A Stone-Cold Killer. A Royal Gambit. Zero Mercy.

“Political intrigue done right! Well-crafted characters, immersive world, and a story that takes you on a wild ride!” — Melissa Olthoff, author of Rise from Ruin

Meet Jehanne Dark: half-gorgon assassin, holy sister, and the deadliest blade in a realm of monsters and monarchs. She’s spilled oceans of blood for the powerful. Now she’s done playing pawn.

When a vicious usurper unleashes a petrifying totem that transforms armies into statues, Jehanne strikes her deal: serve besieged King Michael, smash the threat, and win a pardon… plus a crown.

But the court is a viper pit. Scheming mermaids weave deadly plots beneath moonlit waves. Ancient sorcery hungers for her soul. And her own gorgon blood—the weapon that makes kings tremble—threatens to devour what’s left of her humanity.

One wrong glance. One broken alliance. One heartbeat of weakness… and everything turns to stone.

“THROUGH A SPYGLASS DARKLY is a gripping fantasy adventure in a world of scheming mermaids, vengeful kings, and a half-gorgon assassin who might also be a saint.” — D.J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye

If you crave razor-sharp action, cutthroat court intrigue, mythic monsters, and a hero who stares down destiny itself— this is your next reading addiction.

Grab Through A Spyglass Darkly — from Raconteur Press. On sale all month!

Through A Spyglass Darkly

In the aftermath of catastrophe, Breheimen is wounded. Its greatest relic — the legendary sword Eagle’s Wing — lies shattered on a mountain peak.

Three stories unfold in counterpoint, a fugue of fire and consequence:

• Dorian Silversong and Ilmarinen Steelhammer embark on a kingdom-spanning quest to reforge Breheimen’s sword.

• Praeceptor Phrygian Eobanus nails thirty-five theses to the doors of the Musae Seminarii — an act of scholarly courage that sets him on a collision course with the most powerful institution in the kingdom.

• Lady Seraphina Ravenscroft watches her daughter die by inches, consumed by a shadow she barely understands.

Three voices. One kingdom. A darkness that no longer needs to rush.

Dorian stood, his heart hammering against his ribs. He’d rehearsed this moment in his mind a dozen times on the long road back to the capital, but now that it was upon him the words seemed to stick in his throat. He felt Lydian’s hand brush his leg beneath the table, a silent gesture of support, and drew strength from her touch.

He brushed his thoughts against his Muse, seeking steadiness.

Speak true, came the answering chord, as real as a hand upon his shoulder.

“We are happy to have served in this fashion,” Dorian replied, settling into his formal voice. “We did not do this thing alone, and we will praise the praiseworthy in our account.” He cleared his throat, drawing the room’s attention to him. “However, Your Majesty,” he pressed on, his voice carrying the cadence of a seasoned storyteller, “the greater tale we bring before you today is one of darkness and light, of betrayal and sacrifice.”

He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in.

“On the Coronet Peaks, we bore witness to the insidious influence of the Tenebrae, a force of depravation that sought to twist the very fabric of our reality. It was there that we discovered the corruption of one of our own, Locrian Heartcaller, a man we once called friend and ally.”

Siegfried’s eyes grew cold at the mention of Locrian’s name.

“Locrian, seduced by the promises of power whispered by the Tenebrae, by Aeolian’s Curse itself, sought to open a portal in the aether that would have unleashed untold carnage upon our world. It was only through the bravery and sacrifice of those present,” he nodded to Lydian, “that we were able to seal the rift and prevent catastrophe.

“Here, we should name names. Supporting us in our quest were two remarkable individuals. Revan Athelstan, who has newly come into his Muse-touch, showed bravery and resourcefulness well beyond his years. And Mixolydian Thornecrest, despite her estrangement from the Collegium and personal grievances, risked everything to stand with us. Without their courage and resolve, our victory would not have been possible.”

Lydian stood, her auburn hair catching the light like a flame. “But that victory came at a great and horrible cost,” she stated, her voice ringing with conviction. “The theft of Eagle’s Wing was critical to powering the device Locrian and his entranced victims constructed. And…in the end, we were left with no choice. To seal the rift, to prevent the destruction of all Breheimen, we had to destroy the sword.”

Gasps rang out from nearly everyone. “Destroy it?” Sir Gero shot to his feet, his face flushed with disbelief and anger. “The sword of kings, the symbol of our unity, gone? You would have us believe there was no other way?”

