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chthonic-cassandra · 4 years

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Tanith Lee Project #7 - Darkness, I (1994)

This is the third in Tanith Lee’s Blood Opera series, following Dark Dance and Personal Darkness.

Unfortunately, it goes pretty far off the rails. I have had this post unfinished in my drafts for a while now, and I think it’s because it’s just so hard to figure out anything to say about the confusion which is this book.

[spoilers for the series are inevitable, continuing discussion of representations of csa and transphobic abuse]

When we start, Racheala and Althene are happily living together, a leisurely and reclusive life funded by the Scarabae (the fact this was an option of course underscores how awfully Rachaela was treated in the first book). They have a daughter, Anna, who is much loved by Althene but who Rachaela has difficulty bonding with, and begins to suspect is a reincarnation of Ruth.

This was an interesting place to begin, and could have offered a lot of opportunities to explore Rachaela’s continuing trauma and relational difficulties; I would have liked a version of this book that was tightly focused on the Rachaela-Althene-Anna family unit. However, it turns out that Anna physically ages even more unnaturally quickly than Ruth did, so we expeditiously move out of anything about her childhood, and instead into a plot line about her being abducted by a rogue Scarabae member, Cain, who leads an Egypt-imitating cult and thinks Anna is his fated reincarnated consort.

Anne Rice comparisons are inevitable here, of course, and a lot of the book does resemble Queen of the Damned; there have been some Mayfair Witches echoes throughout the trilogy (it’s been too long since I read them to make a cogent argument, but something about Malach and Lasher?). Some of the funniest and most satisfying parts of the book are when Cain’s ancient Egyptian fantasy is punctured - for example, when Anna notices the zippers on the faux Egyptian dress she is made to wear. But it’s not clear how the book really expects us to take all this.

Lee’s continuing interest in exploring dynamics which edge of CSA with a character who is chronologically one age but looks (and sort of thinks?) as if she is older are even more marked and less examined than they were with Ruth in Personal Darkness. Though there a couple of uncanny moments towards the beginning when Anna’s asynchronous development becomes visible, the ways that she is older in some ways but very young in others, and I think there could have been an interesting story about that, about Anna’s internal experience, but it doesn’t really get dealt with, and the quick aging in some ways just seems like a tool to expeditiously move the plot along.

There’s also a plot line in which, distraught after Anna’s abduction, Althene goes back to visit her transphobic and abusive mother, who again abuses her in really horrific and transphobic ways. This plot line honestly just felt really sensationalizing to me, and mean to the character and the readers.

The book ends on a weird cliffhanger; I gather there were meant to be sequels, but as a final book it is strange and unresolved.

#tanith lee project #books

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lovedsammy · 5 years

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we walk through the fire; sam/castiel [commission for @avalonsilver]

Commission for @avalonsilver: Sam and Cas talk after the events of 15.09, and Sam reveals a large part of the reason that he couldn’t go through with the plan to give Cas the Mark.

Note: Just to forewarn you guys, there’s mentions of Saileen in this fic, since this is directly after Sam kissed her. I figured some of that had to be brought up before any kind of feelings between Sam and Cas could. So to let everyone know, this is NOT Saileen negative! I ship Saileen as well (though not as extensively, of course) and wanted to be as respectful as possible. I did not want to invalidate any feelings that are there between them, as per canon. I wanted this to be as realistic as possible.

On that note, enjoy!

It shouldn’t have come as any surprise that he’d managed to find a way to let them down again.

It was what he did best, after all. No matter how hard he tried, he had an incontrovertible ability to screw up, to disappoint the people that he loved most. Everything had come down to him, and Sam had been too weak-willed to go through with it. Neither Cas or Dean speak to him much on the ride back home, and Sam almost wishes that the ground would open up and swallow him. At least that way, he could avoid looking at their crushed, defeated faces. The bullet wound that had been throbbing for months suddenly doesn’t anymore. A quick glance down at his shoulder reveals no injury marring his flesh, only unblemished pale skin. He was, for all intents and purposes, physically whole again. The link between himself and Chuck was gone.

