Marcellus: The Mantle is a science fantasy story set in the Solar System, and describes an exploit of the ultimate legendary hero and galactic warrior Marcellus. As one of a few as-yet-unreleased prototype Marcellus stories from 2012 – 2013, The Mantle was published in January 2015 and its themes have inspired much of Alex James’ later work from mid 2014.
Marcellus bears the Mantle, which is a cloak that endows him with immense foresight and strength. However, when Marcellus and his loyal Marcellan soldiers find a saboteur in the depths of the warship, the powers of the Mantle begin to fade and it is up to unusual Marcellan, Martesui, to step into the shoes of the legendary hero and save the habitable planet Earth from war and destruction.
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Roc Isle: Tempest is the sequel to Roc Isle: The Descent and takes place 20 years later when the characters are much wiser and have to contend with Dark Sorcery, rebellion, injustice, and poverty.
Lord Azure commands the Northern Army in a war against the Trade Lords, who are a class of conspirators. He fights to defeat evil. However, his leadership is failing because of his son’s insolence and personal ambition. He relies on Ankah, a battle strategist and master swordsman, to prevail.
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Roc Isle: The Descent was inspired by epic fantasy and sword-and-sorcery stories by JRR Tolkien, R Scott Bakker, and the film 300. Alex James wanted to focus on the rising tension that led to war, the fear of treachery, and the bloody culmination of large-scale battle. Roc Isle: The Descent is also a coming-of-age story, in the form of Knight Prentice Ankah who feels imprisoned by duty and high expectation, and trains with the sword in the hope that his skill can help him escape.
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Alex James’ debut novel is a science fiction spy story inspired by the discovery that he had Asperger Syndrome. Readers like The Antpod Faction because it is a little bit different from most science fiction.
Mase, the eccentric female antpod, lives alone in Gosper Town and spends her time immersed in her own imagination by studying objects called metasources. One day she witnesses a massacre opposite her apartment, and becomes the target of hostile agents. Mase goes into hiding, and seeks help from a bizarre old antpod called Ethbert.