Podium Publishing

Transported to an alien world, a young soldier and his family are forced into servitude and must fight for survival, in this action-packed SF adventure.

Shad Williams joined the army to fight for his country, not to fight aliens. But when he's abducted through a portal along with his terminally ill grandfather and kid sister, that’s exactly what he finds himself doing.

Now, deep below the surface of the planet Ganymede, they find themselves with other equally confused groups of humans drafted into serving under extraterrestrials battling for control over the Reality Engine, an advanced supercomputer capable of producing miraculous resources and technologies. Forced to undertake quests to survive, Shad’s family encounters odd pairings of monstrous creatures and dangerous people ripped from Earthly mythology, history, and pop culture. With every victory, they level up superhuman skills and magical abilities beyond imagination. Classified as a Gunslinger, Shad’s quick reflexes and dead-shot accuracy make him a warrior without peer.

But as Shad’s family makes their way through voodoo zombies, dinosaurs, and Al Capone’s gangsters on one deadly mission after another, their real enemy continues to exploit them. To save his loved ones—and all of humanity—Shad must band with his fellow kidnapped Earthlings to take the fight to their alien captors and seize the Reality Engine for themselves . . .

House witch Finlay Ashowan must contend with matters of the heart, hearth, family, and kingdom in the second book of a whimsical and winning fantasy series.

As a wielder of domestic magic, Finlay Ashowan likes to keep his affairs as neat and orderly as his kitchen. But between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, his life is anything but tidy.

For one thing, if Annika and Fin are to continue their romance, they’ll need to sort out the pesky issue of Fin’s being a commoner—before Annika is forced into a political marriage that interferes with her own carefully laid plans.

For another, pressure is mounting as the war with Troivack draws ever closer. When Fin requests time away from the castle to rest, the King agrees but under a very particular condition: Fin must brave the streets of Austice as a spy, sleuthing out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.

Further complicating things, Fin’s estranged father is on his way to Daxaria, an unexpected and unappreciated arrival that’s bound to wreak even more havoc in his son’s life.

As Fin forges new friendships and alliances—magical and non-magical alike—he becomes even more enmeshed in courtly intrigues, old feuds, and very personal problems. And the more he tries to clean up the various messes in his life, the more apparent it becomes that his troubles are only just beginning . . .

The second volume of the hit romantic-fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

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.

And you know what? Things ain’t actually all that bad.

I mean, last year was pretty hectic. I died, got reborn, ran away from my sect and ultimate power, started a farm, made some friends, awakened all my animals into Spirit Beasts so now they’re running around talking and getting into life-and-death battles with super-powered bandits . . .

Oh! And I got married. Pretty neat, huh?

Well, this year, after the Spring Planting season, I’m really gonna relax and put down roots. It’s the slow life for me. Sure, the talking animals and cultivators coming to live with me are a bit weird, but this year everything is gonna be basically normal.

There definitely won’t be any Heavenly Tribulations, ancient formations, or cultivator issues to deal with . . .

The second volume of the blockbuster progression-fantasy series—with more than 20 million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Kelsey makes her big debut on the world stage in the second book of this dungeon-core fantasy adventure from the author of the Phantasm series.

Traveling to distant, exotic lands and meeting interesting, exciting people is all part of Kelsey’s gig as a dungeon. And if she has to kill someone, well . . . they probably had it coming. Ever at her—or at least her avatar’s—side is the dependable Anton, and now he’s leading her on a quest across the ocean to rescue his people from slavery.

That doesn’t mean Kelsey can neglect the home front though. Her putative liege, Suliel, has earned a telepathic link to her, allowing the dungeon to coordinate the development of the barony. At the same time, she needs to provide ships and explosives to Anton's team.

He may have new members, new equipment, and a whole new Heroic Class, but Anton will endure far greater challenges this time around, including possible death on a daily basis. He must make the difficult choices every hero faces, be they romantic or reckless, and needs Kelsey’s support now more than ever.

To keep the group together—and everyone more or less in one piece—they’ll both come up against incredible obstacles and risk heartbreaking losses. But every step Anton takes on his path leads him closer to Kelsey’s true goal.

A world abandoned by the gods, mystifying cosmic forces, unimaginable power for those willing to ascend, and a hero who would rather . . . go fishing???

When summoned to a fantastical world and granted powers by a broken System, most freshly minted protagonists would strap on their big-boy boots and get ready for their stats to start climbing. But Fischer isn’t like most MCs. In fact, he doesn’t want to be a hero at all.

Fame? Fortune? Power? He had enough of all that in his old life. Discovering forbidden fishing techniques and petting every cute animal that comes within scritching distance? Now that’s a good time.

Unfortunately for Fischer, cosmic forces rarely care for mortal feelings. He’s hounded on all sides by inept cults, conspiring nobles, and more magical misunderstandings than those of a preteen relationship. Even his dutiful pet crab is firing energy blades like an anime antagonist.

So grab your fishing rod and a good snack, and pet your dog for me. The catch of a lifetime awaits!

The first volume of the laugh-out-loud LitRPG adventure series—a #1 Rising Star on Royal Road with more than three million views—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

“I can’t think of a single story I’d rather get truck-kun’d (truck-kunned?) into than [that of] the vivid, lush world portrayed in Heretical Fishing, especially if I can hang out with Fischer and his gang. . . . The best book I’ve read this year.” —Matt Dinniman, author of Dungeon Crawler Carl

Bardic mage and otherworlder Alana takes on sea monsters, secrets, and her own past as this captivating series blending epic fantasy and isekai continues.

It’s been almost two decades since Alana woke up from an accident on Earth to find herself transported into the body of a child in the kingdom of Bergond. In that time, she’s faced war and famine, deadly political plots and dull courtly traditions, magical mayhem and romantic entanglements, and she’s thrived through it all. Newly graduated from magic school, she’s ready for her next adventure: a quest to uncover long-buried secrets that will take her far from the city of Lithere and deep into the kingdom of the elves.

Only, Alana’s long voyage isn’t without its own set of complications. Between an encounter with a hurricane whale, a run-in with goblins, and less-than-friendly greetings upon reaching her destination, Alana’s cunning and spellcasting prowess are taxed from the moment she steps on the ship to leave her homeland. But none of those trials compare to what she'll find when she lands in Atali: an ancient power that could forever transform Bergond—and a startling connection to a life Alana thought she’d all but left behind . . .

With swashbuckling action on the high seas as well as the blend of politics, friendship, and intrigue that has defined the series thus far, Melody of Mana 4 is a must-read chapter in this irresistible progression fantasy.

The fourth volume of the hit progression-fantasy series—with more than three million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Dracula’s Lucy Westenra like you’ve never seen her before: In this retelling from critically acclaimed author Julie C. Dao, the perfect woman bites back.

Lucy Westenra is beautiful, rich, loved by three men—every inch a lady. But beneath this sparkling, flirtatious facade, she is fascinated by death, which has stalked her throughout her short life. For her, the dead do not slip away easily, as they do for her best friend, Mina; they linger.

When Lucy departs for Whitby, her nightly sleepwalks introduce her to the mysterious Vlad, who seems to see parts of her she has never let show before. Vlad makes her an offer: Every century, he seeks out the “perfect woman of the age,” who embodies all the values of her society, to live with him in immortality—and Lucy could very well be this woman. For the first time, she feels herself able to share her darker side with someone. Thinking herself dreaming, she agrees to cheat death with him.

When Vlad finally appears in the light, it is aboard a ship covered in corpses. He toys with Lucy and mocks her in Mina’s presence. And one night, he drains a corpse dry right before her eyes. He is a vampire, a monster ready to take her. He expects a good Victorian lady, appalled by his darkness, a victim. But Lucy is only enraptured. When Vlad reacts with violence, Lucy has no choice but to fight for her agency, even if it means giving up her humanity. And her tormentor will soon find she is no easy opponent . . .

The first book of a duology that retells Dracula from the point of view of Lucy Westenra, this gothic romance is perfect for fans of Penny Dreadful and Danielle L. Jensen.

“A lush, thoughtful, seductive reimagining of the Dracula mythos that had me under its thrall from page one, Dao’s darkly dreamy book will leave you thirsting for more. Let Lucy sink her teeth into you and draw you into her new world.” —Kiersten White, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Hide, Mister Magic, and Lucy Undying

“This novel will leave you breathless and make you question what you thought you knew about the original tale. Julie C. Dao is the master of nuanced, complex female leads who will not just demand but forcibly take exactly what they deserve.” —Beth Revis, New York Times–bestselling coauthor of Night of the Witch

“[A] refreshing and clever gothic romance . . . Haunting and atmospheric . . . Fans of dark vampire romance will be delighted.” —Publishers Weekly

“A wonderful read! I was spellbound by this vivid reimagining of a Dracula myth that is at once enthralling, haunting, and darkly romantic.” —Sue Lynn Tan, USA Today–bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess

“Dazzling, sensual, sparkling with danger. Lucy Westenra is a force of nature in Dao’s capable hands, taking control of her own story with a vengeance long overdue. A vibrant, chilling reimagining that feels wholly its own.” —Natalie Mae, author of the Kinder Poison trilogy

“A sultry gothic that hooked me from the first sentence. Every page of this lush Dracula retelling is imbued with danger and darkness. It’s a beguiling book and one I can’t recommend enough.” —Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

“Wild, wicked, sensuous fun. Now Comes the Mist is for all the dark romantics, the lovers of drama, and the ones who want to get bitten.” —Wendy Xu, bestselling author and illustrator of The Infinity Particle

At the onset of an epic holy war, a young vassal will learn: If he wants to play games with gods, he must be prepared to lose everything.

Koven never thought he could catch the attention of a god. But after pulling off a daring theft from a noble house, he becomes too irresistible for Celdric—the god of mischief—to ignore.

Claimed as one of Celdric’s vassals and granted the power to control shadows, Koven is whisked away to the Cenobium, an academy for those marked with the divine blood of the various Athearian deities. There, his destiny becomes entwined with those of a gifted seer, a shapeshifting prince, and a warrior descended from a bloodline plagued with madness. But gods don’t share their power without a cost. Koven must first survive the academy’s deadly exams.

Meanwhile, as tensions between rival gods reach an all-time high, Celdric concocts a scheme to make matters worse. Faced with a war that threatens to consume the continent, Koven and his friends must race across enemy territory in search of the goddess of fate before everything they know and love is destroyed.

And soon Koven finds himself battling more than man-eating monsters and bloodthirsty gods. Because there’s a darkness festering inside him, and he isn’t sure he can save himself, much less the kingdom . . .

The Name of the Wind meets Godkiller in this epic fantasy series, in which the whims of gods weave a deadly fate that’s impossible to avoid.

Astronauts fight for the survival of humanity against an alien species seeking to control their future among the stars in this science-fiction thriller.

They were humanity’s last hope. As the majority of Earth’s population uploaded their consciousnesses to embrace digital immortality—free from illness and death in the simulated Metaverse—the Beta Explorers were tasked with expanding their presence throughout the galaxy. They terraformed worlds and created colonies so that humans could live and thrive in physical environments.

But the influence of the Metaverse reached the colonial planets, infecting people with the desire to embrace a carefree artificial existence—a desire implanted as a virus by the Atua, an alien species convinced they are gods, destined to rule over every other race and keep them grounded from space exploration. Symbiotic in nature, the Atua have already bonded themselves with other alien life, controlling their very evolution. They view humanity as a threat to their order and are willing to wage an intergalactic war to destroy every colony and even Earth itself.

The Beta Explorers—Icarus Kishida, Angelique Komene, Atlas Tupu, and Trillion von Neumann—are not about to surrender to the demands of tyrants. However, the Atua are far from the only danger they face. Civil war has disrupted one of the colony worlds, giving rise to an authoritarian government. Now, the Betas must come up with a peaceful solution to one conflict even as they consider developing a planet-killing weapon to protect their race from another . . .

From the author of the Terminate the Other World! series: The dungeon-core adventures of a young man and his ever-expanding, ever-loyal hive continue!

Not long ago, all Belissar wanted was to be left in peace to tend his apiaries. But that ended when Ruckanos, the brutish son of the local lord, slaughtered his village to make way for his new tower. Rescued by a bee—who happened to be a core—the one-time beekeeper then became king of his own bee realm.

Belissar quickly learned how to thrive not only as a leader but as a fighter, using his winged minions to battle the dreaded Hunger that threatens all life. Now, aided by the mystical bear folk who share their knowledge and wisdom with him, he must continue to grow.

Because his bees are no longer simple servants; they’re advancing on their own as a fighting force as well as individuals as they battle the Hunger in all its forms. And they live only for Belissar’s blessings and glory. Now that’s some serious power.

But Belissar will have to harness that power if he’s ever to control his tower—and soon. Humiliated and sent on a suicide mission, Ruckanos is determined to hunt down Belissar and his beloved bees and reclaim all he lost . . .

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than four million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

As he navigates a strange new world, Edwin weighs forming alliances and deciding who to trust, in the fourth book of this smart, entertaining fantasy series.

Ever since Edwin Maxlin literally fell out of the sky and landed in Joriah, life has been a little bit complicated. For one thing, he’s adapting to a new world that’s nothing like Earth. For another, he’s learning magic, leveling up skills, and adjusting his scientific knowledge to a whole new set of natural rules. Plus, he’s an outsider maneuvering the dangerous politics of an empire he knows zilch about. No wonder he hasn’t had much time to rest.

Having devoted himself to training and studying (when he’s not building incredible new inventions!), Edwin’s finally starting to get somewhat of a handle on all his new abilities—with the help of fellow adventurer Lefi and water naiad Inion. But as his quest for improvement brings him closer to the mysterious and mystically powerful Rillah, he’s faced with a new set of obstacles. Because in a world where his very existence could make him a target, Edwin must be very careful about who he lets get close . . .

