1) by D.K. Holmburg
Releasing: January 30
When the night goes silent, the killers are already too close.
Silas Karsson was trained to be a ghost—an assassin of the Guild whose chording magic turns sound into a weapon. With a ukelin in his hand and dissonance in his veins, he can track danger in the dark better than any blade can carve it.
But when a supposedly simple assignment reveals a rogue assassin working with forbidden resonance, Silas uncovers something far worse: the Celebrants—an underground faction twisting the Guild’s magic for their own rising power.
To stop them, Silas is given a new title: Hunter. His first target? A prodigy of the Guild… and the one friend he ever trusted.
Following a trail of corrupted chordings, dead operatives, and vanishing towns, Silas must decide which is more dangerous: the traitor he’s ordered to pursue—or the Guild that trained him to obey.
Because the Celebrants aren’t hiding anymore. They’re recruiting.
And the dissonance whispering through the world is growing louder.
Accidental Astronaut 2 by J.N. Chaney and Rick Partlow
Released: January 18
Jack Schafer saved Earth by accident. Saving his newly adopted home, Dravos, won’t be any easier.
Dravos has fallen into a new star system, sunlight blazing down on a civilization that’s never known day or night. Its people are terrified. Its nobles are plotting. Its king wants answers Jack doesn’t have.
And the Archon Draven—the centuries-old tyrant Jack thought he'd disposed of—is recovering somewhere in the mountains, preparing for his next move.
With rebellion spreading and old enemies becoming uneasy allies, Jack, Lisa, and Erik must hold a fragile kingdom together long enough to strike back. Because if Draven rises again… this time there won’t be anything left to save.
Jack never wanted to be the hero.
Too bad the universe didn’t give him a choice.
Empire’s Bane: Reluctant Necromancer: Book Two by D.L. Harrison
Releasing: February 17
It’d been four years since Mika’s arrival on a new world, where magic held sway.
After learning a bitter truth she makes some reckless choices, choices that are also perhaps needed. They were safe enough from the empire for the moment, but that could also change quickly. Their advantages wouldn’t last forever, and as everyone knows, no war can be won defensively.
Join Mika as she stirs things up and fights to reach the other side, to secure her world and her place in it, and if that wasn’t enough someone is attacking her personally, seemingly determined to destroy her at any cost. She’ll have to do her best, if she wants to not only survive, but prosper.
Note: This is a trilogy and told by Mika in the first-person point of view.
Crash Landing (Boy’s Own Starship Book 2) by Christopher Nuttall
Released: January 16
Eric Crichton and his brother John thought they knew all about space: buy a beat-up old freighter, haul cargo from star to star, and stay one step ahead of the bankers. Easy, right? But when a shady charter lands them a mysterious medical package bound for a newly terraformed world, things go from routine to red-alert in a hurry.
A pirate ambush knocks Max Jones out of the sky, stranding the young crew on a wild, storm-swept planet where the weather is only the second most dangerous thing. The “plague” they were supposed to deliver turns out to be a lie, the package hides something worth killing for, and the pirates want it back, along with the kids who carry it. With their sister Maryam fighting for her life in a stasis pod, Eric must team up with a tough colony girl named Daisy, a sharp-eyed heiress who won’t be left behind, and a handful of hard-working settlers who know how to handle trouble.
They’ll need every trick they’ve got: quick thinking, faster hands, and the kind of stubborn courage that turns a crashed ship into a fighting chance. Outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of time, the young crew of Max Jones learns the hard truth: in space, no one’s going to come save you—you save yourself.
A fast-moving tale of high adventure, daring escapes, and the unbreakable spirit of youth: straight from the Heinlein tradition of boys (and girls!) who face the unknown and come out on top.
Beyond the Rift (TransDimensional Hunter Book 4) by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer
There’s a nice review on the cover!
Releasing: February 3
The threat has been identified, the TransDimensional Counterforce assembled. Now the true battle begins.
Lynn Raven thought she was fighting for glory and fortune. Instead, she finds she’s fighting for humanity’s very survival. But how do you defeat something you can’t see or understand?
The world’s best and brightest have come together to give humanity a fighting chance, and now Lynn has to find her place in the war effort. Boldness and competence are no longer a gaming mask to put on for the cameras, but a vital mindset shift she needs to survive. Can Lynn and her online persona, Larry, become one, and if they do, will it be enough?
The world doesn’t know the apocalypse it faces, and there are forces behind the scenes determined to re-shape society into their preferred image.
Lynn and her team will have to face enemies foreign, domestic, and alien, no matter what the cost.
The fight is at your door—what will you do?
