Robert Jeschonek is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author whose action-packed, envelope-pushing fiction has made waves around the world. His stories have appeared in CLARKESWORLD, GALAXY'S EDGE, ESCAPE POD, PULPHOUSE, and many other publications. He has also written official STAR TREK and DOCTOR WHO fiction and comics tales for AHOY and DC Comics.

Annie Reed has been called "one of the best writers of her generation" and for good reason. She writes in multiple genres, including mystery, suspense, science fiction, urban and contemporary fantasy, romance, and thrillers, along with the occasional story that doesn't fall into any one specific category. She's a founding member of the innovative UNCOLLECTED ANTHOLOGY, and her short fiction appears regularly in PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE; MYSTERY, CRIME & MAYHEM; and starting this year in THRILL RIDE – THE MAGAZINE. She's written official STAR TREK fiction and admits that she's an unabashed MCU fangirl. She currently writes and edits fulltime. When she's not cuddling cats.

Robert Jeschonek is a USA TODAY bestselling author. He won the grand prize in Pocket Books' nationwide Strange New Worlds contest for his STAR TREK tale, "Our Million-Year Mission." He also won an International Book Award and a Scribe Award from the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. His young adult fantasy, MY FAVORITE BAND DOES NOT EXIST, won a Forward National Literature Award and was named a Top Ten First Novel for Youth by BOOKLIST magazine.

Annie Reed has won awards in categories as diverse as her writing. She's been honored with appearances in five year's best mystery and crime volumes, including an amazing three years in a row in the Best Mystery Stories of the Year (2022, 2023, and 2024) edited by Otto Penzler. She received a Silver Honorable Mention from Writers of the Future and a Literary Fellowship from the Nevada Arts Council. She's been a multiple Derringer finalist, and one of her holiday romance stories (featuring cats, of course) was chosen to appear in study materials in Japan for students preparing for college entrance exams.

The Complete Gray Lady Omnibus: Vol. 1-3 by Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready to blast off with the complete GRAY LADY trilogy from bestselling and award-winning writers Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed!

Available for the first time anywhere, this three-book collection contains the entire rousing saga started in GRAY LADY RISING.

GRAY LADY RISING introduces readers to retired military armor jock Augusta "Gus" Light, the heroic Gray Lady of the Alliance's 83rd Armor Division, and charming smuggler Mephistopheles Drake.

Thirty years ago, young Gus Light led a last-ditch battle to save the people of Shepard's Moon from a bloody guerilla uprising. She earned a medal for her heroism but lost everything she held dear, including the newborn son she was forced to leave behind.

Now, an army of guerilla fighters led by a megalomaniacal warlord are staging a bloody takeover of Shepard's Moon. This time the guerillas are winning. When the Alliance refuses to send troops to defend the planet's governor—Gus's estranged son—the take-no-prisoners Gray Lady comes out of retirement for one last battle. Along with Mephistopheles Drake, Gus hurtles into the middle of a civil war and goes toe-to-toe with the rebel forces attempting to seize control of Shepard's Moon.

Nobody but nobody threatens her son.

In Book 2 of the saga, GRAY LADY'S REVENGE, Gus and Drake take off on a mission to bring down the corrupt politician behind the guerilla uprising on Shephard's Moon.

Disgraced ambassador Jorritz Tor used his position with the Alliance to supply the guerilla fighters with the advanced weaponry that nearly killed not only Gus and Drake, but also her son. When Tor flees into the Frontier, the heroic Gray Lady vows to bring him to justice.

If there's one thing Mephistopheles Drake knows, it's the Frontier. And if there's one woman he'll do anything for, it's the Gray Lady. Even if that means putting himself and his ship at risk to help her take revenge against the one man underhanded enough and powerful enough to build his own empire in the Frontier.

In an action-packed adventure filled with intergalactic intrigue, Gus and Drake struggle with old enemies —and old friends with agendas of their own—all while navigating the dangerous waters of mutual attraction. GRAY LADY'S REVENGE proves once again that revenge is a dish best served by the old (armor jock, that is).

This exciting series concludes with GRAY LADY'S GAMBIT, Book 3 of the Gray Lady saga. This time Jorritz Tor is out for revenge against Gus and Drake, who have consistently foiled his decades-long plan to establish an empire of his own in the Frontier.

An empire strong enough to challenge the Alliance itself.

