Did you know that Amazon has a list of the top-selling and free sci-fi and fantasy books? The list changes constantly — authors and publishers set their books to free temporarily to promote their work, and, of course, books move up and down in the rankings. Read on to find your fun free read for this weekend! And grab the books quickly because they don’t always stay free for long.
This week’s list is completely different from those of the previous weeks. So if you’re a fan of free books, there are going to be new things to read all the time. If you want to get this list in your inbox every Friday afternoon, subscribe to the MetaStellar weekly newsletter.
There are a lot of books to go through, so this week I’m being helped out by a couple of other members of our MetaStellar community. If you’d like to join me in doing these reviews — and taping our regular Free Friday videos — email me at maria@metastellar.com.
5. Moonlight and Storm by Nicole R Taylor
This is the first of four books in the Australian Supernatural: High Country paranormal romance series. The other books are $3.99 each, and are not in Kindle Unlimited. This author has been on our Free Friday list before multiple times.
From Maria Korolov:
Something about this book struck me as familiar and, yes, this is a related series to Australian Supernatural: Goldfields , which we reviewed in August of 2023, and to the Australian Supernatural: Origins series, which we reviewed in June of 2023.
I’m the one who reviewed the first book of that last series, and, at the time, I thought I might stick with it, but didn’t. It moved a little too slowly for me to get caught up in the story, and I didn’t have any prior attachment to the setting or characters. Maybe it would have been different if I’d started elsewhere… and I just looked up the author’s website and she says that Australian Supernatural: Origins is the best starting place. Okay, never mind.
Australian Supernatural: High Country is the most recently-released installment in this universe. If you want to check out the other two series, their first books are both free today as well.
Anyway, the book opens with Henry, hiking in the Cascades, which, I’m guessing, is somewhere in Australia. Yup, kangaroos, dingoes and wombats are mentioned in passing, so this is definitely Australia.
Henry is cooking dinner over a campfire when he sees two glowing eyes looking at him out in the darkness. He thinks it might be a dingoe, and then it growls and leaps at him. It’s a black panther. It knocks him over and disappears again. Even though he’s unhurt, he doesn’t sleep all night, sticking close to the fire, then heads back to the civilization at first light.
Then we switch to Grace’s point of view. She’s alone at a bus stop in New South Wales. She just got off after a six-hour bus ride and her dad was supposed to meet her. She’s broke, homeless, and then a kookaburra laughs at her. It has feathers, so I’m guessing its a type of bird.
Her dad finally shows up, and tells her that her mom is getting the cottage ready for her. Her dad used to be a cattleman, and now he’s a park ranger. But Grace has always wanted to live in a city. Turns out, she hasn’t been home in six years, busy pursuing her corporate career, and her mother’s a little upset at her.
The next day, her brother stops by and also complains that she hasn’t been in touch. He doesn’t even know what career she’d been pursuing. And she doesn’t know what he does for work, either. I don’t really have a lot of sympathy for her at this point. Her family seems perfectly nice and she just ghosted them all until she decided she needed them again.
Anyway, she drives into town — her dad left her a vehicle — and goes into a restaurant to see if they have work. If she likes the city so much, she could have gotten a waitressing job there, as well. So she gives up easily. I’m liking her even less.
She does a trial shift without complaining, but also without a particularly good attitude about it. I’ve worked as a waitress and it helps if you’re cheerful and outgoing, not bitter and resentful at having to take the job. Then she goes home and has a fight with her mom. Her mom, who’d made a lasagna for her the day before, and who was just upset that Grace didn’t tell anyone where she’d gone. A lasagna is a lot of work. Grace should at least have thanked her for it. And her dad leaving her a car was also nice. She didn’t thank anyone for that, either.
Then, in chapter four, we switch point of view to Lawson, a guy who works in the restaurant. Grace had thought he was cute. And now we discover that he likes her, too, and knows that she noticed him. And we also find out that he’s a panther shifter, so he’s trying to keep a low profile, and be ready to pack up and leave at a moment’s notice.
And that’s where I’m going to stop reading. I don’t like either of the main characters, the book moves much too slowly, and the fact that we just switched points of view means that the two leads are going to get together, and that’s probably going to be the main focus of the story. I prefer books where the main focus is either murder and mayhem, or screwball comedy.
But if you like a slow-burn romance — and from what I hear, a lot of people do — then I do have to admit that Grace seems to be becoming aware of her character flaws, and might even work on them. And the book is very readable.
Get the Kindle ebook free from Amazon here.
4. Bewitched Shifter by Tamsin Ley
This is the third out of nine books in the Alaska Alphas paranormal romance series by a USA Today bestselling author. It looks like the books are standalone romances and can be read in any order. The other books are $2.99 to $4.99 each, and are not in Kindle Unlimited. This author has been on our Free Friday list before.
