It is the year 2207. After a decades-long war with an alien race known as the Cho-ta’an, Earth has been rendered uninhabitable and the human race has been driven to the brink of extinction. Humanity survives in a handful of colonies scattered across the galaxy, connected by hyperspace gates. Things look dim for the human race when the crew of a scientific survey ship comes into possession of an incredibly destructive “planet-killer” bomb left behind by a long-extinct alien race. With this weapon, the human alliance could threaten to destroy the Cho-ta’an homeworld, changing the balance of the conflict.But as the ship travels through a hyperspace gate to deliver the bomb to the alliance command, a fluke warping of spacetime send them 1300 years into the past. Stuck in 885 A.D., its engines damaged, the vessel is powerless to deliver the bomb to the human alliance. While the rest of the ship’s crew remains in stasis, a small landing craft, led by an engineer named Carolyn Reyes, is sent to Earth to fabricate a part needed to repair their ship‘s engines. But the craft is intercepted by the Cho-ta’an ship and shot down. It crash lands in a snowy, mountainous region and the crew is beset by a band of people wearing primitive clothing and wielding weapons made from iron and wood.Reyes’s crew barely escapes, and their landing craft is torn apart. The newcomers finds themselves embroiled in the local politics, and soon join a group of locals fleeing the tyrannical rule of a king named Harald Fairhair. But Reyes is not content merely to survive. Knowing that humanity’s future depends on repairing their ship, she determines to complete their mission. Thus begins a decades-long effort to build a craft capable of returning to space—a ship that will come to be known as the Iron Dragon.

A new beginning, 1300 years in the past...\n\nIn medieval Europe, three explorers from the distant future begin an ambitious project: build a craft capable of reaching the stars. While their leader oversees the construction of a secret underground base in Iceland, the other two travel thousands of miles to negotiate with the rulers of Europe and recruit the most brilliant minds of the age. When the Iceland base comes under attack, the travelers try to return to defend their home, but they are trapped in Paris just as an army of 20,000 Vikings lays siege to the city. To survive, they must defend Paris from the hordes of Norsemen and fight their way back to Iceland to save their new home--and keep the dream of the Iron Dragon alive.\n\nTHE DAWN OF THE IRON DRAGON is the second installment in the 5-part Saga of the Iron Dragon.\n\n"Terrific storytelling, letter-perfect alternate-history, and the highest stakes for humanity imaginable combine to make this a thrilling start to an exciting new Viking saga. Kroese avoids both romanticizing and demonizing the Vikings, showing them to us in all their humanity, while spinning a tale that pulls no punches and leaves us gasping for more." - Lars Hedbor on THE DREAM OF THE IRON DRAGON

Ninth century Iceland. Three explorers from the far future have a daunting mission: to save humanity, they must build a craft capable of reaching the stars. THE VOYAGE OF THE IRON DRAGON is the third installment in the 5-part Saga of the Iron Dragon. "Terrific storytelling, letter-perfect alternate-history, and the highest stakes for humanity imaginable combine to make this a thrilling start to an exciting new Viking saga. Kroese avoids both romanticizing and demonizing the Vikings, showing them to us in all their humanity, while spinning a tale that pulls no punches and leaves us gasping for more." - Lars Hedbor

The war against the implacable Cho-ta'an carried a desperate group of humans 1300 years into the past, but the fight for humanity's future is just beginning! Mankind's future among the stars now rests on a ragtag band of Vikings who have taken to the stars. The Norsemen's only hope is to ally with the mysterious people called Truscans, who possess the technology to defeat the aliens. But where did the Truscans come from? What do they want? Can they be trusted as allies against the Cho-ta'an?The Legacy of the Iron Dragon continues the story began in the Dragon Award-nominated The Dream of the Iron Dragon in a sweeping saga that carries us from war-ravaged planets in the twenty-third century to first century Judea, where the fate of the Roman Empire is being decided. The Legacy of the Iron Dragon is an epic mashup of military sci-fi, time travel and alternate history.

