broken stars combines previously published short stories and novelettes with new and exciting tales, ranging from space opera to military sf to science-fantasy and everything in-between. tales of broken heroes fighting for hope in dark worlds, full of aliens and outcasts, drug dealers and bounty hunters, mercenaries and soldiers. tales of far-flung worlds where the lines between machine and human become blurred, the humanity of monsters is explored, and victory always comes with a heavy price. in these eighteen stories of savage worlds, violence explodes, betrayals abound, and no one is safe. a smuggler for alien drugs is thrust into a high stakes of subterfuge and interstellar drug trades, only to find herself out of her depth. yharv, a mercenary, must escort the king through a besieged city and see him crowned. the only problem is, yharv isn't human, and neither is the king, and nonhumans usually end up dead in a gutter. and luck has never been on yharv's side. an alien and a human fight to liberate a planet where aliens are treated as second-class citizens. but freedom comes at a steep price. a kidnapped warrior discovers her memories may not be her own, and she may be on the wrong side of her war. and many more . . . praise for jeremy szal: 'szal is adept at interweaving big sf ideas and fast-paced action to craft a compelling story' - adrian tchaikovsky, author of children of time "a high-power augmented sf adventure that will keep you reading!" - garth nix, new york times best-selling author of sabriel "sci-fi with an edge. you'll want two things when you're finished this book: a glass of gin and a sequel"―nicholas eames, author of kings of the wyld "this is what 21st century sci-fi ought to be" - miles cameron, author of artifact space "this book will kick you in the nuts as you're lying on the floor." - richard swan, best-selling author of the justice of kings highly recommended, a visceral trip into the darker side of sf. . .a rich setting replete with many alien races and a constant undertone of threat―jamie sawyer, author of the lazarus war