“There was no other way,” Lydian insisted, her voice unyielding. “Trust me when I say that choice will follow us for the rest of our lives. But in that moment, it was the blade or the kingdom.”

“With respect, you ask too much faith.” Gero’s hand struck the table. “If the sword is gone, then the Sovereign’s line, one that stretches back a full millennium, is broken. How can Breheimen stand bereft of its heart?”

“With respect, Sir Gero, you were not there.” Dorian’s voice cut through, sharper than he intended, his hands clenched at his sides. “When the portal loomed, when the shadows threatened to consume us all, I chose. I sacrificed the sword to save Breheimen. If you demand Judgement, then judge me. But I will not regret doing what was necessary to preserve this kingdom.” 🔥

Preorder Fugue of Fire

I want more! What’s on the dessert cart?

• Hear a reading of Muses’ War: Overture of Shadow by the author himself!

• Wait, there’s a soundtrack? Check it out!

• See Wally Waltner on Jonathan Koan!

Get Book I: Overture of Shadow

A noble bloodline soaked in blood. A savage past clawing its way back. A galaxy that’s fixing to burn.

Miss pulp sci-fi the way you remember it?

Back in the old days, science fiction featured big heroes, blazing action, and epic stories that grabbed you by the collar and shook vigorously. If that’s your kind of tale then delivers exactly that in Misplaced!

The first book in the Valley of Fire is on sale in Kindle Daily Deals!

Misplaced (Valley of Fire Book 1) by !

Epic space battles! Fierce loyalty! Defiant heroes!

ONLY $2.99 USD / CDN$2.99
May 6, 2026 – One Day Only!

Get you some Misplaced!

Eric ‘Wolf’ Wolfram and his sister Candice escaped a bloody past when their noble parents were murdered. Taken in by Dartanion—a cunning starship salvage yard owner who walks the line between criminal and honorable—they’ve spent years hiding their true identities. Now Eric is eighteen and seeks to carve his own path... but their past is about to catch up in the most explosive possible way.

Check out Valley of Fire, pure pulp-style adventure in the Wolfhounds Universe — the kind of story that will remind you why sci-fi is awesome in the first place!

If you dig action-packed military sci-fi, we’ve got what you’ve been missing!

US: Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

Canada: Search “Misplaced Van Stry” on Amazon.ca Kindle Store

First presented in 1979, the Prometheus Award is one of the longest-running genre awards in science fiction, with a history that includes winners such as Neal Stephenson, Poul Anderson, Vernor Vinge, Terry Pratchett, and Cory Doctorow. Finalists are selected by the membership of the Libertarian Futurist Society from novels published in the prior year.

Check out A Kiss For Damocles!

A Kiss for Damocles follows Shaifennen Roehe, a young homesteader on Hesperides Colony who becomes an unlikely catalyst for the colony world’s political and civilizational restoration. Shai isn’t the “chosen one,” just in the right place, with the right instincts, at the right moment. As competing factions of politicians and merchant princes move to take control, Shai upends their plans. In the meantime, sinister forces operating in the shadows bring a centuries-old conflict to a head. The novel is the first entry in Pierce’s Hesperides universe, which also includes The Warlord of Greenline Town and the upcoming novel Stormjammers.

“A Prometheus nomination for a debut novel is a meaningful signal. We’re proud of him, and we’re not surprised. Pierce built a universe that feels genuinely inhabited. It’s not just a backdrop for ideas, it’s a world where people are living hard lives and making real choices.” - Ian McMurtrie, founder of Raconteur Press.

Pierce, a Gulf War veteran and Pittsburgh native, drew on influences spanning H. Rider Haggard, Andre Norton, and Lois McMaster Bujold in constructing the Hesperides universe. He is available for interviews, podcasts, and media appearances.

A Kiss for Damocles is available in paperback and ebook at Amazon and paperback at IngramSpark.

You can find right here on Substack and on X at @jkenton2000.