The action-packed climax of the Iron Dragon saga! An ancient race of aliens threatens humanity with annihilation, and the only people who can stop them are a band of bloodthirsty Vikings. Recruited from Earth by one of the last survivors of the Iron Dragon project, Eric Bloodaxe and his horde battle machines and monsters across space and time on an epic voyage to Ragnarok!

“My favorite read this year. A hilarious space adventure. Hard book to put down.” ―Hugh Howey, author of Wool\n\nA space-faring ne’er-do-well with more bravado than brains, Rex Nihilo plies the known universe in a tireless quest for his own personal gain. But when he fleeces a wealthy weapons dealer in a high-stakes poker game, he ends up winning a worthless planet…and owing an outstanding debt more vast than space itself!\n\nThe only way for Rex to escape a lifetime of torture on the prison world Gulagatraz is to score a big payday by pulling off his biggest scam. But getting mixed up in the struggle between the tyrannical Malarchian Empire and the plucky rebels of the Revolting Front―and trying to double-cross them both―may be his biggest mistake. Luckily for Rex, his frustrated but faithful robot sidekick has the cyber-smarts to deal with buxom bounty hunters, pudgy princesses, overbearing overlords, and interstellar evangelists…while still keeping Rex’s martini glass filled.

"Once again, Kroese gives me a story I can't put down with a hero I can't bring myself to despise. A brilliant sequel to one of my favorite space romps of all time."- Hugh Howey, New York Times bestselling author of WoolAfter interstellar con man Rex Nihilo hijacks a cargo freighter on a whim, he decides that he and his long-suffering robot sidekick Sasha have found their calling as space pirates. But when the ship's cargo turns out to be a cryogenically frozen religious fanatic who holds the secret to a vast galactic conspiracy, Rex and Sasha find themselves on the run from real pirates--as well as agents of the oppressive Malarchy, crazy space cultists and the Ursa Minor mafia. If Rex is going to get out of this jam alive, he might just have to save the galaxy... again.

Interstellar con man Rex Nihilo has a price tag on his head. Railroaded into smuggling a shipment of contraband to a planet short on food, Rex finds himself on the run from an insidious corporation named Ubiqorp, which reaps obscene profits by keeping the planet dependent on shipments of synthetic rations. When Rex and his long-suffering robot companion Sasha are sentenced to work as slave labor on a massive Ubiqorp plantation, they learn the terrible secret behind the corporation's products. To escape, Rex and Sasha team up with a mis-programmed combat drone and an intelligent mutant plant to lead a rebellion against their merciless corporate overlords.Out of the Soylent Planet is a novel-length prequel to Starship Grifters, the book NYT bestselling author Hugh Howey called "one of my favorite space romps of all time."This edition of Out of the Soylent Planet also contains the story The Chicolini Incident.

Interstellar con man Rex Nihilo and his long-suffering robot sidekick Sasha are back, and they're neck-deep in their most outrageous scam yet: selling black market planets!Terraforming uninhabitable planets and selling them to criminals right under the nose of the repressive interstellar Malarchy is good work if you can get it, but there's a price: as the pair's profits soar, they find themselves on the run from... well, pretty much everybody. With the Malarchy breathing down their necks, the malevolent cult known as the Sp'ossels hot on their heels, and the Ursa Minor Mafia out for their cut, Rex and Sasha hop from planet to planet, with nothing but their wits and a motley crew of loyal friends to keep them alive.But when their antics draw the attention of an ancient intelligence determined to wipe humanity from the galaxy, they put their moneymaking plans on hold--and team up with their biggest rival--to save the galaxy once again.

Under arrest for crimes he hasn't yet committed, interstellar con man is given one chance to earn his freedom: he and his long-suffering robot sidekick Sasha must infiltrate a group of androids who plan to kill a brilliant tycoon. But nothing is what it seems on the gritty, neon-lit streets of the planet Sydmede, and Rex and Sasha soon find themselves at the center of a confounding corporate conspiracy of cosmic proportions!