Effortlessly combining elements of high fantasy, character-driven storytelling, and the scientific method, The Way Ahead 4 is the fun, funny, and fantastically addictive next chapter of a remarkable quest.

The fourth volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with almost four million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A human magically reborn into a dragon’s body navigates friendships, alliances, and feuding gangs in the second book of this charming isekai series.

In the months since Draka woke up as a dragon in another world, much has changed. She’s formed friendships, built alliances, navigated the magic and politics of her new home, and discovered how to wield some of her more useful draconic abilities. But even as her powers evolve, she finds herself contending with ever more perilous trials.

For one, the dragon’s mind inside her own is growing stronger, becoming a near-constant force, with its own memories and desires. For another, Draka’s friendship with Herald has landed her directly in the crosshairs of some dangerous factions. And after a betrayal by someone she thought she could trust, she’s battling not only the dragon’s desire to kill but also her own craving for vengeance.

Now, Draka must learn to control her baser urges and truly embrace her dual nature—before she ends up destroying the remaining links to her humanity and the only people she cares about in this new life . . .

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Wielding uncanny mana, a young man has revived the dead—and forged them into a supernatural army on a singular mission of vengeance.

Ever since the first Rift appeared more than a dozen years ago, humanity has fought for its very existence. Destructive forces of alien nature, Rifts erupt as black spheres, encircling communities and transferring people to unearthly realms, where monstrous entities feed on them like cattle. Some humans, however, have found white crystal shards implanted in their chests, granting them physical and magical powers that help them survive the Rifts. Known as Rifters, they use their superhuman abilities to protect and defend Earth even as corporations mine the alien portals for their otherworldly—and immensely profitable—resources.

Rifter Lance Turner took great risks on expeditions, pushing his luck and his limits in combat against horrific creatures in one trial by fire after another. Then, left for dead on a mission with his mortally wounded best friend, Lance’s grief unleashed a rare and disturbing mana that enables him to reforge and control the dead. He is a Death Smith, and his power has been growing exponentially. With every recruit he revives from fallen human and animal corpses, he is building a platoon of nearly indestructible soldiers, loyally bound to his will.

Despite the continuing alien incursion threatening Earth, Lance only wants revenge against the Rifters who betrayed him. He no longer questions the morality of using the dead as weapons against the things that live in the Rift—as long as it increases his power. But his reforged soldiers are evolving, thinking for themselves, and now some are mutating beyond human understanding . . .

The third volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than 350,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A skilled young man in a strange world is called upon to help expand the kingdom—but it’s a path strewn with danger—in this fantasy adventure.

Living alone in the kingdom of Atal, former tech student Justin must explore his new home on his own and decide who’s worthy of learning the kind of magic that comes so easily to him. In a land where magic equals power, the choice of who can be trusted to use mana productively is now his to make, a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.

Secretly, Justin (now known as Elian) is still learning the finer points of the manipulation of mana. As he experiments with the creation of coveted Earth items, even those that have little meaning in this place—iron, for example—he’s called upon to make something his people truly need: weapons. And when the time comes, he’ll pour himself into the creation of a weapon that could save lives, including his own, in a battle that will shake the foundations of his new world.

Polishing the skills he’s learned and determining what might be beneficial to introduce to some trusted others, Justin grows into a man with his own credo and rapid-fire use of mana. A teacher and a valued asset in the expansion of the kingdom, he’ll face unthinkable obstacles and heart-breaking betrayals before the fierce, unexpected clash that will call on every one of his skills before the last man has fallen.

Crazy. Brutal. Unpredictable. And those are their good qualities. A pair of foul-mouthed mercenaries go on a suicide mission in this otherworldly fantasy.

After accepting a mission that no one wanted, He-Dog and Ball-less travel the treacherous Lands of the South to the glittering city of Foust. There, they find the fabled walls under siege. A vicious, seething army of Beastmen surround the city, intent on sacking it and feasting upon every last citizen within.

No one in their right mind would try to get past this mob. But He-Dog, Ball-less, and their companions aren’t in their right minds. Getting into Foust is utter madness. Getting out again is sure to get them killed.

Keith C. Blackmore’s madcap, grisly fantasy novel is perfect for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin.

In the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, a lone survivor faces a grave new threat as even the undead begin to disappear, in this sequel to Mountain Man.

Ever since the end of civilization, Gus Berry has spent his days waking up, getting drunk, and preparing for the inevitable zombie attack on his mountain fortress. Occasionally, he must take his life in his hands and venture into the undead world below in search of supplies.

These days, Gus is accustomed to the mortal threats he encounters. He has steeled himself against the corpse-infested streets, human scavengers, and unending loneliness. But now something new and strange is happening: the zombies are disappearing.

It seems a mysterious new threat is assembling—something even more relentless and terrifying than the roaming tides of dead flesh. And it’s preparing to hunt . . .

Ramping up the suspense, action, and gore with Keith C. Blackmore’s trademark heart and wit, Safari is the second book in the thrilling Mountain Man series—perfect for fans of HBO’s The Last of Us.

A charmingly uninhibited VR gamer plunges into a fantastical underwater quest in the second book of this imaginative and whimsical LitRPG series.

Arwyn is hooked on the immersive virtual-reality game Fantasia and has made somewhat of a reputation for herself within its fantasy realms. Possessing more nerdy smarts than physical strength, her in-game avatar, Fey E’lan, doesn’t necessarily follow the rules. She has a capricious make-things-up-as-she-goes tendency that her fellow players have come to know and expect.

Diving into the next leg of their quest, Fey and her crew find themselves in the enchanted waters off the coastal town of Seaport. Everybody’s logged on and ready to play: Blade, a human tank who’s traded his sword for a trident; Sirena, a bubbly mermaid mage and Fey’s best friend; Requiem, the suspiciously attractive bard with ulterior motives; and a collection of unlikely pets. In this aquatic world brimming with eye-popping coral, taxi dolphins, mermaids, and sea monsters, the potential for fun is endless . . .

Especially once Fey and Requiem find themselves on a quest for the legendary Siren’s Song, a lost merfolk ability that can put entire cities to rest. It’s the perfect chance to level up, gain skills, and collect equipment—all of which they’ll need if they want to return to dry land and if Fey wants to reunite with a certain angel she’s been falling for. To top it all off, she’s well on her way to becoming an assassin. Advancing quickly—and in typical Fey fashion—she’s going to make this “killer class” all her own.

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than three million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Haunted by his wife’s brutal murder a year previous, Marcus Lockwood retreats with his son to a remote Maine campground to heal—only to join a UFO hunt that ends with twenty-eight abductions, including that of the artistic serial killer who killed and mutilated Marcus’s wife.

After a year of torment following his wife Isabella’s brutal murder at the hands of an artistic serial killer, Marcus Lockwood retreats with his son, Elias, to Moose Hollow—a secluded campground in backwoods Maine—in search of healing. There, a close-knit band of lifelong campers immerses them in a warm, nostalgic experience filled with fishing, canoeing, and crackling barbeques, offering a taste of normalcy.

When whispers of eerie UFO sightings ignite an annual night vigil on the beach, Marcus and Elias eagerly join the hunt for the inexplicable. But they get much more than they bargained for when the sky erupts in otherworldly light. A mysterious craft descends, and in one surreal moment, twenty-eight people are abducted.

Isabella’s killer is one of them.

When The Others became Jeremy Robinson’s first New York Times–bestselling novel, he believed he’d crafted his ultimate UFO story. He was wrong. Now, the #1 Audible-bestselling author returns to the genre he loves, delivering a horrific twist to sci-fi storytelling with 30Seven, which will make aliens think twice before their next abduction.

An MMO gamer transported to another world must remake himself as a reluctant warlord, defending his people while fighting to bring peace to the land.

When MMO gamer Lansius woke up in a fantasy world, his greatest concerns were learning the language and keeping a thatch roof over his head. Then he joined the army as a lowly soldier right as the thousand-year third Imperium rule was crumbling. Little did he know he would end up leading his own troops into battle.

Now the guild representatives are meeting, and Lord Lansius must both negotiate trade deals with nomadic tribes to bring prosperity to Korelia and prepare to fight to repel the western lords. He is joined by his beloved Audrey, Lady Hannei, who only he knows is also a traveler from another world, as well as Felis, who is soon to be married into the nobility.

When news arrives that the emperor has died, war is inevitable. And though he has found himself a warlord, Lansius has no wish to wage war on all of Lowlandia. With thousands of soldiers depending on him for food and shelter, and violence and chaos on the rise, can Lansius bridge the divide between east and west and bring peace and unity to the province?

The second volume of the hit fantasy-adventure series—with more than two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

From two survivors of the “Tinder Swindler” comes a powerful resource that gives readers practical guidance to evade romance fraud and similar scams.

Millions of people who turn to digital social networks for friendship, connection, or love wind up devastated—and not just emotionally. Fraudsters and trolls doling out online harassment, destroying reputations, and causing their victims to rack up crushing debt are on the rise, and dismissive authorities and institutions are leaving said victims desperate.

Now, in their own words, Cecilie Fjellhøy and Pernilla Sjöholm—two targets of con man Simon Leviev, the subject of Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler—delve into how their harrowing experiences of betrayal and financial ruin at the hands of a master manipulator have impacted their lives. But this book doesn’t just share their experiences; it’s an educational cautionary tale and call to action.

Interwoven with their candid personal narratives are expert insights into the mechanics of relationship scams, the psychological toll on victims, and the loopholes in banking and cybercrime laws that leave injured parties unprotected. In this book, educators, law enforcement professionals, financial institutions, and users of dating apps and social media sites alike will find invaluable guidance for identifying and addressing these pervasive crimes.

An unflinching look at relationship fraud and the systemic failures that allow it to flourish, Swindled Never After is a must-read for anyone navigating the minefield of modern dating as well as those working to safeguard others against similar scams.

FOR FANS OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE AND SPEED

An innocent celebration takes a twisted turn when thirteen unlucky people find themselves trapped on a party bus with an inscrutable driver at the wheel.

It was just supposed to be a birthday party, a mobile celebration with a group of college friends on a modified fire truck. But at some point, things take a dark detour. As the pulsating beats of dance music reverberate over an endless stretch of asphalt, the temperature suddenly plummets, and the reality of the situation becomes chillingly clear: the driver will not stop. After frantically attempting to contact the mysterious motorist, the passengers begin to suspect this party may never end.

Desperation mounts as the trapped revelers hatch a plan to halt the rolling nightmare themselves. While they continue to drink and argue, shifting narrators peel back the layers of their past lives, exposing the disturbing secrets that bind them all together. Alliances shift, old grudges resurface, and battles erupt as the terrified passengers turn on one another in a struggle for survival as they careen through the night.

The Twilight Zone meets Speed in Shallow Ends, a harrowing exploration of the human psyche set on a desolate highway, where the line between what’s real and unreal blurs. Brace yourself for a psychological thrill ride that will leave you questioning the boundaries of perception—and confronting the darkness that lurks beneath the placid surface of our lives.

“There’s A Moveable Feast, there’s Hot Tub Time Machine, there’s The Canterbury Tales, and there’s David James Keaton swimming between them all, pulling everything together into this raucous, unlikely, terrifying novel about a fire truck, a leap year, and life.” —Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times–bestselling author of Don't Fear the Reaper and The Only Good Indians

“The kind of book I hope for but rarely get: it’s propulsive and gleeful and wildly funny, but also written with a kind of mad poetry and attention to character that kept me grounded, even as the story flew right off the rails. David James Keaton perfectly captures the unhinged energy of a party bus spinning way, way out of control.” —Letitia Trent, Shirley Jackson Award–nominated author of Echo Lake and Almost Dark

“David James Keaton is a madman. His stories contain interwoven plots so intricate and outrageous they’re like festooned cotton-candy cobwebs, and his dialogue is the snappiest, funniest, weirdest in the business. Shallow Ends is another beautiful, batty donkey kick to your head and possibly even your heart.” —Tony McMillen, creator of Attaboy and Serious Creatures

"Shallow Ends is written with such manic glee that I found myself reading as quickly as my eyes could dart from one line to the next. Keaton is a unique and exhilarating voice and here has expertly created a twisted narrative within the confines of a party bus careening down a terrifying highway.” —Jon Bassoff, author of Beneath Cruel Waters

A dead warrior must learn how to defend his afterlife against a hellish invasion in this sequel to LitRPG adventure A Pub in the Underworld.

Sylas Runewulf has been dead for about a month, but he’s making the best of it. The former battle-hardened swordsman is now a brewer and pub owner in the town of Ember Hollow. He’s also made a few friends here in the Underworld. Plus, he has a pet in Patches the cat, and he recently bought a farm, complete with a peppy pup named Cornbread. Not bad for someone who once lived and died by the blade.

The trouble is Sylas could very well die by the blade again—or else something much worse. Because his pub overlooks the worst place in the afterlife: the Chasm, home to demons and monsters that frequently rise up and wreak havoc, often killing a local or two.

With the looming threat of an invasion from the Chasm’s fiery depths, Sylas must look to his growing community for the power to survive—and ensure his new friends and neighbors are allowed to continue to rest in peace . . .

“An action-packed journey through a cozy, yet appealingly unpredictable, realm.” —Kirkus Reviews on A Pub in the Underworld

Outsider Edwin Maxlin must play a tricky game of politics to level up his alchemy skills in the third book of this witty LitRPG fantasy series.

Like any good student of science, Edwin Maxlin knows there’s no better way to gain knowledge than through trial and error. But if his trials since being magically transported from Earth to the land of Joriah have taught him anything, it’s that he doesn’t have much room for error.

Edwin has spent a year in the Verdant now, working with a strange, but seemingly benevolent, fey Inion to get a grasp on how skills, paths, and mana operate in his new home. He’s finally ready to leave the relative comfort of the wild and venture into the cities of the Lirasian Empire to take his alchemical and healing abilities to the next level.