In GRAY LADY'S GAMBIT, Gus and Drake face their hardest challenge yet: to amass a ragtag army to wage a last-ditch effort to stop Tor before he completes building his empire. If they fail, billions will die in the inevitable war between the Alliance and Tor and the pirate factions who've sworn to fight for him in return for untold wealth and power.

In a no-holds-barred battle for the future of the Frontier and the Alliance, Gus and Drake reunite with old friends, enter into uneasy truces with old enemies, and discover that the most heartbreaking gambit of all is the one you never saw coming.

CURATOR'S NOTE

•Annie Reed is a longtime friend and one of the best in the business—a real "writer's writer." There's nothing she can't do…including co-authoring this mecha-meets-Firefly space opera series. We debuted the first book, Gray Lady Rising, in the Heroines of Space Opera bundle, followed up in last year's Space Opera Sisterhood bundle with an omnibus of that book and the second in the series, Gray Lady's Revenge —and had so much fun writing them that we decided to develop book three for this year's bundle. The result, brings together our individual strengths as writers—Annie's uncanny ability to create multidimensional characters with rich back stories and powerful motivations, plus my love of writing offbeat, surprising tales that bring new life and surprises to well-worn genre tropes. In the latest chapter of Gus and Drake's adventures on the interstellar frontier, they set out to defeat their arch-enemy, the tyrannical Jorritz Tor, once and for all. Even with a team of daring allies and a load of high-tech weaponry, they have their work cut out for them…but the Gray Lady has a history of beating the odds on the field of battle. Cross your fingers that our heroes triumph in the end and pave the way for more adventures in books to come. – Robert Jeschonek

 

REVIEWS

  • "Annie…and Bob? Writing together? Folks, this is epic!"

    – Dean Wesley Smith, Editor, PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE

  • "By the brilliant hands of Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed, GRAY LADY'S REVENGE rejects any trace of the flattened scifi woman. Stature doesn't hold over the skill of this weathered, whirlwind protagonist, whose level of trust in her own ass-kicking ability never bows to the strident influences of intergalactic law enforcement or arrogant old flames, much less to towering, shrouded foes. Space frontierism is subverted in this sharp-staked story that makes way for sensitive and authentic relationships and tender sacrifice, while still never forgetting to leave room for brawling badassery throughout."

    – L. Daniel, Reviewer

  • "GRAY LADY'S REVENGE sweeps readers into a captivating intergalactic odyssey led by the

    charismatic pair of Augusta Light and Mephistopheles Drake. At the core of this adventure is

    Augusta Light, a formidable female protagonist radiating strength, dynamism, and

    determination. Penned by Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed, the novel intricately constructs a

    universe teeming with complexity, heartwarming bonds, and spirited exchanges. For any fan of

    science fiction, this novel will prove not only entertaining, but deeply thought provoking."

    – Bill Baker, Reviewer

  • "GRAY LADY RISING explores relevant themes of companionship, family, and self-reliance against the

    backdrop of elaborate intergalactic politics and action-packed conflicts. The captivating storyline builds suspense and urgency; my eyes were glued to the page the whole time. A paragon of feminine power, the protagonist possesses a vitality that both stuns and inspires readers, making us feel that we too are capable of anything. If you enjoy military sci-fi thrillers and non-traditional characters, you might enjoy reading this as much as I did!"

    – Alicia Chen, Reviewer

  • "Taking the most foundational tropes of every quality sci-fi novel, Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed twist a typical tale about found-family relationships and corrupt governments into a refreshing story about an unorthodox female protagonist who is unapologetic in both her power and capacity to love. While the novel is so deeply guided by its cast of characters—who readers cannot help but root for— GRAY LADY RISING is simultaneously riddled with political intrigue and intergalactic action scenes you can't look away from, effectively twisting the most classic aspects of sci-fi novels in the most delightfully unconventional way."

    – Alex Nadirashvilli, Reviewer
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Springing over to the comms panel, Drake sent a signal over her suit's radio frequency. "Gus? Gus, what's your status?"

"Right as rain, cowboy." Her voice sounded strong on the call. "Going to have words with whoever just fired at me, though."

Drake grinned. "I almost feel sorry for 'em." His relief was palpable, his determination redoubled. Knowing she was still in one piece was enough to get him through the fight.

"Captain Drake?" interrupted Bruce.

"What is it?" snapped Drake.