By the year 2032, the U.S. federal debt has surpassed $50 trillion. The American empire is on the verge of collapse. An entrepreneur named Kade Kapur has an idea for rescuing the debt-ridden United States: the government will issue stock in a company with exclusive mining rights to an asteroid whose orbit will soon bring it near Earth. The asteroid, which contains $10 trillion in valuable minerals, is officially called 2015 RK 16 Maimonides, but it soon comes to be known by another name: Mammon. Fortunes are made and America seems to have avoided an economic collapse. But when the plan to capture the asteroid goes awry, the sky will fall....

As U.S. hegemony fails in the wake of an unprecedented economic crisis, wars erupt across the globe. Meanwhile, a small band of engineers and scientists work in secret on a mission to redirect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.

In the aftermath of disaster, China and America vie for control over North Africa and the world, while a band of engineers and mercenaries risk everything to save millions from starvation and forge a better future for all mankind.

While on assignment in Utah, Christine Temetri isn’t surprised when yet another prophesied Apocalypse fails to occur. After three years of reporting on End Times cults for a religious news magazine, Christine is seriously questioning her career choice. But then she meets Mercury, a cult leader whose knowledge of the impending Apocalypse is decidedly more solid than most: he is an angel, sent from heaven to prepare for the Second Coming but distracted by beer, ping pong, and other earthly delights. After Christine and Mercury inadvertently save Karl Grissom—a film-school dropout and the newly appointed Antichrist—from assassination, she realizes the three of them are all that stand in the way of mankind’s utter annihilation. They are a motley crew compared to the heavenly host bent on earth’s destruction, but Christine figures they’ll just have to do. Full of memorable characters, Mercury Falls is an absurdly funny tale about unlikely heroes on a quest to save the world.

Fresh off their successful quest to thwart not one, but two diabolical plots to destroy the world, jaded reporter Christine Temetri and rogue cherub Mercury find that mysterious powers outranking even the Heavenly bureaucracy seem intent on keeping the Apocalypse on track. While the world is plagued by natural disasters and nations prepare for war, crazed billionaire Horace Finch plots to use a secret device hidden beneath the African desert to discover the deepest secrets of the Universe-even if he has to destroy the Universe to do it. Meanwhile, unassuming FBI investigator Jacob Slater tries to find a rational explanation for the mysterious destruction of downtown Anaheim- a quest that ultimately brings him face to face with the unhinged Horace Finch. Together, Christine, Jacob and Mercury must stop Finch from activating the device and tearing reality to pieces.--From back cover.

Mercury Rests: The epic conclusion to the Mercury trilogy! After foiling an attempt to destroy the universe, Mercury has gone missing. And with the devil already putting the final fiendish touches on his next scheme to bring about the apocalypse, all that stands between Lucifer and his dreams of a hellfire holocaust are two misfit humans: jaded religion reporter Christine Temetri and mild-mannered forensic analyst Jacob Slater. But the pair soon realize that the Prince of Darkness has set his sights higher than they can reach; he''s planning to bring his battle for domination straight to the pearly gates. They''ll need the wisecracking, ping-pong loving, apathetic angel Mercury to help save the day, the world, and heaven before the clock ticks down to the End Times...if they can find him. By turns epic and explosive, Mercury Rests concludes the trilogy that Booklist describes as a "hilarious romp" that has "cult favorite written all over it."

After a lowly software tester named Suzy Cilbrith uncovers evidence of a vast government conspiracy, she turns to a fringe reporter named Eddie Pratt for help. Far from dismissing her wild claims, Eddie reveals that things are even worse than they appear: the U.S. government has been infiltrated by angels, who are attempting to bring about Heaven on Earth - no matter the cost. Only one angel knows the secret to exposing the cabal: the rogue cherub known as Mercury. But when Mercury learns who is behind the cabal, he realizes he's going to need a lot of help. Old enemies become allies, old friends become bitter enemies, and as competing plots for world domination unfold, it isn't always clear which is which. MERCURY REVOLTS is the fourth book by Robert Kroese featuring the wise-cracking, anti-authority angel Mercury. MERCURY REVOLTS takes place after the events of MERCURY RESTS, but is a standalone story that can be enjoyed whether or not you've read the other books.