From the 2026 Prometheus Award Announcement:

* A Kiss for Damocles, by J. Kenton Pierce (Raconteur Press): The science fiction saga, which launches the author's Tales From the Long Night series, illuminates the ethics and efficacy of free trade and self-defense as a proper foundation for civilization. The novel is set on a colony planet where humans in towns and homesteading communities are struggling to recover centuries after a catastrophic attack and volcanic cataclysm that set back and severely limits their use of advanced technology. At the story's heart is Shai, a young homesteader facing harsh frontier conditions, corrupt Townie politics, dangerous native species, and sinister forces amidst still-functional A.I.-powered orbiting war machines. Pierce celebrates the self-reliance and resilience of self-regulating frontier communities that survive and evolve based on the hard-won realities of voluntarism, mutual respect and cooperation. But this is also a cautionary tale about the deceptive idealism of a command-and-control ideology and the perennial tendency towards abuse of power, reflected in the Townies' push for higher taxation, fiat money and indoctrinating state takeover of education. Narrating from a wry but hopeful perspective, Shai becomes a leader in the community's struggles to defend their freedom, preserve their heritage and restore their world.

But you’ve never had the whole story. Until now.

Today, preorders open for Colt Ostergaard: A Man With a Gun — the complete novel by Rick Cutler. Every story Cutler wrote across all six Space Cowboys volumes, plus new chapters written specifically to close the arc. One book. The full picture.

So who is this man?

Colt is a former soldier on the frontier world of Fenris — a terraformed planet where forty-year winters give way to savage springs, where ranchers ride six-legged yimas across golden plains, and where the scars of a brutal independence war haven’t finished healing. He was court-martialed for an act of mercy that saved hundreds of lives and cost him everything else: his rank, his name, his place in the world. He carries a hand-crafted Diamond Firearms Shark Elite, a pocket watch with his grandfather’s name inside, and a reputation that arrives in every town a full day before he does.

He doesn’t look for fights. Fights find him.

What makes Colt unusual — what makes him the kind of character readers kept coming back to across six anthologies — isn’t just that he’s good with a gun. It’s that he’s good at carrying weight. The weight of the war. The weight of the mercy that ended his career. The weight of a frontier that keeps putting innocent people in the path of people who mean them harm, and the simple stubborn fact that Colt is usually close enough to do something about it.

Riding alongside him is Shelby Yodersen — fifteen years old with a pink shotgun the first time they meet, and considerably more dangerous every year since. Their relationship is the quiet heart of the series: complicated, loyal, the kind of found family that forms when two people keep saving each other’s lives long enough that stopping starts to seem impossible.

Across the high plains of Fenris, Colt will face Feral raiders, rogue soldiers, corrupt lawmen, a disgraced general raising a private army underground, and a powerful foundation that has been hunting him for reasons that go deeper than anyone has told him. He’ll be shot. He’ll be poisoned. He’ll be declared dead at least once.

He keeps riding.

The novel gathers all of it — every story, every fight, every slow conversation on a porch at sunset — into one complete arc. If you’re new to Colt entirely, this is the right place to start. If you’ve followed him through the anthologies, this is what you’ve been waiting for.

Science fiction written like a Western. A frontier that doesn’t forgive mistakes. A man who won’t stop until the good guys win.

Colt Ostergaard: A Man With a Gun publishes April 23rd in digital and paperback. Preorders open today!

The frontier never really went away. It just moved.

Preorder A Man With a Gun!

Desperate and adrift, Carkston seizes an unexpected chance: passage aboard the Long Gambit, a battered starship bound for the decadent, decaying world of Dekason. There, society is ruled by powerful Syndicates—aristocratic houses obsessed with color symbolism, precedence, and elaborate social games, while the machinery of civilization slowly rusts. Carkston arrives as an exotic outsider, a “barbarian” curiosity in a world that prizes refinement over relevance. Hired as a fencing master to one of Dekason’s privileged young heirs, he navigates glittering soirees, veiled insults, and deadly duels over trivial slights. But beneath the veneer of elegance lies rot: crumbling cities, fading technologies, and simmering resentments among the ruling class and the shadowy Unsanctioned Houses that thrive in the shadows.

As alliances fracture and old grudges ignite into violence, Carkston discovers that survival demands more than sword skill—it requires cunning, ruthless clarity, and the willingness to shatter illusions of order. In a society teetering on the edge of stagnation, one outsider’s defiance could spark change... or bring everything crashing down.

A gripping blend of planetary adventure, swashbuckling action, and sharp social satire, this first novel in the Twilight Galaxy trilogy explores themes of class, ambition, and the cost of clinging to decaying traditions. Perfect for readers who crave character-driven fantasy with real stakes, intricate worldbuilding, and a protagonist who refuses to stay in his place.

Order Twilight Galaxy: Dekason!

What happens when you’re done playing by the rules?

