Showing results by author "Christopher G. Nuttall" in All Categories

Before Avalon, before the Fall of the Empire, Edward Stalker was a young man growing up in Earth's Undercity - a nightmarish rabbit warren of tiny apartments dominated by gangs who loot, rape, and murder with impunity. When his family is killed in a gang attack, Ed takes the opportunity to run to the one place that will take him: the Terran Marine Corps.

The Commonwealth has won a great victory, smashing Wolfbane's attempt to take Corinthian and driving Admiral Singh's forces back into enemy space. Now, as the Wolves reel under the impact of their defeat - and powerful factions plot to take control of the government and military - Edward Stalker plans a final offensive to bring the Wolves to their knees. But as mighty fleets clash in the inky darkness of space, infiltrators struggle to weaken a tottering edifice and both sides brace for the final confrontation, it all comes down to the last Terran Marines.

The City of Shallot is on the verge of revolution. The Great Houses are mustering their forces, readying themselves for a shift in the balance of power. The poor have found a new leader and are - finally - demanding their rights. Shadowy figures and old ghosts are prowling the streets. It is only a matter of time before the unease and unrest explodes into violence, as the wealthy and powerful seek to secure themselves in a changing world. And dark forces are laying plans to take advantage of the chaos.

Six years ago, in the aftermath of the House War that nearly tore Shallot apart, Akin Rubén and Caitlyn Aguirre were betrothed in a bid to keep their rival families from returning to war. Now, with both of them on the brink of maturity, that marriage is starting to loom. The moment of choice, when they must decide to go through with the wedding or risk their families resuming their rivalry, is fast approaching.

The war isn’t going well. In five years of heavy fighting, humanity and its alien allies have steadily been pushed back toward Earth, toward the very heart of humanity itself. The virus is steadily wearing the defences down, mounting campaign after campaign to infect and enslave every other alien race. The only hope rests with newer and better weapons, with technology that may turn the tide, but can the weapons and starships be deployed in time?

A thousand years ago, an empire died. No one knew why. Not until now. Seven years ago, Caitlyn “Cat” Aguirre–the first of the magicless Zeros–was kidnapped and taken to the ruins of the Eternal City. There, she discovered the dread secret behind the collapse of the Thousand-Year Empire, a secret she knew she didn’t dare share with the world. But now, with strange sightings and energies emitting from the ruined city, and a darkening political situation back home, Cat has no choice but to return to the dead city. And what she finds there will change everything....

Caitlyn Aguirre is no magician - but that doesn't make her useless. After discovering her true talent and uncovering the long-lost secret behind Objects of Power, Cat returns to school - intent on showing everyone what she can do. But her mere existence is a threat to the balance of power, convincing some to befriend her, some to try to use her...and some to remove her.

None of them wanted to leave Earth. It might have been nightmarish, but it was all they knew. Gary wanted to concentrate on his exams in hopes of leaving the CityBlock and its bullies far behind. Kailee wanted to become an actress. Darrin merely wanted to live. But when the three teenagers win a competition, they find themselves taking the trip of a lifetime, a voyage to a colony world where they can see how the colonists live.

Earth has fallen. The Core Worlds have collapsed into chaos. As planetary governments declare independence, war is breaking out everywhere. Entire sectors slip out of contact, warlords battle for power, and the remnants of the once-great Empire are tearing themselves apart. In the shadows, the Terran Marine Corps works to save what little they can to preserve civilization and build a better tomorrow. But now they might have met their match. The marines have seized control of the corporate world of Hameau, only to discover that Hameau is merely the tip of the enemy iceberg.

In the wake of the Solar Union’s stunning victory over the Tokomak - the masters of the galactic community - humanity has been invited to send a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Harmonious Order, one of the oldest and most significant races in known space. It is an opportunity that cannot be missed, a chance to forge ties with a powerful ally. And so a lone starship is dispatched to the galactic core to open discussions. But when that starship runs into a deadly trap, she and her crew must battle their way home before they are merely the first casualties in a renewed war.