From Luciana Alioto:
Before we dive into this book, it’s fair for me to say this isn’t the type of book I would randomly pick up at the store. However, despite tiny exceptions, the author’s writing style is indeed charming.
Ashlyn has recently moved to Kenai, Alaska. Our main character is definitely endearing and easily relatable – at least at the start.
She’s trying to integrate into the small community and is going into a bar, to join a bachelorette party of one of her new friends. All seems pretty normal, themed-decorations and shots are passed around. Ashlyn doesn’t want to ruin the mood and lets herself get peer-pressured into taking tequila shots. Well, apparently her keenness to fit in with her new friends is going to change her life forever.
After only two tequila shots, Ashlyn heads outside as she feels it coming straight back up. After throwing up, she’s probably thinking the night couldn’t get worse – and then, out of the blue, a random guy is on her, grabs her, and bites her.
The point of view then shifts to Kepler. And we learn that there’s a group of wolf-hybrids living in this area and he’s one of them. He’s been called to investigate the crime scene at the back of a bar, where a man has been killed. Kepler, thanks to his keen sense of smell, knows that the man is not only a shifter but that he has also gone rogue.
And Kepler doesn’t just smell a dead shifter on the floor, he can also smell another shifter, a female, and he knows she is his mate. I’m guessing that Kepler can smell Ashlyn, and that she’s been able to kill the man who turned her.
This isn’t the typical genre I would go for, but the writing style is definitely enough to make me want to read more.
Overall, it is a very pleasant read and if you’re looking for a steamy shifter romance, give this a go.
Get the Kindle ebook free from Amazon here.
3. Guardian Outcast by G J Ogden
This is the first of ten books in the Star Scavenger space opera series. The other books are $0.99 to $3.99 each, and are also available on Kindle Unlimited. This author has been on our Free Friday list before.
From Terrence Smith:
Humanity has expanded beyond planet Earth, and has discovered a network of wormholes leading to other planets. These planets contain alien shipwrecks full of extraterrestrial technology and artifacts.
This is where the Relic Guardian Force, or RGF, comes in, keeping the wrecks safe from relic hunters.
Hudson is a rookie pilot who just joined the RGF, an organization meant to track down and retrieve stolen artifacts from alien worlds. His trainer is Griff, who has already been part of the Relic Guardian Force for some time.
Hudson thought that the RGF was a noble organization and wants to play by the book, and he thought the RGF would do the same.
It didn’t turn out that way. Griff, in particular, has his own code. He would rather shoot first and ask questions later, as is the case when he shoots down a relic smuggler without offering the ship a chance to surrender.
The book gives me space Western or space trucker vibes. Anyone who loves Star Wars’ world of bounty hunters will love the rough and tumble adventures and the morally gray characters.
Get the Kindle ebook free from Amazon here.
2. Deal with the Demon by Meg Anne and K. Loraine
This is the first of four books in the Pestilence paranormal romance series from a pair of USA Today bestselling authors. The other books are $5.99 each, and are all in Kindle Unlimited. This is the authors’ first time on our Free Friday list.
From Maria Korolov:
On the one hand, I like demons, and I like the fact that the authors have made the USA Today bestseller list, and that the book has over 1,000 positive reviews. On the other hand, it says “mate games” and “enemies to lovers” and “vampire romance” in the subtitle.
I know a lot of people like those things, but I have a cold, cold heart. I believe I’ve mentioned that before.
Anyway, I open the book, and right away there’s an author’s note warning me about mature and graphic content, dubious consent, degradation, impact and blood play, and bondage. The authors add that a more complete list of trigger warnings is on their website. There’s more? Yup, there’s more. I was curious and I clicked through. And oh, yeah, there’s a lot of trigger warnings up there. All sorts of kinky stuff happens in this series.
I can probably stop my review right there. You’ve got all you need to know to decide whether to read this book, right? No? Well, okay then…
Rosie is trudging through the cold in Alaska. She’s on her way to find a hacker, so that she can fake her own death, save her family, and go on the run.
The hacker isn’t home, so she sits down on his porch and waits. For hours. If she was human, she’d be dead, and, as it is, she lost feeling in her fingers by the time the hacker finally drives up.
The minute he sees her, he points a gun at her. Yup, he wants her dead. Maybe she should have found a different hacker?
Then we switch to the hacker’s point of view. His name is Asher. He was in town for his once-a-month supply run because he’s the supernatural world’s most-wanted hacker. He even wears a fake beard to disguise his identity. His cabin is hidden so well that nobody could ever find it. Then when he gets home, he sees Rosie sitting at his door. And we learn that Rosie is a vampire-human hybrid who never turned, and that she’s supposed to have died in a house fire.
