A note from the editor:
'The Woodcutter was first submitted to me as 'Cloverfield Fan Fiction,' and though I'm a fan of that series, I saw this as a standalone series in and of itself - and a unique one at that.
It's part Fantasy, part Thriller, part Fairy Tale - and above all else a complete page-turner. Jonathan Maas, along with his collaborators - Nigerian-American filmmakers Olumide Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika - have delivered an absolutely riveting tale.
The Woodcutter's titular character reminds me a bit of Idris Elba, and also of Liam Neeson from Taken - and just like the movie Taken, this tale begins immediately and keeps going all the way to the end. In the first chapter, the Woodcutter hears a woman's scream from the forest. He goes to investigate it and finds a woman all right, but her tale changes everything.
She says that some dangerous men are after her - and though his own two children are still deep in the forest, the men arrive before he can leave to rescue them. And that's when the tale really begins.' - J. Shaw, Editor, Cynical Optimist Press For fans of Dark Fantasy, Environmental Fiction and The Cloverfield Series

Strikingly original in its conception, ambitious in scope, with characters engrossingly and vividly drawn, the first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series creates a remarkable world from whole cloth-its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals-the kind of all-embracing universe Tolkien and Herbert created unforgettably in the epic fantasies The Lord of the Rings and Dune. It's a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future, as untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus—part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence—from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.

In The Struggle, Uri sets fire to his house by accident right before his bar mitzvah, killing his mother. He will spend many years searching for relief from the guilt that plagues him. His status as a foster kid, his burn scars, and his monstrous appearance leave him lonely and suicidal in high school. Then, in his college years, he falls under the spell of The Professor, head of a cult called The Struggle. To please the insatiable and expensive demands of The Professor, he becomes a brutal debt collector. He allows The Professor to control him, even telling him who to marry.

FBI agents, investigating the cult for the leader's sexual molestation of underage girls, pressure Uri to testify or face prison for battery. Uri's wife urges him to testify.

Will he remain loyal to The Professor or choose prison? What is his obligation to the many children he discovers the Professor has sired? Without The Professor to guide him, who will help Uri find a path to the future he has long wanted?

Devoted husband: check.

Three perfect children: check.

Superhuman powers and dragons: Say What?!

Loreli Draegan has married into the Clan, but unknown to her they are a wealthy and peculiar family tasked with safeguarding dragons since the beginning of time. Destined to produce an heir of extraordinarily strong Gifts, and with a dragon of her own under her care, Loreli is living the high life.

But the Clan has many enemies and not all of them are outside the family. When she suffers a tragic betrayal that costs her greatly, she vows to make those responsible pay. If she is to survive, she must embrace her inner warrior—but who can she trust? Even with her dragon, is she out of her league?

Read now and immerse yourself in this exciting action-packed story of love and deceit. Featuring a light female lead romance, this epic YA fantasy is chock-full of shape-shifting dragons, psychic powers, and humans with supernatural abilities.

OF CINDER AND BONE is Ron Howard's Ransom meets Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park!

After centuries of being the most dangerous predators on the planet, dragons were hunted to extinction. That is, until Dr. Rhett “Jack” Jackson and Dr. Kamala Anjali cracked the code to bring them back. Through their research at MIT, they resurrected the first dragon anyone has seen alive since the 15th century.

There’s just one problem.

Someone stole it.

Caught between two ruthless yakuza clans who want to clone the dragon, Jack and Kamala brave the dangerous streets of Tokyo to steal their dragon back in a race against time before the world is taken over by mutated, bloodthirsty monsters that will raze it to ashes.

Of Cinder and Bone is an all-new sci-fi thriller from the author of the Amazon bestselling Black Parade novels. Don’t miss out on this explosive first-in-series! Fans of Westworld, I Robot, Pacific Rim, and Reign of Fire will fall in love with this mashup novel that opens up a whole new world of possibilities into what we know and love about dragons. Of Cinder and Bone was selected for the Top 30 books in Hugh Howey's 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Contest.

At first everyone thought it was a game...

But aliens have arrived and they are turning people into fertilizer.

