Up, Up, and Away StoryBundle

Hey, readers! Kevin J. Anderson (of Star Wars Jedi Academy and Dune prequel fame) has put together a collection of superhero fiction for this year's StoryBundle! For the price of a single hardback, you can get 13 books.

What's more, he's included Overlook, by Silver Empire author Jon Mollison, in the collection!

Nothing is more dangerous than an invisible man. 

Joe’s spent his life being forgotten. Not even the IRS comes for his back taxes. He’s a ghost, a perfectly average, perfectly forgettable man. It suits his purposes, though it’s a lonely existence. He can live as he wants, plying his almost-invisibility for freelance jobs. 

Then a pretty blonde finds him when no one else can, asking for his help solving a murder. He almost says no, despite his instincts to help a damsel in distress. But how did she find him? And who is she? 

He takes the job to find out. But he bites off more than he can chew as he realizes a brutal secretive organization called The Phoenix Ring is behind the murder, and somehow they can predict his every move. 

A new Heroes Unleashed series begins with Jon Mollison’s Overlook, a fast-paced, action-packed superhero spy novel that will keep readers guessing until the end. 

Can Joe defeat the shadowy Phoenix Ring? Or will his powers fail him when he needs them the most? Read Overlook today and find out!

The Bundle ends July 9th, so don't wait to snatch up this collection!

For more superhero fun, join the Silver Empire Book Club and pick up the entire Heroes Unleashed series!

Reading List: Hollow City

Six kills in six years.

Super powered cop Adam Song has dedicated his life to the law. In the military and the police force, Adam ruthlessly protects the innocent.

But this time he’s killed the wrong bad guy. Now the local drug lord’s son is dead, and the boss is out for Adam’s blood. Even his secret identity won’t keep him safe. The police department hangs him out to dry, his years of exemplary service forgotten. Adam must take justice into his own hands to keep his family safe.

Because Adam is a Song. And Songs take care of their own. No matter the cost.

When does justice become murder? And just how far will he go to protect his clan?

Dragon and Hugo Award nominated author Kai Wai Cheah steps onto the superhero scene with his debut Heroes Unleashed novel. His characteristic fast-paced action and attention to detail brings Adam Song and the Chinatown of Hollow City vividly to life.

For those of you late to this game, Kai Wai Chea is a stellar author with a gift for gritty, in-your-face violence. His first Heroes Unleashed outing has action movie written into its DNA. Hollow City is one part Daredevil, two parts Punisher, all wrapped up in one taut action-thriller package. 

Fans of the above comic franchises or the Bourne movies are going to love this ride. Do yourselves a favor and mark Chea down as a must-follow author.

And don't forget the Silver Empire Book Club, where you can snap up the latest from Heroes Unleashed before the public!  

Reading List: Heroes Fall

Morgon Newquist unleashed the heroes with the first novel of Serenity City, Heroes Fall, on sale now from Silver Empire:

Victoria doesn't need a Cape to be a Hero.

Living and working in the slums of Serenity City, she has become its faceless and nameless defender. She turned her back on the glittering world of professional superheroes years ago. If she has her way, she’ll never go back.

But the young and forgotten teens she helps are disappearing from the street, and nobody seems to care. As Victoria unravels this mystery, she is lead back to her old life in the star-studded glamourous superhero circles. No matter how much she hates it, she can’t abandon the helpless when they need her the most.

All clues point back to The Rampage, the terrible day when their mightiest champion Achilles fell to darkness. Will Victoria uncover the truth of what actually happened twenty years ago in time to help her lost boys and girls?

And what will happen when the fallen hero Achilles escapes, and Victoria is the only one who can stop him?

This novel is full of great world building, colorful characters, and classic superhero action.  From the rise and fall of the Triumvirate to the gleeful chaos of one villain, I got a strong DC comics vibe.

The action is vibrant and the stakes, both personal and city-wide, loom large for the heroes. Choices made in this book beg to be answered in later installments. The characters are consistent and complex, as heroes fall and, maybe, rise.

This was a brilliant outing by Newquist. Any fans of the Justice League or Young Justice cartoons would do well to check this out.

