Prepper Nightmares, Generation Ship Conspiracies, and a Dragon Worth Killing

by Tom Abrahams

Marcus Battle thought he was ready for the end of the world and his family was safe. He was wrong, and that's where Tom Abrahams starts the pain. It's sitting at 3.86 with over 2,700 readers, which is a solid crowd for a post-apocalyptic opener. If you like The Walking Dead but want the survival side more than the zombie side, start here. The whole nine-book series is also at least 50% off through 10/13, so you can see whether you want to keep going.

by Tom Abrahams

This is the same book as the one above, just a different listing. This blurb sells it as Mad Max meets The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a post-pandemic western, and that's a better pitch than the other one. Same 3.86 average from roughly 2,700 readers. Grab whichever edition shows up as free for you, but you only need one.

by Noam Josephides

A sci-fi mystery on a generation ship is an easy sell for me, and this one starts with an extortion attempt that pulls loose a generations-old conspiracy. It holds a 4.12 across more than 800 ratings, which is strong for a free book. Pick this up if you like your space stories heavy on politics and secrets instead of laser fights.

by Dave Dobson

Sixteen-year-old Brecca Vereen is unloading cargo from her father's ship, the Envy's Price, when he shows her a mysterious artifact that could pay off big. Of course it all goes sideways. At 4.45 from nearly 400 readers, it's the highest-rated book on this week's list, and that's the number that made me stop and look twice. A good bet if you like young-adult-flavored space adventure with trade ships and shady deals.

by James Maxey

Okay, this is really fantasy, but the dragon apocalypse setup is too fun to skip. A pious knight has hired ruthless mercenaries to help kill an ancient dragon, and one of them is a swordswoman with a secret romantic history with him and big plans for the treasure. It's at 3.84 with about 440 readers. Not for everyone, but if you want adventure, romance, and a lot of stabbing, it delivers exactly that.

by Kate Sheeran Swed

Sloane is stranded in the most dangerous system in the galaxy and goes after a bounty that could fix everything, until the Commander of the Galactic Fleet turns up chasing the same target. Readers mention heists, political scheming, and a nice role reversal where the by-the-books one is the honest, slightly naive character. It's at 3.99 with almost 300 ratings and 42 written reviews, and the reviews call it a very promising series start. I'd start with this one if you want something fast.

“This was a fast-paced and dramatic story involving heists, misadventures, messy situations abounding in our protagonist's life, political skullduggery, and whisps of romance. In short, it was a good read. Unfortunately, it was completely devoid of any meaningful back-story. "Outlaw Rising"— the...”