Brad and Sam are gamers and when they started playing the hot new game Apocalypse Online they had no idea that the game was a preview of reality! With the help of a benevolent alien AI and nanotechnology, our heroes will have a chance to survive the apocalypse. They just have to survive, level up and find other survivors.

Jake is no gamer. But when he finds out aliens have arrived, he'll do anything to protect his little sister Sam.

Will they be able to grow strong enough for the second wave or will they become alien plant food?

APOCALYPSE ONLINE is a litrpg/gamelit post-apocalypse fantasy series filled with action, adventure, aliens and snarky AIs.

If you are a fan of System Apocalypse, Defiance of the Fall, or the Sun Shadow series, you'll love Apocalypse Online!

A thousand-year peace is about to be shattered…

When Kailo awakens in the Realms, he remembers nothing of his former life. With the help of a shopkeeper wizard and some new friends, he soon learns the King has chosen him to save and defend the Realms which are in grave danger. To carry out his objective he has been given the ability to use all the known magic in the Realms. There’s only one problem: he doesn’t know how to use any of it!

Thus starts his grand fantasy quest traveling from realm to realm to learn powerful magic. Each realm has its own special dangers and along the way he and his friends will face off against deadly creatures and dark mages.

Armed with his trusty staff and his increasing knowledge of magic, not even dragons will keep Kailo from trudging onward. But there are threats worse than dragons in the Realms and time is running out to save it. Completely outmatched and knowing little of this new and intriguing world, can he save the Realms before chaos consumes them completely?

Get ready for the most captivating young adult fantasy novel of the year. Featuring a male main character and plenty of adventure, minor romance, and sword and sorcery, delve into this epic series today!

Alien apocalyptic fiction, a hard fought survival journey with an unexpected romance. But keep the tissues handy… you’ll need them at the end.

The alien apocalypse crashed his world to take human slaves. He was middle-aged, overweight and alone. The aliens didn’t care, they came to harvest the human slaves for market. Any humans they couldn’t sell, they fed to their animals. And, people were being harvested by the millions.

His hard apocalyptic survival journey started a tough march to safety and ended with a journey to test his soul.

William Theodore Benson worked his way West toward a safe-zone and fought through incredibly hard lessons and attackers bent on killing him at every turn... until the final battle that will leave you stunned with surprise… and fulfillment.

Grab your copy of Apocalypse Earth now to join WTB on his tough physical and soul searching journey. Live with him through the riveting, unexpected and heart wrenching ending that brings the whole story… full circle. This apocalyptic fiction and survival romance has something for everyone.

An epic, coming-of-age adventure set in a frozen fantasy land of myths and legends.

Following the invasion of the frost giants into the northern province of Aeblegarden, Bjorn was taken into the service of Jarl Jun to begin proper training as a warrior. After all, the Giant-Slayer needed to be able to live up to his name... Right? More and more, though, Bjorn began to feel that the title was a mistake, and that he really was just a fisherman from the sea.

When the province of Essetoft manages to trick Bjorn and exposes his lack of prowess with a sword, Jarl Jun sends him north to keep him out of the public eye for awhile. When he arrives in the fortress of Kallekot, though, he is led to something dark... Something sinister... And while frost giants may be terrifying, the draugr are truly deadly.

Fans of Bernard Cornwell and Griff Hosker will love this!

In Compound Eleven, the hierarchy of the floors is everything.

My name is Eve Hamilton, and on my floor, we fight.

Which at least is better than the bottom floor, where they toil away in misery. Only the top floor has any ease in this harsh world; they rule from their gilded offices.

Because four generations ago, Earth was rendered uninhabitable—the sun too hot, the land too barren. Those who remained were forced underground. While not a perfect life down here, I’ve learned to survive as a fighter.

Except my latest match is different. Instead of someone from the circuit, my opponent is a mysterious boy from the top floor. And the look in his eyes tells me he’s different…maybe even kind.

Right before he kicks my ass.

Still, there’s something about him—something that says he could be my salvation...or my undoing. Because I’m no longer content to just survive in Eleven. Today, I'm ready to fight for more than my next meal: I'm fighting for my freedom. And this boy may just be the edge I've been waiting on.