Four years after the destruction of the planeport, Earth remains cut off from Heaven. The angels and demons are in disarray, lacking direction and leadership. Someone has to step up and take control, and that person is... Mercury? But when the demoness Tiamat finds out about Mercury's plan to reestablish contact with heaven, all hell breaks loose. Mercury finds himself at the center of a plot to rewrite Earth's history, and the only way to stop it is to travel back in time to prevent the plot from coming to fruition. Along the way, he accidentally travels to multiple parallel universes, meeting several alternate versions of himself and tearing a gaping hole in the fabric of reality. Will the universe survive? Will Mercury be trapped in prehistoric Africa? Will we ever find out who Mercury's favorite Gilmore Girls character is? Read Mercury Shrugs to find out!

Robert Kroese''s Disenchanted comes fully loaded with the wit and charm of The Princess Bride and a sense of humor all its own. This clever take on the traditional fantasy includes footnotes that keep the narrator honest, a cast of characters that resembles something out of the Island of Misfit Toys, and a fantastic setting filled with words and names that test pronunciation skills. Being assassinated doesn''t have many upsides, so when King Boric is felled by a traitor, the king comforts himself with the knowledge that, like all great warriors, he will spend eternity carousing in the Hall of Avandoor. There''s just one problem: to claim his heavenly reward, Boric must release the enchanted sword of Brakslaagt. Now, to avoid being cursed to walk the land of Dis forever as an undead wraith, he must hunt down the mysterious Lord Brand who gave him the sword twenty years ago. So begins Boric''s extraordinary journey across the Six Kingdoms of Dis, a walking corpse who wants nothing more than to be disenchanted and left in peace. Along the way he''s advised by the Witch of Twyllic, mocked by the threfelings of New Threfelton, burned, shot at, and nearly blown to bits. But nothing can prepare him for coming face-to-face with Lord Brand. For in that moment, Boric discovers that nothing--in life, in death, or in between--is exactly what it seems. Episode List This book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book. Learn more about Kindle Serials

Praise for Distopia\n\n“Best thing I've read in a long time.” – T. Holland\n\n“A book that equals some of Pratchett’s work in the vein of aburdist fantasy, the author tackles politics, religion, economics, corruption, heroism, myth and reality, sacrifice and fanaticism in a way that’s both fun and fast paced, and completely logical.” – Robert D.\n\n“If you like Terry Pratchet, you'll love this book. A perfect mixture of comedy, fantasy and suspense.” – Andrew B.\n\nHere Be Dragons...\n\nA fearsome dragon roams the Land of Dis, and only one man can stop it: an awkward young missionary named Wyngalf.\n\nAccompanied by a beautiful stowaway named Evena and an oddball goblin who has been shunned by his clan, Wyngalf wants nothing more than to prove himself to his superiors. Unfortunately, his proselytizing has hit a snag: his would-be converts are too busy being terrorized by a dragon to worry about spiritual concerns. Wyngalf realizes that in order to prove his faith, he must summon the courage and resourcefulness to defeat the dragon. But getting rid of a dragon is more complicated than it seems….\n\nAt turns riveting, hilarious and sweet, Distopia is perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett and The Princess Bride.\n\nHop aboard. The Land of Dis awaits you!