In the year 2420, war looms between the galaxy's two most powerful empires: the tyrannical Theocracy and the protectionist Commonwealth. Caught in the middle sits the occupied outpost system Cadiz, where young officer and aristocrat Katherine "Kat" Falcone finds herself prematurely promoted at the behest of her powerful father. Against her own wishes, Kat is sent to command the Commonwealth navy's newest warship, Lightning.

The kingdom of Zangaria teeters on the edge of civil war. The nobles are plotting another coup, the merchants are demanding political representation and a say in government, and the peasants are on the verge of outright revolt. Everyone is preparing for war. And when a deadly secret from the past resurfaces at the worst possible moment, Princess Alassa, one of Emily's closest friends, finds herself having to make a choice that will put her at the center of the storm and determine the future of the kingdom … Or see everything she loves destroyed in the fires of civil war.

A year after the Commonwealth won the war with the Theocracy, the interstellar cruise liner Supreme is on its maiden voyage, carrying a host of aristocrats thrilled to be sharing in a wondrous adventure among the stars. Then a collision with a pirate ship leaves the cruiser powerless and becalmed in hyperspace. And they’re not alone. Now, the mysterious force that’s living on this floating graveyard is coming for Supreme’s crew and passengers. As madness starts to tear at their minds, they must fight to survive in a strange alien realm.

Adam of Beneficence wanted to be a magician, and even undertook a magical apprenticeship, but there isn’t a single spark of magic in his entire body. In desperation, his master arranged for him to study at Heart’s Eye University, a former school of magic that has become a university, a place where magicians and mundanes can work to combine their talents and forge the future together. But all is not well at Heart’s Eye. The magical and mundane apprentices resent and fear each other, and outside, powerful forces are gathering to snuff out the future before it can take shape.

The first major alien offensive against Earth has been blunted, winning humanity time to deploy new weapons and prepare new tactics as Earth's space navies prepare to take the offensive. But the enigmatic aliens have plans of their own - a full-scale attack on Earth that will either win the war in a single stroke or lose it. The stakes have never been so high. The fate of humanity itself is in the balance.

After a cataclysmic interstellar war that came very close to exterminating humanity, the Daybreak Republic has risen from the ashes and embarked upon a mission to unite hundreds of human colony worlds under its banner. The Republic hopes to prevent a second and final conflict that will complete the destruction of the human race. But not everyone agrees that the empire's ends justify the means.

The rebels have won a great victory, shattering the Empire's grip on Sector 117. Starships are mutinying, the Empire's power and authority are crumbling, and the rebels are making their way towards Earth. Their victory seems inevitable. But, as news of the rebellion finally reaches Earth, the Thousand Families start preparing for all-out war. The Empire has a war leader, a colossal advantage in firepower, and the determination to do whatever it takes to destroy the rebels before they can win.

Join the adventure through dystopian worlds, to outer planets and into a speculative future. Welcome to the Future Days Anthology. Seventeen authors imagine a future with thrilling tales, starships, unlikely heroes, and exotic aliens, all of which combine to make Future Days a must-listen sci-fi fantasy short story collection.

The once-great mansion is decaying, the vast network of clients have broken ties long ago, and the remaining family scrabbles over crumbs as the last remnants of their fortune are spent repaying their debts. The family seems doomed, beyond all hope of salvation. Lucy Lamplighter, returning to her home after her father’s death, intends to save her family by any means necessary. Gambling everything she has left, she stakes it all on a desperate bid to rebuild House Lamplighter before the vultures begin to swoop.

The Federation has endured for hundreds of years, but now it is dying, killed by the corruption and decadence of the Senate and the rising power of military warlords. The shipping lanes are coming apart, the colonists are revolting, and outside forces are pressing against undefended borders. Now, as one warlord makes a bid for supreme power, the entire edifice is on the verge of falling apart.