Lowly armsman, Carkston Monitor, is banished in disgrace from the feudal world of Kvasir by a corrupt aristocracy. Dumped on the decaying planet Dekason, Carkston encounters stagnant syndicates who duel with swords and forbidden electromag pistols.

Forging a deadly alliance with an Unsanctioned House, he turns rival nobles’ own vendettas against them, and unleashes a whirlwind of sabotage, estate raids, and blazing gun-battles that threaten to topple the patrician society of a dying world.

One outcast. One stolen glider. One chance to seize the stars—or burn both planets down trying.

Preorder Ken Lizzi’s Twilight Galaxy: Dekason! Available March 25!

Ranford Redgrave, tired old soldier and widower, just wants to muster out, retire to the estate he was awarded for his long service, and forget about the world. Then the king asks his one last service. There is a plot among the nobles and ministers to kill a peace hostage living in the palace, a royal prince and a boy of only six, to create a crisis and start another war. While the boy lives, sacred custom on both sides prevents hostilities from flaring back up. Should anything happen to the boy, though…

“It’s too bad you’ll be retiring soon, Redgrave,” Paulus said. “What will the rest of us talk about without you around to suggest unusual new topics?”

“Probably what you’ve been talking about for years. Just quote the regulations and the strategy papers back and forth to each other.”

“Yes, we’re all very boring, as you’ve told us many times, for our discomfort with war crimes, throat-slitting, and dishonesty.”

“You’ve got plenty of experience with all of those,” Red said, less under his breath than he had intended.

Paulus pretended not to hear. “But what will you do without us to argue with, Redgrave? What are you going to do with yourself, I wonder?”

“Enjoy my estate. Drink and fish. Not be an officer anymore.”

“Oh, Red. You’re barely one now.”

Against his misgivings, Red escorts the Peace Child and the boy’s nanny, a young lady soon to take her final vows to become a nun, to a holy sanctuary on a neutral island. They soon find themselves hunted, however, even by those they should be able to trust. Will Red be able to protect his charges long enough to find them a safe place? Or will he fail, and doom thousands to another long, grueling war?

Both ebook and paperback are now available! Enjoy!

Peace Child Available Here!

How far will a soldier go to protect the child of his enemy?

For millennia, the Peace Child has been the sacred pledge of peace between kingdoms: a sacred custom, a child exchanged to deter war.

Red, a weary soldier craving his due retirement, receives one last royal order: protect the six-year-old Peace Child—the living guarantee of truce—from assassins determined to restart the war.

With the boy’s life and two kingdoms’ fragile peace hanging by a thread, Red leads the boy and his nanny on a desperate journey to safety. And almost immediately, he discovers that the places and friends he thought he could trust were just as dangerous as his known enemies.

From a spy-infested palace…
to an abbey atop a secluded mountain…
through a smugglers’ hideout…
to a lonesome clifftop estate.

They must forge uneasy alliances, evade relentless pursuers, and face ancient, volatile magic. One mistake, and the ancient tradition shatters. War returns. The Peace Child dies first.

Red has one final mission, and failure is not an option.

Author Nick Nethery delivers an epic gunpowder fantasy adventure with Peace Child.

Publishes March 3rd!

Preorder Peace Child!

Dave Hernandez is a former Terran Marine who survived the brutal frozen kill zones of Tau Ceti IV against the relentless Kharkan hordes. Now discharged, he’s trying to leave the violence behind, working low-key jobs aboard ramshackle freighters in the lawless Zone of Separation. His dream is simple: save enough credits to buy a quiet piece of land on Earth and never touch a weapon again. A life of peace, finally.

But old habits die hard—and so do old enemies.

When Khavan pirates launch a savage boarding attack on his ship, Dave’s buried Marine training kicks in with lethal efficiency. He turns the fight around, but his decisive actions draw the attention of Jackson Solutions—known in the underworld as “The Jacks,” one of the most elite mercenary companies operating in the shadows. The offer is straightforward: good money for hard work. Dave signs on, thinking it’s a fast track to his retirement goal. What follows is anything but straightforward.

Hired to safeguard high-value convoys for Brightstar Shipping, Dave and his squad quickly find themselves in the crosshairs of relentless ambushes. Pirates strike with eerie precision, always knowing exactly what to hit and when. Equipment fails at critical moments. Payments vanish. The losses mount, and it becomes painfully clear the Jacks aren’t just facing bad luck—they’re being targeted, undermined by forces with deep pockets and deeper reach. A shadow conspiracy is tearing them apart from the inside, turning every mission into a potential bloodbath

With their backs against the wall, reputations shredded and warrants looming, Dave and his fire team face one final, high-risk operation. It’s a desperate bid to strike back at the heart of the betrayal, relying on nothing but small arms, unbreakable squad loyalty, and the battle drills drilled into them through years of combat. In this kill zone, trust is a luxury, vengeance blurs with justice, and survival demands everything they’ve got left.