And yet he still felt impossibly tied to him, like a leashed dog, unable to break free of his master. Chuck’s hand was lazily holding the length of rope, giving him the choice to run. But it was only for show; Sam wouldn’t, because the fear kept him secured in place.

They’d reached a dead-end in how to handle Chuck, with no possible way out.

It’s almost too similar to Lucifer, the extent of the corner that he’s been backed into. It reminds him all too much of the cave on the alternate earth, and how Lucifer had made him yield then, too. Or when he’d coerced Sam down into Hell, effectively trapping them together. Even as far back as Detroit, when the Devil had made Sam give up his own body, using him to kill and maim. And like Chuck now, always giving Sam a choice - but an impossible one, not ever really a choice at all.

And never truly by his own will.

What Chuck had shown him…. Sam was sure that it was the truth. How could he not believe otherwise, after what he’d seen? He’s not sure that he would have fully been convinced of the visions Chuck had shared with him if it weren’t for the fact that the very reality he’d been trying to deny hadn’t been about to come to pass. Castiel, readying himself to take on the Mark… that had pulled the rug out from under Sam. It cemented it all, everything he’d seen, as reality. The horror of the inevitability of the future he was trying to fight, along with the fate of his friend, and later everyone else - it had made him pause. The blossom had been clenched in his fist and he’d been seconds away from grinding it to dust.

But he couldn’t. Not with what it would cost, what it would lead to.

Not if it meant losing Cas to himself, to the same dark impulses that had almost taken his brother from him. Losing Cas, right after losing his mother and Jack… it would be too much to bear.

So he’d fallen to his knees, submitting himself to Chuck’s twisted will and his own helplessness.

Not long after they get back, and Sam’s changed out of his blood-stained shirt, he bids Eileen goodbye - yet another painful, awful choice - and closes his eyes, taking a bracing breath. His body feels like lead as he goes to find his brother and Cas, heavy and weighted. He doesn’t know how he will be able to look at them, much less try and explain what had happened, and why he’d forsaken them when they’d needed him the most. But somehow, standing in the archway, he finds the words. Surprisingly, it’s good enough for Dean, and seemingly, Cas, as well. They’d find a new way, together, just like they always did. And yet, even after his brother decides to call it a night, leaving him with a comforting pat on the cheek, Sam remains in the same position, staring at the floor.

“Sam?”

Cas is waiting for him to talk, to say what he has to. After eleven years of friendship, the angel knows him well enough by now to know when there was something else being left unsaid, and when Sam had something more that he needed to express. And like always, he was patiently waiting for whatever that was. Patience was the one thing that Cas did better than anyone else he’d ever known. Living for eternity (well, not always - Cas had died almost as many times as they had now) would do that, Sam surmises.

The horror of losing Castiel in the future had hit him much harder than he’d ever expected. He’d grieved Cas before, had lost him almost as much as he had Dean. But knowing he was gone, hearing the words from his future self, it had shattered his world. As he passed through each vision, Sam had carried the agony of Cas’s absence with him like the cloth clinging to his skin, attached to his very being.

Sitting in the car, hearing the words that Cas wasn’t there anymore… he’d felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“I just couldn’t do it,” He rasps after an endlessly long moment when he’s sure that Dean is out of earshot. He slowly raises guilty eyes to fixate on Cas. “I’m sorry.”

Cas frowns at him, eyes soft. “It’s all right. You don’t have to explain it, Sam. If what he showed you was convincing enough to be true to you, then I’m inclined to agree that it is. In the end, I’m sure that you made the right choice.”

There’s no judgment in Cas’s voice, but Sam feels the need to explain himself fully, anyway. He wants Cas to understand, to know just what it was that had scared him so badly.

“The future that Chuck showed me,” He starts, slowly making his way over to the table. “Cas, I couldn’t do it because… not just because of Jody, and the world, or me and Dean and what happened with us. But also because of what happened to you.”

Cas nods slowly, looking nonplussed. “I died.”