Through a Spyglass Darkly (The Adventures of Jehanne Dark Book 1) by G. Scott Huggins
Releasing: January 28
In a realm where stone gazes turn men to eternal statues and ancient magics bind the fate of kings, half-gorgon assassin Jehanne Dark hungers for escape from her blood-soaked life. When a ruthless usurper unleashes a deadly totem that petrifies armies and threatens the throne, Jehanne sees her chance: pledge her lethal talents to the besieged King Michael in exchange for a crown—and a pardon.
But as betrayal coils like serpents in the shadows, Jehanne must navigate treacherous alliances, forbidden sorcery, and her own monstrous heritage. With enemies closing in and the line between hero and villain blurring, can she claim victory without losing her humanity... or her heart?
Dive into this gripping dark fantasy of intrigue, vengeance, and unlikely romance, where every glance could kill—and every choice reshapes a kingdom.
The Last History-Keeper: A Liquid Diet Chronicles Tale by Holly Chism
Released: January 21
Imagine what it would be like to remember all of history.
Justinian doesn’t have to imagine. He’s the last of a nearly-lost line of vampires, the last keeper of history, hunted by tyrant and monster alike, alive only because of the grace of God, and the luck of having an early pope hide him from those hunting him. He’s been in the catacombs of Vatican City ever since, hidden and safe.
But now...now he’s needed. Vampire, priest, visionary, historian, he’s been sent forth into the world, to walk it once again.
His ordained path leads him to...Manhattan, Kansas. To a brand new nest, filled with orphans and outcasts. And the journey takes him into the path of those who need his help: a six year old girl with an unmanageable memory, and a brand new line with gifts that terrify.
Level Three: A Science Fiction LitRPG Novel (Galactic Merc Book 3) by Chris Kennedy
Releasing: February 13
I just wanted to tell my neighbor to shut up.
Hi, I’m Jack Taylor, a romance author from Earth—though you probably haven’t heard of my planet yet. It’s not part of the Galactic Consortium, and that’s a good thing for the shady alien races lurking in the shadows, ready to snatch up anyone they can.
When I was abducted by the Grays during a camping trip, I found myself thrust into a mercenary life I never asked for. Now I’m a Level 3 merc with one goal: to reclaim my home and protect my loved ones. It’s kind of looking like I’ll have to save the galaxy to do that, but that’s really not my focus.
Although the number of Humans have doubled in my squad, it hasn’t made things any easier for me. There are more people than ever out to get me, and now I have to protect him, too. As if a Level 3 could protect much of anything. If I could just get my hands on those darn mechs… maybe I could.
Join me on a wild ride through combat training, unexpected alliances, and a race against time, as I strive to prove that even a romance writer can become a hero—assuming I can survive that long.
The Wolves of Caledonia: A Novel of Post Roman Britain (Into The Darkness Book 2) by Jason Kyle
Releasing: January 31
The only thing that makes the dying lights of civilization shine a little brighter is the reflection on blades of steel fighting the darkness. In the far north of the island of Britain, the legions of Rome have vanished, gone to fight in the wars of a disintegrating empire. In their stead rides the cavalry of Arthur, Tribune of the last Romano – British fighting unit that pledges their lives to no petty king, but to Britain as a whole.
Peredur of Gwenned has survived that most dangerous of times, a soldier’s first encounter with combat, and now rides with ease and respect among his companions. Arthur, impressed by Peredure’s courage and composure, sends him beyond the old Roman borders. His mission to accompany Arthur’s counselor, Myrddin, and his protégé, Morgana, into the lands of Dal Riata on a diplomatic journey.
The situation in the Old North presents hazards at every turn, however. Surrounded by rival kingdoms, shifting loyalties, and enemies who are not always what they seem, Peredur discovers that words can be as lethal as open battle. Far from the safety of his unit and stripped of certainty, he is forced to confront the realities of leadership and the cost of responsibility in a land where Roman law no longer holds sway.
Along the way, the young soldier is drawn into a quiet, dangerous search for the Grail—an object bound to Rome’s fading legacy and Britain’s uncertain future, whose true nature is as elusive as the peace Arthur hopes to secure.
Starquest: Pirate King of Star Patrol by John C. Wright
Releasing: January 27
Athos Lone, Ace of the Star Patrol, has been summoned by the King of Pirates!
What doom awaits him in the Court of Ahab?
War erupts at the Walrus World!
An unknown fleet, flying no flag, appears from deep space! Who are these new foes?
Hidden among his enemies, masked as Captain Blackjack Rackstraw, Athos Lone must take up arms against the Law he is sworn to serve!
And open fire on his own family!