“One of the most enjoyable reads I have had in quite some time.” – J.G.\n\nOnce there was an Epic Struggle Between Good and Evil.\n\nUnfortunately, Vergil slept through it.\n\nThanks to an accident involving some magic powder, Vergil, a knight in the service of the Order of Avaress, awakens in a world irrevocably changed by the outcome of that epic battle. Finding himself suddenly an old man, Vergil must try to navigate this strange new world with only the help of his slightly dim but well-meaning servant Handri.\n\nDespite the peaceful, civilized veneer of modern-day Dis, Vergil is convinced that a great evil still threatens the land, and he and Handri set about to uncover and vanquish it. But Vergil's prejudices and chivalric principles prove worse than useless in this strange new world, and he succeeds only in getting himself in deeper and deeper in trouble while stirring up simmering animosities between goblins and humans.\n\nCan Vergil separate illusion from reality and uncover the true threat to Dis before it's too late? Find out in this fast-paced, lighthearted fantasy!

A hooded man, his face marred by a mysterious black brand, walks the Plain of Savlos. Some say he has the power to summon demons. Others say he is the only one who can vanquish them. His name is Konrad, and he has a secret....The Brand of the Warlock is the first book in the fast-paced sword & sorcery series THE COUNTERFEIT SORCERER. The series follows Konrad as he battles ogres, demons, wraiths and necromancers who threaten the land of Orszag. There are five books in the series, with a new book being released every six weeks. Book two, The Rise of the Demon Prince, will be released on October 26. Pick up The Brand of the Warlock today and start your adventure!

A terrifying demon has come from the shadow world to threaten the land of Orszag. Flanked by a horde of ghostly specters, the demon intends to lay waste to the city of Nagyvaros, and only one man can stop him: Konrad the sorcerer. To defeat the demon, Konrad must learn to master the power of the warlock''s brand. But with enemies all around him and no time to lose, Konrad finds himself playing one foe against another in a desperate attempt to stay alive, hoping one day to wreak his vengeance on the man who destroyed his life....THE RISE OF THE DEMON PRINCE is the second book in the five-book series THE COUNTERFEIT SORCERER.

As rival powers fight for control over the land of Orszag, one man holds the power to tip the balance: Konrad the Sorcerer. To save Orszag from destruction and turn the tables on those who have used him as a pawn, Konrad must go deep under the city of Nagyvaros to find an ancient book that holds dangerous secrets. But Konrad learns that the most dangerous secret may be his own....

Imprisoned by the powerful Cult of Turelem, Konrad the Sorcerer is given a chance at redemption when an apparition of a long-dead prophetess haunts the land. Konrad's investigation of the ghost leads him to the foreboding mountain fortress of Magas Komaron, where a mysterious ally instructs him in the secrets of sorcery. But can Konrad stop the mad sorcerer Bolond before it is too late?

One by one, the powers that threaten the land of Orszag have fallen. Only the demon Arnyek remains. Immortal, uncaring and unstoppable, Arnyek waits far below the ruined city of Nagyvaros for the day he is free to destroy the world. Desperate to stop him, Konrad the Sorcerer plunges into forbidden magic and turns against those closest to him. But Konrad must learn a difficult lesson: no matter what path he takes, he cannot stop the End of All Things.

Los Angeles of 2039 is a baffling and bifurcated place. After the Collapse of 2028, a vast section of LA, the Disincorporated Zone, was disowned by the civil authorities, and became essentially a third world country within the borders of the city. Navigating the boundaries between DZ and LA proper is a tricky task, and there's no one better suited than eccentric private investigator Erasmus Keane. When a valuable genetically altered sheep mysteriously goes missing from Esper Corporation's labs, Keane is the one they call.