But training with an alchemy guild isn’t as easy as it may seem. Not only will Edwin need all his talents—magical and scientific alike—to stay ahead in his studies, he’ll have to tread carefully to avoid attracting too much attention from guildmasters, governors, even the Emperor himself. Because Outsiders aren’t common in Joriah, and Edwin’s very existence could be seen as a threat . . .

The continuation of an imaginative, addictive, and altogether entertaining adventure, The Way Ahead 3 is perfect for fans of role-playing games, epic fantasy, and, of course, the scientific method.

The third volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with almost four million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

The descendent of an ancient and terrible clan will wield extraordinary power come the end of days in the epic fourth installment of this urban fantasy.

Truth Medici knows life isn’t fair. But for the first time, the balance is in his favor. Cultivation has taken him from desperate slumrat to burglar to mercenary to bodyguard to terrorist, and now he’s the revered prince of a kingdom to come—immortal heir to a dynasty hidden for millennia.

Pampered by succubae, demons, and sprites, Truth is more than ready to leave the slums and enjoy the high life. With an aura that reeks of power, he’ll make his presence known. His word and will are law.

But not all is perfect. Truth’s lover is no longer by his side, and neither is his beloved brother Vig, a revolutionary still devoted heart and soul to smashing the System. With a vast nationalist uprising reaching its fiery peak, Truth can’t help but wonder: What does he really want the end of the world to look like when all is said and done?

The answer lies back home in impoverished Harban. Truth left there a slumrat, but he’ll return as King Rat. And his reign will count for more than anyone can imagine . . .

The fourth volume of the hit cyberpunk fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

***A Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of 2023\*\*\*

When a newly promoted police inspector becomes the target of a blackmailer, she struggles to clear her name. But is she fighting for justice—or revenge?

Police inspector Cecilie Mars is a different kind of cop. She has a heavy cocaine habit, fantasizes about vigilante violence, and constantly falls in love with men she shouldn’t. Late one night, while tailing a suspect, Mars makes an ill-fated choice that has far-reaching consequences. Unluckily for her, her misstep has been observed and filmed. Now, an anonymous foe is threatening to reveal the truth unless she submits to his terrifying agenda.

Inexorably, Mars is drawn into a sinister blackmail scheme that could derail her career. At the same time, she’s haunted by the feeling that the shadowy figure behind the threats is well known to her—and growing ever stronger. But who is he? And how far is she willing to go to stop him before she loses everything?

Perfect for fans of The Bridge and Netflix’s The Chestnut Man, Darkness Calls is the first book in a trilogy of hard-hitting, big-city thrillers from Scandinavian King of Crime Michael Katz Krefeld.

Praise for INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Darkness Calls

“An intricate police procedural, taut with intrigue that explodes into terrifying violence, and a gritty depiction of a far-from-quaint Copenhagen characterized by cynical legal bureaucrats, grim concrete high-rises, and menacing street gangs . . . Energetic and colorful . . . but equally adept at evoking the queasy, claustrophobic feeling of victimization . . . [An] engrossing page-turner . . . featuring a pressure-cooker scenario, gripping action, and nerve-wracking psychological tension.” —Kirkus Reviews

“If you like fast-paced thrillers with unpredictable plot lines that pit good versus evil—with some of that Nordic noir atmosphere—then Michael is certainly the author read.” —Crime Fiction Lover

“A brilliantly . . . gripping thriller.” —Politiken

“Krefeld’s best crime novel to date.” —Jyllands-Posten

An elite Space Ranger battalion uncovers technology that could turn the tide of intergalactic war in the third adventure of this military SF series.

Capt. Ben Dailey’s Nova Rangers rush into situations in which angels fear to tread. Soldiers without peer, combat ready at all times, they achieve victories on behalf of the Federation at any cost. That makes them the perfect team to investigate Teras, a toxic world in the far reaches of the galaxy that’s been devastated by an unknown force. It appears they were sent there by accident—but maybe not . . .

With the USF Murphy in orbit, its crew racing to figure out a way home, Dailey leads a detachment onto the planet. There, they find the human survivors of a military outpost and civilization striking an ominous resemblance to twentieth-century America. Teras’s remaining inhabitants are the descendants of the people who moved underground after the surface was poisoned long ago by a strange, lingering fog. Generations have come and gone, managing to live on a dying world that has somehow transformed animals into brutal monsters and created ravenous spirits out of the deceased.

The Nova Rangers soon discover the source of the fog—and the planet’s blight: a damaged ship belonging to a dangerous force only whispered of in stories. It is full of miraculous technology that could tilt the balance of power between the Federation and their supposed Alurian rivals. Now, as both the mysterious threat and the shadowy Alurian fleets arrive at Teras, Dailey must keep the ancient alien vessel from falling into their hands and defend the world’s people, lest they become casualties of an interstellar war.

With pulse-pounding military action, extraordinary characters, and provocative intrigue, the Descending Worlds sci-fi saga continues in Justin S. Leslie’s The Last Mission.  

Vern’s path to balance has barely begun: eight fundamentals shape the world, and he’s only scratched the surface of the first . . .

After surviving the explosive end of the steamscript relay station and reuniting with his sister only to lose her again, Vern decides to join the Vigil of Duskfall—a group of observers dedicated to fighting against the horrors that have descended on their city. He’s willing to fight for their cause if it means he gains the knowledge and direction required to carve out a new balance. But while others follow a path laid out by their ancestors, he must trailblaze his own, analyzing what has worked for others and considering how he can retrofit that for himself.

Finding himself in an unfamiliar district, surrounded by new mentors and friends, Vern seeks the true answer to what exactly observation is and what the axioms are that govern it. But strange forces and foes stand in his way: the godlike might of old blood, a girl who wants to paint him, a subjectively eroded entity that terrorizes the entire district, a goddess that yearns for his gaze, and a council of high-shade observers who seek to create a society of hyper-surveillance. The path to balance isn’t straightforward, but Vern will uncover and wield secrets powerful enough to command even the supreme observer of the planet.

Combining action, mystery, and psychological horror, Shades of Perception is a unique mind-bending series perfect for fans of The Lord of the Mysteries, Bloodborne, and Attack on Titan.

The second volume of this steampunk fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

As the pit fighters face new threats and old enemies, the arena will be awash in blood, in the fifth volume of this thrilling fantasy series.

Goll quickly realizes he may have killed one opponent too many when he confronts the wrath of a dead gladiator’s stable in a slew of blood matches. Outside the Pit, Brozz fights for his life and Borchus finds refuge with an old friend.

Struggling to recover from his wounds and seeking a purpose, Halm of Zhiberia discovers that giving up a pit fighter’s life isn’t as easy as it seems . . . nor is it his decision alone. And in the west, a monstrous enemy makes itself known—and positions itself to strike at both the games and Sunja’s heart.

Perfect for fans of Gladiator and A Game of Thrones!

A Holy Maiden should never drink, get kidnapped, nor kiss a Dark Lord, but Ysabel is breaking all the rules to escape her fate as a human sacrifice.

In a world where magical powers are commonplace, Holy Maiden Ysabel is revered as a goddess among her people. She’s the only one able to heal the sick and injured with a simple touch. But her spectacular gift comes at a steep price. For each person she saves, she loses a day of her own conscripted life. To add insult to injury, she’s supposed to maintain a pure image even though she’d rather drink and play dominatrix until her sorrows fade away.

After the corrupt Head Cardinal Jiang abuses her gift, forbids her from leaving the city, and takes her brother hostage, Ysabel doesn’t dare drag anyone else into her problems—especially since it won’t change her fate. But when Dark Lord Kaine arrives at her clinic doorstep grievously wounded, she’s touched by his refusal to accept her healing lest it cost her another day of her life.

The mysterious and sexy Dark Lord awakens forbidden desires in Ysabel, and the nagging survival instinct she tried to drown with booze and drugs comes back with a vengeance. She’s less impressed, however, when he threatens to sack her city in return for his injuries. Fortunately, she can flirt her way to an alliance against the Head Cardinal instead.

Armed with only a ferociously loyal female bodyguard named Alzira, Ysabel attempts to make the most of her mere months left to live, protect the refugees around her city, prevent a war, and hide her face blindness. But before her life flickers to its sad end, she must decide: either die a proper Holy Maiden or risk it all to run off with Kaine.

“[A Holy Maiden’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped features] a protagonist with a strong voice and unique character facets like face blindness and a healing gift . . . and some nice worldbuilding, both in broad strokes and specific detailing.” —Elayne Audrey Becker, author of the Forestborn duology

“I . . . absolutely fell in love with Ysabel and Kaine . . . The ‘opposites attract’ trope worked so well for this story . . . The stakes are high throughout . . . Great craft and storytelling!” —April L. Wood, author of the Season of the Witch series

“Both [Ysabel and Kaine are] strongly drawn and very relatable.” —Bogi Takács, author of Power to Yield

In addition to strength, steel, and courage, a hero discovers he’s in need of a friend, in the first installment of a daring and dangerous fantasy adventure.

When it comes to action and adventure, every hero needs a good sidekick. Holmes has Watson, Batman has Robin, and Daniel has . . . Orrin. More like brothers than friends, they always have each other’s backs. And as Daniel is the big, strong, handsome type, Orrin is more than happy to remain in his shadow at school, at parties, pretty much everywhere.

Then things take a turn for the truly weird when a terrible accident catapults the pair into a world totally unlike their own, in which the rules of a role-playing game hold sway. Naturally, Daniel is classified as a “hero,” while Orrin is—also naturally—relegated to the fantasy equivalent of “bleh.” Nothing new there.

But in this realm populated with lethal foes both inhuman and inescapable, sticking together matters more than ever, and soon Daniel and Orrin will discover more about themselves—and each other—than either one thought possible. In fact, Orrin just might find the confidence and strength to become something other than your average sidekick . . .

The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than 600,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Confronted with corruption and crime, cyborg samurai Cat LeBlanc fights to protect a city targeted by aliens, in this action-packed cyberpunk adventure.

The megacity of New Montreal is under constant threat by the Antithesis, aliens who have transformed the landscape to produce swarms of creatures that feed on everything in their path. The city’s infrastructure is in disrepair, and the politicians and corporations responsible for its maintenance have been slacking off, leaving angry citizens to fend for themselves.

Cat LeBlanc is supposed to be on vacation, spending time with her girlfriend, Lucy, and their clowder of adopted children, affectionately known as “the kittens.” Unfortunately for the young samurai, duty calls, requiring her to take a more active role in addressing the city’s woes. Cat has no patience for political games or corporate bureaucracy, and she’d prefer to spend her time supporting a nonprofit clinic by producing free prosthetics to help those in need.

But samurai tech has far greater value on the black market, enticing depraved gangs to loot the clinic. As Cat and fellow samurai Gomorrah follow the twisted trail of thievery, they learn they’re not the only ones trying to track down the stolen goods. Rac, the teenage “kitten” living with Cat, has joined a crew of mercenaries looking to make a big score—only to find themselves the targets of a private military company.

Now it’s up to Cat to get Rac out of harm’s way and uncover who was really behind the prosthetic theft, all while the Antithesis prepares another invasion . . .

The sixth volume of the hit LitRPG sci-fi series—with more than 17 million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A mad young woman seeks power and pleasure in a strange, deadly land in this dark, twisty progression fantasy, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic novel.

Morgan Mallory is a typical college girl, immersing herself in her studies and her various hobbies—and overcoming her deep psychological traumas by indulging in careful manipulations and socially acceptable cruelties. So when she wakes up to discover she’s been transported to a new world that’s oddly reminiscent of a certain childhood fantasy story, she does what any completely sane and totally altruistic heroine would do: set out to kill the queen who brought her there.

To survive in the land of Pandaemonium, Morgan, now going by the name Maven Alice, will need to defeat monsters, build her stash of weapons and spells, and team up with mythical creatures ranging from elves to incubi to geists. But even that won’t be enough. Because if M. Alice truly wants to dominate the Labyrinth before her, she must be willing to sacrifice everything to increase her power—even if it tears apart her very soul . . .

Combining elements of fairy tale and mythology, horror and fantasy, and stories strangely familiar and imaginatively unique, Wonderland is the first book in a seductively disturbing series from a warped and talented new voice in literature.

The first volume of the hit portal-fantasy series—originally released on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Hockey players Lincoln, Ari, and Walker are back and ready to spice up Christmas in this hot holiday novella from USA Today–bestselling author C.R. Jane. 

If there’s one thing Monroe hates without question, it’s Christmas. Her childhood taught her to expect disappointment instead of cheer. And now, even though she’s found her soulmate in hockey god Lincoln Daniels, she’d rather avoid the festivities altogether.

But there’s no denying Lincoln is obsessed with making Monroe happy, and he intends to replace his sexy Grinch’s bad memories with oh-so-good ones. With the help of a few ideas from his friends Ari and Walker, Lincoln plans to seduce his lady with holiday hijinks, one delicious moment at a time.

It’s only a matter of time before Monroe realizes that after a lifetime of terrible Christmases, all she really needs to make her season bright is Mr. Right underneath the tree . . .

This edition features a signed letter from the author.

Two friends—one an orc prince whose ancestral throne is threatened, the other an exiled half-elf—must fight to regain their families’ power.

Kiru the half-elf has a lot to live up to as the exiled son of the murdered King Ruken, monarch of the Kingdom of Blades. A fight with a wealthy, spoiled lordling has left him paralyzed from the neck down, but his masterful command of mana keeps his body strong and mobile. Accompanied by his imp familiar, William, and friends Brunhilda the dwarf paladin, Zhaden the gold drakonid rogue, and Mutt the kindhearted orc, he’s on a mission to recover his father’s lost treasures, scattered across Alterra.

