THE FALL GAUNTLET

Embark on a perilous quest into the heart of Calypso's treacherous Fall Gauntlet, where Benji and Soren confront the ultimate test of their courage and determination.

A decade after their mother's unjust imprisonment in the far reaches of the galaxy, Benji finds himself with a chance to free her from captivity. The path to her liberation? Victory in the Fall Gauntlet, a brutal contest of survival where only one wins.

In a world where loyalty is a luxury and survival is paramount, Benji is faced with impossible choices. And when he discovers that his final adversary wearing a bear mask is more familiar than he'd like to admit, he realizes that the greatest challenge lies not in the arena, but in confronting the bond of brotherhood itself.

Journey alongside Benji and Soren in The Fall Gauntlet series by J. A. Merkel. Prepare to be swept away by the pulse-pounding action, profound emotion, and the unyielding spirit of two brothers bound by love and the quest for redemption.

Book 1: The Fall Gauntlet: BEAR

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 brother, Soren.

The Fall Gauntlet continues...

You can also pick up the entire collection of The Fall Gauntlet in both eBook and Paperback formats here:

J. A. Merkel’s Bear is part of The Fall Gauntlet, a dystopian sci-fi short story collection aboutBenji and Soren’s misadventures to outsmart the Crown and save a family lost to them, all while learning how to be brothers again.

Book 2: The Fall Gauntlet: RAT

Against all odds, Benji and Soren have escaped the Fall Gauntlet finals—together. Benji should consider himself lucky, blessed by the gods and goddesses, even. After all, he’s broken free from the Crown’s clutches and given people a reason to stand up and fight again. But Benji and Soren’s actions have consequences.

Without a champion, the Harvest cycle has ended. The brother’s parents are still being held prisoner by the Crown. And whispers that rebel totem groups are forming to bring the Crown down grow ever louder. Benji and Soren may have escaped the stadium, but getting out of the capital is a whole other beast.

Much to his horror, Benji has created a living nightmare in which the Fall Gauntlet does not end. And what shocks him even more is that his list of enemies seems to grow with every step. When a strange man and his “rat” followers offer to help the brothers leave the capital by sewer, the brother’s escape plan takes a dark turn. If they can’t rise above their own past hurts, and the lies that continue to haunt their family, Soren and Benji may indeed die at each other’s hands.

The Fall Gauntlet continues...

You can also pick up the entire collection of The Fall Gauntlet in both eBook and Paperback formats here:

J. A. Merkel’s RAT is part of The Fall Gauntlet, a dystopian sci-fi short 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.

Book 3: The Fall Gauntlet: CHRYSIX

Benji and Soren narrowly escape the sewer rat clan, but their getaway comes at a terrible price: Soren’s mask has been tampered with, and he grows weaker with every step. Benji must find someone who can help his brother or risk losing him forever.

Without a true gauntlet champion, the world is falling out of balance, and new challengers vie to take down the brothers who shattered the age-old tournament. Benji puts on his lynx mask, seeking truth, only to hear an unfamiliar voice calling for help. As Soren slips further into a place of no return, and Benji’s options for help dwindle, the brothers take refuge at a spa run by sisters, Lyaza and Miki, hoping they can help heal Soren, but not all is as it seems. Both sisters carry dark secrets, and Miki harbors even grander plans of her own: to make contact with a goddess directly.

When Benji discovers that the voice has been calling Miki closer, he knows he has to stop her before she offers herself as a human vessel to carry out her own vision of what the Fall Gauntlet should be—one where the Dei punish those who attempt to destroy it. In the mountains beyond the desert, a harrowing secret about the totem animals is revealed, one that exposes the very foundations of the gauntlet itself. If Benji doesn’t figure out how to stop a mysterious and ancient force before it strikes, he’ll forfeit any chance he has of saving his mother, once and for all.

The Fall Gauntlet continues ...

You can also pick up the entire collection of The Fall Gauntlet in both eBook and Paperback formats here:

J. A. Merkel’s CHRYSIX is part of The Fall Gauntlet, a dystopian sci-fi short story 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.

Book 4: The Fall Gauntlet: CONDOR

Benji may have defeated the last Fall Gauntlet threat, but a new, more sinister champion rises ...

After defeating the malevolent chrysix totem, Benji and Soren finally have a chance to recover, but the hunt for the brothers who broke the Fall Gauntlet rages on. In the desert oasis town of Oajin, both the Crown and a murderous condor totem appear, forcing Benji, Soren, and their new companion, Lyaza, to flee.

When Benji learns his friend Daniil is still alive and holds vital information about the night Benji defeated the chrysix, Soren and Lyaza warn him to stay away. Ignoring their caution, Benji secretly meets Daniil, who gives him a dire warning: if you put on your mask, you risk the condor finding you.

As Benji uncovers more about Daniil’s past and the Fall Gauntlet, his beliefs about the totem masks, the Crown, and the Dei are turned upside-down again. The Crown, an enemy responsible for his family's downfall, is far more complex than he knows.Benji must face this new enemy head-on, but as the lines between friend, foe, and lover blur, he risks being ensnared in a web of lies that will send him down a one-way track to an endless black hole of pain, one more excruciating than death itself.

The Fall Gauntlet continues …

You can also pick up the entire collection of The Fall Gauntlet in both eBook and Paperback formats here:

J. A. Merkel’s CONDOR is part ofThe Fall Gauntlet, a collection of dystopian sci-fi novellas about Benji and Soren’s quest to outsmart the Crown and reclaim their family, all while learning how to be brothers again.

The Fall Gauntlet Collection

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