In times of hardship, order is lost. When the Circle of the Sand, one of the thirteen Circles of survivors, plans to attack her home, a criminal must race against time to prevent a war that is coming. She cannot trust anyone but herself because on this mission to save what's left of the human race, the secrets she harbours means that it's not just the enemy who wants her dead. It's her own people too. Peace is fragile, conflict between individuals arise, war becomes inevitable; that's basic human nature. As tension rises, and war approaches, will she be able to save everyone whilst also trying to prove she's innocent, or will she die trying? One thing is for sure: one way or another, the truth won't stay hidden for long. ** COVER CRED: @a_million_universes **

Corporal Dia Zephyr assumed it was just another drill, no more than a Navy tradition, a rite of passage for the recruits. She expected a spacewalk, maybe a shooting game inside an asteroid field, skimming along the Collective's border before turning back to the Empire's space. After all, this was what they knew, what everyone expected. But that's not what happened. Highest ranks: [27 in #Science Fiction - 25 in #Horror 10-01-2018]

"At least they told me the truth when they told me my parents had died. It was the only thing they were honest about." Towards the end of a cross-country road trip, a tragic car crash killed off Jackson and Margaret Catros, and knocked their young daughter, Scarlet, into a coma. When she wakes up, she is in a hospital in a place she's never heard of, and has been adopted by the Ersatzes, a friendly couple that seem both obsessed with and terrified of her. On the surface, her new life seems perfect: she is told she no longer has to attend school, everyone showers her with attention, and there is always plenty of food. But, as time passes, Scarlet begins asking questions: why is everyone so nice? Why isn't she allowed into the little town right down the road? Why do so many people want to visit her every day? As she searches her memory, she begins to wonder...who are the people who "saved" her?