Mutt has never cared all that much about his clan, the M’Baku, which has ruled their homeland of Imakandi ever since its founding after Ragnarok. In truth, he’s been too busy hunting and fighting, content to let political matters handle themselves. But his carefree attitude changes when he and the other members of Pandemonium discover a faction within the nation that threatens all who dwell there. Now, one of Mutt’s clan must endure the Proving, a set of trials that will determine whether they’re fit to lead—and keep the throne in the family.

Kiru makes a deal with Mutt and his sister, queen regent Myev, to help them secure their ancestral throne if they agree to assist him in retrieving his father’s items and getting the orphaned sacred beast who has attached to them safely home. As he strives to attain the rank of Ruby and he and his friends fight for their families’ position and legacy, they’ll endure countless battles. And they’ll need all the strength they can get . . .

The second volume of the epic progression-fantasy series—originally released on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Vampire siblings challenge the unholy powers of destiny to save a multitude of worlds from mass destruction in the third book of this apocalyptic adventure.

Since the integration of Earth into the Elysium, Riven and his sister, Allie, have embraced their vampire DNA to become the royal leaders of an expanding new government known as the Thane Necropolis. Amassing an army of the undead numbering thousands, they’ve already claimed the elf village of Greenstalk, subjugating anyone who’s tried to betray them.

As they move north toward Brightsville, there comes a request from the Kingdom of Dawn not to seize its territory as well. It’s a bid for diplomacy from a bastion of civilization that could benefit everyone. Vampires and the undead helping humans? Considering what’s rumbling on the horizon, a coalition may not be a bad idea.

Meanwhile, Chalgathi—a Plague Dragon born of unconscionable malice and about to be reawakened by cultists—is destined for carnage. Empires will crumble and billions will die if the fanatical sect of end-time followers has its way. Riven has been called upon to act. It’s a risk, even for someone who’s already unalive. But there is a shred of hope.

As Riven and Allie prepare for the worst, they discover the Blood Moon Requiem, which holds the key to their mysterious lineage. It also has the potential to usher in a new chapter of their great vampiric legacy—one that could inexorably alter the course of the future . . .

The third volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with more than 900,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

After saving the world, a reluctant young hero finds himself targeted for not having powers, in the final volume of this action-packed superhero series.

Matt Callaghan is alive—barely. Having escaped the destruction of the home he shared with Jane Walker after an attack by political assassins, he’s back with the young superheroes of Morningstar Academy—and back in the center of a conspiracy that’s unraveling the world around him. A cult still pursues him; governments still want his powerless human blood. Any hopes he once held of living a normal life seem dead and buried, and it’s all Matt and Jane can do to try and ensure he doesn’t end up the same way.

But there’s no time to rest or recover. Unbeknownst to Matt or Jane, a great danger looms: a disaster brewing in the heart of New York City that threatens not just lives but the very fabric of reality. Only the full might of Jane and the Legion of Heroes can possibly save the world from this twisted, impossible catastrophe—which is exactly what their enemies are counting on.

And so the board is set; the pieces are laid for the final, twisted trap. Unseen forces prepare to reshape superhuman life as we know it, and every secret Matt and Jane unearth seems to reveal a dozen more. But Matt still has a few tricks up his sleeve, as well as old friends he can count on.

Meanwhile, Jane’s abilities continue to grow and her patience has run out for those who would harm the people she cares about. Enemies beware: Lady Dawn is done letting evil control, corrupt, and triumph. With unimaginable power running through her veins and furious, iron-clad resolve, if the world won’t bend to her will, she might just have to break it.

The fourth volume of the hit alternate-history series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

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 in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

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 . . .

A young witch takes on burning new passions, simmering ancient grudges, and timeless magical mayhem in the last book of this delightful romantasy trilogy.

Lady Katarina Ashowan is used to getting into trouble, but her latest muddle takes the cake. A moment’s weakness in her attraction to Eric Reyes, crown prince of Daxaria, has landed her in an unexpected marriage with the man . . . just as her father, Lord Finlay Ashowan, arrives in Troivack to check on his headstrong daughter. As if figuring out how to acclimate her father to her scandalous elopement isn’t bad enough, there are rumors of dangerous magical plots afoot at court—with Kat seemingly at the center of them all.

For one thing, the devil is still prowling around, with dubious intentions as to Kat’s powers. For another, an underground network of wrongdoers has been spreading a mysterious and addictive drug throughout both Troivack and Daxaria. And perhaps most concerning, a villainess is hiding in plain sight somewhere close to Kat and her best friend, Queen Alina, hoping to use them to strike at the devil. Now it’s up to Kat—with the help of her kitten familiar, Pina, as well as her friends and family—to untangle the twisted web of courtly and magical intrigue before her hurried honeymoon is cut short by deadly disaster . . .

A pitch-perfect blend of humor, romance, fantasy, and mystery, The Burning Witch 3 is the brilliant and heart-pounding conclusion to the enchanting House Witch spin-off series.

The third volume of a new spin-off of the hit romantic-fantasy series that has more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

The thirst for vengeance drives the Sunja gladiators to extreme measures in the fourth installment of this epic fantasy series.

The fighting season continues, and Goll prepares to participate once again in the games, as one man plots revenge upon the returning Kree. Growing weary of the insolent Prajus, golden-faced Gastillo seeks to strike a bargain with the wine merchant Nexus, which would rid him of his troublesome gladiator and provide him with the wealth needed to leave the Pit forever.

Seeking death, Pig Knot wanders the alleys and backstreets of Sunja and discovers that the city of his birth does not favor him in the least. Meanwhile, the captured Jackals embrace the Pit and discover the arena sands do favor them. And the Perician Weapon—now known as Wonder—faces perhaps his most telling match yet . . .

Perfect for fans of Gladiator and A Game of Thrones!

From the author of Mountain Man: Encounter a new breed of fear in the first book of a bloodcurdling werewolf horror series set in the snows of Newfoundland.

In a nearly deserted village off the coast of Canada, strange things are happening. A local hunter discovers bare footprints in the snow. The stray dog population has ceased to exist. And people are beginning to ask questions about the town’s recluse.

But with winter’s most powerful weapon bearing down on the island, it’s about to get a lot worse . . .

Breeds is the first book in a trilogy of terror sure to please fans of Robert R. McCammon, Maggie Stiefvater, and Chase Novak.

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.

The first volume of the hit cyberpunk series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

An IT worker explores an alternate dimension in his office in the first book of a fun and fast-paced series blending cubical life and dungeon fantasy.

Working as overnight tech support, James Lyle has long said he’d do anything to escape the boredom. But his commitment to excitement is tested when a slight coincidence one shift sends him to a different part of his office building . . . and he discovers a stairwell that contains not stairs but rather a landscape of seemingly infinite cubicles against a distant horizon.

Unwilling (and unable) to stay away, James and a few of his trusted friends begin to explore this endless maze of supernatural business ennui, a few minutes in the real world turning into eight hours of encounters with strange creatures and even stranger interior design choices. But in a realm that allows them to level up in fax machine repair and provides them with enough cash to pay the rent, there are also adversaries that are quickly becoming dangerous—and potentially lethal.

As James, along with his companions, delves ever deeper into this extraordinary place, he starts to realize that animate staplers and time dilation might not be the biggest challenges they face, and those challenges might not stop at the entrance . . .

The Daily Grind is the epic beginning to a slice-of-life urban fantasy that effortlessly blends wry commentary on office life with intricate character- and world-building.

The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than four million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A scavenger trapped in a defunct undersea train tunnel struggles to escape as his air supply—and his sanity—dwindles in this debut psychological thriller.

The Transatlantic Train Tunnel, connecting New York and London, was meant to be the next Wonder of the World. But after the disastrous maiden voyage seven years ago, it’s generated nothing but protests, lawsuits, and bankruptcy. The only traffic the tunnel sees these days is scrappers harvesting its useless remains before it’s fully dismantled.

Not everyone is willing to take a tedious job one hundred and fifty feet below sea level, but Ben Breckenridge doesn’t have a choice. He needs the money, and the work will help quiet his anxieties. That is, until one of the bulkhead doors mysteriously locks, trapping him inside.

With limited air supply, Ben must race deeper into the tunnel to find a way out. Yet the farther he goes, the more his mind disintegrates. To survive, he’ll have to reckon with the monsters in his head. Only then will he be able to face the actual monster that’s now hunting him down . . .

“An intense, claustrophobic thriller that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go. Chris Butera has outdone himself; this is a book I won’t forget anytime soon.” —Samantha Downing, international-bestselling author of Too Old for This

“A unique and delightfully creepy riff on the ‘haunted house’ genre. That alone would be reason enough to recommend it. What makes this novel truly special, however, is how author Chris Butera forces us to be content with true horror: the human mind, robbed of all distraction and comforts, is forced to contend with itself.” —Shaun Hamill, author of A Cosmology of Monsters

Driven by fury, wracked with guilt, a young woman’s war to free Earth from aliens has devastating consequences, in this action-packed dystopian adventure.

Humanity’s days are numbered. Earth is on a collision course with the one-hundredth anniversary of first contact with the invasive species that unleashed the Mist into its atmosphere. Spreading like a virus, these nanites altered the very air and soil of the planet, poisoning the land and mutating the animals. People evolved beyond their biology into superhuman beings, while scientific advancements in technology and weaponry shifted the hierarchies of the world’s most powerful nations. While armies battle to create a new order, the aliens are left free to leech Earth’s natural resources.

Standing between human greed and alien invasion is Mira Braddock. Augmented with a Tier 7 Nexus Implant, she’s a cybernetic warrior capable of harnessing the Mist for her own ends. But she used her immeasurable abilities to destroy the megacity of Nova, killing millions of innocent people in selfish pursuit of vengeance. Three years later, she remains traumatized, with only the love of cybernetic engineer Patrick Ward to prevent her from sliding into an unrelenting mire of guilt and grief.

Now, events have escalated as warring alien factions continue to prey on humankind. The E’rok Tan have bred people as livestock. The collective known as the Pacificians indoctrinate humans to join their hive. And the Gomari Confederation, strip-mining Earth of its value, threaten to annihilate anything left alive. But no one is prepared for Mira. Fearless and merciless, she possesses enough power and willingness to exterminate entire populations of enemies . . .

The third volume of the hit sci-fi LitRPG series—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Five friends discover there are bonds even death can’t break in the first book of this gritty paranormal fantasy series featuring a slow-burn romance.

Everyone in Ridgemore knows Joss and her friends Griffin, Hunt, Layla, and Brady have been inseparable since they were kids. You mess with one, and you’ll have the whole bunch to answer to. Their senior year should be one long, carefree party, but Joss can’t seem to get over a crush on Griffin that could screw up their lifelong friendship. She can’t help it; she’s drawn to his devilish smirk and the brooding stare that seems to trail her wherever she goes.

But any thoughts of romance go out the window when a horrible accident changes everything. One minute Brady is broken and flatlining; the next he’s alive and kicking. Everyone is stunned by the “Miracle Kid’s” rapid reversal—except for Brady’s parents, who want him to lie about how not terrible he feels. In fact, his friends’ families are acting pretty strange too.

As Brady’s miraculous recovery morphs into a nightmare, Joss and the rest of their tight-knit crew begin to realize their sleepy mountain town is infested with disturbing secrets. Secrets about who—or what—they really are. With eyes everywhere, there’s no one they can trust. It’s the five of them against the world . . . and the world is coming for them.

Stranger Things meets Riverdale in an edgy new-adult series, in which heart-pounding paranormal adventure, slow-burn romance, and a friendship stronger than death converge.

“The jaw-dropping cliffhanger of an ending . . . will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment. A crackling, well-written yarn that expertly takes its spitfire characters through plenty of twists and turns.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A riveting blend of secrets, suspense, and die-hard friendship sure to keep you up at night!” —Jaymin Eve, Wall Street Journal– and USA Today–bestselling author of the Shadow Beast Shifters and Supernatural Academy series

“Absolutely addicting! Ride and Die delivers a decadent blend of secrets, suspense, and romance!” —Leia Stone, USA Today–bestselling author of the Kings of Avalier, Fallen Academy, and Wolf Girl series

“I can’t get enough of this story. The characters leap off the page. I’m obsessed.” —Sophie Davis, USA Today–bestselling author of the Talented Saga

The author of How to Survive at the End of the World continues this fast-paced isekai series about a dead man who somehow ends up in charge of a dead world . . .

When Matt Perison first came to Gaia, everything was wrong and dangerous. He was promised redemption and repayment for dying of cancer, but that turned out to be a lie. He was promised a nice place in which to exist, but instead he got death. He was promised, in all ways, good. But what he has, in all ways, is bad.

He’s made the best of it though. Aided by his system guardian, Lucy, and the dungeon system itself, Barry, Matt began to build a life for himself. He’s getting pretty good at surviving in a place where nothing else is alive. But surviving isn’t all there is. So Matt’s finding the time to make improvements to his new home. And he’s beginning to have hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

There’s only one snag. The system instance on Gaia is out for revenge, and a nightmare from Gaia’s distant past is returning to wreak havoc once again. Now, Matt has to learn that life is about learning how to thrive—and finding a way to do so when even survival is in doubt . . .

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

An ordinary young woman wakes up in a real-life sword-and-sorcery role-playing game in this epic fantasy adventure for fans of The Witcher and Elden Ring.

The Worldwalkers of legend are beings touched by Fate and transported from another realm, tasked with a grand destiny. Traditionally, they prevent great cataclysms or the fall of empires. Whatever their undertaking, their appearance brings about momentous change. It’s been some two hundred years since the last Great Game, but the time has come again. Seven are chosen, and the game begins once more . . .

Kandis Hammond doesn’t remember much before her arrival, naked and alone, in a locked stone barn. The twenty-four-year-old junior financial research analyst from Sydney simply sat down in front of her computer, and the next thing she knows she’s here—and someone very angry is just outside. But the most puzzling thing of all is the glowing letters that begin appearing before her eyes. When the enigmatic System tells her she has abilities and skill points to spend, Kandis realizes she’s entered a role-playing game. Only it’s not on a computer or TV. It’s all too real.