It’s not so much the words Cas says as it is the way the angel delivers them - without an ounce of surprise or horror, more of resignation. Sam jerks his head. When had they all stopped being affected at the prospect of their own deaths?

“No. You didn’t die, not technically. It’s worse, way worse.” With a watery exhale, he goes to sit down on the seat in front of the angel. His legs feel weak and unsteady, palms clammy with anxious sweat as he steels himself. “Cas… you took on the Mark of Cain. And after you did… just like Dean, you got worse and worse. Until you weren’t you anymore. After a while we, uh ... we had to lock you in the Malach Box. And it destroyed us. It destroyed me. So when I saw you come in holding that flower, it all made sense. It clicked for me. I knew it had something to do with the Mark. That was the future we were heading toward. And seeing you… I just… I couldn’t do it.”

Now Cas looks thunderstruck. He leans forward. “But the Mark shouldn’t have been able to overpower me like it did your brother. That is… concerning.”

“Exactly,” Sam says desperately. “But somehow it did. Don’t you see? The game was rigged from the beginning, man. No matter what plan we had, no matter how many steps ahead we thought we were, he would’ve made it cost us something - or everything. We’re riding a tidal wave, and there’s nothing to keep us from being pulled under.”

He takes a short pause and continues. “I just couldn’t lose you, Cas. Not to that future. Not like we lost Claire and Donna and Jody and everyone else. Losing you was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced besides losing Dean or Jack. I still don’t know how I tried to keep going after that. Dean couldn’t. I just tried to tell myself that it would all be worth it in the end as long as we won. But it wasn’t. No future is a win if you’re not there, too.”

Sam could swear that for a moment there was moisture in Castiel’s eyes. But he blinks and it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. Cas’s features are once again collected and smooth whereas Sam’s are twisted in sorrow. “Sam… even if that future came to pass for me, it wouldn’t have been the end for you. It still isn’t. You could still find a way to be happy. You’d still have Dean. You’d still have Eileen.”

It’s said without any hint of jealousy, or anger, or bitterness, and the mention of her makes Sam’s heart clench, and he swallows. He knows the significance of what it is Cas is telling him. Before the loss of Jack’s soul and Chuck’s dark reveal to them, he and Cas had been dancing around each other for months. They were always on the precipice of saying something, but the timing had never been right. And it’d hung silently between them, the chasm that both of them were too hesitant to cross. So when Eileen had shown back up, and she and Sam had started growing closer, he hadn’t at all missed Cas’s longing, sorrowful expressions when he saw the two of them together. Sam had just figured that whatever it was that had previously been brewing between himself and the angel had quietly dissolved after Cas left. So Sam had seen fit to move on, thinking that Cas had wanted to do the same.

Castiel hadn’t, though. And now Sam was getting frustrated that the angel had not only done anything about it prior to this open acknowledgment but also still seemed intent not to.

“So that’s it?” Sam demands, without any real vigor, only sadness. “These past few weeks, what… you think I missed it, Cas? I saw you. I saw what it was doing to you. You can’t just make it clear to me how you feel now and then just expect me to forget that.”

Castiel shrugs. “You’re happy when you’re with her, Sam. Dean even said as much. That’s something that I could never give you. But it’s everything that I could want for you.”

Sam takes a moment to reflect on Cas’s words. “Had I not seen those visions, and we trapped Chuck, and we won… and Eileen and I… you would’ve still never really told me, would you?” He asks. “You would’ve seriously said nothing, and made me think that all the time we spent together never mattered?”

“I’m not saying that,” Cas replies gently, reaching out to grasp Sam’s hand across the table. “Of course it mattered. It still does, Sam. I just didn’t want to stand in the way of your happiness. You’ve already lost so much, and sacrificed so much. I couldn’t ask you to do it again. Eileen is a wonderful woman. She’s strong, smart, and has a very protective side to her when it comes to you.”

