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Heirs of Empire
S A Melia’s Heirs to Empire is a sprawling space opera of loyalty, survival, and rebirth. The story sweeps through twelve human worlds known as the Dodecahedral Empire, where young King Teodor, once presumed dead, claws his way from slavery on a plague-ridden world to reclaim his crown. Alongside him are soldiers, nomads, and lovers bound by webs of duty and betrayal. Melia threads political intrigue, biological warfare, and deep personal transformation into a story that feels both intimate and epic. It’s part military science fiction, part mythic hero’s journey, and part meditation on power and belonging.
Reading this book, I felt pulled between admiration and awe. Melia’s world-building is stunning, dense, and alive with detail. Her writing has a cinematic rhythm, with scenes that pulse between horror and beauty. There’s a strange poetry in how she describes destruction, especially the plague-ravaged London and the living forests of Sas Darona. The characters feel raw and human, even when they’re riding giant spiders or waging interplanetary wars. I loved the contrast between Teodor’s noble stoicism and Guy Erma’s rough-edged loyalty.
What struck me most was how personal the story feels beneath all the spectacle. This isn’t just about empires rising and falling, it’s about what happens to people when the idea of “home” burns down. Melia writes grief and hope side by side. Her characters are always torn, always trying to choose between love, survival, and duty. I found myself angry with them one moment and rooting for them the next. That unpredictability kept me turning pages, even when the politics grew thick. There’s a pulse of emotion here that feels tender, painful, and real.
Heirs to Empire is a bold, emotional ride. It’s perfect for readers who love the grand scope of Dune but crave the grit and heart of Battlestar Galactica. If you enjoy stories that blend science fiction with myth, politics with passion, and chaos with redemption, this book will grab you and not let go. It’s ambitious, heartfelt, and riveting.
Pages: 466 | ASIN : B0FCCX2672
Hope
Terra Tamers: Alpha follows a teenager living in a city adrift at sea whose brother is kidnapped by a flock of Holo birds, and he will do whatever it takes to rescue him. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of my story was the idea of two brothers surviving a post-apocalyptic world. At first I was thinking kind of a science fantasy direction and leaned more into possible future technology instead.
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
I’d say the tone of the book, the themes of pursuing hope in a decaying world are the parts of me that bleed through the pages. That and my love of video games.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most important theme to me in Terra Tamers: Alpha was hope. Without it, there’s no point in continuing to live. I see the death of hope as the greatest poison affecting our modern world. People feel so powerless, and the world is so obviously broken, that now we struggle to even address the obvious issues we see in our communities because people feel hopeless, like nothing they do matters. So why bother? More fun themes were what the future of artificial intelligence could look like, how video games might interact with reality, and friendship.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
The story will follow Matt and Oakley into exile as they chase the evil AI Gaia. Expect new friends and foes, more creatures and game mechanics, and a greater exploration of a post-apocalyptic American landscape!
Author Links: Newletter | Website | GoodReads | Bookbub | X | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Pateron
– YA appropriate story (think 12 and older). Does have mild violence.
– First Person POV from male MC
– World Building (Post-apocalyptic), game design
– Monster taming and battles
– Short chapters, fast pace. Note the eBook is closer to 300 pages.
– Light LitRPG elements (I am working on a TTRPG system for Terra Tamers). Takes time to show up.
– No cursing unless you count H-E- double hockey sticks.
– Grayscale creature illustrations in the back!
I think fans of Digimon, Code Lyoko, Monster Tamer Academy, Maximum Ride, .hack//SIGN and similar stories which blend gaming, science fiction and compelling characters will enjoy Terra Tamers: Alpha!
A Mother’s Determination
Born in Space: Unlocking Destiny follows a mother who donated her eggs to science, only to discover that they were used to conceive seven infants in space, who were raised in isolation and destined to define the next stage of our evolution. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wanted to explore what happens when the most intimate human act–creation–becomes an instrument of science and survival. The idea came from real debates about fertility research, genetic engineering, and the ethics of creating life beyond Earth. I asked myself: what if the first humans truly born in space were not astronauts’ children, but part of a scientific project designed to save humanity? From that spark came Teagan Ward, a mother who gave something of herself to science, only to find herself blocked from contact with the babies she loved by the doctor who incubated them.
