"The Vampire's Courtesan" by Sami Valentine

Current Tags

witches, vampires, time travel, paranormal, urban fantasy, dark, historical

Categories

Paranormal / Historical Fiction

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The Vampire's Courtesan

Author's Description

In 1899, the dead rule the night. Juniper is a courtesan, claimed by Lucas Crawford and forced to serve his infamous vampire family. Ordered to Prague, she must recruit their latest victims. Friendship with the handsome butler, Kristoff Novak, is dangerous to her plans. He's fated to die. Her future depends on it. Can she fight destiny? The Vampire's Courtesan is a dark urban fantasy. Think Outlander meets Trueblood. This is a prequel to the book series "the Red Witch Chronicles."

Why I Chose it

This one starts with a vampire killing a human, so it's clear right from the start that these aren't cuddly misunderstood vamps just waiting to fall in love with the right human. No. These are predators, and not particularly nice ones at that. But they own Juniper and she's on a short leash. Worse, she's responsible for setting up a household in Prague, complete with staff who will be prey for her masters when they arrive. But Juniper has plans...

Anyhow, the writing is solid and it's clear the author has done their homework on the world building.

[33 episodes so far, with 2 updates in the last 30 days. (I believe this is a complete season.)]

Who Might Like This

Fans of historical urban fantasy should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

I was listening to a podcast from earlier this year in which one of the authors whose story has consistently been at or near the top slot for months was talking about how great Vella was. And after half an hour she said something about how she was only making $100 from episode reads in a month...

Now I understand why they are doing monthly bonuses. If the person getting the highest number of episodes read on the entire application is only making $100 from the coins used, there's no hope of making a living wage aside from bonuses.

Update: My new story (published five days ago) still isn't showing up in the "Recently Added Stories" section.

"Self Made Barbarian" by Roy Hayward

Current Tags

sword and sorcery, dungeons and dragons, barbarian, wizard, paladin, necromancer, magic

Categories

Fantasy / Teen & Young Adult

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Self Made Barbarian

Author's Description

Bozon is a barbarian. But not a very good one. He knows that he can do better but when he starts down the path to improve his station it takes him to places that he never imagined and never intended to go. Bozor discovers a new family and a unique way to succeed in a world that can never know who he really is. Or can they? Find out in this hilarious fantasy that only begins with Bozor. Because just like him, there is always more to the story.

Why I Chose it

It starts out with a barbarian in a bookshop. Bozor has decided to improve himself, and that involves getting this book to learn magic. And yes, the story is a little rough around the edges. (I mean, I'm all for making mistakes, but there's a typo in the title and the main character's name is misspelled once in the description). Still, it has a charm that keeps going through at least the first three episodes.

[11 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of humorous sword and sorcery should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

Everybody gets a pass today, because no artistic or marketing choice could be as stupid as my decision to finish off that box of apple cider donuts.

Update: My new story (published four days ago) still isn't showing up in the "Recently Added Stories" section. I'm out of ideas.

"Wake Up The Dawn" by Kate Karyus Quinn

Current Tags

spaceopera, fairytaleretelling, sleepingbeauty, enemiestolovers, foundfamily, sisters, fantasy

Categories

Science Fiction / Romance

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Wake Up The Dawn

Author's Description

An epic fairy tale inspired space opera about Raura, a girl who is determined to save her kidnapped sister - even if she must cross the galaxy to do so. Helping her are an eccentric young genius named Taft, and Axim, a Mechanical man known as Mecha, who begins as an enemy, but soon becomes someone Raura finds herself increasingly attracted to as a man. But she can't rescue her sister if she loses her heart to a man who doesn't have one - or can she?

Why I Chose it

This starts out with space-dwelling Raura and her family on a pilgrimage to a planet. Not the fabled lush planets of lore, but an aged and cracking dome on a planet in the middle of nowhere.

The story does a good job of subverting expectations (because yes, in this story, living on a ship seems like a much better idea). Also, the reactions of the main character are spot-on: there's an acceptance of the pilgrimage as something one just does, but she's also thinking that if she wants to find a guy not on one of the ships they travel with, now is the time. Plus, she clearly loves her little brother but she's responsible for him which is kind of a pain. And oh yeah, she and her sister are telepaths, something that will ruin their family if word gets out.

Basically some great character and world building.

[4 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Looking for unconventional space opera with a side order of romance? This could be your thing!

Unrelated Griping

This is more of an observance than a gripe, but I've found that any story that doesn't have any thumbs-ups at all usually deserves that.  I feel bad for the authors, but... I'm not giving a pity thumbs-up that someone else might take as a sign that the episode is readable.

On the other side, people are definitely gaming the system, so a bunch of thumbs-ups aren't necessarily a good sign either.

Update: My new story (published three days ago) still isn't showing up in the "Recently Added Stories" section. I would think it was the content -- it's definitely 18+ -- but there are other stories showing up there that should have had similar flags. I'm seeing stories published after mine showing up. So who knows?

"It Came at Night: A Horror/Suspense Short Story" by DK Herman

Current Tags

horror, monsters, halloween, suspense, scary story, sassy heroine

Categories

Paranormal / Thriller

Affiliate Link

It Came at Night: A Horror/Suspense Short Story

Author's Description

Something terrifying is visiting Olivia Walsh's home. It clings to the darkness. It smells of things deep in the earth. And it comes at night.

Why I Chose it

I'm not a big horror reader, but I wanted to find something seasonal so I searched on "Halloween" and found this. A lot of horror depends on character cut-outs who are just there to act so stupidly that the reader doesn't mind when they get eaten by a monster. But right from the start of episode one in this story, we have an interesting character (and a dog!) who I'm rooting for.