Sam shakes his head. “It’s my choice to make, Cas. I feel something for Eileen. I really do. But she left, and she left because she doesn’t know how much of what we feel for each other has been manipulated by Chuck and what’s real. I know a little something about that, wondering what’s real and what’s not. And maybe one day, when we’re both sure, we can try again, and see what happens. But until then, it’s my decision to make about how I feel about other people. I already know how I feel about you, how I’ve always felt about you. And what that means.”

Cas’s thumb rubs smooth circles on Sam’s hand, and the edges of his lips quirk. “I don’t think Chuck has ever really cared about what direction I go in, or ever made a conscious effort to push me towards something or another. Unfortunately for him, that direction’s towards you. Thank you, Sam.”

“For what?” Sam croaks, his heart hammering in his throat.

“For saving me from a fate worse than death,” The angel smiles. “I know that the weight of what you saw was horrible for you. I’m sorry you had to experience that. Your brother’s right, however. We are going to find another way to defeat Chuck, and hopefully not get killed in the process.”

Sam doesn’t share the same positive outlook that Castiel does, but seeing the sparkle returning to the angel’s eyes makes him tempted to believe it. “I hope so,” He says, holding Cas’s hand a little tighter. “Because I can’t - I won’t - lose anything else. Not Dean, and not you.”

He wants to cling to the angel with everything he has, vengeful God be damned.

#sastiel #samcas #spn #supernatural #15.09 #ep: the trap #*mine

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halewynslady · 7 years

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THE SIX: Camillo, Rachaela, Ruth, Eric, Cain, Nobbi (even though he's not a Scarabae) --GO!

Yaaaaay Scarabae for me. :-) My darling family. Okay everyone line up in front of the cliff. And a one, two... Halewyn's, you should play this properly. Dear Lords what shall I do with all of you. Cain: I cast you into the fire, the firy pits of Mordor and worse if I can find it. For Lilith, Althene, Anna, Malach, Rachaela, everyone!I am taking the marry option out, I am sorry. Though Ruth can be wonderful, she is often also completely terrifying. We know I wouldn't survive this. Kiss: (adult) Ruth. Roommates: Rachaela. Eventhough she makes rubbish non decisions she is too much like myself for me to harm her. Uncle Camillo: I used to be creeped out by you (partly because my copy wrongly predicted that you were to become the great villain) you can have my blanket. Off the cliff: Nobbi, I guess. It is a mercy? Eric, dude I hardly know thee. Let's watch action films together for a day!

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swipestream · 6 years

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Castalia House New Release: VESSEL OF VENUS

Castalia House is pleased to announce Richard Cain’s latest book, VESSEL OF VENUS, the second in the Diary of an Ex-Angel series.

Mark is a down-and-out IT professional with a secret. When he discovers a sorcery app that gives him incredible powers, he sets out to win his ex-girlfriend’s love and start a new life – until Venusians show up, sharing the story of how their civilization was destroyed by global warming and giving Mark the chance to fight climate change. All he has to do is offers them a sacrifice once in a while. Will he get the girl? Will everyone finally realize that he’s the most amazing person ever? And will that damn talking locust ever shut up and leave him alone?

You’ll find out in the hilarious VESSEL OF VENUS: The Diary of an Ex-Angel. From the reviews of GOD HATES ME, the first in the Diary of an Ex-Angel series.

Read this to find out the real story behind: The clean up after the the deluge to eliminate evidence of the prior civilization, such as air conditioning and the Nephilim. Pixies. Haunted houses. Crop circles. Aliens.

The demon’s name is Malach. He doesn’t consider himself evil. Sure, he was part of the rebellion, but he was there because of some really cool music the “Choir Director” was playing. He tries not to be too evil, although he keeps getting roped in. But he wants to get back into Heaven, so he keeps looking for ways to get their attention by doing good. But, he keeps messing things up.

Please, God, let them come up with some different cover art.

