Novels by Kallen Samuels
In the Shadow of the Luminaries - States of Inversion: Book 1
"Refreshingly inventive and exciting, this is an extraordinary work of science fiction worldbuilding." The BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly
Memories remain foggy about events preceding the disaster. Gravity suddenly reversed, in a swath encircling the globe. Two-thirds of the world’s population fell victim to the cataclysm that followed, as flora, fauna, and loose debris were catapulted into the heavens.
Five hundred years later, the survivors of the inversion event have reclaimed much of what was lost, but the world is a very different place. Some live in the floating cities of the swath. Others remain earthbound on either side of the swath. The divergent factions blame each other, walking a fine line between cooperation and outright declarations of war. Through it all, questions remain about the origin of the swath and its mysterious purpose.
As a child, Valtteri Knox stumbled across the threshold between normal and reverse gravity. He was flung into the sky, and had the misfortune of being saved by the Aerish. Valtteri is an outsider, of no caste and no worth, but it was decided he should be raised by the navy and groomed as a tool to infiltrate the earthbound.
On his first mission as an adult, Valtteri is completely unprepared for what he encounters. He understood what it meant to be a pariah, but no one told him he was also Iridogen, one of those rare individuals with a genetic trait mentioned in fragments of pre-inversion history.
He’s determined to find answers, and expose a plot that could start a global war, but first he’ll need to find a way to survive in a world that doesn’t trust him.
Grasping at Gravity - States of Inversion novella
Sometimes you find yourself at the end of your tether.
A ring of reverse half gravity encircles the globe, the result of a cataclysmic event that occurred 500 years in the past. Tallow has been performing the duties of a scout for years and all he knows is that life is difficult at the base of the swath.
He travels along the edges of the limen, a threshold separating the earth-bound from the sky-bound — a border the tether tribes have never dared to cross. One misstep could cost him his life.
While scouting for resources, Tallow encounters something he’s never seen before, a woman, one with knowledge about his people that she shouldn’t have — and a warning. Her allegations couldn’t possibly be true, they lived in different worlds. Her people couldn’t cross over to learn about his people any more than the tribes could cross over to learn about hers. The problem is, he can’t get her out of his mind, and soon learns that a dangerous lie underpins everything he has ever known.
Leviticus - Dictates of the Servators: Book 1
“Character-rich and action-packed, this sci-fi adventure smartly balances prophecies, tech, and conflict. The stakes are consistently high, the cast compelling, and the story electrifying.” - booklife by Publishers Weekly, Editor’s Pick
Leviticus Radix is a gifted computational engineer whose perceptions are unique and powerful. He’s part of a team of graduate students who have developed a new technology that garners the unwanted attention of mysterious opposing factions. To make matters worse, Leviticus is manifesting abilities that haven’t been seen for over 1700 years. One ancient order wants to enslave him, the other says he’s the chosen one who will save the world from a prophesied flood.
As Leviticus learns more about his abilities, it becomes apparent that he will play a pivotal role in the coming cataclysm. His future and the lives of his friends are forever altered as they discover the world is a very different place than they thought. The group will have to set aside personal conflicts and work together in an attempt to prevent the end of everything they hold dear. The decisions they make could lead the world to safety, or hasten its doom.
Leviticus - Dictates of the Servators: Book 2
Betrayals and shifting alliances among the Breachers incites the Second Anarch to accelerate his plans. A sudden increase in aggression places the Servators at a disadvantage as they struggle to address their growing vulnerability.
Separated by distance and circumstance, Leviticus's friends work in the background, proving themselves invaluable as they develop inventive new defensive measures that they hope will counter the looming threat.
As Leviticus masters his own unique abilities, he discovers a closely held secret. History is repeating itself on countless other worlds and one of them may provide a solution to the Breacher menace. Bearing a roadmap from the Chief Archivist, Leviticus sets out to find answers, but time is running out.
Leavening - Dictates of the Servators: Book 3
Chaos threatens the world as the Breachers gain ascendancy. Extermination of the Servators is well under way and the remnant gathers at their final refuge, prepared to make a stand.
A small hope remains as Leviticus searches the journals of the Levigators. If he can reclaim the knowledge of his predecessors he might prevent disaster — his power means nothing if he can't find the answers he seeks.
A storm is brewing and Leviticus must decide if he should take a desperate gamble.