A finalist for the 2022 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
One of BookPage's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2021
One of Tor.com Reviewers' Choice Best Books of 2021
One of Book Riot's Best SFF Standalones of 2021

“Ghosts. Gods. Gangsters. Black Water Sister has it all…a wildly entertaining coming-of-age story for the twentysomething set, with a protagonist who is almost painfully relatable at times.”—Vulture

"A twisty, feminist, and enthralling page-turner."—BuzzFeed

"A sharp and bittersweet story of past and future, ghosts and gods and family."—Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education

A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy.

  When Jessamyn Teoh starts hearing a voice in her head, she chalks it up to stress. Closeted, broke and jobless, she’s moving back to Malaysia with her parents – a country she last saw when she was a toddler.

She soon learns the new voice isn’t even hers, it’s the ghost of her estranged grandmother. In life, Ah Ma was a spirit medium, avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she’s determined to settle a score against a business magnate who has offended the god—and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it, whether Jess wants to or not.

Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business, but dealing with her grandmother is just as complicated. Especially when Ah Ma tries to spy on her personal life, threatens to spill her secrets to her family and uses her body to commit felonies.  As Jess fights for retribution for Ah Ma, she’ll also need to regain control of her body and destiny – or the Black Water Sister may finish her off for good.

A broken pact. A disgraced kingdom.
War on the horizon.

Peace and prosperity once united the kingdoms of Pflanzatar, Amenschen, and Gemwaith. However, after centuries of Gemwaith’s perpetual betrayal, Pflanzatar and Amenschen shunned the third kingdom. A new threat rises as a result, placing three individuals in a precarious position.

Prince Andrew of Pflanzatar is arranged to marry Lady Debra of Amenschen in order to strengthen their kingdoms’ bonds. However, they both harbor the same secret: neither wants to go forth with the marriage. The Prince is in love with another woman and the Lady has no interest in royal politics. Meanwhile in Gemwaith, the hunter Casper is forced to wield the sword of an army he vehemently opposes. He wants only to return to his family but with war coming, fate has other plans.

As tensions between all three kingdoms escalate to even greater heights, the actions of these three people can either help turn the tide for better or for the worst. They are faced with the impossible choice: do they prioritize their respective kingdoms or put their own ambitions and families first? Is peace still attainable for the three kingdoms or will the lands be steeped in destruction and demise?

Read now to discover an enthralling high fantasy featuring multiple interlapping storylines in a huge fully fleshed out world. This vast young adult novel balances plenty of action/adventure with political intrigue, pitting virtuous characters in perilous settings, along with romance and enchantment.

Humanity clings to life on a dying Earth in an epic, far-future science fiction novel from an award-winning author.

The sun is bloated, diseased, dying perhaps. Beneath its baneful light, Shadrapar, last of all cities, harbours fewer than 100,000 human souls. Built on the ruins of countless civilisations, Shadrapar is a museum, a midden, an asylum, a prison on a world that is ever more alien to humanity.

Bearing witness to the desperate struggle for existence between life old and new is Stefan Advani: rebel, outlaw, prisoner, survivor. This is his testament, an account of the journey that took him into the blazing desolation of the western deserts; that transported him east down the river and imprisoned him in the verdant hell of the jungle's darkest heart; that led him deep into the labyrinths and caverns of the underworld. He will meet with monsters, madman, mutants.

The question is, which one of them will inherit this Earth?

They thought he was dead, but he was only getting started.

With the Zero Point Energy device still under enemy control, Jack is forced to put recent betrayals aside to save humanity.

In an uncomfortable alliance, the team heads out to the Gaia settlement, tracking the device that could end the world. Complications abound, bringing waves of violence and death to the settlement.

All hope is lost and the fate of the system is left on the shoulders of one man. Armageddon has arrived, and it must be stopped.

If you liked Firefly, The Ascension Myth, Deadlands Drifter, The Expanse, or Farscape, you will love this sci-fi adventure from USA Today Bestseller, Ell Leigh Clarke.

Please note: a version of this novel was previously published under Ell’s pen name “Oscar Andrews” and was titled: Empire Rising: Liberty Quest. It has undergone some rewrites.