It’s a zippy tale, told in a lively style that gets the reader leaning into the narrative. It’s a quirky faux memoir like something we might read if C.S. Lewis’s Wormwood had corresponded with Salinger’s Holden Caulfield. A few sections made me honestly laugh aloud, something I never expected to happen when cracking a book about a fallen angel. It’s as if Frank Peretti actually had a sense of humor…as if Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins actually knew how to jettison the proselytizing, cut the brake lines, and just let the story run.

Castalia House New Release: VESSEL OF VENUS published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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swipestream · 6 years

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Q&A with Richard Cain

I took a dive into CH’s back catalog and came up with Richard Cain’s God Hates Me. I remember Vox featured it earlier in the year and though the accompanying text and review highlights made it sound good, I could never get past the cover but I’m glad I gave the book a chance. This really is a case of “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.

When it comes to supernatural fiction I don’t enjoy cheap and gruesome thrills and concentrate on the underlying theological background; think the opening of The Exorcist at an archaeological site in Iraq over the famous “pea soup” scene. Well, Richard Cain has created an intriguing backstory with an unique story line featuring a demon seeking redemption. Unlike The Exorcist, Cain’s book is humorous, so don’t expect a depressing or overly violent read. The demons know their time before judgement is limited and they pass the time in causing as much mischief as they can. If you are going to suffer for eternity you might as well get your money’s worth. Another aspect that comes out is the ennui many demons suffer as they await their fate. Atrocities and inflicting pain can only remain interesting for so long and many demons are heavily involved in hobbies such as running historical reenactments in haunted houses and we meet some that take their LARPing as aliens so seriously they can only be described as demonic otaku.

For the dudes that can’t get over the cover we discuss Richard Cain’s next book in the Q&A which he promises will have a cover easier on hetro male eyes. I don’t have a release date yet but it should be soon and I’ll update this post when I get the word.

Q&A on the next page.

Scott Cole: I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much from God Hates Me, maybe the cover threw me off (more on that later) but it was an enjoyable read and the story line is definitely unique…

Richard Cain: Thank you. Some argue that the demon/angel thing is overdone. It’s not. Like communism, it’s simply never been done right – until now. If you’re expecting Frank Peretti – don’t. He missed the chance for humor in the dark lives of the damned. In God Hates Me, we meet Malach, a put-upon demon unjustly kicked out of heaven, leaving his unfinished rock garden behind. Now he’s stuck in the Kingdom of Darkness, dealing with Nephilim, working for Moloch and having to put up with LARPing demons in UFOs. It’s a sad, sad life for a misplaced angel. To make himself feel better, he possesses random and forces them to tell his story to anyone who will listen. Including Tinder dates.

SC: Where did you get the idea to write about a demon seeking redemption?

RC: I am friends with an exorcist and she hooks me up with the juicy stuff. “Touched by an Angel” ain’t the way it works. Demons are here and they want to party before they hit the flames – except for Malach, who just wants to get back into Heaven. On his own terms, of course.

SC: The demon mentions portals between the physical and spiritual realms which are actually created by humans (e.g. blasphemy, sacrifices, sites where atrocities have taken place). Human souls can’t pass through the portal because they are tied to their physical bodies but entities from the spiritual realm are free to cross over. What does your exorcist friend report as the most likely avenues of possession?

RC: She’s told me that demons hang out where horrible things have taken place. Lunatic asylums, old human sacrifice sites, etc. If someone has a horrible event in their life, that can be a point where a demon jumps in and makes himself at home. If you’ve ever had the hair stand up on your arms when you’re walking through the DMV, you know the feeling.

SC: What can one do to help prevent interaction with demons?

RC: Don’t play around with the occult. Burning witches is always a good idea. Interacting with the spiritual realm is that it is like swimming in the ocean. You are out of your element, with no protection and do not knows what lurks beneath the surface. In fact, you are at the mercy of any shark that decides to come out of the depths and take a bite out of you. There are protections, of course, but don’t play in their field. I’ve seen a guy go from a quiet drunk to a ranting madman when I mentioned the name of Jesus Christ. It was like someone grabbed the strings of a puppet and spoke through his mouth. Even if you think you can deal with them and say the right things, if you’re not allied to the Kingdom of Light, they may strip you naked and beat you senseless.

