Dead Skies, Blank Memories, and a Felidian Prince Who Crashed on the Wrong Planet

by Bruno Miller

Ben and his teenage son Joel are deep in the San Juan backcountry when nuclear EMPs light up the sky, and now they have to walk home with their dog, no matter what's left of it. It's sitting at 4.17 with over 3,300 readers, which is a lot of agreement for a free survival story. Pick this up if you like your apocalypse grounded and on foot, with a father and son at the center instead of a chosen one.

by Jonathan G. Meyer

A man wakes on a deserted starship with amnesia and takes the name Al Clark from a barely legible placard on the door. One reader called it old fashioned sci-fi that reads fluently, and that's the appeal. With a 4.15 from nearly 2,000 readers, it's a good fit if you like a quiet mystery over big battles. This is the revised edition, so the author has already tidied up some of the vague bits.

“This is the revised version of Al Clark, and some minor issues have been corrected. I have added detail to some things that were too vague. The now longer book also has an updated cover. Enjoy the story of Al's new life.”

by D.K. Holmberg

Fair warning, this is fantasy, not sci-fi. Rsiran is exiled by his family for a forbidden power called Sliding, and he gets sent to the mines for forging blades from lorcith. It's at 3.94 with almost 2,700 ratings, the lowest of the bunch, and the reviews are split. One reader loved it as YA fantasy, while another made fun of the elven city's constant yowling cats. Worth a shot if you like magic systems with a cost, but not for everyone.

“The Dark Ability (The Dark Ability #1) by D.K. Holmberg, Vikas Adam (Reading) I really, really loved this book! It's a young adult fantasy about a world where people have certain abilities. Some of these abilities are considered dark by most. Our young hero has one of those abilities, he can jump...”

by R.D. Brady

The top rating this week is 4.53 from more than 500 readers, so someone clearly loves this series. Delaney McPhearson has spent seven years running charities since the Fallen disappeared, but the peace doesn't feel real. It reads like a sequel-style entry, so I'd expect it to work best for readers already invested in the world and its prophecy. If you're new, be ready to catch up as you go.

by Craig Halloran

This one is urban fantasy, and it's ten books in a single download. Smoke is an ex-con bounty hunter, Sid is a fearless FBI sharpshooter, and they chase werewolves, vampires, and dragon-men. At 4.3 with over 460 readers, it's an easy yes for anyone who misses The Dresden Files or Supernatural. That's a lot of free reading for a rainy month.

by M.L. Cook

Brooke's government has fallen, millions are dead, and her sister is among the Taken. Dante, a Felidian prince who crash-landed on a primitive world, keeps following her into danger anyway. It's at 3.9 with about 130 ratings, so a smaller crowd has found it. I'd try it if you like sci-fi romance with some post-collapse grit and a heroine who will burn the world down for family.