Benji and Soren will do anything to save their family, but the Crown isn’t going to make it easy . . .
Ten years after his mother was thrown into her off-world prison, Benji finally has a chance to save her. All he has to do is win the Fall Gauntlet, a fight-to-the-death tournament on the planet of Calypso, designed to please the gods and goddesses and keep them at bay. Benji’s success will usher in a new era of science and innovation, and he’s come too far to lose now.
But the Crown is three steps ahead. They’ve orchestrated every move, pushing Benji to the victory that will serve their own agenda. Winning the deathmatch will grant his wish to save his mother, but the Crown has other plans and won’t let go of Benji so easily.
As Benji learns the truth about the Crown’s desires, he is forced to make impossible choices, especially when he learns that his final opponent—the hulking young man behind the bear mask—is his estranged brother, Soren.
J.A. Merkel’s
Bear
is part of
The Fall Gauntlet
, a dystopian sci-fi novella collection about Benji and Soren’s misadventures to outsmart the Crown and save a family lost to them, all while learning how to be brothers again.
————
The story of Benji and Soren pulls you in and doesn't let go. Great writing with awesome action.
- Scott Coon, award-winning sci-fi author and Writer's of the Future Finalist ★★★★★
The story was a mix of Gladiator and The Hunger Game vibes, with a great unique sci-fi spin.
- Alana Faye Wilson, Winner of The Bookstagram Awards Sci-fi Novel of the Year ★★★★★
J. A. Merkel is a master of imagery and a terrific storyteller. The Fall Gauntlet: BEAR is a non-stop thrill ride featuring exhilarating fight scenes and futuristic tech. It's a novella I know gamers will want to see made into a game so they can play it for hours and hours. Brother versus brother. It's a story that would captivate teens and adults on the big screen!
- Kam Brook, Reedsy Discovery review ★★★★★
The suspense will keep you hanging on page after page.
- The Avid Reader ★★★★★
Bear has the flavor of a dystopian world like that of Hunger Games but with a palette all its own. I love that this is essentially a story of brothers and their bond.
- Rachael Ritchey, author of The Beauty Thief ★★★★★
The world-building and the characters are fantastic, and I read the whole story in one session.
- Paul Brooks, sci-fi author and host of Page Turnerz Podcast ★★★★★