SC: Let’s talk about the cover. I went on a trip recently and had the book loaded on my AMZN Fire device. When I went to read in the airport lounge or on the airplane I noticed a couple of funny looks when my seatmates would see the romance novel style of cover with the bare chested model on the front. Not sure if the cover is congruent with the story?

RC: Sexual insecurity is a sign of demon possession. Since God Hates Me is rather like CS Lewis meets Douglas Adams, The Supreme Dark Lord naturally decided to give it a lurid homoerotic romance cover. This represents three standard deviations of cover design conceptuality. It’s okay, though. My next book features a scantily clad female on the cover.

SC: Details, please, about your next book?

RC: My upcoming novel Vessel of Venus tells the story of a hopelessly gamma IT professional who discovers a cheesy sorcery app which grants him some strange abilities. He also has a genetic secret which makes him a person of great interest to ambassadors from the long-dead planet Venus. His quest to hone his occult powers and fight global warming as a Venusian ambassador turns into a trainwreck thanks to his possessed girlfriend and his own neuroticism. It’s like Alpha Game: The Novel, except with aliens. And a demonic locust named Timmy.

SC: Does Vessel of Venus tie into the God Hates Me story line?

RC: Somewhat. Both stories are in the same universe but the second story stands alone.

SC: I’m looking forward to it.

RC: It’s 666 times better than the first one. And the first one was damned good.

C: Why it is better?

RC: God Hates Me was my debut novel. Since writing it two years ago, I’ve been honing my pen on other writing projects and deliberately sharpening my writing skills by studying pulp authors as well as writing theory. I’ve easily written 500,000 words in between the time I wrote the first book and finished the second book. Readers will notice the difference. If you liked the first one, you’ll like this one even better.

SC:

Talking about writers, who do you read on a regular basis?

RC: On the non-fiction front, Dr. Michael Heiser’s theological writing was quite helpful. As for fiction, two years ago I read through all the works of Lovecraft. I also read the first two Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Out loud, to my tank of poisonous toads. They weren’t sure about the anthropomorphic apes at first but still got into the story. G.D. Stark’s Wardog novels are a very good read, although he needs more demons. I also finished reading John C. Wright’s Count to A Trillion series recently – amazing concepts, which he carries over into Superluminary. I’m waiting expectantly for the second half of Vox’s A Sea of Skulls but have entertained myself during the wait by reading all the Arkhaven and Dark Legion comic book titles.

SC: Thanks for your time and good luck with the new release.

Q&A with Richard Cain published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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swipestream · 7 years

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New Release Roundup, 24 Feb 2018: Fantasy and Adventure

This week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure features a pair of online litRPGs, a renegade angel trying to redeem himself, a magical academy torn apart by magical war, and the return of America’s foremost pulp spy, Secret Agent “X”.

Adventure Rising (Jack Dashing #2) – Jon Mollison

In just a few short weeks, the Planetary Romantic travels to a world not entirely unlike our own. A curious twist of fate strands him in a nightmarish version of New York City…or perhaps that should be a more nightmarish version of New York City. Pursued by wild beasts and sinister agents, Jack once again finds himself in a race to find the one man that can send him to his own version of home. But once Jack finds him, the brilliant Dr. Abduraxus reveals that the multi-verse doesn’t work quite the way anyone thought. And can this Jack even recognize his one true love, let alone win her heart? Find out in Adventure Rising.

“This book is outstanding, unbelievable fun, and feels like an older book, but one that is a slight bit self aware.” –The Injustice Gamer

* * * * *

Bushido Online: Friends and Foes (Bushido Online #2) – Nikita Thorn

Now a Level 10 ronin, Seiki is slowly coming to terms with the death of Master Tsujihara and his new life in Shinshioka.

Spending his days in the Wilderness, he’s venting his remaining frustration while staying away from the city drama and those griefers, like the Rogami Clan, who had made his in-game experience so challenging thus far. He has even taken up a trade skill.