After getting her bearings as a Worldwalker—and some clothes—Kandis learns she must head out in search of her purpose in the grand destiny. Unsuited for physical combat, she’ll have to rely on her wits and charm to survive. Of course, that won’t be easy. Wherever Worldwalkers go, trouble follows. Whether it’s a feral fox, a treacherous wizard, a thirsty vampire, or something much, much bigger, it’s simply the nature of the Great Game. And Kandis better not lose . . .

The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than 600,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

In a ravaged city, a giant among warriors risks everything to liberate the galaxy in the epic third installment of this dystopian space-opera adventure.

Ariock Dovanack never asked to be a hero, let alone a demigod. But when a prophecy deemed him “The One,” he dutifully amassed thousands of messianic followers in the sun-starved civilization beneath the Torth Empire’s capital. Now, destined to lead the cave-dwelling Alashani people into the light of other worlds, he and a small army must first annihilate the formidable telepaths who guard the city’s spaceport.

By Ariock’s side is Thomas Hill. A Torth/human hybrid, Thomas may be physically vulnerable, but he’s also a telepathic supergenius. With their combined powers of healing brawn and awesome brain, Ariock and Thomas share a fearsome reputation among their enemies in the Torth Empire. To the ruling supergenius known as the Upward Governess, they’re outlaws who must be eliminated at any cost—even if it means sacrificing her own armies.

As if that weren’t enough, on his daring journey to the spaceport, Ariock encounters a legendary hero: his own great-grandfather, Garrett Dovanack. Thought long dead, it seems the old man has actually been stationed among the galactic Torth as a sleeper agent all this time.

Forswearing his prior allegiance and quickly switching sides, Garrett unveils a seemingly perfect path to victory for Ariock. But he has sorely underestimated Thomas, and his wrong-headed assumptions could topple his great-grandson’s mission—and doom the first civilization Ariock has sworn to liberate and return to glory.

The third volume of the hit sci-fi fantasy series—with more than 750,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A magical boy and his giant wolf best friend team up to save the last of humanity in the second installment of this epic adventure series.

Having survived against goblins and the undead, Dirt and Socks are striking out on their own, leaving forest and den behind. Their spirits are high, but the reason for the journey is serious. Socks is being hunted by a mysterious entity called the Devourer, and it’ll catch them if they stay in one place too long.

To complicate matters, they finally encounter some real, live humans. A small group of adventurers are wandering the wilds to find a lost city, because it turns out humanity is on the brink of extinction. Year by year, humans are dying out, and Dirt might be the cause.

Dirt and Socks will have to keep growing stronger, wiser, and more cunning if they want to make a difference. They’ll need every ounce of magic and physical prowess to overcome the dangers placed before them, including monstrous armies, strange creatures, angry ghosts, and other abominations from beyond.

Survival is never easy in the Land of Broken Roads . . .

The second volume of the hit fantasy adventure series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

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 . . .

The first volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with almost two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

From the author of The 13th Continuum and A Sacrifice of Destiny and Desire comes a chillingly dark romantic-suspense series that’s perfect for fans of You.

Morgan thought a weekend at the exclusive Namaste Center—a luxury wellness retreat for women, located in the picturesque Berkshires—would be the perfect way to recover from a breakup. Her two best friends insisted she needed the detox, meditation, and most of all, distance from her complicated ex, Noah. No phones, no distractions, just a chance to reset and move on.

But Morgan isn’t sure she wants to move on. All she really wants is for Noah to apologize for the affair that ruined their chance at happiness. From the outside, she appears to have it all: she’s built a life of success in the big city, far from her rough childhood. But she grew up clinging to the survivalist skills her alcoholic father taught her before he drank himself to death. Self-reinvention was her way out, and she made sure no one would ever figure out where she came from—not even Noah.

Now, as Morgan tries to bury her heartbreak in spiritual escape, she can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong with the Namaste Center and its oddly serene staff. A mountain lion lies gutted on the road, its blood melting the snow. The guru’s serene chants twist into eerie rituals by firelight. And in the meditation garden, stick figures left by past guests sway in the branches, taunting Morgan with shadows that feel alive.

As cryptic warnings from a hunter echo through the trees and the other women begin to mysteriously disappear, Morgan’s instincts scream “danger” and she realizes she’s not here to heal. Something sinister stalks these woods. Driven by a need to uncover the truth and a desperate desire to survive, she digs in. Noah may have broken her heart, but whatever’s lurking here has the power to break far more—if she doesn’t break it first.

In the second installment of this adventure-filled fantasy, your local magician and his party are set to dazzle once again—with a devilish twist.

Former stage magician Max has been appropriately classed according to his prior profession. Unfortunately, a failed Soul Merge has made him a Demonic Magician. Now, with a trail of monsters and corpses left in their wake, Max and his party—consisting of strong-willed elf-on-a-vengeance-quest Ren and talking-grizzly-bear Wolf—have made it to the second area of the System-created world of Othea. And they’re up against the perpetually elusive threat of the Crimson Shadow gang and its mysterious leader, Lady in Red.

Max, Ren, and Wolf have found the beginnings of love and a family, so why are so many people still determined to kill them? Clearly, nobody likes a trickster. It’ll take everything they have to fight their way through the obstacles presented by the failing System. But as they continue their journey to defeat Lady in Red and bring peace to Othea, Max has another question: What exactly is giving him his demonic powers?

The follow up to the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with 600,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Humanity is divided between those who have chosen a simulated existence and those seeking life among the stars in this far-future science-fiction adventure.

The Beta Explorers have succeeded in their mission of terraforming planets to establish human colonies across the galaxy. But as the inhabitants of these new worlds come of age to govern themselves, their ambition plateaus and stagnates. Instead of continuing to pursue scientific advancement and space travel in the physical Betaverse, many prefer the simulated environment of the Metaverse, where they can live innumerable immortal lives, free from illness and harm.

Separated from her fellow Betas, who individually transformed one world at a time, Angelique Komene cloned herself and produced hundreds of habitable planets. Through her clones, the Ange Angels, she has guided billions to create democratic societies. But when her people start embracing the Metaverse, one colony after another, the clones make a startling discovery: a virus code—designed to influence the humans under their care to reject science in reality—was uploaded into the Betas’ simulated minds before their terraforming mission even began, presumably the work of the authoritarian government, which outlawed space exploration to keep humanity contained in the Metaverse.

Now, it is up to Angelique and the Betas to implement an antivirus to purge the contagion and reclaim their autonomy from Earth once and for all. But what if the virus did not originate on Earth after all? It seems an alien civilization has been spreading its own colonies across the universe. And if humans do not return to their home planet, the aliens may destroy the entire race . . .

The second volume of the hit science-fiction adventure series—originally released on Royal Road and perfect for fans of Bobiverse and Children of Time—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

As survivors come together in the wake of a zombie apocalypse, a deadly new menace emerges, in this dystopian horror series.

After nearly four years, the zombie epidemic has almost burned itself out. Once a lone survivor on the brink of insanity, Gus Berry has a new life on a communal farm, his daily routine of policing the fields only rarely disrupted by straying undead. Gus’s drinking binges are over, and the dark days of Annapolis are soon to be a distant memory. But his troubles are far from over . . .

When Gus is asked to search for a group of missing scavengers, he reluctantly agrees. But he soon discovers a new predator has been unleashed upon the land, one determined to harvest every last mortal life—and feed it to a ravenous machine.

The gritty zombie survival series continues with Well Fed, the fourth book in Keith C. Blackmore’s thrilling Mountain Man series—perfect for fans of HBO’s The Last of Us.

Quedra and Zham’s new mercenary company is short of everything they need to get their recently discovered ship, Last Stop, operational. They need a patron, but the only likely candidate demands they show him what they’re worth. Zham takes charge of a border outpost’s air wing, but when the fortress is besieged by their patron’s enemies, the company’s first mission may end up being their last.

From the creator of the epic Shadow Campaigns saga, Siege Line is the second book in critically acclaimed author Django Wexler’s thrilling Diamond Knife series.

A heroic young thief and her family fight against the darkness that threatens the entire land in the riveting final volume of this fantasy adventure saga.

An increasingly talented and skilled shadowthief, Gatina of House Furtius—known in more rebellious circles as the Kitten of Night—continues her covert work in the ongoing struggle against the vile usurper Count Vichetral. Vichetral’s dominion over the duchy of Alshar has grown ever darker, with slavery now legal and vicious gangs brutally enforcing his will.

Their enemies infiltrating even the Shadow Council in the hunt for Gatina and her family, Gatina’s father decides to meet with the mighty Sea Lords and discover if any are willing to join the effort to take down Vichetral. The voyage also offers Gatina a chance to learn about her distant relatives, who wield their power amidst the waves, and to enhance her facility with her very own, newly forged shadowblade.

But danger can follow across water as well as land. And Gatina soon finds herself in a desperate battle from which the winner will sail away as the vanquished sinks into the briny deep . . . forever.

The Spellmonger: Legacy and Secrets trilogy introduces a younger Gatina, the Kitten of Night, as she comes into her own as a shadowmage.

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.

The first volume of the hit cyberpunk LitRPG series—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A determined young woman struggles to uncover the secrets of the System itself—before the unthinkable happens—as this LitRPG adventure continues.

Transported from Earth to an entirely new planet, filled with magic and monsters, Alice Verianna has not only had to figure out how to survive but to learn and grow while she’s at it. But what’s really driven her from the time of her arrival is the desire to investigate—and determine the true nature of—the seemingly omnipotent System that holds sway over all things in the world of Luliv.

Alice takes a major leap forward when she finds a patron researcher who helps her gain admittance to magic school, where she gets to study everything from self-defense to monster biology. But the more she advances both academically and personally, the more she suspects something might be wrong with the System itself . . .

Adding to the danger and darkness, the enigmatic Society of Starry Eyes has been working in the shadows, conducting experiments with broken mana and human beings—to horrifying results. With the Society growing ever bolder and the land on the precipice of disaster, can Alice discover what’s wrong with the System before it’s too late?

The second volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with almost two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Two teenagers fight for their place in a world where everybody has powers—and the fate of humanity may be in their hands—in this original superhero series.

On July 6, 1963, human history was forever altered. From the depths of space, a golden wave of light bathed everyone on Earth in rays that rendered them unconscious. Six days later, five billion people awakened with superpowers. For thirty-seven years now, superhumanity has managed to keep the peace. With some exceptions . . .

Matt Callaghan is a clairvoyant. Unfortunately, his uncanny talent for predicting the future has more to do with observation and psychology (read: lying) than actual superpowers. About to graduate from Northridge High, he still hasn’t developed any special abilities. And if the authorities discover the truth, Matt can safely predict he’ll be locked up as a scientific curiosity.

Jane Walker is an Empath, feared and hated for her ability to assume other people’s powers by touching them. Expelled from various high schools for fighting bullies with a dazzling array of formidable abilities of their own, she’s determined to prove her worth and join the legendary Legion of Heroes.

Tasked with employing his “clairvoyance” to monitor his new classmate, Matt must juggle protecting his secret inability and keeping Jane and his friends from killing each other. And when the Legion of Heroes offers Matt a place in their academy, his attempt to play off the organization’s history backfires into Jane getting accepted as well.

As Matt bluffs his way through evaluation and Jane battles for her very life, the pair will soon learn the Legion’s true agenda is far from altruistic—and even farther from heroic . . .

The first volume of the hit alternate-history series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Upon losing his wife, an ex-adventurer must contend with politics, monsters, and fatherhood, in the first book of a moving and imaginative fantasy series.

Not much daunts Rakta Velbrun. He has immigrated from Rusk to the Certillian Empire, traveled the realm battling unspeakable creatures with his adventuring guild, and faced off against the Warlock King himself. But when his wife, Lydia, passes away in childbirth, leaving him the sole caretaker of their three infant children, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory.

Rakta is certain of one thing: he’ll do whatever it takes to protect Daka, Dalton, and Natakia from danger . . . even accept the lordship—rife with power plays, dirty deals, and dangerous secrets—his late wife’s conniving family has offered him. To both keep his children safe and prevent his new domain from becoming a pawn in courtly games, he’ll need to rekindle old alliances, forge new treaties, and combat strange enemies.

But the greatest challenge Rakta must face will come from somewhere far closer to home than he could’ve ever imagined . . .

The first volume of the hit portal fantasy series—with almost 400,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

In a small village on a prehistoric Earth, a young mage must harness her powers as barbarians from the north approach.

Once every two generations, the young adults of Whitecliff must face the trial of Mother’s Wrath, during which they will either receive magical powers or be swept away in the tempest. Dorea hopes the storm will bring her one of its elemental powers: lightning, water, or wind. To her shock, when the trial ends and the earth stops trembling, she finds herself gifted with all three.

The village’s shaman, Voggo, warns Dorea that this bounty is both a blessing and a curse. She will need to learn how to use the raw power coursing through her for her own protection and that of her loved ones—as well as deal with the side effects. Because the northern tribes are amassing, and magically enhanced animals are creeping closer to the village every day.

Dorea soon realizes that her skills grow more quickly in bloody combat than through traditional training. And she is going to need every ounce of power she can get. With barbarians advancing on the only home she has ever known, she and her friends will soon have to fight to save themselves and their tribe.

The first volume of the hit progression-fantasy series—with more than 300,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

From the author of Returning to No Applause, Only More of the Same: In the deadly Tutorial, an ex–pro gamer must face the consequences of his actions.

Lo Fennrick has been through Hell—literally. Surviving the levels of the Tutorial has been hard enough. His body has taken beating after beating, and his mind has disintegrated numerous times over. But on top of all that, it seems the gods have voted on his removal from the game, which would condemn him to an unknown future. Their aversion is hardly unexpected. After all, he’s already assassinated an emperor, murdered the king of Acheron, killed thousands of others, and eaten human flesh. Few would be disappointed if he suddenly exploded into a cloud of confetti.