(And I checked -- the dog is still alive at the beginning of the last episode, which seems to be wrapping things up in the aftermath. I'm a big believer in making sure the pets survive before getting into a story.)

[11 episodes so far, with 11 updates in the last 30 days. (I think this is finished, which makes it perfect for a Halloween binge.)]

Who Might Like This

Looking for horror that makes your skin tingle? Check this out!

Unrelated Griping

Why do people load stories that have between one and three episodes? I'm sure most of them were meant to be longer and have just been abandoned, but some of them seem to be deliberate. The first three episodes of every story are free, so... Perhaps I am ascribing financial motivations when I shouldn't. Or maybe people are taking the word "story" a little too literally.

Update: My new story (published two days ago) still isn't showing up in the "Recently Added Stories" section. Is that just a subsection of the new stories? I wish Vella was more transparent about how they do things.

"(I Just Wanna Be) 51% HAPPY" by Beri Balistreri MSW

Current Tags

memoir, healthcare, dark humor, spiritual, biography, life, inspiration

Categories

Non-Fiction

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(I Just Wanna Be) 51% HAPPY

Author's Description

A sometimes hair-raising, dark, and surprisingly humorous account of my year leading up to the virus. I'm a medical social worker visiting patients in their homes here on the windswept central coast of California, until I mysteriously can't breathe. They say healthcare professionals are 'wounded healers,' meaning that we go into these professions to fix ourselves. It's a wonderful feeling to realize that a 51% happy life is good enough. P.S. Names and details have been changed for privacy.

Why I Chose it

Look, any time you read something by anyone who works in healthcare in the US, you know from the start it's going to be at least part depressing and really infuriating. But this is also fascinating and I already care about her patient in episode one.

[48 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days. (I'm assuming this one is complete based on the number of episodes. Sure would be nice if it was possible to tell from the user interface...)]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys reading about interesting people with real problems.

Unrelated Griping

No gripes today. I'm running an experiment with a 15-episode story under a different pen name to get an idea of how release frequency and total number of episodes affects the monthly bonus. (This experiment depends on the story having roughly the same readership as Dragon Freehold, i.e., about two people, but I think that's likely since I have yet to figure out how to effectively advertise.)

If I had designed my experiment better, I would have multiple stories releasing at the same time with the same length and different release frequencies, but that would require more effort than I'm willing to put into it right now. Maybe later.

Anyhow, the more interesting thing I've learned so far is the "Recently Added Stories" section doesn't get updated when stories go live. I assumed it would.

"Beach Blanket Mystery - a cozy amateur sleuth mystery" by Indigo Cross

Current Tags

mystery, humor, murder, crime, cozy mystery, murder mystery, clean romance

Categories

Mystery / Humor

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Beach Blanket Mystery - a cozy amateur sleuth mystery

Author's Description

I'm the personal assistant for Mimi LaFleur, who played America's favorite amateur sleuth on TV. The septuagenarian party animal never met a man or cliche that she didn't take to like a duck to water. I wonder why my boss drags me to an ocean-front house in Manhattan Beach for a vacay -- until I discover that a Hollywood hunk is our new neighbor. After an all-night rager, the police suspect Mimi of murdering the star! To save my job, I must add beating a murder rap to my list of duties.

Why I Chose it

I like cozy mysteries and this is fun. One thing this author understands is the big draw of cozies is wanting to spend time in the world apart from the mystery. (When I read a cozy, the mystery is mostly there to give the characters something to do, and as long as that doesn't make them seem too stupid to live, I don't care all that much about the mystery.) These characters are people I'd love to spend some time with.

[22 episodes so far, with 3 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Cozy lovers should jump on this one.

Unrelated Griping

No terrible gripes, but these days I feel like I could give a class in how not to write the first episode of a serial. I think this must be how slush pile readers feel.

"Space Traipse, Hold My Beer: The Gamesters of Triskatelion" by Karina Fabian

Current Tags

startrekparody, rollerderby, sciencefictionhumor, funnyscifi, alienromcom

Categories

Science Fiction / Humor

Affiliate Link

Space Traipse, Hold My Beer: The Gamesters of Triskatelion

Author's Description

Join the crew of the HMB Impulsive on this parody of ST: TOS "The Gamesters of Triskelion." Lt. Tonio Cruz Security Officer Straus and Engineering Minion Dionysus are kidnapped by gambling addict aliens to participate in their skating competitions. They'll have to use all their skills (and Cruz's sex appeal) to escape or else become slaves to the Roller Derby of Death.

Why I Chose it

Writing a parody of a popular show can be difficult. If it's too far from the original, you lose the sense of familiarity. If it's too far, it gets boring. This one walks that line deftly, with enough nods to the original Star Trek that the reader gets the joke, but enough novelty that the story pulls you forward.

(And if you enjoy what is in the serial, there are five books in this universe already published.)

[13 episodes so far, with 13 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

A Star Trek parody original enough to be funny

Unrelated Griping

No griping today! I checked out three things that showed up in the "recently added" section. The other two weren't for me, but maybe someone else might overlook the problems that stopped me from reading.

"Storm Oracle" by Chrysoula Tzavelas

Current Tags

magitech, angels, multiple protagonists, powerful characters, weapons, drama, character driven

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Storm Oracle

Author's Description

When Piper Jones is recruited to the Ark, a research facility focused on studying the godstorms that nearly destroyed civilization, she expects to be a gardener. Instead, a routine test reveals that she has the rare ability to bond with the void angels who fight the godstorms--and a unique ability to speak with those she hasn't bonded. When a surprise attack takes down the defenses of the Ark, it's up to Piper and her angels to fight off enemies determined to make sure humanity falls at last.

