“I want to start reading indie and self-published books, where do I start?”
I get this question a lot. Over the next five weeks I’m going to highlight ten authors that are perfect entry-points into the indie and self-publishing science-fiction and fantasy world, starting with
Andrew D Meredith
Andrew D Meredith is the author of two ongoing series. Thrice is book one in his Needle and Leaf series, a series that is inspired by Slavic mythology. The Needle and Leaf series is on the smaller scale compared to his other series. It has a smaller cast and smaller stakes. This series is a great entry point into his work if you’re not used to larger fantasy epics.
His second series is the Kallattiad series, a planned 16 book fantasy epic, the first eight of which make up the Kallattian Saga, that wears its Tolkien influences on its sleeve. The first book is Deathless Beast, and as I write this blog post Mr. Meredith is preparing the release of the third book in the series. The Kallattian Saga is perfect for those who are used to big epic series like A Song of Ice and Fire or The Wheel of Time. You’ll feel right at home with the large cast, political machinations, and well-written character development.
In all of his writing Andrew D Meredith prides himself on his clean take on the fantasy genre. If you’re not one for graphic depictions of violence or gratuitous flouncing then this author is perfect for you.
T.A. Bruno
T.A. Bruno currently has 4 books out, the completed Song of Kamaria series and the recently released stand-alone Down Below Beyond.
The Song of Kamaria, starting with In the Orbit of Sirens, details humanity’s quest for a new home after an aggressive alien invasion forced them to evacuate the solar system. It’s a series that has family, both found and biological, at the forefront. Planetary exploration, understanding of other cultures, and a little mystery thrown will keep you clamoring for more in this sci-fi epic of planetary proportions.
Down Below Beyond is T.A. Bruno’s first stand-alone, and most current release, having just come out in July of 2023. Set in the same universe has his Kamaria series, but hundreds of thousands of years in the future, this book follows a planetary prospector with big aspirations who stumbles upon something that he shouldn’t have, and finds himself in hot water with the controlling government he lives under. What follows is a series of fast-paced escapades featuring many creative alien races and worlds and fun technology that’ll delight any fan of the Portal game series. This book is short, clocking in at just over three-hundred pages, and is the perfect choice to take a break in between chunkier reads.
If you like emotional characters and fast-paced action sequences that don’t get too graphic, then T.A. Bruno’s works are perfect for you.
Both of these authors’ works, and many more, can be found at silverstonesbooks.com