The Indie Author Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror New Release List: September 2024
I am restarting my new release spotlight here on the blog, and this is the first post in what I hope will be an on-going once-monthly feature. (I used to do a segment in my newsletter for this, but stopped midway through last year when I needed to cut back due to health issues. Now that I’m feeling better again, it’s time to bring this back!)
Here are some of this month’s new releases in indie science fiction, fantasy, and horror. (I am including a few August 2024 releases in this month’s edition since there was some interest and it’s the first one of the relaunched series. Moving forward, this list will only include titles released in the month it goes live.)
New Releases in Science Fiction
Euphrates Vanished by Leon Stevens: Released August 1, 2024
Subgenre(s): Mystery
“This is not a drill!”
A young man wakes up to the sound of his alarm and the announcement blaring. Looking around the room, he realizes he is a member of a starship crew. There’s only one problem: he doesn’t remember who he is or how he got there. With no time to think, he finds his way to the bridge, while being careful not to call attention to his predicament.
The first problem is piecing together the puzzle of his missing memories to reveal his knowledge, rank, and friendships. Another problem is being stranded on an alien planet during his first away mission.
Astra Idari Beyond Lights Reach by Darby Harn: Released August 16, 2024
Stargun Messenger, Book 2
Subgenre(s): Space Opera
Astra Idari saved the universe. Got the girl. Transitioned from android to a human. Now all she wants is to enjoy her happily ever after. When her original programmers lay claim to her singular memory, Idari has to run for her life.
Again.
Her programmers unleash Omna Devor, a vicious, unstoppable AI that infects everything it touches. With Devor spreading through Idari’s neural net, Idari seeks a mythical utopia for advanced AI to find a cure or face deletion.
Her journey leads her across the stars, from her friends and family, and deeper into a cosmic mystery that goes beyond the data in her head. As Idari races against time to save her life, she discovers her programmer’s true objective: an ancient secret in her memory that could change the galaxy, forever…
Eyes of Empire by J.C.M. Berne: Available September 3, 2024
Turn 5 of The Hybrid Helix
Subgenre(s): Superhero
A baby dreadnought is terrorizing two star systems.
A new wormhole has been opened, a new planetary system revealed, populated by a strange and impossible race.
A mad god is on the loose.
The il’Drach have destroyed an entire planet.
They are on their way to Wistful.
Rohan just wants a peaceful day of work and a decent cup of coffee.
But if he doesn’t handle the dangers facing his friends, his system, and his sector of the galaxy, who will?
Digital Extremities by Adam Bassett: Available September 24, 2024
A short story collection
Subgenre(s): Cyberpunk / Slice of Life
A collection of eight stories, Digital Extremities shines a spotlight on ordinary people in a callous yet hopeful future. Set across small towns and remote islands, where neon flickers against old buildings and oaks, this collection paints a unique view of a traditionally cyberpunk setting.
In 2089, a woman miscarries and seeks a way to find peace amidst overwhelming grief. Years later, a young man must find a way to pay rent outside of his job at the glassblowing studio. A pair of students, excited to go to college, install new hardware that promises to improve their cognitive functions. A private investigator searches for a missing child who has a reputation for embarking on risky adventures. Each tale is shaped by love, loss, and perseverance, weaving a vision of life outside of the megacities.
New Releases in Fantasy
Witchazel by T.C. Roberts-Finn: Released August 23, 2024
A Slayer’s Pilgrimage, Book 1
Subgenre(s): Noir, Horror, Gothic
Inspired by The Witcher, Blade Runner and Bloodborne – Witchazel begins the episodic story of Kaleb Slow, a pilgrim for The Temple of the Moon, as he traverses a life of violence, demons and corruption.
“You’re evil. It’s in your blood. It’s festering in your brain. It lingers wherever you go and rots wherever you stay. I’ve got to put you down, Silas. You know that. I just wish you made it easier for yourself.”
“Easier?” the necromancer screamed. “Nothing about this is easy.”
Kaleb Slow is on a religious pilgrimage. Lacking clear direction beyond the destruction of foul things that stalk the night, he has settled into an uncomfortable rhythm of hunting and slaying, living a life somewhere between private investigator and highway ranger.
Author T.C Roberts-Finn lays out an introduction to a world beset by corruption and rot. An evocation of life on the frontier and the justice of vigilantes. It is at once the tale of destruction, passions and vengeance. But is his purpose truly divine? Or will his pilgrimage lead him down an endless road of nightmares and bloodlust?
The Empire of Damnation by T.M. Kohl: Released August 31, 2024
The Warriors of Bhrea, Book 5
Subgenre(s): Epic Fantasy
The kingdom of Bhrea is on the brink of destruction.