Battle Drills: Kill Zone is pure, adrenaline-fueled military sci-fi: visceral firefights, corporate intrigue in the void, the unbreakable bonds of brothers-in-arms, and a protagonist who knows the true cost of endless war.

The war may be over, but for Dave Hernandez, the fight is far from finished. Dive into this pulse-pounding release and experience the Zone of Separation like never before.

Get you some Battle Drills: Kill Zone

After retirement, Gries revived his childhood interest in storytelling and soon found himself penning short stories and novels at the notice of Eric Flint. He honed his craft writing about his passions—military, history, and (get this!) zombies—and became a 2024 Dragon Award Finalist.

Learn how this career infantryman made his transition to writing a reality, and check out Battle Drills: Kill Zone, coming February 25, available now for preorder!

The money is good. The missions are brutal. And someone wants them all dead.

Dave and his squad are hired to protect shipments for Brightstar Shipping, but every convoy turns into a bloodbath. Pirates hit them with perfect intelligence, stealing specific cargo while mercenaries die in droves. Equipment fails, paychecks stop coming, and death benefits get frozen. The Jacks aren’t just being beaten in the field. They’re being systematically destroyed from within by a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of corporate power.

Welcome to the world of Battle Drills! Preorder here!

Available February 18!

Gries is a Dragon Award finalist and can order beer in several languages.

Meet the man and say hello in the comments below!

Who are you and what is your background (personally, professionally)?

I’m a married father of two (one son, one daughter) who grew up in the Midwest. I’ve always been fascinated with the military and ended up joining the Army as soon as I was able. I started off as an enlisted soldier in the Army National Guard, then joined ROTC when I started college. Upon graduation, I commissioned as an active-duty infantry officer and began serving all over the world. Over the course of my thirty years as an officer, I spent eighteen of them overseas.

I completed my career as a military diplomat, working as the US Army Attaché in Canberra, Australia. I retired from the service in 2024 and then went back to work for the Army as a civilian (I guess that makes me institutionalized like Brooks from Shawshank Redemption).

My kids are all grown now and the wife and I are empty-nesters, which allows us some time for travel. We are just now beginning the next chapter in our lives and figuring it all out.

What do you like to read?

I mostly enjoy military history and military science fiction when I get the chance. I also enjoy some apocalyptic stuff and have a soft spot for zombie stuff. There are probably too many authors to name, but suffice it say, I have been influenced by some of the big names out there.

What kind of a reader are you?

A bad one, I think. I used to read a lot more before I started writing books and now it’s pretty rare for me to sit down and read anything besides the news. I have a Kindle loaded full of titles that I read on airplanes or at airports, but that’s really about it. Since I started writing, I’ve become somewhat of an editor and when I read other people’s work I find it harder to enjoy since I end up picking things apart. It’s a common curse for writers I suppose; we get into editing our own work and it spills over into everything else we read, too.

What do you look for in a book (genre, characters, ideas, philosophies)?

For history, I enjoy a compelling narrative rather than a dry regurgitation of facts. It’s often difficult to find good writers of history. People who write about history are generally academics and the style of writing they are accustomed to works well when writing dissertations, but does little to grab and hold a casual reader’s attention.

With regard to fiction, I enjoy a well-crafted story with fleshed-out characters—which probably makes me like just about anyone else in that regard. Since I’m a military professional, I can’t help when reading a military-themed book to get hung up on believable characters and situations. It’s usually pretty easy to spot a military-themed novel where the author has zero actual military experience and it quickly pulls me out of the story.

How did you get into writing?

I wanted to become an author since I was a kid and I used to write a little when I was in junior high. I had a friend and we used to write and that was encouraging. When I went on to high school I no longer had any friends that were into writing and without that sort of informal support network, I lost interest.

Years later I was given an opportunity to submit a short story in an anthology and that sparked the interest once again. It was a slow burn for many years after that until one day a good friend of mine published his first novel. He encouraged me to start writing again and between him and my wife demanding that I get a hobby, I decided to take the plunge.

