A marine's duty is to fight. Her curse is to remember.
Commander Sorăna Mirra has spent years leading a hand-picked team of marine special operators. Together they've taken the fight to humanity's oldest foe, the vicious Kyrans, defeating them time and again—time and again, knowing they’ll get no credit for their victories.
When an audacious Kyran raid strikes deep into human territory, Mirra and her team are thrust into the heart of hostile space to retaliate. It's business as usual—until a shocking discovery in the enemy compound calls the true purpose of their mission into question, and dredges up painful memories of the Great War.
Now, Mirra must battle not only the enemy, but her own buried regrets as she and her team fight for survival, retribution, and the truth. But in war, truth—like memory—can be a dangerous thing.
The Blade Within is a gripping prequel to the Si Vis Astra series, delivering intense action, sharp tactics, and a powerful exploration of the scars left by war.
An exciting, space opera page-turner[...] The battle scenes provide an adrenaline rush in their realism, with weaponry and defensive armor descriptions that make it easy to suspend belief. Mirra’s struggle with the questions raised by her superiors about the outcome of the battle[...] makes one anxious to read the follow-on novel. I highly recommend it.
— Rick Moltzon, Beta Reader
“Elaborately detailed setting—an expansive universe containing numerous human cultures, aliens, and a mysterious A.I. race, all embroiled within a multi-dimensional series of relationships and conflicts. Impressive, imaginative and thought provoking look at a possible future. The Appendix alone is amazing.”
— Dan Loving, Beta Reader
“A must read prequel novella of unprecedented calibre & storytelling in Dylan's uniquely picturesque style. Action from the first sentence with characters & tech so realistically mind blowing, this will keep you awake turning pages needing to know what's next.
☆☆☆☆☆”
— Adam McDonough
First Lieutenant Shaara was dead this morning.
Her captain is furious at her. She wasted company resources getting herself killed, and it’s coming out of her paycheck. Now, she’s sitting across from the first other human being she’s seen in six years. His name is Adnan. He claims to come from Earth—but that’s impossible. Earth died a long time ago. If Adnan’s telling the truth, he and the decaying ship the captain pulled him off are nearly a thousand years old.
Wherever he’s from, he’s Shaara’s responsibility now. Which is the last thing she needs. But it’s either that, or the captain sells Adnan into slavery. Shaara knows what that would mean. Most humans do. And something inside her won’t let her abandon Adnan to it: revenant memories, stabbed awake by the look in his eyes.
Facing those memories won’t be easy. It’d be far easier to ignore the feeling driving her forward. Far easier to let it all go to hell, and drift back to sleep.Until a shadowy new faction starts stoking the fires of war. They’re looking for Adnan; Earth’s last survivor holds the key to unleash a terrible, indiscriminate vengeance on the galaxy that wronged them. Who they are is a mystery—to everyone but Shaara. Hard as she’s tried to forget, she knows them all too well. Which means she’s the only one who can stop them.
The question is: does she want to? Maybe the galaxy’s earned a little vengeance.
Oblivion’s Cloak won First Place in the Space Opera category at the 2023 Cygnus Awards!
“[Oblivion’s Cloak] is one where I tell myself I’ll just read to the next break and then go to sleep. I say that to myself six or eight times[…] If you only have time to read one Sci-Fi book this year, this is the one you should choose.”
— Elliot Jackman, https://elliotjackman.com/2023/01/09/oblivions-cloak/
“Oblivion's Cloak weaves a captivating tale that hooks you from its very first chapter. Dylan[...] crafts a Sci-Fi world where humans are seen as little more than inconsequential beings by other races in the universe.
The novel deftly explores themes of trust, friendship, and the lengths one will go to for survival. As Shaara and Adnan are thrust into harrowing situations, their bond deepens, even as Adnan grapples with the inherent challenges of relating to someone from a place so distant. A gripping dynamic is created that keeps the reader engrossed.
Amidst intense conflicts, the narrative unravels the complexities of Shaara's character. Her unyielding determination to succeed and her unspoken compassion are intricately revealed as the plot takes unexpected turns. The story escalates when Shaara stumbles upon a sinister plot to annihilate non-human sentient life forms, leaving her with an agonizing dilemma. The question becomes whether she will prioritize humanity's liberation over the catastrophic destruction of countless lives.
Book one in [the] Oblivion’s Galaxy trilogy serves as a complete story in itself, packing depth within its pages. The suspenseful storytelling coupled with well-developed characters elevates Oblivion's Cloak beyond a typical space opera. If you're looking for a Sci-Fi novel that marries intricate world-building with an engaging plot, this is the one to choose. Oblivion's Cloak is an absolute must-read for fans of the genre.”
— Two Nerds with Words, Amazon
Dylan has been writing science fiction stories since he was old enough to write. He’s been writing original science fiction stories—discounting admittedly awesome fully illustrated Star Trek and Star Wars fan fiction—since he was twelve.
He also has a Lord of the Rings tattoo, which in a way tells you everything else you need to know.
