Kristen Brand

Welcome!

Hi. I’m speculative fiction author Kristen Brand. If you’re looking for a good book in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, then you’re in the right place. My novels all have fast-paced action, witty banter, and at least a hint of romance. I’m a huge nerd, which comes through in my writing, and I love reading and talking about books, comics, and short stories.

Check out my books page for a full list of all my novels. Or look at my web fiction for links to free stories you can read online.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kill Them All is Live!

Today’s the day! Kill Them All, the fourth and penultimate book in The White Knight and Black Valentine Series, has been released into the world.

If you enjoy:

villain protagonists
roaring rampages of revenge
fierce and classy older heroines
strong mother/daughter relationships
action scenes with a frenzy of superpowers

Then you’ll probably like this book. To the readers who’ve been with this series for a while, I hope you like the new places I take the story and don’t hate me too much for the torment I heap upon your favorite characters. 😉 New readers, I design every book to be new reader-friendly, so give Kill Them All a try or check out the other books in the series first.

And thank you all for your support! I never would have made it to Book 4 without you. Continue reading Kill Them All is Live!

Book Recommendation: Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand

The battle is over. The heroes lower their weapons as the crowd cheers. The evil overlord has been defeated, and the hero’s people are free.

…what now?

That’s the question asked in Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand. Earlier this year, I posted about how much I love The Freedom Game, my sister’s first book. Now, the sequel is out, and I have to gush about how great it is, too.

The rebellion is over. The real fight has just begun… Continue reading Book Recommendation: Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand

Five Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations

“The book was better.”

If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that about a movie or TV show, I… well, I wouldn’t be rich, but I could certainly buy myself something nice.

Adaptations of books to the big and small screen have a tricky balancing act to pull off. It’s impossible to accurately turn every single page of a book into a movie or TV show; the visual medium is a completely different animal from the written word. Screenwriters and directors have the challenge of making structural changes to adapt the story to the screen while remaining faithful to the spirit of the book.

Or at least, that’s how I think about it. Some movies don’t seem to care, presenting an adaptation that shares nothing in common with the source material except for a title, leading to masses of disappointed fans.

But I’m not here to talk about the disasters. I want to talk about my favorites. Continue reading Five Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations

New Superhero Fiction (August 2018)

What time is it? Time to showcase some awesome new books from the superhero genre! I think the cover art this month is particularly great. I love the smirk on the woman’s face on the front of Red and Black, and the art for Modified has always been fantastic. (And it’s a boxed set now! No need to suffer through the cruel cliffhangers as you wait for the next episode.) Plus, how cool is that armor on the cover of Hero Hunter?

As usual, I haven’t read all of these books personally, so check out the samples and reviews before you hit the buy button. And happy reading!

Hero Hunter: A Superhero Gamelit Saga: (The Heroes Rising Series: Book 1)

by Darren Hultberg Jr.

“In a world of heroes, one man lives to watch them fall.”

Terrax Prime is one of the safest places in the galaxy, a world-spanning metropolis built on the foundations of order, justice and law. Terrax also happens to be a birthplace of heroes; humans born with powerful, world-altering super-powers. In service to the prime government, these heroes work to keep the streets of Terrax safe, acting as the world’s super-hero police force… or so it seems. Terrible secrets lie deep within the core of Terrax Prime’s hero program, and one man will do whatever he can to bring those secrets to the surface…

Enter Aiden Grant, the Hero Hunter. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (August 2018)

Book Quotes from Superhero Fiction

Your average novel is around 70,000 words, and while I love every single one of them in favorite books, there’s no denying that some phrases are more quotable than others. A good quote makes you laugh or makes you think, and here are some of my favorites from the books in Heroes & Villains: A Superhero Collection (along with a reminder that time is running out to download the boxed set):

This one is from the first chapter of Super by Karen Diem, and it makes me fall in love with the main character immediately. Continue reading Book Quotes from Superhero Fiction

5 Writing Lessons I Learned from Re-watching Batman: The Animated Series

I re-watched the first season of Batman: The Animated Series recently for the first time since I was in my tweens. (And boy, does that make me feel old.) I loved this show when I was a kid, but I don’t think I was really old enough to appreciate how brilliant it was. As an adult who’s interested in superheroes and storytelling, I got a lot more out of it. Not only did it entertain the heck out of me, but it gave me a lot to think about writing-wise.

Here are five thoughts I had after finishing the first season. Continue reading 5 Writing Lessons I Learned from Re-watching Batman: The Animated Series

Turn Back the Pages: Red Sonja

Turn Back the Pages is a biweekly monthly feature where I spotlight a comic that is not fresh and new. It may have come out a few months ago or even a few years ago. Maybe it was hyped and popular, or maybe it was an underappreciated gem. Whatever the case, it’ll be a great comic that’s well worth a read.

My first exposure to Red Sonja was that weird movie from the 80s, so while I was aware the character existed, I wasn’t a particular fan. The chainmail bikini is not a fantasy trope I generally enjoy, and I doubt I’d have been interested when the comic series was announced if the writer hadn’t been Gail Simone—one of my all-time favorite people in comics.

I caught previews and snippets of the issues online and was hooked. When the first trade paperback came out, I had to buy it.

Best decision ever. Continue reading Turn Back the Pages: Red Sonja