Your novel explores the morality and the cost of continuing the human race. What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
I’m fascinated by the contradictions within us-our capacity for love and empathy alongside our drive for power and control. When survival is at stake, morality becomes fluid, and that’s where stories come alive. Science fiction allows us to push those questions to their limits: What does it mean to be human when birth, love, and even consciousness are engineered? I think great fiction mirrors that tension between our ideals and our instincts, between the need to preserve what makes us human and the temptation to perfect it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
At its heart, Born in Space is about motherhood, identity, and the ownership of life. I wanted to examine who controls our future-corporations, governments, or the individuals who dare to resist them. There’s also an environmental undercurrent: as Earth falters, humanity’s reach for survival shifts outward, to space, but our flaws follow us. And beneath the science and technology, there’s a deeply emotional core: a mother’s determination to reunite with her children, no matter how far apart they are.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Yes. Born in Space is the first in the Sci-Fi Galaxy series. The follow-up, Space Vault: The Seed Eclipse, takes place years later on the Moon, where humanity’s survival depends on a genetic seed vault built into the regolith. Teagan’s story continues through her naturally born daughter Diana, who becomes a symbol of both hope and fear, a genetically engineered child hunted by those who believe they can control evolution itself. The moral and emotional questions deepen as the struggle shifts from reproduction to survival: who decides which forms of life deserve to endure?
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website | Tik Tok
CAN TEAGAN WIN THE COSMIC CUSTODY BATTLE OF A LIFETIME?
When Teagan Ward donates her eggs to science, she never imagines that the consequences will ripple across the cosmos. As Earth crumbles under the weight of conflict and climate disaster, Teagan discovers that seven children, born from her donated eggs, are the centerpieces of a daring experiment to populate the stars. Determined to reunite with her children, she finds herself entangled in a web of greed, betrayal, and cosmic ambition.
In the year 2068, humanity’s hope for survival lies beyond the confines of Earth. Orbiting space habitats offer sanctuary to the privileged, while the rest fight for survival on a deteriorating planet. Teagan’s journey to reclaim her children pits her against powerful adversaries: a ruthless mining magnate obsessed with the treasures of the universe, a morally ambiguous doctor bent on creating life in space at any cost, and a disgraced general seeking redemption and control.
As Teagan navigates the treacherous shoals of interstellar politics and corporate greed, she uncovers secrets that could change the fate of worlds. Her children, each with unique abilities and destinies, hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe and possibly saving humanity from itself.
Blade Rider
Blade Rider is a wild ride through stars, steel, and heart. The story follows Raven Pierce, a young woman chasing her dream of becoming an Air Ranger in a universe where courage is as rare as the gemstones mined from distant planets. The book blends sci-fi adventure with coming-of-age grit. It starts on the luminous planet of Aurora and soars through trials, rivalries, and the fire of ambition. There’s high-speed action, moments of calm beauty, and a deep pulse of hope that runs through every page. What makes it shine is not only the futuristic flight scenes but the emotional gravity that keeps Raven’s journey grounded.
The writing moves like music, lyrical and cinematic, yet simple enough to feel real. Sevilla doesn’t just describe light or sound, he paints them, fills the air with them, makes you feel the hum of engines beneath your skin. The pacing is deliberate, but I didn’t mind. Those quiet chapters gave the story its soul. There’s a rhythm between tension and tenderness that feels intentional. I could sense the author’s musical roots in every scene. The prose often felt like verses from a song, full of rhythm, breath, and longing. I caught myself smiling, even tearing up, when Raven faced her doubts or looked up at the stars she was born to chase.
The ideas in this book resonated with me. It’s about finding purpose when the world tells you you can’t. It’s about identity, resilience, and the fire that keeps dreamers alive. The world-building is big but personal, the characters flawed yet fiercely human. I loved that it wasn’t just lasers and engines, it was belief and persistence. There’s something deeply nostalgic in its optimism, almost old-fashioned in the best way. It reminded me why stories about flying still make our hearts race.
I’d recommend Blade Rider to anyone who ever wanted more than what they were handed. If you like sci-fi that carries heart, or if you’ve ever stared at the night sky and wondered what’s out there, this book is for you. It’s for dreamers, for the stubborn ones who don’t give up, for those who still believe in the power of hope.