Within a few months I was offered my first contract for a short story. That gave me the confidence boost to embark on writing my first novel, which ended up being the first book in a series. Eric Flint offered me a contract for those books and I’ve been writing ever since.

I’ve had seven novels published to date and I’m finishing up my eighth. I really love this because it’s challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Why did you want to write Battle Drills?

I’ve always been fascinated by mercenaries. In junior high and high school I used to buy copies of Soldier of Fortune magazine and read them religiously. I would even cut out the pictures and decorate the inside of my locker at school with them. It was back in those days when I discovered David Drake and his Hammer’s Slammers novels. Since then I’d been kicking around the idea of what future mercenaries might be like and how they would operate in a science fiction setting. So, finally one day I had the opportunity and decided to give it a go.

Would you briefly describe the world and idea for Battle Drills?

Battle Drills: Kill Zone finds our hero discharged from the service after serving in a lengthy interstellar war. He’s forced to take on whatever work he can find until he runs across a Private Military Contractor. Once he gets hired, the protagonist is taken on different operations, both planetside and in space, to earn money the only way he knows how, by fighting. He does save up his money so that he can realize a dream, but that dream only seems to fade with time.

Meanwhile the company itself operates in the lawless frontier left abandoned by the former interstellar empires in the wake of the war and signing of the armistice. It is here that governments have turned their backs and lawlessness reigns supreme. It’s a perfect place for the mercenaries to work, filling the void, providing security and other services for those who can pay for them.

Please bring up anything else you want to discuss!

I’m also the author of a zombie apocalypse series called The Line. It’s about a bunch of mechanized infantry soldiers from the First Infantry Division, fighting and surviving during the opening months of the zom-poc.

Unlike other books in the genre, I don’t have the military getting wiped in the opening days, nor do I focus on Special Operations troops. These are just regular grunts doing what they need to do in order to survive and it explores in a realistic fashion how the military would struggle to function as the entire industrial and logistical base collapses. How do you resupply fuel, spare parts and ammunition to units that need them?

Tanks, Apache attack helicopters and Bradley Fighting Vehicles are awesome pieces of equipment for fighting zombies, if you can keep them running. It’s a fun series and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.

From street orphan to crown prince. From runaway princess to warrior queen. Wolf and Mariella’s journey concludes in an epic finale where they’ll prove that some rulers are born to destroy empires—so better ones can rise.

The war ends here. One way or another.

Today, you can preorder Lock & Load by ! Lock & Load is the third and final book in the Valley of Fire series. If intergalactic space battles and combat mechs are your thing, then say no more!

Crown Prince Wolf and Crown Princess Mariella have barely completed their mech pilot training when they’re assigned to lead the 23rd Fighter Wing—the legendary Aionas Ratels. Their mission: strike deep into the Valley of Fire and make the enemy pay for their attacks on the Kingdom of Iraklis. But commanding battle-hardened pilots while navigating their new marriage is just the beginning of their challenges.

Taking place in the Wolfhounds universe, Valley of Fire is a stand alone series beginning with Misplaced, and To Hand. Full novel of Lock & Load available February 18!

Preorder Here!

Better look through a mirror if you don’t wanna go blind ’cause it’s HERE!!!

G. Scott Huggins’s Through A Spyglass Darkly is available NOW!

“I asked myself, ‘What would happen if you gave Medusa a telescope?’ and went from there,” Huggins stated. “It was a few years ago, but it took me a long time to figure out how to make this concept into a compelling character.”

In a realm where stone gazes turn men to eternal statues and ancient magics bind the fate of kings, half-gorgon assassin Jehanne Dark hungers for escape from her blood-soaked life.

Initially using her powers to end a war, she finds herself caught in a plot threatening the very fabric of her kingdom and the man she loves.

As betrayal coils like serpents in the shadows, Jehanne must navigate treacherous alliances, forbidden sorcery, and her own monstrous heritage. With enemies closing in and the line between hero and villain blurring, can she claim victory without losing her humanity…or her heart?

“I’m super excited about this book,” Huggins told Raconteur Press. “This is the kind of alternate history and reality stuff I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Start your adventure in Armorica and pick up a copy today!

More on Through A Spyglass Darkly

• Read a preview!

• Learn about G. Scott Huggins’s Inspirations

• Video: Meet G. Scott Huggins

• Browse G. Scott Huggins’s Amazon page

  ---

  Relieve the symptoms of gorgon encounters, subscribe for free!