All that is left to defend Bhrea and the rest of the world is the small, haggard group that survived the failed attempt to retake the capital city Terrn from the clutches of an evil goddess. They are weak and on the run; meanwhile, the enemy runs rampant in a terrorized city, soon to set their sights on the rest of the world. What Lauren and the other survivors don’t know is the enemy’s final plan, nor the catalyst that will set the endgame in motion.
The heroes have one final chance to win the battle—but are they prepared for what is in store? While they gather allies and resources, Astrin and her cohort of imposters stay one step ahead. Each choice, each move brings Lauren and her companions one step closer to the ultimate checkmate. And if they lose this time…there is no coming back.
The Cartographer’s Return by Lisa Maria König: Available September 1, 2024
The Cartographer’s Travels, Book 2
Subgenre(s): Epic Fantasy, Adventure Fantasy
Years have passed since the cartographer Soread from Greenwood has left Snowcreek. Now he returns, driven by trust trowards the Lord and the Lady of Eridris and accompanied with secrets he wishes to keep.
The Cartographer’s Return Is the second part of a duology novella.
Conquering Shadows by L. Cyrus Welchel: Available September 4, 2024
The Faumen War Chronicles, Book 2
Subgenre(s): Romantic Fantasy
There is no greater monster than a lack of compassion towards those in need…
Still reeling from uncovered secrets that turned his life upside down, Kai Travaldi is given little reprieve when the Grand Duchess tasks his party with a new mission amid Livoria’s worsening civil war: Deliver a formal edict to the vaunted Hunter Corps in Kai’s hometown of Havenfall, marshaling them for battle.
Along the way, Kai and his friends find themselves tested unlike ever before. Mysterious illnesses, a pompous noble, and the monstrous beast Grimghast harass them at every corner, while the betrayal of a trusted ally leaves a member of the party in dire condition. Further complicating matters are Kai’s growing feelings for not one, but two ladies in the party, putting him on a collision course with the vast influence of the Windbringer church.
As the demons of his own past loom over him, Kai’s resolve is pushed to the limit. Will he fulfill his oath to protect those he holds dear? Or will he lose everything to the shadows of fear that haunt him?
Imbued by Helyna L. Clove: Available September 6, 2024
Imbued, Book 1
Subgenre(s): Dark Fantasy
Calla has no memories of her childhood except for hazy, recurring nightmares. Working as a servant in Kiriong, the picturesque terrace garden home to one of the most influential families in the Kamphua Dominion, she’s content to live a simple life. As long as no one finds out about the forbidden magic stirring under her skin.
When the estranged family heir, Gray—a magehunter in servitude of the royal hold—unexpectedly returns home, Calla’s secret threatens to surface. Instead of turning her in, however, Gray offers her the one thing she always feared: to teach her how to use her powers. And as the turbulent tides of long-forgotten magic draw them together, Calla finds it harder and harder to deny her potential.
But Gray knows more than what he admits. In the aftermath of a vile political plot targeting him and with the shadow of a mage uprising cast upon the land, finding out what happened to Calla in her forgotten years might be their only chance to survive.
Except the knowledge could break them both.
It could break the world.
The Sea Spirit Festival by Claudie Arseneault: Available September 9, 2024
The Chronicles of Nerezia, Book 3
Subgenre(s): Epic Fantasy / Cozy Fantasy
Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi’s sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah’s dream, hoping for answers about the elf’s past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers.
Their journey has brought them to Alleaze, a coastal city from which they hope to book passage across the ocean. But Alleaze’s regular life has stopped, giving way to the excitement of the Sea Spirit Festival, a weeks-long event. Forcefully grounded, the Wagon crew is more than happy to partake in the local festivities, brimming with games, seaside delicacies, and legends about the Bay.
But the Festival is more than one big it is a crucial time during which the Bay’s Spirit guides its residents to their new life path and chooses a Storm Catcher, a divine hero meant to revitalize the Spirit’s strength.
When the Festival winds down and no Storm Catcher has been chosen, panic washes over Alleaze and the Wagon crew finds itself embroiled in the subsequent chaos. In order to help Alleaze find its local hero and be allowed to sail out, they will need to confront the truth behind the legend of the Sea Spirit—and survive it.
Blades Reforged by Liz Sauco: Available September 12, 2024
Blades of the Goddess, Book 3
Subgenre(s): High Fantasy, Science-fantasy
The world is on the brink of ruin. The Goddess’ chosen must fight back, lest Abomination consume everything.
Everything is hurtling towards catastrophe.
The Blade is lost. People have died. Abomination is still out there. No one knows what to do… but they have to do something.