Why I Chose it

Lots of worldbuilding going on from the description, and none of it involves vampires or werewolves so I'm on board. Plus, in the first episode we're following a character who really is an outcast and is working hard to survive in interesting ways.

(The cover made me think this was more YA than the writing feels. It's possible they line up better at some point, but I think the cover is doing this story no favors.)

[30 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Are you looking for an interesting science fantasy story? Try this one.

Unrelated Griping

In the last few decades I've been part of maybe six or seven fiction workshops / critique groups. In half of those, there was some sullen white dude churning out plotless "stories" that were either from the point of view of a serial killer slicing up some woman, or the point of view of some hapless white dude who loses his shit on the last page and kills everyone in a hail of bullets.

Those guys are also putting up stories on Vella -- but only one or two episodes because they want someone to point out how special they are and the stories are just lost in the noise of all the other two-episode abandoned stories on the platform.

If you search long enough, you, too, could find a bunch of those things. I don't recommend it.

"Wilde City (A Modern Fae Romance)" by Evie Marceau

Current Tags

fae, paranormal romance, paranormal, urban fantasy, steamy, boss, faerie

Categories

Paranormal / Romance

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Wilde City (A Modern Fae Romance)

Author's Description

When Willow answers a mysterious nanny ad, she's shocked that the employer is the handsome and reclusive billionaire Severn Wilde--and even more surprised to discover he's a fae prince in disguise. But as wondrous as Severn's realm is, rival fae courts, witches, and shifters make it an extremely risky job--though falling for her magical boss might be the greatest danger of all. Updates Sun/Wed. Free prequel for newsletter subscribers!

Why I Chose it

If I'm being honest, all billionaires are parasites on the dying corpse of an unjust society.

But I understand the power dynamic romance fantasy, and that's what this is. And the author is hitting the right notes for the trope in the first few episodes. So this is very likely going to be someone's catnip.

[7 episodes so far, with 7 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Billionaire romance mixed with urban fantasy!

Unrelated Griping

One of the current top stories is literally a poorly typed-in version of one of the Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels. The person who put up the story didn't even try to hide it -- the story is titled "Julia Quinn: On the Way to the Wedding". And there's no way to notify Amazon about this massive copyright violation unless you are the copyright holder.

I'm assuming it will be taken down soon because there's no way Julia Quinn's publisher doesn't follow up on that, but it's irritating.

"A Suburban Mom's Guide to Vampire Slaying" by Eliza Drake and Brandi Knight

Current Tags

paranormal, supernatural, mystery, humor, suspense, vampire, urban fantasy

Categories

Paranormal / Action & Adventure

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A Suburban Mom's Guide to Vampire Slaying

Author's Description

Gifted with supernatural strength and speed, Skylar spent her teenage years slaying vampires until, in one epic battle, she sealed them all inside a hell dimension. Now she's a stay-at-home-mom dealing with things far more terrifying than the Forces of Darkness: the prospect of middle age and meeting her daughter's first boyfriend. But when a bloodsucker turns up on her doorstep, she realizes vampires are back, and this time she has much more at stake. *New episodes every Mon, Wed, & Fri!*

Why I Chose it

Have you ever started a book by an author new to you and immediately known you were in competent hands? That's this story. From the first sentence, I was able to just relax and enjoy the episode because the writing is so good. Plus, who doesn't want to imagine what would have happened if Buffy had gotten rid of all the vampires, got married, and had kids?

[30 episodes so far, with 13 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Any fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or frankly, anyone who just wants to read some well-written urban fantasy!

Unrelated Griping

In case you're wondering why I immediately fall in love with something well-written, you should know that about a quarter of the stories I check out start with either 1) an infodump of a prologue, or 2) a long back and forth conversation between two people with absolutely no information about who is saying each line and why I should care. Bonus points for the conversation being mundane.

Some people need a lot more editing than they are getting.

"Who Wants to be a Sidekick? or, The Adventures of Abacus and Alleycat" by Niki C. Lee

Current Tags

superhero, near-future, adventure, new adult, comic books & cartoons, female protagonist, urban fantasy

Categories

Action & Adventure / Science Fiction

Affiliate Link

Who Wants to be a Sidekick? or, The Adventures of Abacus and Alleycat

Author's Description

Sidekick Wanted. No experience necessary. Orphans or emancipated adults preferred. This sounds like the perfect side hustle for a financially-challenged bicycle courier like me. Besides, who doesn't want to be a hero?

Why I Chose it

Great voice, right from the start.

[5 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you were a bike courier living in a trailer park, wouldn't you want to become a superhero too?

Unrelated Griping

This isn't a Vella thing, just a poorly written romance (and occasionally other genres as well) problem: if I get halfway through the first page and think "Wow, for a supposedly independent adult, this person sure does seem to be incapable of adulting", I will stop reading right there. Because the main character in a book I enjoy should not induce waves of secondhand embarrassment.

I know the author is trying to make it obvious the main character is thrown off balance by their potential love interest, but it's too much. It just makes both characters seem like idiots.

"1954" by Pepper Pace

Current Tags

backintime, 1950housewife, civilrightsmovement, oppositesattract, firstlove, interracial, shy

Categories

Romance / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

1954

Author's Description

Bailey is a young, aspiring actress that has never had a real acting job--besides a role in a high school play. But when she sees an ad for a production that takes place in 1954, she decides to take a chance. The only thing she knows is that it is fully immersive, and would require her to live in the fictional town for one full year. The rules are simple, stay in character and she gets a nice payout of more than one hundred thousand dollars. But would a black woman willingly live in the 50s?

