Magic has been banished in the Five Kingdoms for a millennium, except for those in the White Tower. This place is no Hogwart's though, as the tower makes sure to round up anyone who is even loosely accused of using magic and then purges them of the ability. Supposedly the wielders that are purged of their powers are let go to live their lives, but the reality is that none of them are ever heard from again. In response to this existential threat, an underground of wielders has been built up over the years, and they do their best to keep their powers a secret. Some of their diverse powers are stronger than others, but in combination they are capable of some amazing things .This story is told through multiple PoV characters that are involved in this struggle in different ways: Ferrin, a wielder blacksmith who has been captured by the White Tower, Ty, a young boy who keeps his nascent power hidden, Valtor, the head of the White Tower, and Ayrion, the Guardian Protector of the King. 

Each book in the Street Rats of Aramoor series has focused on a different tribe of kids, and it is now time for Wildfire to be front and center. However, the title is also a bit misleading as 80% of the book has nothing to do with Wildfire and it isn't until the very end of the book that it does. The majority of the story follows Ayrion, and a group of Lancers, as they perform a secret mission for the King. They are tasked with rescuing an ambassador and his wife that are both being held hostage by the rival kingdom of Cylmar. This mission takes them on a long, dangerous journey that consumes the majority of the book and Wildfire is not involved in any way until the mission is over and Ayrion returns to Aramoor. That's unfortunate but this is still an entertaining story that moves this series ever closer to the transition point from this prequel series over to Michael Wisehart's main series, The Aldoran Chronicles, where Ayrion is no longer a street rat.

Most people have to wait until they're seventeen to enlist in the military but due to the zombie apocalypse Faith and Sophia Smith find themselves officers at ages 13 and 15. As the Wolf Squadron fleet begins searching for the resources necessary to manufacture a vaccine for the zombie virus, both sisters discover that there is more to being an officer than shooting things. With an assault on Guantanamo Bay in the works and a mission that's literally from out of this world, it's time to move past the sibling rivalry and learn to work together. After two books of Smith vs Zombie mayhem, Ringo keeps the formula fresh by dividing the focus more evenly between Faith and Sophia and pushing the characters out of their comfort zones.

The newest installment in the Hell Divers series has the action spread across multiple locations: the Vanguard Islands, Panama, and Australia. Since King Xavier decided in the last book that the Vanguard Islands were dying, he has been dispersing his people to try to find a solution. He is hoping they will either find resources to help in the short term or a potential new home for the long term. The legend of the Coral Castle is mocked by many, but X thinks it is real and he plans to find the mythical sanctuary. In his mind, the only way to save humanity is the find a new home before the scarcity of life in the Vanguard Islands triggers a war, and the Coral Castle is the best lead he has for finding such a place. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with him, and the various human factions are set to start that war as soon as he leaves to search for his fantasy home.

The Smith family, and the few stalwarts of the Wolf Squadron, continue their campaign to reclaim the Atlantic Ocean from the zombified humans one ship at a time. So far they have pulled a few hundred people from small ships and lifeboats. Then the difficulty of rescuing those trapped on a superliner cruise ship compels what remains of the USA's government to take action. They authorize a submarine to provide necessary equipment and in the process reveal that they have been shadowing the ragtag fleet for a few weeks. The survival of a few submarines is good news, but they have an ulterior motive. Without a vaccine the thousands of crew members on those subs will die. 

In the small town of Black Mountain, North Carolina they are finally starting to piece things back together after the EMP strike of two years ago. John Masterson has led the town in defeating multiple enemies, and now they even have a little bit of electrical power available, though it must be rationed carefully. John's wife has a child on the way and there is an underlying hope to everything going on. Even though the United States will never be the same, it might now be possible to carve out a reasonable existence. That all changes when a stranger arrives on the fringe of the community looking for John. This person used to be the aide of one of John's former military commanders, General Bob Scales, but unfortunately he dies before John can chat with him. He did, however, deliver a possible warning before he passed, that another EMP attack could be on the way, and this one delivered by what is supposedly our own government.

The Smith family prepared for every eventuality including a zombie apocalypse, although that was mostly for entertainment purposes. So when Steve Smith, husband, father of two teenaged girls, and high school history teacher receives an Alas, Babylon code from his brother indicating an actual zombie apocalypse he calmly informs the school of a family emergency and walks out. Someone has engineered a virus that causes people to strip naked just before they lose all higher brain function and are reduced to basic animalistic urges. While most of the world is trying to contain the growing population of naked maniacs the Smiths load up a sail boat and work with a team making an ethically questionable vaccine. After a couple of months at sea they're running low on supplies so they board a slightly larger ship and eliminate the remaining "zombie". They also find a terrified teenager barricaded in her cabin which sparks something in the Smiths. They have guns and the guts to clear the Atlantic of zombies one ship at a time and save as many people as they can.

After the events of the first book, the NPCs turned adventurers find themselves on the run. They choose to visit the small town of Briarwillow, hoping to avoid trouble, but of course it wouldn't be much of a story if things worked out that way. The inhabitants of Briarwillow were infected by an illness that seems to have been magically cured, however, something isn't quite right. They decide to leave to go get help when all of the sudden the Paladin in the party can't move. He quickly realizes that his god won't allow him to leave these people in need so he is going to have to stay to try to solve this mystery. However, getting professional help is still the better idea, so it's time to split the party...

Twenty years of peace have lasted for Belleger and Amika after both countries were manipulated into an uneasy alliance by the magisters of the Last Repository. King Bifalt of Belleger and Queen Estie of Amika both navigate their uncomfortable marriage in very different ways and they each do what they can to prepare for the coming war. An ancient enemy, far more powerful than either of their kingdoms, is coming for The Last Repository and it must pass through their realms to get there. King Bifalt focuses his energy on the coming external threat but Queen Estie finds she must divert her attention to issues within Amika that put their alliance at risk. Her father may have abdicated the throne to her, but now it seems that he is up to something. If she doesn't stop him, both kingdoms will surely be lost. Unfortunately, her father is a powerful sorcerer who wields the decimate of lightning and she has no magic of her own with which to counter him. Yet, she must find a way.

If you're in the mood for a grimdark fantasy but would prefer something quick and easy to read, this is the series for you. The Seven Swords is a stands out for its unique settings, elaborate world building, and short format that is reminiscent of Moorcock's books of the late 1970's. This is a harsh unkind world with plenty of gods, magic, and, obviously, swords. Everybody has secrets but none are worse than Guyime's bloody past and the sword that made it possible. He believes his soul is beyond redemption so he's willing to die for a chance to destroy his sword. But the fabled Seven Swords are indestructible by mortal means so he sets off on epic pilgrimage. There is plenty of action, betrayal, and death along the way.