Without the Blade tying him to the situation, Jamirh feels adrift and forgotten about as the government of Romanii tries to brace itself for what’s coming. Takeshi is still trying to navigate whether or not he wants to be a priest of Hades, but the effects of his encounter with the Truth Seekers are making everything more difficult. Ander blames himself for not foreseeing the events at Tilden Base and has locked himself away in his lab. After centuries of being controlled by the Empire, the Seekers themselves have their own plans – which may or may not align with those of the goddess.
But what even is Abomination? What is magic? Why do these two forces find themselves in conflict cycle after cycle, and what does it mean for the mortals who find themselves caught between them?
As Abomination begins to gain ground, can anything be done to stop it? Or will the world finally end in ruin?
Thawing the Nightmare by Alyssa Louttit: Available September 13, 2024
It’s winter time at the Towers of Nine School of Magic Study and Practice. But something lingers in the air hidden amongst all the snow. While Serafina’s relationships have survived the whirlwind that was her mother’s visit, something has changed. The gears of fate have been set in motion and even Red seems on edge. It seems that what little peace Serafina has carved for herself here is coming to an end. Will her tenuous faith in herself remain once she returns from winter break? Perhaps this dream was a nightmare all along.
The World Within by Dani Finn: Available September 14, 2024
A Weirdwater Romance
Subgenre(s): Romantic Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Lila’s life is almost perfect.
She’s finally opened her luxury sex shop and wellness center in a rehabilitated ancient temple. The painted faces are lining up to buy the new alchemical vibrators and unwind in the spa and baths. And she gets to work with her two best friends every day.
So why is there an empty place in her chest?
Enter Avisse, the delivery woman, a single mom with a quick smile and eyes that flash from hard to soft in an instant. There’s a spark, and a kiss, and a promise of dinner next time Avisse is in town.
Until then, Lila’s got her hands full with the shop, not to mention the mystic portal she’s discovered in the temple basement. What lies beyond will turn their lives—and the World Within—inside out.
Reawakening by Alethea Lyons: Available September 24, 2024
A Collection of Short Stories in The Seer of York Universe
Subgenre(s): Dark Fantasy / Short Story Collection
Return to the world of The Seer of York with this collection of new tales set in the aftermath of The Hiding.
Harper, Grace, Saqib, Heresy, and AJ bond as a team and as a family to save innocents, supernatural and human, despite hunters pursuing them.
Introducing Zero, a starlight cat with a bleak and painful past.
Demonic-possession, Faery circles, Pūcas, And more…
Forsworn by David Estes: Available September 30, 2024
The Forsworn Oath, Book 1
Subgenre(s): Epic Fantasy
Do not fear the shadows, but what lives inside them.
When Ludo Vica was only eight years old, he lost his twin brother and his eye when a horrific fire turned his village to ash. The last thing he remembers is a dark figure, wreathed in flames, stalking toward his childhood home. His brother, Gado, was still inside. Then came the explosion, the burning pain where his eye should’ve been, followed by blessed oblivion.
The man deemed responsible for it all was Cainan, a dark sorcerer known as the Fire Eater, who was brought to justice and imprisoned in the legendary fortress known as Comman Dur. In the two decades that have passed since that fateful night, Ludo’s every waking moment has been focused on the only thing he has left to live for: revenge. So when the Fire Eater escapes, Ludo is determined to hunt him down and avenge his brother’s death, a path that leads him into the shadows and mysteries of Lostwood.
What awaits him in the shadows will change everything.
New Releases in Horror
Z.E.R.O.: Zombie Elimination and Rescue Operatives by Jessica Ungeheuer: Released August 23, 2024
The Z.E.R.O. Saga, Book 1
Subgenre(s): Romance/Horrormance, Urban Fantasy Horror
Jeffrey Knight is a down on his luck self proclaimed loser. He can’t keep a job, forced into hours of work in the hell that is retail. His only stable thing in his life was his relationship with his longtime girlfriend…that is until he catches her cheating on him. Now with nothing left, he begrudgingly agrees to join his best friend on a night of fake zombie hunting paintball. The only solace he has in his pitiful life. That is, until he learns zombies are real…
Jennifer Mayer has spent her whole life hunting monsters. Working tirelessly for a secret organization of mercenaries to protect normal citizens from learning the truth. However, there are a growing number of undead, and her organization leaders refuse to believe her that something catastrophic is coming. She is in need of new recruits to prevent a coming “Day of the Dead” event.
After saving Jeff from near death Jennifer takes him on as a pupil. Jennifer must train Jeff in everything she knows while avoiding the growing feelings and memories he reignites in her — feelings she thought she buried long ago.
Jeff has never finished anything in his life, allowing his fears to stop him. If he chokes up now, there might not be a normal world to go back to.
If you have an upcoming title that you’d like to have featured on the new release list, please fill out the form here: Indie SF/F/Horror New Release Feature