Asher is terrified. If Rosie could find him, other people could, too.
She tells him that she needs his help creating a new identity. She’s on the run — from her husband.
Ooh. This is a pretty cool beginning.
I like both of these characters. I like the tension and the danger.
In the next chapter, we’re back to Rosie’s point of view. Asher makes her show him her teeth. He wants to be certain that they’re not pointy. And there’s a bit of angry but sexy banter. Oh, oh.
Anyway, after a bit more banter, she hires him to create a new identity for her. In return, she’ll give him money — and tell him how she was able to find him. We also learn a bit more about Rosie’s family and backstory.
There’s tantalizing hints of privilege and vampire politics and danger. Was there a prequel series? Yes, yes there was. It’s the five-book series War, and the first book in that series is $1.99, and all the books are in Kindle Unlimited. And it has over 6,000 five-star reviews.
I think if you like this genre, you should probably start with that series first.
Will I keep reading? I’m seriously tempted. Like, seriously. The book is very readable, and I like the setting and the characters, and, okay, I’ll be honest, all those trigger warnings are making me curious…
Get the Kindle ebook free from Amazon here.
1. The Last Spark by Colton Lively
This is a standalone book of small town post-apocalypse EMP survival, but the author has many — more than thirty! — other books in this genre, so there’s plenty of reading here if you like his style. And nearly all of the books are in Kindle Unlimited. The author is also a regular on our Free Friday list.
From Luciana Alioto:
Okay, I don’t really know where to start with this. For those interested in reading the book in full, don’t worry, I don’t think anything important will be spoiled in this review because, in fact, nothing happens in the first five chapters.
Okay. Plot. So, considering I can’t really tell you what the book is about, or where it’s heading, I’ll just make a factual retelling.
The main character, Christine, is a bounty hunter who is spending the day with her little brother. He’s due to start his first semester at university soon, and she wants to make some good memories with him. Mind you, she is also moving in the same city he is, to be closer to him so I’m not too sure why she’s making it a big deal about it… anyway, I’ll leave my comments for the end. Back to the plot.
The two siblings seem to be quite close, lots of cheesy dialogue between the two. The first three chapters are just about how proud Christine is of him, and how she’d do anything to make him happy. We are also reminded about every other line that their mother died recently of cancer. This is, of course, a very tragic turn of events, but her death is mentioned so often and so trivially that it does start to lose its emotional impact.
Chapters four and five completely change the pace. The two are queuing for a ride at the Ferris wheel. Christina is scared of heights, but still suggests to just go for it. Once they reach the top, hell breaks lose on the ground. Explosions in the distance. People getting shot and falling out of the rides to their death. Complete havoc.
I’m just as confused as you are right now.
Okay, now that I have taken you through the facts, let me give you my two cents on what I have read.
The story doesn’t flow, the chapters either reiterate what has already been established or completely take a left turn, without any buildup.
Also, it pains me to admit, but the dialogue between the two characters is just… very artificial. I understand that the author is trying to give us the idea that the two siblings are very close, and that Christine feels responsible when it comes to her little brother, but it was definitely all too much.
I can’t comment much on the characters themselves, as I learnt pretty much nothing on them. All I can tell you is that Christina loves her brother very much, her mum died, she’s afraid of heights. Her brother is grateful for all Christina does for him and he’s about to start university.
And… that’s pretty much it.
Let’s quickly talk about the general plot. After reading the first five chapters, I still do not understand where the story is going. Which, I guess, is the reason why I wouldn’t necessarily discourage people from reading the book. As long as you don’t mind all the negative aspects I mentioned about the book, who knows, the author could have yet another unexpected plot twist up his sleeve and the book could actually turn out okay.
All in all, not a great start, but as I said, it could just take a few chapters to get the actual plot going, but definitely more than the five I’ve read.
Get the Kindle ebook free from Amazon here.
See all the Free Friday posts here. Do you have other free books for us to check out? Comment below or email me at maria@metastellar.com.
Have you read any of these books? Are you planning to? Let us know in the comments!
And watch Maria, Luciana and Terrence discuss all five books in the video below:
MetaStellar editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist, writing stories set in a future virtual world. And, during the day, she is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality. See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel. Email her at maria@metastellar.com. She is also the editor and publisher of Hypergrid Business, one of the top global sites covering virtual reality.
Luciana Alioto is a graduate student at the University of Essex, studying translation, interpreting and subtitling. She loves reading a variety of genres, including classical retellings, fantasy, romance, feminist essays and philosophy works. After completing her law degree, she is now pursuing a career in publishing as an aspiring editor and literary translator.
Terrence J. Smith is MetaStellar's assistant fiction editor. He has contributed his writing to nonprofits and both print and digital publications. He enjoys all things technology, but remembers to meditate and appreciate the outside world.