"Do you think there's some kind of existence after death for AIs like me?" asked Bruce. "I don't see any reference to an AI heaven or hell in my memory banks, but maybe there's a verbal tradition you might share with…"

"Can't help you there." Promptly, Drake hopped back over to the nav console and switched off the autopilot, giving himself manual control of the ship's navigation. With so much at stake, he didn't have time to worry about Bruce's soul-searching getting in the way of the battle to come.

"I hope there's a life after death for me," said Bruce. "Especially with all the dangerous situations you continue to put me through."

As Drake jammed the joystick forward, propelling the Void toward the ring-ship at a high rate of speed, he thought about shutting off Bruce's voice along with the autopilot—then got distracted. One of the pirate fighters was leaping toward them, energy weapons blazing from the nose of its pod-like body.

Drake yanked the stick hard right, dodging the round of fire, then bolted up in a high, elliptical arc and brought her back around again. The pirate pod spun past, firing wild, unable to stabilize its course and draw a bead on the Void with any accuracy.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" shouted Bruce.

Drake just ignored him and kept up the dogfight. He whipped the Void around as it finished its arc, then swerved hard left—nearly colliding with the pod fighter—and dropped fast before the pirate could get off a single shot.

Watching the nav screen, he saw the blip representing the pirate looping back to come at him again. Thinking fast, he killed the main engines and waited for the incoming craft.

Watching the pod's blip closing in on the nav screen, he kept his left hand poised over a certain lever, ready to pull it at a second's notice. It was all part of a move he'd used many times in his smuggling runs, a little something to surprise a persistent opponent.

The pirate opened fire, scoring direct hits on the Void's forward shielding. The ship shuddered, but Drake could tell from his readouts that no major damage had been done.

Bruce didn't see it that way, though. He let out an agonized howl as the beams stabbed his nose, crying out with such volume that he made Drake wince.

"That hurt!" said the AI. "That really hurt!"

"You're fine." Drake never took his eyes off the nav screen or his hand off the lever. "Enough with the drama already."

"Why are we just sitting here? They're going to blast me to bits!"

"Only if you keep distracting me with your whining," said Drake. "Now shut up and let me concentrate."

Still, the fighter pod zoomed closer to the Void. Apparently, it never occurred to the pilot that the sitting duck vessel was too good to be true.

More shots licked the front of the Void, but the shields held. Drake resisted the impulse to take action too soon and continued to wait a few seconds more, drawing the pod in closer.

Then, he pulled the lever all the way. The Void's starboard thrusters lit up and let loose all at once, heaving the ship suddenly to port and out of the path of the oncoming fighter.

"Gotcha!" As the pirate zipped through the space that the Void had just vacated, Drake unleashed his starboard guns in a diffuse spread of energy bursts and projectiles, hoping to catch them as they passed.

The sudden explosion hurtling off along the pirate's trajectory told him he'd succeeded. The video feeds showed the pod blow apart, and its blip on the nav screen winked out as if it had never been there.

"Yeee-Haww!" Drake couldn't resist the victory cry, though of course the overall battle with the remaining pirates—and, possibly, Layla's crew—had yet to be won.

"We did it!" said Bruce. "We actually did it!"

Hearing that pronouncement after the AI's anxiety-riddled performance mere moments ago, Drake could only shake his head. It was all part of Bruce's evolution, he supposed, as its programming adjusted to new input and experience…but he could see it driving him personally crazy if it didn't settle down soon. He could also see how it might lead to disaster if it flared up at the wrong time, or if it escalated while still in full control of all ship systems.

When, if ever, he wondered, would he be able to completely trust Bruce to take the reins in a life-or-death situation again?

"What next?" asked Bruce. "Who're we going to fight next?"

"Whoever's still kicking in that mess." Drake swung the ship around and pointed the cameras at the ring-shaped vessel in the distance. Just as it came into the frame, a huge explosion blossomed near the ring ship, sending clouds of smoke and debris billowing outward.

Could there be any doubt who was responsible for that blast, or the gleaming shards of wreckage left drifting where the pirates and Delgado had once been gathered for battle?

"Great work, Gray Lady." Smirking, he set course for the ring, intending to provide whatever backup or cleanup Gus might need. If the fighting was already over, he'd do his part to negotiate a deal with Layla for a haul of singularium. Either way, he didn't expect too much heavy lifting remained to be done.

He definitely didn't expect the big pirate cruiser to drop out of a transit flume in the middle of the ring with guns charged and glowing, swiveling to aim at the site of the ongoing war being waged by Gus Light.