Nightshadow approaches the war zone in secret. What new intrigue is near?
Where is Arcadia?
WARFARE, AWE, SUPERWEAPONS AND UNEARTHLY DEEDS AWAIT!
TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT EXCITING INSTALLMENT
Haunted Waters (The Haunted Anthology Book 3)
Released: January 23
Some hauntings rise with the tide.
From storm-lashed coasts to quiet springs, these fifteen stories drift through the spaces where water remembers. Beneath the surface: shipwrecks, spectral whispers, ancestral bargains, and the past still waiting in the pipes.
What returns isn’t always flesh or phantom, but the echo of something left unresolved—love, vengeance, memory, regret. Water keeps the shape of what passed through it, holding stories long after the world forgets. Sometimes, it’s not the dead we’re afraid to meet, but what they remember.
Still waters run deep—and not everything submerged stays buried.
Homestead Crafter Book 2: A Litrpg Crafting Slice of Life by S.D. McKittrick
Releasing: February 2
Welcome back!
Not only has Tanner taken an adoptive daughter, but Amara is pregnant as well. The evil dungeon has been defeated, and his ability to enchant has reached a whole new level. But so much more is in store for the Master of Crafts.
The wilds are changing and events are happening all throughout the biomes. Races are displaced and Tanner must turn his homestead into a budding village. That's just the beginning, as his production must ramp up to meet the demands of trade. Will he go with the standard apprentices, that will hopefully be able to learn his unique crafting styles? Or will he find another way?
New professions are introduced, and experiments had. But with each trade comes new fame. Tanner will have to determine the best way to protect his peace and the safety of his friends and family. Because not all countries are going to sit idly by while a crafter that can make set items and barriers roams the world.
Wild Stars VIII: The Superior Griefs by Michael Tierney
Released: January 21
Atlanta, an itinerant princess of the Wild Stars who has (somewhat unfairly) earned a reputation as “the most dangerous woman alive,” has been in hiding, evading warrants on the savage planet Miri. Just when her luck seems to be turning around, Gigwanator-Superior, the pack leader of a species of telepathic saurians known as Dire Griefs who were hyper-evolved by a Marzanti Trident, demands that Atlanta aid her in rescuing a stranded pack on a dying world... And then escort them to Earth by any means necessary!
Back on Earth, the Isshla, primeval races of lizardmen and aquatic hominids created by the Marzanti Spike that destroyed Atlantis, have been stockpiling abducted humans for food in a time stasis chamber, waiting for the day when they can set their plan into motion to reverse the magnetic poles and take over the planet in the chaos!
The fate of the galaxy will be decided, with Earth in the balance, as a secret Artomique base is forced to play host to a summit of the Superior Griefs and Vishnatay, the 75,000 year old leader of the Isshla!
The Fae Wars: More Tales from the Occupation
Released: January 3
Life is hard. Under the bootheels of an oppressor who cares nothing about human life? Almost impossible. Thing is, though, when you put the boot on the neck of Americans, they tend to get a little pissed off and a lot worked up. Doesn't matter if they face overwhelming odds, heavy firepower or bewildering magic. They're going to resist, to the death.
The Fae have won, and they're trying to do their best to beat that spirit of independence out of their ancient enemy, humanity. In a lot of places, people are just trying to survive, but here, there and everywhere someone, somehow, will stand up and say, "Not me. Never."
Eight tales of ordinary people, and some not so ordinary, fighting a war that they may never see the end of but never giving up.
Plasma Pulp: Lost Worlds (Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 71)
Released: January 23
Step into ten stories of vibrant universes, where gleaming rays of energy shape the future and the past collides with the fantastic unknown. This collection of short stories invites you to explore a genre that is often called "Raypunk" or "Raygun Gothic," but we call "Plasma Pulp"—because "punk" is overused, and we can. We bring you the electric optimism of retro-futurism, blending sleek technology of the future with the Old School spirit of adventure. Here, the impossible becomes tangible through visions of shimmering cities, heroic inventors, and cosmic mysteries illuminated by pulsating light. Within these pages, you will encounter daring escapades and enigmatic characters who navigate a landscape defined by gleaming technology and surreal possibilities. Whether it's battling sinister forces with futuristic weaponry or unraveling the secrets of radiant power, each story pulses with the incandescent energy of plasma pulp's unique vision.
There you go, readers. All the books released or releasing this January and a nice, healthy list of those to come in February! No one can say you will not be entertained if you choose from this list, can they?
Brr, okay, that is it. The wind has picked up, and it is definitely time for all little good boys and girls to go back inside. Stay warm and enjoy the books!