In the underground sprawl of Greenline Town, Captain Ravati Aziz keeps the peace with grit, humor, and a battered spring-bolter. But when a trade delegation from the wild Homesteads arrives, old wounds and new ambitions threaten to ignite a war that could shatter the fragile unity of Hesperides Colony.

The place had gone out of business years ago, any working equipment confiscated by whatever Trade Family owned the title on it. Everything but the structure had been scrounged for materials. The air was thick with dust and the place unlit except for ruddy shafts from the street-side windows. The light from our torches merely turned into a glare in the floating dust, making them next to useless.

The door that Nokemba opened had been barred from the inside. Bootprints led through the empty production floor deeper into the building. Using hand signals, we ghosted forward. I silently cursed the noise of grit under my boots, the rasp of my own breath. Everything felt louder when you’re trying to be quiet and there are people nearby who want to kill you. When we reached the far door, we stacked on either side of it, being careful not to bump into the walls. I crouched low to the left, Galloway stood behind me, close enough his shins were up against my ass. McAleese took the other side with Sandeep stacked behind him.

This door was a sliding panel, loose in its tracks, from the look of it. Nokemba was the lightest on his feet, so he slipped forward and quietly affixed a sticky dollop of fast-setting epoxy to the door and then moved off to one side, unspooling a thin line as he went. Mac knelt and produced a little whisk broom, hardly bigger than a shaving brush, from a pouch and cleared the track, then produced a squeeze bottle of oil and lubricated it.

We stacked on the door as Nokemba braced himself good and solid. He let the gob of epoxy have a moment to set, then gave me a nod. I held up a hand and gave him the “Three-two-one.”

Nokemba gently pulled on the line and the panel slid open a few centimeters, much more quietly than I had any right to hope it would. No booby traps blew up in our face, and Mac pulled out his reader, attached a monocular to a lead and poked it around the corner to scan the next room. He gestured that we could proceed.

We slipped into the room and fanned out behind the group of armored figures clustered around the windows at the far wall. They didn’t even have anyone watching their six.

“Defense Force! Nobody move!” I barked. “Hands on top of your heads!”

Available Now on Amazon!

Check out more! 📚

• Check out J. Kenton Pierce’s Amazon Page!

• Visit J. Kenton Pierce’s Substack!

• Watch J. Kenton Pierce discuss Warlord and A Kiss for Damocles

• Watch Johnathan Koan interview J. Kenton Pierce

• Podcast: Listen to J. Kenton Pierce on “Unwritten Paths”

Through A Spyglass Darkly is G. Scott Huggins’s first installment of “The Adventures of Jehanne Dark,” available now for preorder, coming January 28th!

Jehanne Dark is a half-gorgon who uses her powers as one of the most feared assassins within the Crusader kingdoms to the whole of Europe. With Imperial troops marching unchallenged through Armorica, Jehanne spies a unique opportunity: an alliance with its young King Michael to defeat their shared enemy…

Her staff clattered to the floor and she threw back her cloak, revealing a lithe torso clad in leather armor and girt with a swordbelt. “Please note that my hands are empty and unmoving,” she said, clearly.

“What is this?” asked Desrai, his hand moving to his sword. “Who are you?”

“I am Jehanne Dark.”

The men in the room were very still.

“And do you have some proof of this…” Count Odo’s mouth worked as he searched for the right word. “…audacious claim?”

“You might consider that I walked right past any number of guards and in the company of Captain Durayne without anyone penetrating my disguise as ‘Sister Lenore,’” she said. “But I do have other proof. I just have to ask you not to shoot me while I provide it. And remember—my hood is secure.” She concentrated. Control was essential, now.

Slowly, the heads of four vipers emerged from under her veil, tongues flickering languidly in their black-and-gold heads. They tasted the tension and fatigue in the room, their vision subliminally sharpening her awareness.

Even so, it was difficult to tell which men gasped first and drew steel second, and which did the opposite. But all of them had backed up a step.

“Get out, Sire, and don’t look! We’ll cover your retreat!” shouted Desrai. Now their fear added to the tang of the air.

“I mean the king no harm!” cried Jehanne. “In fact,” she said. “I have come to pledge fealty and offer my services to King Michael.” Slowly, she sank onto one knee.

Through a Spyglass Darkly is available now for preorder, coming January 28th!

Available Now on Amazon!