But when he’s presented with an offer he can’t refuse and accepts a simple mission to deliver a message to Kano Castle, he will quickly find his troubles are only just beginning. Caught in an imbroglio that will only get worse the more he tries to do well, Seiki will set off a series of events that will lead to chaos, death, and the eventual destruction of an entire territory.

Surrounded by betrayal, hidden agendas and people looking to take advantage of him, who can Seiki really trust?

When everything is not what it seems, it can be impossible to differentiate between friends and foes.

* * * * *

Clockwork Planet #3 – Yuu Kamiya and Tsubaki Himana, illustrated by Sino

–I know this is sudden, but the world had already collapsed long ago. Earth had died, but the entire planet was reconstructed and reproduced using clockwork – “The Clockwork Planet.”

In the wake of rescuing the mind-controlled AnchoR, moments later, Naoto and Marie come to a rude awakening over a crucial element of the behemoth’s design: its natural ability to disrupt clockwork technology! Caught between a desperate Tokyo Military and a doomsday weapon stronger than even they anticipated, the two geniuses are facing their greatest crisis yet! The third volume of the gear fantasy by Yuu Kamiya x Tsubaki Himana x Sino!!

* * * * *

Fire Storm (Zulu Virus Chronicles #3) – Steven Konkoly

Having narrowly survived the KILL BOX, HOT ZONE’s hardened survivors and their KILL BOX allies separate to pursue different objectives–outside of the Indianapolis quarantine zone.

For David Olson, that means bringing his son south, to the safe haven of his parents’ home–far away from the infected cities. Eric Larsen takes him up on the offer to rest and heal at the house, before departing on the long journey to find his family in Colorado.

For Rich and his secretive black ops team, that means transporting Dr. Chang and Dr. Hale to a secure facility out east, where they will join the nation’s few surviving bioweapons researchers–with the hopes of pinpointing the source of the virus and possibly developing a vaccine.

Neither group will get very far, before the true face of the evil controlling the Zulu Virus arrives–tempting them with irresistible opportunities.

* * * * *

GOD HATES ME: The Diary of an Ex-Angel – Richard Cain

Demon is such an ugly word.

Malach prefers “angelically-challenged”. After all, it’s not his fault that he was kicked out of Heaven.

And if you’ll just listen, he can explain everything.

GOD HATES ME: The Diary of an Ex-Angel is a smart, funny, and surprisingly moving tale of a demon who means well and would really like to figure out how to get back to Heaven one day. But how do you make a case for yourself when no one seems to care enough to listen?

Despite what the cover looks like, this isn’t a supernatural romance novel. No, it’s something much better. This is a story of a fallen angel seeking redemption. Unfortunately for him, every good deed he tries to accomplish ends up going awry.–Amazon Reader Review

* * * * *

Haven of Shadows (The Broken Crown #1) – Ken Lozito

The Free Nations of Safanar have spread throughout the lands bringing peace and prosperity to all who join them, but deep in the southern kingdoms, an old enemy gathers strength.

Two royal brothers find themselves in the midst of an ancient struggle. One brother is on the hunt of a dreaded order of assassins deep in the barbarian kingdoms of old. The other refuses to be a pawn and seeks to walk his own path. Both are the instruments of destiny.

An enemy that lurks in the shadows will strike out at the Free Nations threatening the very foundation holding them together and bringing them to the brink of war.

* * * * *

Level Up – Craig Anderson

Virtual is Reality.

What would the world be like if video game rules suddenly applied?

Marcus is about to find out. After a freak accident he finds himself stuck between a game and the real world. He’ll need to fight his way through football hooligans, carnies and the dreaded RNG to get to the final boss and save the world. Anything less means it’s game over for good.

Along the way he’ll learn new skills, chase epic loot and most importantly of all, Level Up!

A parody novel that crosses Office Space with the Gamer. – The LitRPG Podcast

* * * * *

Poisoned (The Book of Maladies #3) – D. K. Holmberg

No longer alone, Sam and Alec struggle to find time to continue their studies together. Sam knows that she is more than the lowborn she’d long believed, now living and training in the palace, but still doesn’t feel as if she quite fits in. Worse, it seems as if Alec has moved on without her, preferring his new life in the university.