You can find Heroes Fall on Amazon or at the Silver Empire store. Better yet, join the newly launched Silver Empire Book Club and receive a steady stream of top tier fiction from one of indie publishing's best houses.

Reading List: Vigil by Russell Newquist

I was honored to receive an Advance Review Copy of Russell Newquist's newest book, Vigil.

I was pretty excited for this one. I greatly enjoyed his debut novel, War Demons, earlier this year, so my expectations were high.

I mean, how do you top spec ops, demons, car chases, a warlock, and a dragon vs helicopter fight?

Mr. Newquist's answer is to give you a modern day paladin who must take on said dragon by himself, on the dragon's home turf, and throw in a hostage and a time limit.

Vigil is superior to War Demons  in several ways. Mr. Newquist keeps the frenetic pacing and high octane action from the first book, but ups his game when it comes to the dialogue and the characterization. The plot was tighter and if the scale is smaller the stakes feel more personal and thus the payoff more rewarding.

Mr. Newquist continues to improve his craft while losing none of the things that made his debut novel enjoyable. I highly recommend Vigil to fans of urban fantasy and am looking forward to more stories in this world.

You can purchase your copy on Amazon.

You can keep up with Mr. Newquist on his blog.

Reading List: David Gemmell

I was talking geekery with my D&D group this week and it came up that one of them did not know who David Gemmell is. As the self-appointed Geek Geezer in our group, I took it upon myself to rectify this travesty with all speed.

David Gemmell was a British author of heroic fantasy. His breakout novel was Legend, a story of honor, redemption, and the power of hope and legacy. He went on to write over thirty novels between 1984 and his death in 2006. His final work was finished by his wife, Stella, and published in 2008.

He's also the namesake of the David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy.

That's right, it's a frickin' battle axe.

 I first read Quest for Lost Heroes in middle school and went on to devour every Gemmell book I could get my hands on. Gemmell's writing is fast paced, action packed, and full of flawed heroes. His strength is in those character archetypes. He somehow reaches into the Akashic Records and pulls up the essence of a particular archetype, then shades it onto the pages with a deft hand.

My challenge to unfamiliar readers is to pick up a copy of Legend and read it. If you can stop yourself from picking up more books by this master of fiction, well, I worry for the state of your soul.

For those inclined, here's a list of his works in chronological order.

Reading List: War Demons by Russell Newquist

I was honored recently to receive an advance copy of my friend Russell Newquist's debut novel, War Demons

It's the story of Sergeant Michael Alexander who comes home from war in Afghanistan with more than the usual figurative demons. As he tries to piece together exactly what happened over there, he's drawn into the web of a supernatural conspiracy that hits much closer to home.

This was an incredibly fast read. The author slams the action pedal to the floor and duct tapes it there. Despite the frenetic pacing, the major characters all have a lot of color and life in them. Even some of the minor characters, like a maybe-crazy prophet, are interesting and memorable.

There are some rough edges in a couple characters and some of the plot points may strike you as bit improbable, but the ride is so much fun you won't care.

Mr. Newquist has delivered a solid debut work in the vein of early Larry Correia or Jim Butcher. Fans of the latter two authors will devour War Demons.

You can find more of Russell's work, along with a growing list of excellent authors, at Silver Empire Publishing and keep up with his latest news at russellnewquist.com .

Reading List: Stand Still, Stay Silent

I've spent the last couple of days bulling through the archives for fantasy-horror web comic Stand Still, Stay Silent.

 Set in the near future after the outbreak of a pandemic, the comic catalogs the adventure of a team of misfits sent into the desolation of the Silent World outside the small hubs of civilization to recover lost knowledge.

Written and drawn by Minna Sundberg, it draws deeply on the mythology of Sweden and Finnland. Sundberg's art is beautiful and atmospheric.

Her writing is also great, with a slow steady build of tension and empathy, punctuated by moments of incredible action. Her characters are interesting and her world building is incredibly detailed.

I highly recommend adding this to your reading list. I'm going to have a hard time waiting on the newest episode.

My thanks to Daddy Warpig, who's archival post pointed me to this gem.