Why I Chose it

This is an interesting concept in these days of reality tv. It's not clear to me from the first episode whether this is truly a story about people playacting, or whether the character ends up in a different time (though I sort of suspect the latter), but the writing is compelling and there are some great details. (I remember people smoking in restaurants...)

[26 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Would you willingly live in the 1950s?

Unrelated Griping

I searched random words for a while today and finally ended up looking at what Kindle Vella is promoting. From what I'm seeing in my random searches, about 80% of the stories have less than four episodes and have been abandoned for at least two months. They're going to have to figure out some way to clean that up if they plan to make this platform work.

On the other hand, last month my story (Dragon Freehold) earned me a bonus big enough to buy two pizzas and tip the delivery person nicely, and as far as I can tell, only two people are reading it. I'd like for Amazon to improve things, but if they're not going to do that, then I'm fine with them continuing to give me random amounts of money.

"Squirrel Tree Inn: The Bear Incident" by Frances Pauli

Current Tags

animal characters, slice of life, fantasy, romance, furry, anthropomorphic, sweet

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Squirrel Tree Inn: The Bear Incident

Author's Description

When the animals of the Oakthorn battled the Owl, a local bear stepped in to help. But sometimes having a bear as an ally is worse than having no protection at all. When this one decides the Inn is his territory, Millie and Hector have to work together to keep their business open. They'll have to be clever if they hope to survive The Bear Incident. Squirrel Tree Inn is a sweet, slice of life, furry story full of animal characters, heartwarming romance, and lots of yummy plant-based cooking.

Why I Chose it

Okay, I don't often go for things that can be classified as "cute", but this is exactly what it seems to be. Anthropomorphic animals running a restaurant in a tree. 

[16 episodes so far, with 3 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Do you need a break from the cynical realities of life?

Unrelated Griping

Not much to gripe about today. I tried a bunch of different search terms before finding this one, but really, this one is so cute I just can't complain about the ones I skipped over.

"Bug" by Callie Chase

Current Tags

dystopian, horror, zombies, apocalypse, thriller, action, lgbtq

Categories

Dystopian / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Bug

Author's Description

When the zombie apocalypse hits Los Angeles, the undead aren't the only monsters unleashed on the city. Bea "Bug" Aisling is a survivor trying to find what's left of humanity in herself and the people still living. When Bea is bit but doesn't immediately turn, the race to understand the mysterious connection between shapeshifters, zombies, and humans becomes urgent...and personal. New episodes release every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Why I Chose it

After all the terrible stuff I read today, I'm ready for the zombie apocalypse. It's not a genre I read much, but I don't know that I've ever heard of one that mixes in shapeshifters at the same time. Anyhow, the writing is decent and look, why not zombies and shapeshifters together?

[42 episodes so far, with 12 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Zombies and shapeshifters in Los Angeles. Two great genres in one!

Unrelated Griping

Y'all... I went through so many search terms today trying to find something without resorting to whatever Vella was promoting. There are a lot of one-episode stories out there, including one that claimed to be evidence of how she was bullied by a well-known actor (though the only episode seemed to be a copy/paste from Facebook support saying that they had looked at a report, without any details at all).

I even ran across one that... maybe I was reading too quickly, but I'm pretty sure the main character was a woman being forced to travel the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon... in 1915. I mean, I'm really bad at history, but I'm almost positive covered wagons were no longer a thing in the years right before the first world war. (Google backs me up on this. Yes, I had to check.)

All I'm saying is that I'm doing some really important work here.

"McMann and Duck: Private Investigators" by Fred Key

Current Tags

crime, animals, detectivestory, fifties, veterans, mystery, murder

Categories

Mystery / Historical Fiction

Affiliate Link

McMann and Duck: Private Investigators

Author's Description

It's 1951, in a small town in Texas. McMann, a new arrival and World War II veteran, and his partner, Duck, a duck, get a case for their sideline as private investigators. The owner of a trucking company has found his partner gone with the contents of the company safe. Hoping to avoid the police, he hires McMann and Duck to find the missing man. Complications ensue for the detectives, as a local gang becomes involved. Can McMann and Duck crack the case without becoming roasted themselves?

Why I Chose it

I went with this for the sheer WTF-ery of it all. Yes, it's a story about a detective agency where one partner is an actual duck. And it's played straight. No, I have no idea what is going on. So why not try it?

[18 episodes so far, with 15 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

I mean, surely someone must need a 1950s detective story starring a man and his duck, right? I think you should try it out just based on that.

Unrelated Griping

The search term of the day was not "duck", but maybe it should have been. Although, now that I think about it, it probably would just autocorrect to something that would lead to just as much bad erotica as "steel" and "private" did.

"The Netherworld Central Railway" by S. R. Brandt

Current Tags

hell, train, demons, love, fantasy, humor, dreampunk

Categories

Fantasy

Affiliate Link

The Netherworld Central Railway

Author's Description

For some people, life feels like a train ride through hell; for Cyrus Perdita, it actually is... All Cyrus has are the clothes on his back, a message promising good fortune in New Mexico, and a train ticket to take him partway there. As he waits, he spies a massive old iron train. Curious, he draws closer. A stranger offers to trade tickets, granting Cyrus cross-country passage on the train he's admiring, complete with a private cabin. Adventure calls and Cyrus has nothing left to lose.

Why I Chose it

I checked this out because my search term of the day was "train". And then I started reading and just kept going.