“Ingenious plot, intense action”—New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant

The poison will kill his sister…
…unless James finds help.
But who can he trust?

Fifty years in the future, the ultra-rich live in luxury in heavily-protected cities. The rest of humanity eke out a living in a landscape destroyed by greed…
When five-year-old Rose is poisoned, the community of Sector 19 is resigned to her fate. The antidote lies in the city, beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Only her 17-year-old brother, James, refuses to give up hope.
When his bold plan to beat the border patrols fails, a mysterious woman offers to help. But he senses Amora is hiding something.
Can he trust her?
Will her plan succeed?
With his sister’s life in the balance, James has no choice but to find out.

Perfect for fans of Divergent or the Hunger Games, Deception is packed with action and brimming with suspense.

A game so real it hurts.

Ryan Rosa has had a run of bad luck, but when he receives a VIP package for the newest and hottest game to come out in years his luck takes a turn for the better. But his good luck ends when he's stabbed in the back by a guild of players who betray him for a unique weapon he possesses. Ryan contemplates doing the one thing every player hates doing, re-rolling his unique character and starting over. But even starting over won't save Ryan in New Realm Online. He'll have to work smarter to avoid using his last re-roll.

This book contains the classic LITRPG elements of leveling, dungeons, terrifying killer bunnies, crafting, and community building.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FINALIST • Set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse—the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. • Now an original series on HBO Max. • Over one million copies sold!

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

Look for Emily St. John Mandel’s bestselling new novel, Sea of Tranquility!

War is looming and Captain Jack Klingerman answers the call.

Teamed up with Ally, a human consciousness in a concierge bot-body, he heads out to New Atlantia in the Federation's boondocks where he finds two sides ready to blow each other off the face of the planet.

Standing in the way of a peaceful resolution is a little matter of a kidnapped scientist and a stolen zero-point energy generator: a piece of tech which, in the wrong hands, is capable of ripping a hole in the universe.

Jack's only chance at saving the entire space-time continuum as we know it is to unravel a sinister plot, track the kidnappers, and take down an endless stream of covert delta forces and black ops teams as he planet-hops in pursuit of the device.

All of which is making it harder to maintain a cease-fire back at New Atlantia.

He's going to have to pull out the stops to save the peace, the Federation, and a healthy chunk of the universe.

A Resource as Precious as Life

Ether. It revolutionized human technology. Made faster than light travel possible. With this new form of energy, people expanded beyond Earth to distant stars in other galaxies across the cosmos. After years of conflicts, a rebellion, and countless skirmishes, the Human Confederacy is a thriving government, a beacon of civilization.

Until an ether facility is destroyed out of the blue with no one taking credit for the destruction. Enter the Morrigan, a state of the art ship with a brilliant but inexperienced crew. Their captain Noah Markel is no stranger to battle and he believes this may not be as simple as an act of terrorism but rather an incursion. Their first contact with an alien race. One bent on crippling human space travel in preparation for something far worse than a border dispute.

Knox defends his own.

Space is a deadly business, a truth Knox has experienced first hand. That's why he's so protective of his ship and family. So when pirates plunder an impoverished town--a town that's earned Knox's guarded friendship--he's going to do something about it.

Knox knows the pillagers will be back for more, so his town needs protection from any and all pirates, for years to come. Only one way to do that. His friends need shields to keep their town and children safe, and Knox will get those shields. Even if he has to steal them.

Knox devises a carefully crafted plan and hires the perfect crew. He’ll “borrow” from Caravan Suppliers—the Goliath of space shipping—a company that can afford to lose an expensive shield generator. No one will know he was there. Unfortunately, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Caravan Suppliers has a dirty slave habit, and they’ll kill to keep it secret. When Knox stumbles onto it, he endangers his crew and his family. Will this mission cost Knox more than he’s willing to pay?

From debut author Marjorie King, Maverick Gambit is the first book in the Maverick Universe. With a layered galaxy full of rich characters, twists, and space battles, it’s perfect for fans of Timothy Zahn and Isaac Asimov. Scroll up and get your copy today!