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The Common book cover 1
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The Common
Series · 4 books · 2020-2025

Books in series

Stormblood book cover
#1

Stormblood

2020

Vakov Fukasawa used to be a Reaper, a biosoldier fighting for the intergalactic governing body of Harmony against a brutal invading empire. Now, he fights against the stormtech: the DNA of an extinct alien race Harmony injected into him, altering his body chemistry and making him permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. It made him the perfect soldier, but it also opened a new drug market that has millions hopelessly addicted to their own body chemistry. But when Harmony tells him that his former ally Reapers are being murdered, Vakov is appalled to discover his estranged brother is likely involved in the killings. They haven’t spoken in years, but Vakov can’t let his brother down, and investigates. But the deeper he goes, the more addicted to stormtech he becomes, and Vakov discovers that the war might not be over after all. It’ll take everything he has to unearth this terrible secret, although doing so might mean betraying his brother. If his own body doesn’t betray him first. A vibrant and talented new voice in SFF: alien technology, addictive upgrades, a soldier determined to protect his family, and a thief who is prepared to burn the world down . . .
Blindspace book cover
#2

Blindspace

2021

Vakov Fukasawa is a Reaper. An elite soldier injected with a dangerous drug called stormtech: the DNA of a genocidal alien race, the Shenoi. It makes him stronger, faster, more aggressive. At a price. A price that, if the House of Suns cult isn't stopped, all of humanity will have to pay. Vakov saved his estranged brother from the cult and killed their leader. Now they want his head on a spike, and they're hunting him and his friends down to get it, while continuing their mission to awaken the Shenoi and plunge the galaxy into mindless violence and chaos. There's a dangerous journey ahead, but Vakov and his misfit crew of eccentric aliens, troubled bounty hunters and rogue hackers will take any risk to stop the alien awakening. Only there's one risk Vakov hasn't shared: the one he himself poses. He got a terrifying glimpse of the Shenoi in the depths of interstellar space, and the violent nightmares he's suffered since suggest their DNA isn't just inside his body - he might already be fighting them for his mind . . .
#3

Wolfskin

2025

Vakov Fukasawa is a Reaper. An elite soldier injected with a dangerous drug called the DNA of a genocidal alien race, the Shenoi. It makes him stronger, faster, more aggressive. At a price. A price that, if the House of Suns cult and the dangerous Shenoi alien race behind it, isn't stopped, all of humanity will have to pay . . . Praise for Stormblood: 'Stormblood is a high stakes adrenaline filled adventure featuring two estranged brothers suddenly on opposite ends of an addict's war. And it's real damn good' Nick Martell, author of THE KINGDOM OF LIARS 'A captivating military sci-fi debut. Stormblood tells a splendid story about two brothers divided by war that is full of comradeship, actions, and conflict' Novel Notions 'A magnificent and explosive adrenaline-fest . . . Szal's debut is an absolute must read for fans of gritty, action-packed, detective and military SF' Grimdark Magazine 'This frenetic, grisly sucker-punch of a book manages to be everything you could want from sci-fi, while also carving out its own niche with a rusty slingshiv.' Fantasy Book Review 'Vakov Fukasawa is a former soldier, addicted to the biotech inside his own body that makes him constantly crave for action. And there is plenty of action in this fast moving novel, but not at the expense of ideas, or of humanity, or of vivid descriptions of Szal's carefully imagined war-torn galaxy' Chris Beckett
Scream in Blue book cover
#4

Scream in Blue

2022

Never take the same route twice, and never smuggle alien drugs. Those are Sola's two rules when she and her crew of Crawlers - London's elite smugglers of the 25th century, never break. Because those that break them tend to end up dead. But soon, captured by a wealthy smuggling ring, they find themselves forced to break that second rule. They're now smuggling stormtech, a drug made from the DNA of an extinct alien race, making users permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. Only, the people they're working for prove to be far, far more dangerous than they could ever have known. Thrust into a high-stakes game of subterfuge and interstellar alien drug trades, Sola and her crew have to stay one step ahead to stay alive. Scream in Blue is a standalone, fast-paced cyberpunk novelette set in the world of The Common.

Author

Jeremy Szal
Jeremy Szal
Author · 5 books

Jeremy Szal was born in 1995 and was raised by wild dingoes, which should explain a lot. He spent his childhood exploring beaches, bookstores, and the limits of people’s patience. He’s the author of the Common trilogy from Gollancz, a space opera trilogy, which includes STORMBLOOD, BLINDSPACE, and WOLFSKIN, about a drug harvested from alien DNA that makes users permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. He likes writing about broken heroes looking for hope in dark worlds, found families, aliens, outcasts, and morally-grey heroes who don't always do the right thing, even when they want to. He’s the author of over fifty science-fiction short stories, translated into six languages, published in many anthologies and podcasts. He was the fiction editor for Hugo-winning podcast StarShipSofa until 2020, where he has worked as audio producer with George R. R. Martin, William Gibson, Harlan Ellison and others. He holds a rather useless BA in Film Studies and Creative Writing from the University of N.S.W. He carves out a living in Sydney, Australia where he drinks too much gin, watches too many weird films and makes too many dark jokes. Find him at @jeremyszal or http://jeremyszal.com/

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