Pages: 344 | ASIN : B0FX8QJYYJ
Chaos from the Cosmos
Chaos from the Cosmos is a sweeping, cinematic novel that weaves space technology, politics, and human ambition into a fast-moving geopolitical thriller. The story begins with Jackie Jill, a firebrand from rural California who rockets from small-town scandal to the U.S. vice presidency, and follows her alongside the cold genius President Bradford, the haunted astronaut Kiril, and the global powers manipulating events from behind the scenes. As nations battle over control of satellites, quantum computing, and the invisible systems that run our world, the book explores how space, a realm we often view with awe, has become the new front line of human conflict. It’s both speculative and alarmingly real, painting a future that feels close enough to touch.
The author writes with a crisp, cinematic eye for detail, making every scene, from backroom deals in Washington to drone swarms over Taiwan, pulse with tension. His prose is tight but not cold, and he has a knack for slipping big ideas into everyday moments without turning the story into a lecture. I liked that he doesn’t shy away from politics or human messiness. Jackie Jill, in particular, felt alive, loud, funny, damaged, and unapologetically herself. I found myself rooting for her even when she made questionable choices. Bradford, on the other hand, unnerved me. He’s brilliant but hollow, a mirror of our own age of clever leaders who mistake intellect for wisdom. The book never lets you relax. Every comfort in technology feels like a ticking bomb.
What struck me most was how human the book remains despite its cosmic scale. The tech and strategy are grounded in real science, but the real story is about people. Loneliness, pride, fear, ambition. I could feel the tension between progress and control, wonder and destruction. There’s a dark humor running through it, too, especially in how people justify madness as “innovation.” Sometimes I laughed, sometimes I felt sick, and sometimes I had to pause and just sit with what it said about us. The writing has a rhythm that keeps you hooked, shifting from sharp political dialogue to lyrical descriptions of space and silence. It’s smart without being pretentious, and heavy without being hopeless.
Chaos from the Cosmos hit me as both thrilling fiction and a warning. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes their science fiction tangled up with politics and human drama, or to readers who enjoy the sharp realism of Tom Clancy but crave more emotional depth. It’s not just for sci-fi fans, it’s for anyone curious about where our dependence on satellites, AI, and global systems might really lead. This book doesn’t just show chaos from the cosmos; it shows the chaos inside us, reflected right back from the stars.
Pages: 228 | ASIN : B0FCSM42MT
Born in Space: Unlocking Destiny (Sci-Fi Galaxy series)
Born in Space: Unlocking Destiny is a bold and relatable story that stretches across the void of the cosmos yet keeps its heart firmly tied to Earth. The book imagines a future where humanity’s survival depends on children born beyond our home planet. It explores what happens when the boundaries of science, morality, and love are tested among the stars. At its center is an experiment gone both right and wrong, seven infants conceived in space, raised in isolation, and destined to define the next stage of our evolution. The result is a gripping blend of science fiction and emotional depth, filled with danger, beauty, and philosophical wonder.
Reading this book felt like floating between awe and unease. Author Jeremy Clift’s writing is vivid and cinematic, painting vast orbital colonies and lunar cities that feel eerily plausible. I could almost hear the hum of artificial gravity and the echo of distant comms through vacuum corridors. But what struck me most wasn’t the technology; it was the tenderness hidden in the machinery. The human element never gets lost in the spectacle. The dialogue feels raw and alive, and the moral conflicts cut deep. The pacing sometimes rushes, especially in the middle chapters, but it never loses tension. I found myself caring less about the next twist and more about the fragile connections holding these characters together in a cold, infinite world.
There’s something haunting about how the author treats destiny. He doesn’t glorify space colonization; he questions it. The book forces you to think about what kind of future we’re really building. The story doesn’t preach, it just stares straight at the cost of ambition and asks if the trade is worth it. I caught myself pausing to reread certain passages because they hit close to home. The mix of science and spirituality felt strange at first but soon made perfect sense. It reminded me that progress isn’t just about rockets and algorithms, it’s about heart, memory, and the things we choose to keep sacred, even in the void.
