In a single act of courage, the young American grunt saves an interstellar soldier from certain death at the hands of a vicious killer. Afterward, she promises to show him the stars. Mark will begin his new life far away from Earth—a life not so different from that of a humble soldier. Out among the asteroids, he learns of swords and honor, starships and empires. He learns what it means to be a Peacemaker. Along the way, he's joined by Perry, his combat AI companion who helps Mark learn how to survive—and earn a living—among the stars.

Get ready to experience two more origin stories in the Backyard Starship universe.

James Sutton was an average guy—he couldn’t afford college and didn’t really know what he wanted to do with his life. But when his sister Holly goes missing, he finds out he’s been living in a fantasy: An alien really did land in Roswell and the US has had a secret alliance with them ever since. They are symbiotes—capable of bonding with hosts, enhancing their strength, agility, and stamina. Now mankind finds itself in the middle of an alien civil war between two symbiote factions—those who would be our allies…and those who would subjugate us into slavery.

Drake, a retired police detective, receives a call in the dead of night from an alien-obsessed podcaster. He hastily departs for Montana the following morning. The phenomenon continues all over the globe. What are they? What do they mean? Britt is on assignment for a digital magazine when she encounters one of the Glass in a tragic boating accident, leaving her no choice but to follow the lead. Panic ensues as mysterious creatures are sighted.

A secret buried in the Antarctic. A puzzle unsolved for thousands of years. And a Brooklyn-born master gunnery sergeant who's royally pissed that he has to babysit the researchers sent to figure it all out. But when Patrick "Wic" Finnegan finally sees what the team has uncovered, he can't believe his eyes, nor is he prepared for the violence to come. Soon, the portal opens and unleashes a storm of unbridled fury upon humanity.

The Ravennox are still out there. But thanks to Darius Spann and the Superba, Lawson and the other forces of the newly-restored Cygnus Realm face another, far more immediate threat. Spann and his Superba allies still hold sway over a huge swath of human territory, declaring it all Imperial space. Humanity is split, the Realm on one side and the Empire on the other, both claiming to be led by the Messenger. With neither able to land a decisive blow to knock out the other, a cold war now simmers between these two competing visions for the future.

An interstellar colony ship on Earth prepares for take-off. Before reaching their first stop—Proxima b Centauri—they are awoken from their cryo pods early, only to learn there's been an alien invasion on Earth. But it's too late. Can the crew find a safe refuge from the invaders and track down colonists from other ships?

Runic Ocean continues the immersive blend of Western fantasy, Chinese cultivation, and LitRPG adventure that defines Will of the Immortals. With enemies both known and unseen, battles fought with more than just weapons, and a relentless storm rising on every front, Leon must evolve—or be swept beneath the tides.

For the last four years, humanity has been facing its greatest challenge yet—a trial known as the Crucible. This harrowing ordeal has tested the mettle and determination of individuals, weeding out the weak and transforming the survivors into warriors. They have been forced to conquer dungeons and battle horrific creatures with magical powers so they can gain abilities of their own. However, the Crucible was merely the beginning. As the trial concludes, the survivors find themselves on the precipice of an entirely new realm—the Endless Planes.

Dace Tolman’s life has been overturned. One moment he was in his apartment and the next, he and the rest of humanity find themselves in a strange world of monsters and magic. A new world. There is nothing benign about mankind’s new home. The Proving Grounds is a world seemingly designed to enhance those worthy of its gifts—and to kill off the rest. Every day is a struggle against the System and its creatures. Can Dace survive its challenges?

After Ryder Copeland wakes in a hospital after a suicide attempt, two people immediately try to murder him. A woman named Juliet saves his life and then reveals that he succeeded in his suicide after all. They’re both dead, but a mad god has granted them five more days of life... if they’re willing to kill for it. Thirteen teams of former suicides now have five days to kill each other, after which Lyssa, the divine progenitor of this death game, will reincarnate the single surviving team into luxurious new lives.

A single slip is all it takes. But the consequences of falling from a rock wall are usually broken bones and bruises . . . not waking up in the body of a dragon. So when a young bouldering instructor finds herself suddenly transported to a strange new world—and into a powerful black-scaled frame— she must rethink all the rules as well as her own expectations in order to survive.

Determination is what made Levy a traveler, but only resistance will lead to new levels. Ancient powers are about to collide. The world is on the verge of changing, and all Levy wants is to start leveling.

The price for saving the world is the right to rule it. After saving a faraway world, Lyn Rivers was cast back to Earth. Wanting the admiration, prestige, and glory of saving that world, she forced her way back. But she was forgotten, and someone else claimed credit for her deeds. Now, with the power of a deity of destruction, she desires nothing more than to claim her place in history. To do that she will conquer dungeons, make alliances, destroy kingdoms, and build an empire.

Mitch's mediocre life has just taken a turn for the worse, so his buddy tries to cheer him up by showing him a secret starship. Unfortunately, everything goes south when hostile aliens arrive. In an effort to save his buddy and the starship from the aliens, Mitch does the obvious thing: he accidentally warps hundreds of light-years away. Marooned in a distant star cluster, Mitch is forced to deal with a snarky teenage AI, a rogue auto-pilot, and a beautiful alien soldier who's ready to steal his ship at any moment—so she can fight an oppressive military faction, of course.

In the wilds of a jungle planet, the Legion fights in brutal combat as Republic marines fly their SLICS from one tragedy to the next. H292, a repurposed warbot, shows the heart of a hero as he wades into the battle not to destroy - but to save.

An interstellar colony ship on Earth prepares for take-off. Before reaching their first stop—Proxima b Centauri—they are awoken from their cryo pods early, only to learn there's been an alien invasion on Earth. But it's too late. Can the crew find a safe refuge from the invaders and track down colonists from other ships?

Having survived their journey into the Dark Heart, Arthur and his dragon, Brixaby, have a new goal: complete their Legendary card sets. Unfortunately, the next Legendary card is locked away in Blood Moon, a hive with a reputation for chaos, lawlessness, scourgling eruptions, and—rumor has it—dedicated dragon hunters. Still, Arthur and his retinue feel they have little to fear. Then again, they also don't have much knowledge of what actually lies ahead.

The son of a billionaire tech entrepreneur, Logan Specter spends his time—and his family's wealth—on artistic and altruistic pursuits. His indulgences have produced a pile of paintings and a string of failed charities. A rebel without a cause who defies his father's corporatist lifestyle while benefiting from the privileges it affords him, Logan lacks true ambition, unable to commit himself to his own potential. The only things in his life giving him any direction are his girlfriend, Freya, and her unconditional love.

This short story collection will take you into the depths of Beck’s dark imagination: from what happens when the deepest bore hole on Earth has just passed nine miles and hits a strange open space – and it's hellishly hot down there; to an Antarctic research team examining fragments from a deep ice glacier and discovers a tiny seed that, once thawed, grows into something terrifyingly unexpected.