Anyhow, the cover on this one doesn't really follow genre conventions, and I'm not actually sure where the story is heading. In fact, I'd say there's a non-zero chance it will all fall apart and meander aimlessly at some point, but... 

Just go read the first episode right now! This story sucks the reader in with an intriguing puzzle and then drops it and moves on to the next, and I'm so taken in that I'm only mad that I can't do the same with my writing. I may have to read this just to understand why I love it so much.

[34 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Me. I might love this. And I'm not sure why. But also, anyone who loves adventure stories that are so fresh you don't care where they are headed.

Unrelated Griping

I've found searching on random terms gives me a much better selection of interesting stories than clicking on any of the categories.

Seriously, Kindle Vella, your ability to display stories is terrible. That's why I'm reduced to searching on random nouns to find stories. I've even had stories show up in my searches that didn't have any episodes at all. I wish there was a way to download a spreadsheet of all the stories along with their descriptions, keywords, categories, number of episodes, and the last time an episode was added.

"The Interstellar Trials" by Kate Sheeran Swed

Current Tags

space opera, tournament, science fiction, generation ship, tough heroines, romance, dystopian

Categories

Teen & Young Adult / Dystopian

Affiliate Link

The Interstellar Trials

Author's Description

Her life is a crime. To survive, she'll steal another. Reggie's spent her life stowed away in the crawl spaces of a generation ship, headed to the stars. When her tyrannical captain announces a tournament -- as a road to peace with an enemy fleet -- Reggie steals another girl's identity to snag a spot in the games. She doesn't want to win. She wants to escape. But avoiding the trials is harder than she expects. If she reveals her identity, she risks losing everything--including her life.

Why I Chose it

The first episode opens with tension -- our main character is hiding from people while waiting to steal a catcher. Then, of course, everything goes wrong. The catchers themselves are also a neat concept -- tiny machines that protect the generation ships hull by their sheer number, and also serve to sample and store anything they come into contact with. Interesting conflict plus nifty science -- I"m there.

[31 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Hunger Games in space!

Unrelated Griping

I hit a whole lot of info dumps masquerading as episode ones. I know some people are big fans of prologues, but -- especially in a serial -- authors have about two paragraphs to grab a reader. If we're still 500 years in the past by the time I hit the third paragraph, I'm closing the tab.

"The Elementalist" by Medea Cygan

Current Tags

just kisses, elemental magic, steampunk, female protagonist, magic, romantic fantasy, high fantasy

Categories

Action & Adventure / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

The Elementalist

Author's Description

As a fully-trained and registered Elementalist, Margrid has finally been given her first assignment; to be part of the security detail for Princess Venna's upcoming wedding. But a mysterious and senseless murder reveals there is more going on in the kingdom of Bellesea--and elemental magic--than she was prepared for, and the school where she trained to protect and serve the monarchy and those without magic may not be what she thought it was. New Episodes Every Friday.

Why I Chose it

This starts out with a great introduction to the character of Margrid as she is enjoying a semi-dangerous sport as only an air mage could. It's a great job of world building and character development that seems effortless and is fun.

[22 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Do you enjoy well-written fantasy with a sense of fun? Check this out!

Unrelated Griping

No griping today! I only checked out a few other stories before this one, and those weren't terrible, just not my thing.

"Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast" by Kelsey Josephson

Current Tags

fantasy, beauty and the beast, sci-fi fantasy, fairy tale retelling, speculative fiction, steampunk, adventure

Categories

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast

Author's Description

A bookish strongwoman longs for freedom. A beast searches for a cure. Together, they'll break man-made curses. After her own father sells her to the unscrupulous Ringmaster, Belle thinks she'll spend the rest of her days performing cheap stunts while the Nuzaran masses gawk at her ether-poisoned body. A chance encounter with a beast by her solitary campfire changes everything. Can they find liberation or will the past consume them both?

Why I Chose it

I usually shy away from fairy tale retellings because... there are more stories to tell and sometimes it just feels like we're recycling the same things. But this story uses the names from the original and flips the characters around. Belle was born near the ether mines, which warped her body. She's a prisoner in a traveling circus when she unwittingly traps the beast. The setting gives this a freshness that I haven't seen in most retellings.

[15 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling in a steampunk world -- what's not to love?

Unrelated Griping

Honestly, no griping today because I had this one already picked out. I needed a day off from searching through random stories after my encounter with all the 300-year age gap vampire erotica yesterday.

"Uncanny Investigations: From the Files of Mike and Shireen Chase" by Scott McFadden

Current Tags

urban fantasy, detective heroes, supernatural mystery, interracial couples, strong heroines

Categories

Paranormal / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

Uncanny Investigations: From the Files of Mike and Shireen Chase

Author's Description

Have a poltergeist problem? Mysterious artifacts making your life miserable? Accidentally slipped into another dimension? Mike and Shireen Chase are the detectives for you. They'll solve your problem, be it natural or supernatural, and do it with style. With a knack for delving into the strange and uncanny, a healthy supply of wit and irreverence, and an irrepressible love of mysteries, Chase and Chase Investigations will take care of whatever ghoul or demon is troubling you.

Why I Chose it

I love detective fiction divided into case files. Maybe it's because I grew up with Encyclopedia Brown. Who knows? But I do love it, and this story winks at all the noir tropes, but keeps a modern sensibility about it at the same time.

[29 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Interested in classic noir detective with a magical twist? Of course you are! Check it out!

Unrelated Griping

This gripe is more of a "me" gripe than a Vella gripe, but surely I can't be the only person creeped out by all the vampire erotica where the human girl is 18 and the vampire guy is, like, 938? Does looking young really absolve it of the pure skeeve factor?