And now rumors are swirling about a Tutorial-wide tournament, spanning all difficulty levels, all servers, and all floors. It’s the opening the human leaders who run the servers have been looking for to finally try Fennrick—PrissyKittyPrincess to them—for his crimes against both humanity and goblinkind. Defended by his lone friend, Moleman, he must thread the line between guilt and innocence as he simultaneously fights his way through the tournament and his own trial. His guilt is certain, but what of his punishment? With his stats at such high levels, can he even be executed?

With the entire world seemingly against him, Fennrick will fight off packs of drowned dogs, try out a paid internship, escape a pit of snakes, and maybe, if he’s lucky, make a few new friends along the way. All in a day’s work for the most hated man in the Tutorial . . .

From the author of the epic Shadow Campaigns saga comes a new action-adventure sci-fi series set in a dangerous world in which one must fly—or die . . .

When his older sister, Quedra Sa-Yool, was brought down by her political enemies, ne’er-do-well and pilot extraordinaire Zham followed her into exile. Quedra, a military genius once known as the Diamond Knife, now commands the mercenary airship Last Stop and its motley crew, and Zham leads its tiny air wing—when he’s not roistering in bars and dodging moneylenders, that is.

The one thing keeping this ragged outfit together (besides Quedra’s blistering stare) is everyone’s desire to survive on the edge, even if that means smuggling, battling pirates, and flying too close to the solid floor of clouds known as the Layer, below which the merciless insectoid mantids hold sway. Indeed, few who dare to venture there ever return . . .

But when the Last Stop is enlisted to search for a lost expedition that may have discovered a haven for humans beneath the Layer, it’s the chance of a lifetime. What awaits Zham and team at the end of this dangerous mission might just change their lives—and their world—forever. Then again, it might mean the end of both.

Last Stop is the first book of a thrilling new series from the critically acclaimed creator of Burningblade & Silvereye and the Forbidden Library.

“A pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure reminiscent of Joss Whedon’s Firefly . . . Readers will hope for a quick return to this exciting universe.” —Publishers Weekly

“This novella . . . delivers adventure and action in a series starter that will be of interest to fans of James S. A. Corey’s Expanse series.” —Booklist

In post-apocalyptic New York, a young man accepts the challenge of a lifetime, joining an elite team to fight the monsters threatening humanity’s future.

Eleven years after the Mana Apocalypse, nineteen-year-old James Summers has more on his mind than just the flailing economy and a country full of monsters. Orphaned and living with his grandparents, he’s given up on college in favor of working at the Coney Island Home Depot while pining for Sally, his cool, beautiful colleague.

But it’s hard to ignore the news of dungeons opening up all over the country, in both cities and across lonely stretches of rural land. Mutated rats, crocodiles, and spiders pour out of them to face off against mankind, and all that stands in their way is the Awakeners, people who, in moments of great stress, are able to tap into the mana that now pulsates throughout the world.

When James receives the System message that he’ll join their ranks, naturally he’s thrilled. The Awakeners live like kings in powerful guilds and are solely responsible for humanity’s survival. Ever since his father—who worked for a mysterious agency—passed away, he’s wanted to follow in his footsteps to improve society. This is his chance to make that dream come true.

But when James joins the Awakeners Association, it quickly becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. The bureaucratic institution is weakening, and fraud and corruption are rife, while a conspiracy sprawls through the most powerful guilds. Meanwhile, Sally’s ex, Callum, is hot on his tail. Oh, and a dungeon is opening under Manhattan. As James develops his skills, he’ll have to be quick—and smart—to stay alive.

Arthur’s rise as a Legendary card wielder is put to the test in a strange new dragon hive as this epic deck-building saga continues.

Newly dragon-linked, Arthur is savoring his importance, his cards, and his status as a Legendary rider. And his dragon, Brixaby, may only be a hatchling, but he’s already anxious to grow into his powers. Getting to eat cards along the way for new abilities is the icing on the cake.

Now, a chance encounter whisks Arthur, Brix, Cressida, and her own cheery little dragon to remote Mesa Free Hive, where crafting cards rule. The hive has remained miraculously untouched by the scourge poisoning the rest of the world. Its inhabitants—dragons and humans alike—want only to live safely for as long as they can.

But there is an edge to the place that’s unsettling for Arthur and rattling Brix’s wings. Maybe it’s the news that it holds a key to freeing the wretched borderland where Arthur was raised. Or maybe there’s an old enemy lurking in the shadows who’s a threat to not only Arthur and his gang but all of Mesa Free.

Whatever the risks to come, Arthur’s developing a keener grasp of his cards—and more importantly, a deeper understanding of himself and the ever more powerful card sets he’s destined for.

The third volume of the hit progression fantasy series, featuring a unique card-based magic system, now available for the first time in print!

“Honour Rae’s All the Skills has everything I love: great writing, an intriguing mystery, and badass dragons. Well, some of them are badass. Some are dweebs, and that makes it even more awesome.” —Matt Dinniman, bestselling author of Dungeon Crawler Carl

“A fantastic work that is fast establishing Honour Rae as one of the big names of LitRPG. The characters, plot, and world-building are incredibly compelling, and like many readers, my only issue was devouring it and then having to wait for more.” —Travis Deverell aka Shirtaloon, bestselling author of He Who Fights with Monsters

“A wonderful and unique take on the LitRPG genre reminiscent of Dragonriders of Pern. The diverse cast of characters and detailed setting draw you in from the start. I look forward to more.” —Aleron Kong, bestselling author of the Land Saga

In pursuit of magical power, a young warrior finds himself waging war on behalf of a subjugated people—and becoming a king—in this dark-fantasy adventure.

Half-human, half-demon, Zeke Blackwood has become a legendary warrior and wielder of mana. To the kobolds he’s Ak-toh—Savior. The centaurs call him Spear of the People. Both species have rallied to his side along with beastkin, elves, and other creatures who’ve sworn allegiance to him. They’re willing to sacrifice themselves while he fulfills a quest on behalf of the god Oberon: to be the greatest fighter in the forthcoming apocalyptic battle between good and evil.

But the realm is overrun with malice and cruelty. The Knights of Adontis enslave every species they consider subhuman, the very ones following Zeke. To liberate them, Zeke must unleash his wrath against enemies who wield demonic mana that threatens to corrupt his body and soul. As his kingdom of loyal subjects and soldiers grows larger and more diverse, he’ll need to find the balance between reigning as a just ruler and a merciless tyrant.

With every victory, Zeke’s strength and skills grow, as does his ability to conjure destructive magic. Torn between his human and demonic natures, he’s evolving into something far beyond either. Something unworldly, possessing incalculable power . . . A god.

The eighth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Amid supergenius schemes for an apocalyptic future, the legendary heroes of prophecy wage a galactic war for freedom, in the final book of this epic series.

Ariock is no longer an invincible messiah. In the wake of a rage beyond his control, the Bringer of Hope struggles with defeatism. Meanwhile, Thomas hides a tryst and lets his zombie minions dwindle to shambles. The gloating Torth Majority is in reconquest mode, slicing through liberated territory, and the people of Freedomland fear their vaunted heroes are on the verge of losing the galactic war.

To win, Ariock’s great-grandfather Garrett knows the book of prophecies must unfold the way the ancient oracle intended. But the next fateful vector looks ominous: all the heroes on their knees, in supplication to none other than Thomas. Why does the telepathic supergenius appear dominant over planets, stars, and everyone in the known universe?

Determined to force destiny to favor his mostly human great-grandson, Garrett—with the help of Vy, who loves her wounded Giant with equal parts desire and caution—throws all his efforts into rebuilding Ariock’s confidence. Who else is equipped to smash the emergent death cult among the Torth? Certainly, Thomas and Evenjos cannot defeat endless armadas armed with new weapons invented by enemy supergeniuses.

But soon a more immediate threat interrupts the heroes’ secret struggles and plans. A lurking rogue Torth has infiltrated Freedomland. It seems Thomas is about to meet his match in terms of both genius schemes and zombification ability . . .

The epic finale of the hit sci-fi fantasy series—with more than 750,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Born from fire, Solvei must learn to harness her power in order to survive in a world determined to extinguish her, in this fantasy adventure.

Ten-year-old Solvei and her tribe of fire elementals, the áed, are on the run from those who hunt their kind, when an encounter with a Titan—a monster larger than mountains—leaves everyone but Solvei dead. Now alone, she makes her way into unknown lands where the skies pour down a fire elemental’s greatest weakness: water.

Between a dark fog that swallows cities; tall, bearlike people at war against technologically superior humanoids; and worst of all, the ocean, the world beyond the fire elementals’ dry wastelands is anything but welcoming. Despite this, Solvei pushes on, searching for a place she can call home.

But just when it seems things are starting to go her way, she discovers those hunting her kind have not stopped. They want to control her power as an elemental and direct it upon their enemies. Solvei will have to burn even hotter to retain her freedom, becoming an inferno . . . and an inferno cannot be stopped.

The first volume of the hit progression-fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in print, ebook, and audiobook!

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

When a college student takes a shortcut through the woods, he discovers a strange new world, in this Melody of Mana prequel series.

Heading home after a long day of classes, tech student Justin takes a little-used path through the woods. But when he stumbles unexpectedly, he rolls downhill and into the challenge of a lifetime. Faced with exotic, glowing plants he’s never seen before and a luminescent pool of crystal-blue water that exerts a frightening pull over him, he’s literally reborn in a rough, raw landscape—in a time before history began . . .

Reduced to a helpless child but somehow retaining his adult memories, Elian—as he’s now known—must come to know the family that has claimed him, all the while learning a strange new language and the culture of this foreign land, where he must survive until he can attempt to return home. But most importantly, he must master the light that surrounds him, an exhilarating magic called mana that will shape his future, if he’ll only grow up.

Through concentrated apprenticeship and some calamitous mistakes, Elian will finally become a young man again. And just in time to help his people face a dangerous force that threatens their small kingdom.

The first volume of the hit progression-fantasy series—with almost 300,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

It’ll take a village for Rasp Stoneclaw to escape the curse he’s been running from since birth in the clever second installment of this epic fantasy series.

In the aftermath of runaway heir Rasp Stoneclaw’s foiled attempts to escape the curse threatening to destroy his people, he’s stuck under a mountain with Oralia Dawnsight, Protector of the Realm. So in other words, everything’s going great.

Oralia’s plan to install the cursed Stoneclaw as the new leader of the Iron Ridge is, needless to say, in tatters. But Rasp has discovered something he didn’t expect: while he may have been the one to awaken the curse in the first place, he also just might have what it takes to defeat it—provided the appeal of running away doesn’t win out.

Meanwhile, emissary and extremely unsuccessful witch hunter Daana Lazuli is in mourning for her partner, Willem, who gifted her his mysterious magic before his death. And that very magic may be the key to saving Rasp, if only they can convince Oralia to put their needs ahead of the realm’s . . .

The second volume of the hit fantasy-adventure series—originally released on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Jeremiah Thorn, a kindhearted young man who happens to be a novice necromancer, is condemned to die by an uncaring kingdom.

When he’s discovered by a group of adventurers, it seems his time is up. Can he convince them he's more valuable alive than dead? And can death itself be a force for good?

Full of breathtaking exploits peppered with humor, The Necromancer’s End is the first book in a fantasy world with rich characters, hilarious banter, and real consequences that’s perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

The first volume of the hit fantasy-adventure series—with more than 250,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Footie’s number-one fanatic continues his climb to become number-one manager in the fourth installment of this fast-paced, electrifying LitRPG series.

Football is a game of steps: Quick steps. Trick steps. Even sneaky, slick steps. Whether you’re on or off the pitch, you best know your footing. And for Max Best, that’s no problem at all. He has the ability to read players to a T—thanks to the sentient stat-tracking display he received after saving an elderly man in the streets.

Now, as director of football for Chester FC, everything’s falling into place for Max. His team is climbing the ranks. He’s executing great transfers and hired a literal old hand for his brand-new women’s team. Plus, his no-holds-barred attitude and unorthodox way of working the league systems is making a serious impression. What could go wrong?

Well . . . everything actually. First, a top-notch prospect gets snaked out from under him. Then, an old adversary starts playing dirty behind the scenes so Max can’t play on the field. And his wheeling and dealing has landed him in the wrong kind of spotlight. But the worst part is that he’s beginning to suspect the one behind all the chaos is the increasingly devilish old fellow he rescued so long ago . . .

The fourth volume of the hit progression-fantasy series—with more than 800,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

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.

The first volume of a new spin-off of the hit romantic-fantasy series that has more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

In the third book of this clever epic-fantasy trilogy, Rasp and his fellowship will defeat the dark magic corrupting them once and for all . . . or not.

With the Realm fractured, the outlaws of the Iron Ridge are threatened from all sides. Aided by his mentor, Whisper, runaway heir—and newly ordained witch—Rasp Stoneclaw finally has a chance to see more of the world, beyond the ridge. He’d like to survive and keep his wits about him, but the darkness inside him has other ideas . . . including, unfortunately, cannibalism.

Meanwhile, Ex-Protector of the Realm Oralia Dawnsight is struggling to come to terms with her new role as a traitor to the broken empire. Once, she dreamed of a glorious retirement. Now, she and the remnants of her Faithful Four—Ralizak, Ellisar, and Snaglebrag—are stuck babysitting some unexpected guests: Rasp’s just-slightly-annoying siblings, Mul and Lingon, along with a former enemy, currently trapped in a pendant around Oralia’s neck and slowly consuming her with its dark magic.