Born in Space: Unlocking Destiny is a gripping and thought-provoking read. It’s not just another sci-fi adventure. It’s a meditation on who we are and where we might be going if we dare to leave everything behind. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves stories that balance thought and thrill, especially readers of authors like Andy Weir or Kim Stanley Robinson.
Pages: 443 | ASIN : B0D1PWPRBJ
Terra Tamers: Alpha
Terra Tamers: Alpha is a sprawling young adult sci-fi adventure set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity clings to life aboard floating cities after a cataclysm known as “the Hollowing.” The story follows Matthew Wong, a teenager under house arrest in Sojourn, a massive city adrift at sea. Alongside his younger brother and a group of friends, he ventures into a dangerous world filled with sentient machines called Holos and mysterious remnants of the old world. The book is a blend of futuristic technology, human resilience, and the kind of awkward hope that only a young hero can carry. It’s part survival story, part coming-of-age tale, and part philosophical dive into what it means to remain human when the world has been remade by its own creations.
Reading this book felt like watching a vivid dream unfold. There’s an undercurrent of pain and perseverance that runs beneath the action, a quiet heartbeat that says, “keep going.” The writing isn’t always clean or polished. But it feels alive. I found myself drawn in by the rhythm of the dialogue and the scrappy, sarcastic charm of the narrator. The world-building is detailed without becoming overwhelming, and the emotional core, this bond between siblings trying to find their place in a crumbling world, hit me harder than I expected.
What really stood out to me were the quieter moments, the human ones tucked between the chaos of combat and survival. The book isn’t afraid to be sentimental, and I kind of loved that. It wears its heart right on its sleeve. There are bits where the pacing slows, or a joke lands flat, but the sincerity never does. You can tell Petrilli poured himself into these pages, and that makes the story resonate in a way that feels more honest than many perfectly edited novels.
I’d recommend Terra Tamers: Alpha to readers who love stories about grit and heart more than perfection. Fans of Percy Jackson or The Maze Runner will feel at home here, though this book carries a quieter, more introspective tone beneath the adventure. If you’re looking for a story that blends science fiction with emotion, or if you simply want to be reminded why hope still matters even when the world feels broken, this one’s worth your time.
Pages: 524 | ASIN : B0F9DBXR8H
Arcanoforge: Midnight Metropolis
Arcanoforge: Midnight Metropolis is a feverish plunge into the neon-choked streets of Noctara City, a dystopian sprawl where humans and husks, ghosts and hemo magicians blur into a single, strange pulse. The story follows Tattie, a blood seer who’s fled her dying homeworld, and Brax, the man who tracks her across galaxies as their shared past claws its way back into the present. Around them spin a chorus of restless lives, skaterats, dealers, dreamers, all caught in the thrumming heart of a city that feels alive and dying at once. It’s part cyberpunk, part occult noir, and part heartbreak.
The writing is gritty, poetic, and weirdly tender. Author Caroline Barnard-Smith doesn’t just describe Noctara, she burns it into your head with words. Every street and shadow has its own personality, every conversation crackles like static. I loved how the world felt handmade, patched together with old wires and bad memories. The characters stumble through it broken and fierce, never really heroes, just people trying to stay one step ahead of decay. The prose leans heavily on texture, smells, lights, and sounds, and it builds a rhythm that makes the whole book feel like a song played through busted speakers. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but in the best way.
There’s this deep ache about survival, about what we lose when the world stops caring. I kept thinking about the husks, these half-human enforcers who’ve traded pain for obedience, and how much that says about our own craving for numbness. And Tattie, she’s messy, angry, brilliant. I believed every choice she made, even when it hurt to watch. The story toys with power, guilt, and the ghosts that cling to love long after it’s gone.
Arcanoforge: Midnight Metropolis reads like Blade Runner crashed into The City & The City with a shot of Neuromancer’s grit and the bruised heart of a Becky Chambers story. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves science fiction that’s soaked in mood and grit. Fans of Gibson and VanderMeer will feel right at home. If you like your futures dark and your magic dirty, if you want to taste the metal in the air, this book’s for you.
Pages: 278 | ASIN : B0FFH6BS5L
LITERARY TITAN 