Subscribe now

In a realm where stone gazes turn men to eternal statues and ancient magics bind the fate of kings, half- gorgon assassin Jehanne Dark hungers for escape from her blood-soaked life.

When a ruthless usurper unleashes a deadly totem that petrifies armies and threatens the throne, Jehanne sees her chance: pledge her lethal talents to the besieged King Michael in exchange for a crown and a pardon.

But as betrayal coils like serpents in the shadows, Jehanne must navigate treacherous alliances, forbidden sorcery, and her own monstrous heritage. With enemies closing in and the line between hero and villain blurring, can she claim victory without losing her humanity... or her heart?

Scott! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Having been born in California and raised in Kansas, I grew up as confused as one might expect. Between years spent in post-Soviet Russia and Germany, I began writing seriously, and was among the last Writers of the Future in the 20^th Century. The future arrived immediately thereafter and ruined everything. I’m also the only winner of both of Baen’s writing awards, and was once given a sword by my fans.

I am currently responsible for securing America’s future by teaching the past to high school students, many of whom learn things. I live in Wisconsin with my wife, cats and three children. I loves bourbon, bacon, and pie, and will gladly put my writing talents to use reviewing any and all of them at my blog, The Logoccentric Orbit.

How did you come up with the concept behind Through a Spyglass Darkly?

I asked myself, “What would happen if you gave Medusa a telescope?” and went from there. It was a few years ago, but it took me a long time to figure out how to make this concept into a compelling character.

What is the inspiration for “The Inhuman Chronicles”?

The Inhuman Chronicles is an alternate reality in which all creatures, including humans, have special powers and a place in the universe. In this world, the Holy Roman Empire is resurgent, and Harold’s England never fell. Secret knowledge and hidden powers lurk in the far corners of the world, and all that once was rumored contains a seed of ominous truth.

I was directly inspired by the real-world kingdom of Brittany and Anglo-Saxon England, both of which were wiped out by William of Normandy in 1066. I wondered what the world would look like if William had been killed instead of Harold II of England.

I wanted to tell a story from the perspective of a lesser-known people of Europe, and I also love stories of people with powers that are as much a curse as a blessing, so I suppose the X-Men (Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Rogue) are also an inspiration, here.

Sounds fascinating! Tell us about your cast of characters.

The rarest of half-breeds, Jehanne Dark grew up as a half-gorgon, hated and feared by human society, and turned to membership in the feared Assassins to capitalize upon her dread powers. But when a powerful client turns her into an unwitting tool of genocide, she is forced to face her own deeds in the most terrifying way possible and risk everything in a quest for vengeance and redemption.

When young King Michael of Armorica finds himself the first target of the Empire’s newest and most dreadful weapon, he fights with the courage of despair. At the last moment, he is offered a devil’s bargain: to wed Europa’s ultimate femme fatale, Jehanne Dark. Will she be his damnation – or his kingdom’s only hope of survival?

Long ago, a humble monk found himself able to do great works in the name of God, and his fame and renown spread across Europa, and he became respected by the great and the good. Yet as time passed, the respect faded, and his power waned. Accused of falsifying his miracles, he became bitter and determined that if the head of God’s Church would not give him the power and respect he had earned, he would turn to other and terrifying sources to seek the holy power for himself. And Heaven help any in his way.

Where is the series going to go?

It’s difficult to craft adventures worthy of a reigning king and queen, so I think we’re going to see either some very large-scale adventures—or Jehanne and Michael are headed for some very rough times indeed.

What element of the story are you particularly proud of?

It was very difficult, having come up with the idea of Jehanne Dark, to fashion a man worthy of her, and also one she wasn’t just going to run roughshod over. I needed a king she would respect.

Who inspires you?

As far as writing, Lois McMaster Bujold and G.K. Chesterton would be my inspirations, the first two of many.

Like your fantasy adventure mixed with elements of political intrigue and dark sorcery? Through A Spyglass Darkly, by , has just what you’re looking for!

The Assassins have spread their influence across the Crusader kingdoms to the whole of Europe, and their most feared member is the half-gorgon, half-human assassin Jehanne Dark.

She discovers the Holy Roman Empire beheaded her gorgon mother in order to weaponize the head. Their goal: to force the Western Kingdoms of Europe to hand over their thrones to Imperial puppets.

Employing her powers to end a war, Jehanne finds herself caught in a plot threatening the very fabric of her kingdom and the man she loves.

You can preorder Through a Spyglass Darkly right now!

Available January 28!