The year is 2039, and Los Angeles is poised between order and chaos. After the Collapse of 2028, a vast section of LA, now known as the Disincorporated Zone, was disowned by the civil authorities and became a de facto third world country within the borders of the city. \n \nNavigating the boundaries between DZ and LA proper is a tricky task, and there’s no one better suited than eccentric private investigator Erasmus Keane. So when movie mogul Selah Fiore decides she needs to get her hands on a rare coin lost somewhere in the city, she knows Keane is the man for the job. \n \nBut while the erratic Keane and his more sensible partner Blake Fowler struggle to unravel the mystery of the elusive coins, Blake’s girlfriend Gwen goes missing and Selah Fiore turns up murdered. Both of these crimes seem to be linked to the coins—and to an untraceable virtual currency called iotas, used by drug dealers and terrorist networks. \n \nFramed for Selah’s murder and desperate to find Gwen, Keane and Fowler must outwit DZ warlords, outmaneuver a reclusive billionaire, and stay a step ahead of the police while they gradually uncover the truth about iotas. Soon the clues begin to point to a conspiracy at the highest levels of government—and to a mysterious trickster who has orchestrated it all. As the DZ devolves into chaos and another Collapse seems to loom, Blake Fowler realizes that the brilliant Erasmus Keane may have finally met his match. \n \nSet in the world of The Big Sheep, Robert Kroese delivers another dystopian adventure novel full of wit and intrigue.

Schrodinger''s Gat is a quantum physics noir thriller. Paul Bayes has begun to feel like all of his actions are dictated by forces beyond his control. But when his suicide attempt is foiled by a mysterious young woman named Tali, Paul begins to wonder if the future is really as bleak as it seems. Tali possesses a strange power: the ability to predict tragedies and prevent them from happening. The possibility of breaking free from the grip of fate gives Paul hope. But when Tali disappears, Paul begins to realize that altering the future isn''t as easy as it seems: you can fight the future, but the future fights back. "Schrodinger''s Gat has done for quantum mechanics what Eliyahu Goldratt''s The Goal did for my understanding of Operations Management... [I]t takes the main character, and thus the reader, on a journey of discovery through a complex subject, in plain English. Well worth reading!" - Dr. Lucy Rogers, Director of Space Safety Research Limited and author of It''s Only Rocket Science "Rob Kroese''s Schrödinger''s Gat is a science-mystery thrill ride. It''s got everything we look for in a Kroese novel: humor damped by melancholy and an unforgettable plot in a book that we don''t so much read as dive into and exchange banter with characters that are so familiar that it feels like we''ve known them for years. The story moves, the characters are witty, fun and real, and, rest assured, Kroese got the science right." -Ransom Stephens, Ph.D., physicist and author of The Sensory Deception "A wild mashup of physics, philosophy and catastrophe served up, Kroese style!" - Greg Smith, author of Legacy of the Dragon "Most of what I know of quantum physics I learned by getting high and watching NOVA so I may not be the target audience for this book, but I never felt overwhelmed by the science or bogged down in it. Kroese''s writing is whip smart and funnier than hell. I loved it." -S.G. Redling, author of Damocles

Praise for City of Sand “Dark, gritty, intense, and mind-boggling.” – Lelia F. “Mind. Blown. Just when you think you have gotten a handle on where the story is going to take you, Kroese drives it right off the rails.” – Dale F. “Equal part detective story and Philp K Dick paranoia trip, the story weaves together elements of a techno thriller and a psychological thriller that left me guessing until the end.” – Brent D. You Can't Go Home Again... He thought he knew this place. He was wrong. Retired police detective Benjamin Stone returns to the city of his childhood to find his missing daughter, Jessica. But the city of Sunnyview seems to have changed in ways Benjamin Stone can't put his finger on--and when Jessica turns up dead in a creek bed, apparently murdered, Benjamin follows clues that suggest a conspiracy involving a startup company and a Silicon Valley pioneer with a disturbing past. As the mystery unravels, Benjamin must confront the reality of terrible crimes that occurred in the idealized town of his youth, which helped to make Silicon Valley what it is today. But as Benjamin attempts to unravel the conspiracy, all the clues begin to point toward a horrifying possibility: Sunnyview isn’t what it seems. A departure from Kroese's usual humorous fare, City in Sand is a mindbending mystery that will keep you turning pages to get to the bottom of the Sunnyview's dark past and its disturbing present. City of Sand is perfect for fans of Philip Dick's Man in the High Castle, Blake Crouch's Pines and Marcus Sakey's Brilliance. Do you dare take a trip to Sunnyview?