And really, what does a 938-year-old vampire talk about with an 18-year-old? "Oh, yes, I love the Twitter. Hashtag SoBricky." I guess that's why they're all written from the viewpoint of the 18-year-old. Otherwise it would be a litany of "I'm so bored. Why are all the humans still alive so stupid? Good God, sure, I guess we can have sex again, but call me in another hundred years when you're good at it. So boring."

"Kidnapping Phoenixes and Other Ways to Die" by Ramy Vance

Current Tags

urban fantasy, new adult, supernatural, humor, demon, running from the mob, slow-burn romance

Categories

Fantasy / Humor

Affiliate Link

(Oops, looks like this one has been removed from Vella, but it's in Kindle Unlimited!)

Author's Description

Mythical creatures are real & the world is just finding out. Turns out kidnapping a phoenix from the mob isn't the best way to stay alive. My name is Frances. Kind of the last name you'd expect for a supernatural fugitive, but here we are. Lucky for me, I got rules: 5 Rules for Fugitives. I'm thinking about writing a book. Everything was going swimmingly until I met him. Some rules are meant to be broken. From the twisted minds of Ramy Vance & Kat Lapatovich Healy comes a new adventure.

Why I Chose it

Solid writing, a funny title, and a plot that gets going on the first page. I'm a sucker for anything that includes humor, so this is right up my alley.

[43 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days -- I'm assuming it's completed...]

Who Might Like This

Fans of urban fantasy with magical creatures that aren't just werewolves and vampires, check this one out!

Unrelated Griping

I saw a story today that used the tags "epic fantasy", "urban fantasy", and "steam punk". Coming up with good tags is hard, but either that story hops genres every few episodes, or someone needs to slow down and look up what some of those mean.

"The Stars and Green Magics" by Novae Caelum

Current Tags

space opera, lgbtq, science fiction, magic, transgender, lesbian, aliens

Categories

Science Fiction / LGBT Fiction

Affiliate Link

The Stars and Green Magics

Author's Description

Arianna's royal shapeshifting powers fail her on the eve of her betrothal--not that she wanted to marry anyway. Sent from her homeworld and court to recover from a politically-charged illness, she watches her sister overtake her life, becoming Arianna and the Heir in her stead. But with help from a mysterious young man who can disappear at will, she's going to take back her interstellar kingdom, come hell or Green Magics! An epic for fans of The Expanse and Game of Thrones--updates Fridays!

Why I Chose it

From the first paragraph, it's obvious we're in a science fiction political thriller that has some heft to its backstory. We meet Arianna (the heir) and her sister (the spare). Arianna's powers are suddenly failing her at a time when she can't afford to look weak. Intrigue and strong characters in the first episode -- that's enough for me to take a longer look!

[19 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Great characters and political intrigue all wrapped up in space opera. If that's your jam, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

I tried searching the word "steampunk" today, and the user interface insists there is nothing in Vella matching that term. I found that really difficult to believe.

Next I tried "portal" and got a whole bunch of "uploaded one episode three months ago" stories. I know Amazon sees search results mostly as a place to dump paid ads, but they really could sort things better. All they are doing now is convincing potential customers to use a different serial app.

Later I went back and tried "steam punk", and it said "Did you mean steampunk?" and gave me eight recommendations that have one of the keywords set to "steampunk", so... Yeah. Their interface is terrible.

"SPI Girls Kick Ass" by Kaye Elsie

Current Tags

mystery, adventure, action, science fiction, cyberpunk, fantasy, murder

Categories

Dystopian / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

SPI Girls Kick Ass

Author's Description

The Three Rules of Immersion: Keep the residents safe. Keep the workers in line. Keep the AIs functioning. As we wait for Earth's restoration, humanity dreams of fantasy worlds in Singularity, a virtual space built to keep us sane. When high-profile avatars turn up dead, three agents of SPI, the Singularity Policing Institute, must learn why - and what really happened. Can a cyberpunk, a space nerd & a fairy princess unravel a conspiracy with humanity's fate at stake?

Why I Chose it

Everyone loves a good underdog story involving virtual reality, right? The lucky part of humanity lives in Singularity while everyone else is stuck in the real world trying to make the earth livable again. In the first episode the main character is interning with the Singularity Policing Institute, determined to become one of the lucky people living full-time in the simulation. But there's trouble even in paradise...

[11 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of Bladerunner and Neuromancer should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

No griping today. If you're into horror (and this is the season for it), you might want to look at what's available. It's not my thing so I probably won't review any of it, but it looks like there are some popular offerings.

"Titan Online (A Sci-fi Gamelit Adventure)" by Kevin McLaughlin

Current Tags

science fiction, space opera, litrpg, gamelit, spaceship adventure, sci-fi, military science fiction

Categories

Science Fiction / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Titan Online (A Sci-fi Gamelit Adventure)

Author's Description

Titan Online: a sci-fi game where the wealthy fly battleships and wage wars for solar systems while the poor farm asteroids to build those ships. Jack is a vet, a drone pilot injured by a missile strike. Discharged, jobless, alone, he enters the game. The Titans are a wild card. Powerful beyond any other ship class, a Titan class ship can take out entire fleets. A ticket to fame and fortune, every megacorp wants one. Competition is fierce. But when Jack finds one instead, everything changes.

Why I Chose it

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a gamer. The whole litrpg category is not something I understand at all. However...

This is great writing. By the end of the first episode, I cared about this character and I was enjoying the action. And yeah, there's a lot of action happening, right from the start.

[41 episodes so far, with 11 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys space opera with a military bent will want to be onboard for this serial. I'll even expand that -- anyone who likes to read space opera of any type should check this out.