Alec has quickly risen in rank, but that only draws attention to him. Learning from master physickers has its benefits, but there are dangers and he’s not certain whether he can trust the new friends he’s made. Evidence continues to mount of a conspiracy within the university, and it’s one he’ll need Sam’s help in understanding.

While Alec tries to reach out to Sam, she searches for Marin and answers that might unlock her full potential. What she finds instead is a threat to the safety in the city, protections that have long prevented the Thelns from reaching Verdholm, if they haven’t already breached them.

Together, they are the key to stopping Marin, but can they master their new places in the city in time?

* * * * *

The Promised Lie (The Unwritten Words #1) – Christopher Nuttall

In The Unwritten Words, Christopher Nuttall’s story-telling mastery weaves a new epic which follows on from his bestselling Bookworm series and is set in that same world. In The Promised Lie, the first book of the new series, five years have passed since the earth-shattering events of Bookworm IV.

The Golden City has fallen. The Grand Sorcerer and Court Wizards are dead.

The Empire they ruled is nothing more than a memory, a golden age lost in the civil wars as kings and princes battle for supremacy. And only a handful of trained magicians remain alive.

Isabella Majuro, Lady Sorceress, is little more than a mercenary, fighting for money in a desperate bid to escape her past. But when Prince Reginald of Andalusia plots the invasion of the Summer Isle, Isabella finds herself dragged into a war against strange magics from before recorded history …

… And an ancient mystery that may spell the end of the human race.

* * * * *

Secret Agent X #6 – Fred Adams Jr., Kaushik Karforma and Frank Schildiner

Pulpdom’s premier spy returns in three new pulse-pounding adventures.

The Man of a Thousand Faces is confronted with the most threatening challenges to America imaginable and only his incredible talents as a super spy can overcome each. From destroying a spreading world plague launched from a giant airship to stymieing Nazi subterfuge at a mountain enclave and then having to fight dead men under spell of an evil mystic. All in a days work for the Agent X.

Writers Fred Adams Jr., Kaushik Karforma and Frank Schildiner deliver three top-notch pulp thrillers that will have fans turning pages at break-neck speed. Learn why Nick Carter to James Bond and Matt Helm, and all the great heroes of espionage fiction owe their very existence to the character that created the mold, Secret Agent X.

* * * * *

A Sellsword’s Compassion (The Seven Virtues #1) – Jacob Peppers

War sweeps the land as the sons and daughters of the late King Marcus battle over who will claim their father’s throne and able-bodied men and women flock to one cause or the other in the hopes of a better tomorrow. At least, most of them. If life has taught the jaded sellsword, Aaron Envelar, anything, it’s that hope is for fools and causes are a sure remedy for breathing. But when his latest job leads him to the corpse of a prince and a conspiracy that threatens to destroy the entire realm, Aaron is forced to choose sides in a war he doesn’t want, between forces he doesn’t understand.

Thrust into a world of mythical assassins, a madman with a superhuman strength, and a nagging ball of light with a superiority complex who claims to be the embodiment of compassion, Aaron takes on his hardest job yet—staying alive.

* * * * *

The Zero Equation (The Zero Enigma #3) – Christopher Nuttall

Caitlyn Aguirre is no magician …

… But she’s still at the centre of the storm.

Caitlyn and her friends have returned to Jude’s Sorcerous Academy, but all is not well in the school. The Great Houses of Shallot are on the verge of going to war and the conflict is spilling into the school, while – in the background – powerful and secretive forces prepare to finally reveal their plans to reshape the world. Caught in the middle, torn between her family and her friends – and burdened with a secret she dares not share – Cat must unlock the secret of the Zero Equation …

… Or watch helplessly as her family, friends and school are destroyed by war.

New Release Roundup, 24 Feb 2018: Fantasy and Adventure published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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