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!

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

Clockwork Fairies

by Cat Rambo

This is one of the greatest examples of an unsympathetic narrator that I’ve ever come across. Really, though, the story isn’t about him but his fiancé. I would gladly read an entire series starring her, but this story is complete and lovely. Try it if you like a little magic in your steampunk, or if you enjoy stories about brilliant ladies dumping dudes who aren’t good enough for them. Continue reading More Spectacular Steampunk Short Stories

New Superhero Fiction (July 2018)

The last of this summer’s superhero blockbusters may have already hit theaters, but there are plenty more superhero novels ready to hit your tablet, phone, or e-reader. Here are some of coolest titles I came across in July. As usual, I haven’t read all of these books personally, so check out the samples and reviews before downloading. And happy reading!

Sorceress Super Hero

by Darius Brasher

The mess all started when I punched a 400-year-old fairy reality TV star in the throat.

Things got really weird from there.

Before I could blink, I was fighting wererats, getting kidnapped by superheroes, stealing a cape inhabited by the ghost of a magical genius, and trying to save the world alongside a 2,000-year-old immortal who wields a piece of Noah’s Ark. All while struggling to not get evicted or fired from my job.

That was just Monday. Tuesday is shaping up to be busier. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (July 2018)

Read the first chapter of Kill Them All

We’re less than two months away from the release date of Kill Them All! I like to call this novel a “supervillain revenge thriller,” so expect lots of superpowered action and a snarky first-person POV. I love writing Val, a glamorous, middle-aged, semi-retired supervillain who just wants to protect her family. Though loving her doesn’t stop me from putting her through hell in this book. 😉

A big thank you to everyone who’s been following The White Knight and Black Valentine Series from the beginning, and a warm welcome to new readers who just discovered the books recently! I hope this preview gets you hyped, and that you enjoy the whole book when it hits the shelves. Continue reading Read the first chapter of Kill Them All

8 Great Superhero Anthologies

I love a good anthology. Getting a dozen stories in one collection, discovering new authors, diving into new worlds—what’s not to like? Fans of superhero fiction are particularly lucky, because there are a lot of good superhero anthologies out there. In honor of the release of Heroes and Villains, the new boxed set that contains Hero Status along with nine other novels, I want to spotlight four of my favorite anthologies and four on my to-read list.

Wild Cards

Back in print after a decade, expanded with new original material, this is the first volume of George R. R. Martin’s Wild cards shared-world series. Continue reading 8 Great Superhero Anthologies

New Superhero Fiction (June 2018)

This is a little late due to my vacation, but here are some of last month’s new superhero books. I’ve got short reads if you’re pressed for time, and the latest installments in multi-book series if you want something long and epic. As usual, I haven’t read all of these personally, so please check out the samples and reviews before buying. And if you’ve read any of these, let me know what you think in the comments!

Empowered: Rebel (The Empowered Book 4)

by Dale Ivan Smith

What do you do when a conspiracy suppresses super powers?

Mathilda Brandt fights to keep her fellow Empowered friends and the Imbued refugees from Sanctuary alive and safe. Environmental disasters are ravaging the world. Her former master, the secretive government agency known as Support, hunts her and the other rogue Empowered and Imbued across the world, seeking to capture or kill them. Only the strange Dark-Net, an extra-dimensional road, keeps Mat and her friends free.

Mat is also desperate to find her mother, who until a few months ago Mat thought was dead. Her mother’s fate is somehow intertwined with the people hunting her, and Mat wants to learn how. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (June 2018)