Unrelated Griping

Not much griping about other serials today. I passed on a couple of others. Both had really intense descriptions of gross things in the first episode. I mean... Great descriptive writing, but maybe make me invested in your characters before you make me gag, okay?

"Barfly on the Wall: A meteoric misadventure into Seattle bartending" by Fred Moody

Current Tags

bartending, seattlehistoryandculture, anthonybourdain, millennialsandboomers, restaurantindustry, drinking, boomandbust

Categories

Non-Fiction

Affiliate Link

Barfly on the Wall: A meteoric misadventure into Seattle bartending

Author's Description

What was intended to be a lighthearted part-time job turned instead into an unexpectedly deep dive into a microcosm of a rapidly changing Seattle and into the lives and troubles of countless people, young and old. The little tapestry of stories taking form around me (most notably those of my coworkers, almost all of whom were Millennials) soon began amounting to a narrative about an eye-opening voyage of discovery into versions and visions of Seattle that I'd never known existed.

Why I Chose it

I decided to find something outside my normal parameters today. (No, still not reverse harem. I just... I can't.)

When I think of non-fiction, I think of computer manuals and self-help books. The idea of serializing those makes me want to run for the hills. But this one actually makes a lot of sense -- the author tells stories about customers he's run across as a bartender. It's definitely not sweetness and light, but a serial might be the perfect format for this.

[64 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days -- again, maybe this is complete, but even if it isn't, the episodic format is such that you won't be left without a conclusion.]

Who Might Like This

Have you ever heard a bartender tell stories about their customers? This is the best of all worlds -- you don't have to deal with the abusive drunks, but you still get the interesting stuff.

Unrelated Griping

My advice for authors getting into Vella (besides the usual "get someone to look for typos" and "please, I beg of you, don't put an infodump in the first episode!") is to pay attention to how long your paragraphs are. Brevity is your friend in the 50 character column world. A wall of text with no break will lose me faster than "As you know, Bob" dialog.

Yes, this is in response to at least one story I looked at today. It might have been interesting, but my brain bailed the minute I brought up the first episode.

"Bergamot Investigations" by Jonathan Aarons

Current Tags

detective, whodunnit, thriller, compelling, hard to put down, funny, murder

Categories

Mystery / Humor

Affiliate Link

Bergamot Investigations

Author's Description

Abraham Bergamot is a middle-aged curmudgeon who's difficult just to even be around. But his ability as a P.I. is second-to-none. So whether it's a high-end art heist, a murder at a renowned estate, or even a vandalism spree inside an elementary school, Bergamot is sure to get to the bottom of things. And maybe he'll finally give his assistant a raise. If you like your mystery with a healthy dollop of humor, Bergamot Investigations is now open for business.

Why I Chose it

I rarely see classic mystery stories these days. You know the ones -- the detective is a little quirky, he sees the one thing out of place the minute he gets to the scene, and the guilty party confesses one page later. They really only work as short stories because the quirky detective gets irritating if given too much space on the page.

This serial runs with that. Bergamot isn't necessarily someone you would want to be immersed in a 300-page book with, but he's just charming enough to enjoy in a short story. The plots are exactly what you would expect if you've read classic mystery short stories, so everything works.

[17 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days -- even if it isn't complete (and maybe it is, I can't tell), these seem to be a series of stories told in a few episodes each, so it shouldn't leave you hanging.]

Who Might Like This

If you're a fan of classic mystery stories, especially short stories with a recurring character who sees the one clue that solves the puzzle immediately, give this one a try. 

Unrelated Griping

I went through about fifteen stories today before I found this one. I almost settled on another story an author had advertised in another group, but it only had 5 episodes and it hadn't been updated in the last month. So I kept looking. There are a lot of abandoned stories out there. Be warned.

"Crimson Steel" by L.P.M. Sinclair

Current Tags

sword and sorcery, monster hunter, magic, enemies to lovers, fated mates, fantasy romance, female protagonist

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Crimson Steel

Author's Description

Mera has spent her life doing three things- killing monsters, drinking beer, and avoiding men. That is, until she meets a wizard who asks her to guide him through the Wilds of Estenla, the largest swath of monster-infested land on the continent. Tensin has charm, a mission, and magic as strange as his manners. Tradition paints Crimson Steel hunters and Wizards as enemies, but something about him makes her stony heart race. Which will ruin her life first, the monsters or her feelings?

Why I Chose it

This is a fun read! I'd call it a guilty pleasure, but there's no point in feeling guilty about what you like to read. Enjoy the heck out of it when you can find it!

In the first episode we meet Mera, a Crimson Steel hunter who is a bit a lot rough around the edges. She is hired by Tensin, a wizard who wants to go study things in the wilds for a year. Wizards and Crimson Steel don't play nicely together, but he hires her to keep him alive.

I'm a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story, and this looks promising.

[28 episodes so far, with 10 updates in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

This is fantasy romance at its most fun! Go read it!

Unrelated Griping

No real griping again today. I passed on one story because it wobbled a bit at the beginning and then fell over with a multi-page info dump via dialog.

I passed on another because it had a non-con warning and that's not the thing for me -- thank you for that label and may you find your audience elsewhere!

"Ocean of Dreams: An Epic Portal Fantasy" by Rebecca Ehrick

Current Tags

romance, found family, epic fantasy, magitech, portal fantasy, lgbt, fantasy

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Ocean of Dreams: An Epic Portal Fantasy

Author's Description

Esar tried to forget about his prophetic dreams, but he can no longer ignore his nightmares. Adrin, a budding engineer, dreamed of building weapons to vanquish monsters before he was called to become heir to the throne. And Naomi's quest to discover her origins has taken her further than she ever dreamed...into another world. Connected by their dreams, they must find a way to avert the disaster that Esar foresees and uncover the foes who threaten to tear them apart. Updates Sun, Tues & Thurs.