Former witch hunter Daana Lazuli, on the other hand, is sick of lying down for the Realm. Seeking a place to belong, she turns to the notorious Sons and Daughters of Resistance, hoping to find a cure for the growing darkness. Though she’s given up magic to keep the rot in her blood from spreading further, she knows, deep down, that she may need to use it again at any moment.

Now, Rasp, Oralia, Daana, and their friends must band together to save one another from the threat of dark magic. The only thing that can save them from darkness, after all, is family.

Corrupt conspirators threaten an IT worker whose transdimensional dungeon explorations could change the world in the fourth book of this visionary series.

James Lyle, Anesh Patel, and Alanna Byrne have spent much of the past year exploring a secret realm in which the phrase “cubicle hell” isn’t just a metaphor. Stalked like prey by sentient staplers and hostile computer hardware, the trio has managed to amass a collection of magical abilities that are rapidly adding up to something more significant. But they aren’t content to just sit back and take it easy; rather, they hope to harness their newfound power to benefit humanity. So they’ve recruited a bunch of adventurers—many of them rescues from past quests—to their cause and set out to change the world for the better.

But building a utopia is not without its complications. When the do-gooders receive a distress call from an unlikely source, they begin to question who—or what—exactly they’re doing all this for. And while it comes as no surprise that the well-off like things the way they are, what is shocking is that some of them possess powers of their own. As if all that weren’t enough, a secret agency that keeps people from learning about magic by any means necessary has discovered a dungeon underneath a high school. As teenagers start to get wiped from existence, James and his team quickly realize that making the world a better place is going to take more than just helping the needy . . .

Humorous and thought-provoking, the fourth misadventure in the Daily Grind series is an unpredictable combination of detailed world-building, RPG action, and slice-of-life encounters set in the corporate sphere.

The fourth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than four million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A fiery young witch contends with magical adversaries, courtly fights, and unexpected attractions in this romantasy set in the world of the House Witch.

Lady Katarina Ashowan has never quite fit the mold of a noblewoman—and it’s not only because she’s a mutated fire witch. Though she’s the closest friend and confidant of Alina, the soon-to-be-coronated queen of Troivack, Kat would much rather play cards with questionable characters or steal out at night to go riding than bandy niceties with suitors and deal with affairs of state. So as soon as Alina is officially crowned, the young witch plans to put away her dresses and get into some real adventure, training with a master swordsman.

But her journey to knightly prowess is proving more complicated than she thought it would be. For one thing, her future teacher isn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of their arrangement. Worse, unknown adversaries seem determined to stop Alina from actually assuming the throne. Kat’s magical abilities, meanwhile, keep growing and changing in unpredictable and potentially dangerous ways. And despite her best efforts, she still can’t manage to suppress her attraction to Alina’s brother, Eric, the crown prince of Daxaria . . .

Filled with heart-pounding duels and enchanted encounters, witty wordplay and swoon-worthy flirtations, The Burning Witch 2 is the humorous, page-turning continuation of a charming series set in the unforgettable universe of the House Witch.

The second volume of a new spin-off of the hit romantic-fantasy series that has more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Chaos ensues as the greatest wizard in all the land faces his toughest challenge yet—himself—in this gripping conclusion to the hilarious Hat Trick trilogy.

Absalom Scryne isn’t himself. On the one hand, he’s a well-rounded gentleman of a sentient hat with two beloved apprentices and a tagalong swordsman. On the other, he’s a rather furious wizard sitting on the opposite side of a desk, demanding they give back his hat. Needless to say, it’s not an ideal situation.

And it’s about to get worse. Because the battle between civilization and all the monsters of the Badlands and the underworld is about to begin. With one Absalom Scryne or another in the human corner, wearing the blue hat, and the dark god Nun Mhor Goth in the monster corner, wearing concentrated darkness, it’s going to be a clash for the history books.

Facing off against every demonic creature from the previous volumes in the series—plus some extra ones thrown in for fun—our heroes are all too aware the battle could go either way, at the drop of a hat . . .

A high school student is thrust into a battle to the death with flesh-eating angels in the first installment of this heart-pounding LitRPG series.

Jenny Huang’s day starts out stressful enough. Between an argument with her overbearing mom and a surprise pop quiz in first-period English, she’s counting down the weeks until she can escape to college. To top it all off, she’s working up the nerve to ask her best-friend-slash-crush to prom.

But when an earthquake rips her high school into another realm, Jenny suddenly has much bigger problems to contend with. The Survival Challenge is in effect, trapping Jenny and her classmates in a hellish battle royale. There are 851 people stuck in the building, and that number is ticking down—fast. Hunted by murderous angels and guided by strange system notifications, there’s only one rule: kill or be eaten.

By crafting weapons and mastering the mechanics of this nightmarish new world, Jenny levels up and fights to keep herself and her friends alive. But survival comes with a price. The stronger she grows, the more she uncovers of a dark, vengeful side of herself she doesn’t recognize. With every kill—with every bite—she loses more of the girl she used to be.

And one horrible truth keeps haunting her: the Challenge only ends when one person is left standing. How can Jenny protect the people she cares about if, in the end, she’ll just have to destroy them too?

Reborn into a world of magical skills and superhuman abilities, a young man battles the forces of darkness, in this action-packed, post-apocalyptic fantasy.

On Earth, Zeke Blackwood was a star athlete who devoted his every waking minute to baseball . . . before his tragic death and the devastation of the planet. Eons later, he was resurrected in a magical realm known as the Radiant Isles. There, Zeke survived two years of unrelenting combat through sheer grit and determination. Battling trolls in a labyrinth of caverns, he gained superhuman abilities with every victory, ultimately equipping him for a war between good and evil.

Now, along with his companions—a beautiful archer named Abby and Pudge, a dire bear cub who’s become soul-bonded to him—Zeke engages in quests to help the defenseless against the monstrous creatures and near-immortal beings who prey upon them. But his latest selfless act has brought him into conflict with the Crystal Spiders, an assassins’ guild that’s been kidnapping people for some unknown purpose.

Before Zeke can unravel that mystery, he’s summoned by Silas Martel—a monk of the mighty Temple of the Sun Goddess and spymaster for its head priestess and ruler of the Radiant Isles, demigod Lady Constance—for a dangerous mission. He must rescue Constance’s daughter from Abraham Micayne, Lord of the Dead. The treacherous task will take Zeke, Abby, and Pudge through zombie-infested lands, with the Crystal Spiders in hot pursuit. And even though every brush with death only makes Zeke more powerful, nothing can prepare him for the macabre horrors of Micayne’s dominion . . .

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

The line between one cyborg’s machinery and humanity grows perilously thin—and deadly—as this action-packed LitRPG adventure series continues.

Not too long ago, the cyborg NSLICE-00P—Non-Standard Leashed-Intelligence Cybernetic Enforcer—was an unstoppable machine of war. But when a fateful murder caused her to be launched into a whole new reality, she slowly began to realize that she could be something more . . . if she wanted.

Fighting alongside the Empire against the deranged Heralds of the New Dawn cult, NSLICE-00P is still one tough, extremely violent unit. But when she decides to save the life of a friend by embedding her with NSLICE tech, some very deep cracks appear. Why do these enhancements cause her friend such physical and mental pain? Can’t she simply go on like NSLICE-00P’s various cyborg/animal/insect experiments have? Is it because she’s human—like NSLICE-00P used to be?

Now, in addition to squaring off against the enemy, NSLICE-00P finds herself in a battle with her own programming, memories, and increasingly powerful and chaotic emotions, which run contrary to her very existence. She’ll have to face the fact that she may be becoming something more human than machine. But since the machine parts are the only things keeping her alive in this perilous reality, does she really want to?

The fourth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A supernaturally inept student lands himself an internship with the world's most infamous sorcerer in the first book of this humorous fantasy series.

Bryce Alexander isn’t exactly on a path to wizardly renown. In fact, his latest rejection from the Arcane Arts program at the Kotodama Institute has pretty much guaranteed his dream of attending magical college is over. But rather than give in to despair and join the manager training program at Samba Smoothies, he does something incredibly daring, unexpected, and . . . stupid. He sneaks into the Queens warehouse where the Dark Sorcerer Zambrano has recently been spotted and offers up his service as an apprentice.

The good news is Bryce is somehow so unattuned to magic that he isn’t even affected by the literally crushing effects of Zambrano’s defenses. The bad news is Bryce is somehow so unattuned to magic that he has literally zero chance of ever becoming a sorcerer. Still, Zambrano is convinced Bryce’s mystical maladroitness could be an asset when it comes to infiltrating the hiding places of his enemies, and he enlists him as an intern to assist him in his supposedly nefarious causes.

Suddenly, Bryce has gone from slinging protein shakes to navigating a world of preternatural grudges, cursed objects, demonic power plays, and FBI plots. Because interning for the Lord of Havok isn’t taking memos and running out for coffee; it’s engaging in an otherworldly battle, in which Bryce’s total lack of supernatural skills could spell the difference between life and apocalypse . . .

Filled with fast-paced action and side-splitting banter, The Dark Sorcerer’s Intern is the first installment of a contemporary fantasy guaranteed to keep you laughing and guessing to the very last page.

In this thrilling dystopian space-opera, escapees flee a ravaged Earth—but what’s more dangerous: the wasteland of their past or the one that lies ahead?

Having obliterated entire civilizations, the Torth Majority is now threatening humanity itself. Barreling through deep space—and hunted every dark mile by armadas, saboteurs, and kamikaze armies—the passengers of a refugee streamship must outrun everything they left behind if they hope to stay alive.

Instilled with illegal superpowers, Ariock is a literal giant among gladiators. It’s in his blood: his legendary great-grandfather outwitted the Torth, and Ariock himself dared to betray them. Thomas, on the other hand, is a supergenius. Sure, he’s physically disadvantaged, but his mind is a brainwashing, telepathic, terrifying wonder to behold. What he’s done to outlast the abuses of his youth is something of a mystery . . . and possibly malevolent. Not even Vy, his caretaker and foster sister, knows all of Thomas’s secrets.

What all three share is a fear of the unknown. Their ship on the last dregs of fuel, they crash-land on a distant planet still under the toxic, storm-filled fallout of an ancient nuclear war. Turns out this hell-scape is the ancestral homeworld of the Torth. And while that savage empire couldn’t withstand this poisoned sludge of a planet, it doesn’t mean they’re not still guarding it.

On a predatory world of mutant monstrosities and relentless galactic enemies, Thomas foresees nothing but death and defeat. But it’s do-or-die for Ariock and the streamship exiles who are fighting to survive—and somehow find light in a dead city of eternal night.

The second volume of the hit sci-fi fantasy series—with more than 750,000 views on Royal Road— now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

One man finds fame, fortune, and a powerful foe in a live-streamed dungeon crawl in the third entry of this action-packed LitRPG adventure series.

Being a hero after the apocalypse is serious business. Jason Lee is one of the select few on Earth who possess the abilities, weapons, and menagerie of monsters to face the plague of spawning dungeons sweeping the planet. With each of his campaigns live-streamed over the internet, he’s garnered fame and—with the help of his new manager, Mr. Wang—fortune.

Of course, becoming a celebrity also has its downsides: the griefers, the trolls. But things don’t get complicated until one of them interrupts a battle in real time. She’s known simply as “the queen,” and she’s been watching Jason’s every move . . .

For a hero-for-hire who depends on live streaming, a third party defeating his bosses is a problem. One he’ll have to fix—permanently.

A sentient dungeon discovers there are more dangerous things in his new world than even himself . . . as the dungeon-core isekai adventure series continues.

Not long ago, the dungeon known as Thedeim was a mere human. But after an up-close-and-personal meeting with a runaway semitruck—and subsequent dealings with a rather flustered Angel of Prodigals—he found himself in a new world, reincarnated as a run-down old house that just barely qualified as a dungeon. However, it didn’t take long for him to build his core, mana, and reputation, making friends along the way.

Nowadays, having vanquished the truly vicious dungeon Neverrest, Thedeim is finally getting comfortable. His array of minions—animal, insect, etc.—are well in hand and operating at full efficiency, while he enjoys managing daring delvers and awkward adventurers as needed. He’s also working to spread his (mostly) beneficent influence across the land. But it hasn’t been easy, what with guiding his own irascible scions, wrangling rogue dungeons, countering truly evil entities, providing for those he cares for, and basically keeping things as non-nightmarish as possible for everyone.

In short, he’s a very busy dungeon. And he’s about to get busier. Because there are those who don’t appreciate Thedeim’s efforts. And he’s about to discover that when you can’t make everybody happy, somebody is bound to become very, very unhappy . . .

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than seven million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

The hunt for a serial killer leads a vampire agent to uncover a terrifying conspiracy in this dark urban fantasy by the author of the Hellequin Chronicles.

Vampires and humans live side by side thanks to an uneasy peace maintained by the Assembly. As an Arbiter for the powerful organization, Miles Watson is authorized to act as judge, jury, and executioner for anyone—living or undead—who breaks the law. But now Miles is up against a threat more sinister than anything he’s seen in his centuries as a vampire.

A criminal network in London is offering wealthy humans the chance to become vampires without the Assembly’s consent. When the process goes disastrously wrong, the Boss wants to eliminate any trace of the fiasco. But a rogue enforcer refuses to play along, and trouble quickly escalates out of anyone’s control.

As Miles sets off searching for the illegal vampires, he finds himself on the trail of a monstrous serial killer. The twisty investigation takes him from London’s deadly underworld to the rural backwaters of the Pacific Northwest—where an even more devious criminal enterprise threatens all of vampire-kind . . .

Known for his terrifying tales of urban fantasy, author Steve McHugh goes even deeper into the shadows with this noirish vampire thriller, which masterfully combines suspenseful plotting and intricate world-building.

Four brave combatants fight for survival in a world where blood sport is taken to the ultimate extreme in this action-packed fantasy series debut.