Why I Chose it

This one showed up in a Facebook group specifically for Vella SF/F authors, on a post allowing self-promotion. I know not all the entries will be good, but so far I'm two for two.

Excellent writing in this one, with really strong characterization. Don't let the first episode being a prologue put you off. It's not an info dump. The author does an excellent job of world building in the first two episodes.

[30 episodes so far, with 11 updates in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

Are you interested in a portal fantasy with a strong characters and hints of exciting things to come? Check it out!

Unrelated Griping

Honestly, I have no griping today. This was the first story I looked at, and it was really good!

"The Museum" by Cherry Stark

Current Tags

femaleprotagonist, sci-fi_fantasy, adventure, history, magic, sci-fi, magical artifact

Categories

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Affiliate Link

The Museum

Author's Description

Magic is real. People just don't like to talk about it. As far as humans have discovered, magic isn't confined just the realm of fairies, elves, and werewolves. There is so much more. If you want to get away with robbery, use D.B. Cooper's parachute. The only drawback is that you will disappear completely after using it. Need a protective shield, try a Romanov egg. All of these items and more are stored in the museum to be studied and protected until they are safe to be shared with the world.

Why I Chose it

This one showed up in a Facebook group specifically for authors to talk about their Vella stories, so I guess at least one person (me) looks at stuff there.

Strong Warehouse 13 meets Chuck vibes here, and that's a doubly good thing as far as I'm concerned. In the first episode the main character, Jamie, is working as an intern in a magical museum. She touches the one thing she's not supposed to touch (oops!) and gets a magical download of information. Fun stuff!

[70 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days]

Who Might Like This

Did I mention the Warehouse 13 x Chuck part? I think if you're a fan of either of those, or The Librarians, this will be a good fit. Check it out!

Unrelated Griping

In the Facebook group mentioned above, there is another author who has dropped links for their stories multiple times, and for the life of me, I can't decide if they were written by someone who hasn't got a good grasp of grammar/POV/structure, or if it's an experiment in letting an AI write serials. Either way, it doesn't work.

"Fracked" by Maureen Driscoll

Current Tags

demons, romance, humor, horror, paranormal romance

Categories

Paranormal / Mystery

Affiliate Link

Fracked

Author's Description

When fracking opens up a portal to hell, the only people standing in the way of Earth's destruction are the residents of an over-55 community in the California desert.

Why I Chose it

I tried to find a mystery story that wasn't just someone's novel broken up to fit the format, and ran across this. How can you not check out a story with that description?

From the author's note at the end of the first episode, it looks like this has been adapted from an unproduced television series, which makes sense -- it has a very visual feel to it. The writing is occasionally a little rough, but the plot seems to be going someplace. I don't have a great sense of the characters yet, but I don't dislike them either (and trust me, there's a line between funny and asshole that's pretty easy to cross for authors who aren't working to stay away from it).

[30 episodes, with 0 updates in the last 30 days but I think this one may be completed. Sure would be nice if there were some way to tell completed stories from the user interface Kindle Vella, ahem, but I'm sure Amazon is busy with other things.]

Who Might Like This

Demons rising up in the desert! Horror fans who love more visual fiction should check this out.

Unrelated Griping

[I'm adding this section just to have someplace to talk about all the stuff I looked at before settling on this story. Seriously. I deserve a freaking medal. Kindle Vella is going to fail hard if there's not an easier way to find what you're looking for. ]

I ran across a story today which had been updated once in the past 30 days and the title was something like "Great Works of Fiction For Discerning Customers, And To Hell With The Rest Of You". Bold strategy there, Mr. Author, insulting potential readers. Maybe it will work out for you. (See also the line between funny and asshole mentioned above. This one crosses it, at least for me.) I checked out the first episode and... I'll be nice and just say it could use some editing.

"Guardian of Talons and Snares (The Zheninghai Chronicles)" by Anastasis Faith

Current Tags

romance, fantasy, magic, enemies to lovers, highfantasy, female protagonist, young adult

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Guardian of Talons and Snares (The Zheninghai Chronicles)

Author's Description

After years of relentless training, Sun Aranya has finally earned her position as a city deputy. All she wants is a stable job so she can care for her ailing grandfather. When she arrives on her first day to discover that an annoyingly handsome stranger is laying claim to her position, she’s determined to fight for her place. She doesn’t care if Shi Kai’s magic is stronger, or that he harbors lethal secrets. She will win their competition.

But mysteries abound, and not just those surrounding her rival. Soon, Aranya finds herself paired with Kai on a secret mission. People are disappearing across the empire without a trace—and it’s up to them to discover their fate.

Can Aranya and Kai see past their rivalry to save their empire? Or will Kai’s secrets come back to destroy them all?

Why I Chose it

This is good fun! Aranya shows up and finds out they've mistakenly sent two wardens for training where they only need one -- and she's the second one to show up. The stakes are immediate, the setting is clear, and even by the end of episode one, it's clear there is trouble brewing in the background.

[25 episodes available so far, with 9 updates in the last 30 days. Also, this serial is part of the "Romantic Fantasy on Kindle Vella" BookFunnel promo along with Dragon Freehold.]

Who Might Like This

Who doesn't like a good enemies-to-lovers story? If you're into high fantasy with a kick-ass heroine, this might be the one for you!