Once every year, in the city of Sunja, gladiators meet in the arena known as Sunja’s Pit. Some are lured there by the prospect of fortune or fame; others come simply for the thrill of the fight. The games continue for days, until a champion is crowned—or all involved perish.

When it becomes clear that to be a Free Trained pit fighter is to live with a mark on one’s head, four warriors struggle to change their lot, both in and out of the arena. But that’s easier said than done, and not everyone is pleased to learn of their plans. All the while, unseen forces watch the quartet, waiting for the best time to strike—and take everything they have.

Perfect for fans of Gladiator and A Game of Thrones!

Former lovers get a second chance at happily-ever-after in this holiday rom-com from the author of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe and Mistletoe Mischief.

Sam Griffin’s nephew meant well when he brought his uncle to the attention of a relationship-advice radio show in Mistletoe, Idaho. But now, Sam is getting publicly roasted for his love life. Faced with the harsh reality of his dating history, he wants to be known as more than the guy who bounces from bed to bed. And if that means falling in love and settling down, all the better.

Back home after a long stint in the big city, police officer Wren Little is pulling double duty protecting the community and her own heart. With two decades behind her, she knows she dodged a bullet when she chose not to run off with Sam when they were teenagers. But it’s proving difficult to avoid being confronted by her infamous ex—everywhere from the airwaves to the local watering hole. And he’s just as sexy as ever . . .

As Christmas quickly approaches, Sam and Wren decide to let bygones be bygones in the spirit of the season. But with unresolved feelings, secrets, and passions simmering just below the surface, all it’ll take is a little holiday cheer to reignite a romance that was never really extinguished.

“A breezy romantic romp with plenty of heat.” —Kirkus Reviews on 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

A rookie plays for keeps in this darkly seductive hockey romance from the USA Today–bestselling author of The Wrong Quarterback.

“You’re going to fall in love with me. It’s only a matter of time.”

Trapped in a life she never wanted, Sloane is subject to the whims of rich, powerful men. She survives by playing the part, but inside she feels nothing. Because having feelings is dangerous. She’s managed to stay numb for so long . . . until a rookie hockey player spots her and turns her whole world upside down.

When Logan York pulls Sloane into his arms after the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals, the crowd goes wild. But what’s wilder is the way Sloane finds herself kissing him back. Logan’s relentless pursuit has her feeling reckless and out of control, and she can’t afford to be careless.

She refuses to date him, but Logan’s not taking no for an answer. He needs Sloane to be his forever, and when he learns what kind of life she’s been living he’s determined to save her—even if it means hiring her for himself.

Sloane tells herself it’s just another job, that Logan is just another client. But a client has never wanted her for anything more than her body before. And Logan will break every rule to get Sloane’s heart in the game.

This edition features two character illustrations, a signed letter from the author, a curated playlist, and a recipe from the story.

As undead hordes roam the frozen landscape, a lone man hunts an even deadlier foe, in this gritty horror thriller.

  A serial killer stalks the ice-glazed streets. Half-frozen deadheads choke the avenues. Infected vermin rise from the labyrinth of sewer systems, hungry for warm flesh. And a handful of survivors struggle to escape and find safety in a world overrun with zombies.

In his hunt for the monster known as Tenner, one man must contend with all of this and more—before things get even worse.

Welcome to Hellifax, the third book in Keith C. Blackmore’s thrilling Mountain Man series—perfect for fans of HBO’s The Last of Us.

Torn from her home by a reality-warping power, Zalia strives to survive in a frozen world of strange beasts, mysterious magics, and a kingdom at war.

Zalia Taori is well equipped for life in the remote forest valley she calls home. But while tracking a deer through her snowy stomping grounds—armed with her hunting bow and excellent knowledge of wild plants—she comes across a warp in the fabric of reality. She suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar land where she must learn to survive as both predator and prey.

As Zalia explores this forbidding new terrain, she encounters peculiar herbs, terrifying monsters, mysterious rituals, and some unexpected friends. She enters a world of classes and levels, where making the right move can bestow new powers—and a high-ranking bunny can be a badass opponent.

But just as this lone hunter gets her bearings, she discovers trouble brewing across the landscape. From a safe perch, Zalia spies opposing armies gathering their defenses. As knights and mages run headlong into battle, she knows she won’t be able to keep her distance forever . . .

The first volume of this survival LitRPG adventure series— with more than two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

When a despised isekai author’s novel comes to life, she’s challenged by opponents far more sinister than any demon or god: her past critics—and karma.

Liu Peijin has spent the last decade of her life writing a widely read—and very trashy—LitRPG web novel. Too bad her readers don’t really like the book . . . or the author. But who can blame them? Peijin is bitter and far more interested in challenging negative reviews and blocking all critics than engaging with fans. Until one day, after arguing with a commenter, she receives an ominous message: “Tomorrow, 1 p.m. I have a surprise for you.”

Sure enough, the next day the Azure Dragon of Peijin’s story appears on the freeway before her and slaughters dozens of humans in a flash. Additionally, blue screens flash all around, and murderous goblins flood the streets. Soon, divinities, demons, and ghosts are investing in humans to fight for their entertainment. Peijin swiftly realizes the first chapter of her book has infected her world.

Technically, she has the knowledge and skills she needs to survive. It’s her insufferable man of a protagonist she’s worried about. Oh, and all those reviewers she blocked are now passing cosmic judgment on her. After years of disparagement, they can’t wait to see her suffer. And there's a certain god—who, by the way, Peijin is sure never existed in her novel— who somehow knows more than the author herself . . .

The thrilling start to an imaginative gamelit series, Scathing Reviewer is perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered, What would the writer do?

The first volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with more than 170,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

From the author of Ultimate Level 1: When a bold teenager discovers a strange egg, he becomes the first human in generations to bond with a dragon.

Kaen is a typical teenage orphan in Ebonmount—toiling in a quarry for his keep as he yearns for adventure far beyond the confines of his laborious existence. But everything changes when he stumbles upon a bronze egg. From its shell emerges Pammon, a dragon, marking Kaen as the first human in generations to bond with such a creature and entwining his destiny with that of the elite adventurers’ guild. Suddenly thrust into a life he’s only dreamed of, Kaen embraces his bond with Pammon and what it truly means to be chosen by fate.

But as he steps onto the path once walked by his late father, the thrill of adventure is overshadowed by his quest for the truth behind the man’s mysterious death. Soon Kaen and Pammon’s journey becomes one fraught with peril, filled with both the promise of discovery and the ever-present risk of loss. Together, they must navigate their bond, the guild’s expectations, and the reality that every flight soars on the wings of danger.

Serving up breathtaking exploits as well as the true heart of a family drama, Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider is perfect for fans of Christopher Paolini and Rick Riordan alike.

The first volume of the hit LitRPG adventure series—with almost two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Dragged into hell by a ritual gone wrong, Zalia must escape before the souls of the damned and their demonic keepers locate her.

Zalia wakes to find herself in a strange, new hellscape called Cormaine. Though this place offers a brief respite from the politics of Endaria, it’s a dark land of twisted, leafless trees, mournful cries, and a looming red sky where far more concerning things than politics are to be found.

With her mischievous companion, the mountain leopard Boreal, Zalia must hide from the souls floating aimlessly across the firmament and find food before she starves. On her guard, she sets out to explore her unsettling surroundings, learn the properties of the corrupted flora, and keep hope that there is something—anything—that can help get her out of here.

As Zalia starts to discover the many secrets of Cormaine, the demonic jailers of this place begin to notice her. But with a few new friends, an old, dead god, and ever-growing power, she just might survive to see blue skies once more . . .

The second volume of this LitRPG adventure series—with more than two million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

There’s no such thing as a cyborg vacation in the fourth installment of this action-packed sci-fi adventure from the author of the Victor of Tucson series.

Juliet Bianchi used to be a lowly scrap scrounger in Arizona. But when she was accidentally implanted with a beyond-awesome AI chip, her life changed dramatically—what with all the nanotechnology, bodywork, and other badass enhancements. Now she’s a high-powered weapon-for-hire in hiding as . . . what else? A not-so-lowly scrap scrounger!

When a new gig calls for her to climb aboard a swanky cruise ship on its way to Io, Juliet is more than happy to live the high life for a little while. And it gives her a chance to test out her latest upgrades, which just so happen to include telekinesis and mind-reading. Unfortunately, with great power comes some sort of responsibility.

Because when Juliet tries out her new mental mojo on a crowd of passengers, she picks up some unwanted intel. It seems there’s an assassin onboard who’s on their way to make a hit. Juliet will have to balance being a cold-blooded mercenary herself with stopping a fellow killer. And then things actually get complicated . . .

The fourth volume of the hit cyberpunk series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Separated as they were transported to a dangerous mythical world, a mother and daughter wield magic, fight against tyranny, and quest to find each other.

It all happened in a flash of light and a burst of sound. One moment, Sloane Reinhart was passing a typical day on Earth with her young daughter, Gwyneth. The next, she was in the fantastical realm of Eona, befriended by elves and orcs, and Gwyn was nowhere to be found. Prior to Sloane’s arrival, humans didn’t exist in Eona, and magic was the stuff of storybooks and legends. Now, traveling with the Knights of Haven’s Hope, Sloane has been established as Lady Reinhart, a noble from a distant world capable of creating objects of magical power. But despite her talents, she’s unable to locate her daughter.

After innocently describing herself as a princess to the band of merchants who discovered her, Gwyn has been brought into high society. Under the protection of elves, she enrolls in the Royal Academy, to be educated in etiquette and politics while her guardians create House Reinhart. A ten-year-old twenty-first century girl, Gwyn has no patience for the pomp and circumstance forced upon her by the ducal court. And as an emotional child who just wants her mom, her uncontrollable pyromancy makes her a considerable threat to the nobility.

But Sloane and Gwyn aren’t the only humans who’ve suddenly appeared in Eona. People from all over Earth—past, present, and future as well as alternate timelines—continue to arrive. And the rulers of Eona see them as an invading army to be destroyed . . . or weapons to be wielded.

The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than 500,000 views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

For a boy coming of age and discovering a magical self-reliance and new powers for every occasion, the future is in the cards, in this fantasy adventure.

Arthur lives with his father, a fallen but proud former noble, in Border Village #49, along with the other good folks condemned to toil in service to the Baron. But Arthur has an edge: a stolen heart card that secretly fell into his possession, thanks to a dragon. It’s a priceless source of power for the Baron and the tyrant will kill to get it back. Invaluable, too, to a young man of spellcasting ambitions.

So, at the behest of his father—and to save his own hide—Arthur flees and joins a trader caravan on the kingdom’s backroads. Mile by dusty mile, he gains new skills and learns more about his increasing capabilities. But when he meets Horatio, his sharp-tongued new best friend and a spell card collector himself, Arthur discovers the greater powers to come by building on the Legendary card hidden close to his heart.

One step ahead of the Baron’s hunters, Arthur and Horatio forge on under a sky full of guardian dragons—from the adorably loopy to the mystically wise—and their unflappable riders. Amidst danger, rescue, and friendships with both humans and those creatures of the more leathery variety, Arthur awakens to a newfound confidence . . . and the extraordinary things that can arise from the simplest magics.

The first volume of the hit progression fantasy series, featuring a unique card-based magic system, now available for the first time in print!

“Honour Rae’s All the Skills has everything I love: great writing, an intriguing mystery, and badass dragons. Well, some of them are badass. Some are dweebs, and that makes it even more awesome.” —Matt Dinniman, bestselling author of Dungeon Crawler Carl

“A fantastic work that is fast establishing Honour Rae as one of the big names of LitRPG. The characters, plot, and world-building are incredibly compelling, and like many readers, my only issue was devouring it and then having to wait for more.” —Travis Deverell aka Shirtaloon, bestselling author of He Who Fights with Monsters

“A wonderful and unique take on the LitRPG genre reminiscent of Dragonriders of Pern. The diverse cast of characters and detailed setting draw you in from the start. I look forward to more.” —Aleron Kong, bestselling author of the Land Saga

Conscripted into imperial battle, a lowly mechanic crosses boundaries to face monsters of war, in this thrilling dark-fantasy adventure.

Hailing from a rural village, Mikolai was an army mechanic with modest ambitions: keep his head down and stay out of trouble. But then he had the misfortune of finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time . . .

Mistaken for a steam knight, Mikolai is drafted into a task force with an intimidating casualty rate led by the notorious war mage known as the Butcher of Belz. Suddenly the unwitting commander of a small squad, the former civilian is tasked with leading his troops into battle to stamp out the resistance in the name of imperial rule—or heroically die for the motherland in some godforsaken corner of the world.

Trudging over the treacherous Sarmatian mountains and into a dreaded no man’s land where empires clash, Mikolai and his team face a threat worse than they’d feared: not all their enemies are human. The squad is outmatched, but they know desertion equals execution. Fortunately, their leader’s own latent mage powers have unexpectedly started to emerge.

Mikolai used to think his destiny was to be a humble farm boy, but he’ll soon discover he’s bound for greater—and terrifying—things. In order to save himself and his friends, he’ll need to summon the willpower to become the commander he was always meant to be. But survival is far from guaranteed.

The first volume of the hit progression fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A teen lycanthrope learns that being a leader means much more than just being a killer as the action-packed LitRPG fantasy series continues . . .

Living with an advanced Werewolf System hasn’t always been easy for Gary Dem. But it sure comes in handy. Without it, he would never have been able to take on—and literally devour—a lethal Altered and live to tell about it.

With his new rank and abilities, Gary and his gang, the Howlers, are primed to finally wipe out the last remaining competition in Slough. As long as he can control himself and his growing werewolf pack, things might just turn out all right . . . But it’s not bloody likely.

Someone caught Gary and the Howlers’ recent brawl on video. That means now everyone knows who Gary is, even if they don’t know his beastly secret. It also means a lot of unwanted attention—and trouble. And that means someone is about to try and kill him . . . again.