An Overview of the Based Book Sale
The 2025 Summer Edition
In case you didn’t know, The 2025 Summer Based Book Sale had begun. Of course, subscribers to this publication should already know that since I’ve cross-posted the sale before. Here’s the link to the sale, please check it out:
With this very post, I want to zero-in on some certain books. This is not quite a review, more like an overview. I hope this post will prove to be helpful since there are a lot of books in that sale. I honestly didn’t count. But if I have to guess how many books are in the 2025 Summer Based Book Sale?
But in all seriousness, I wish I could have gotten this post sooner. But this week is finals week for my law program. As you might expect, I’ve been very busy. Islamic Law, in particular, was making me tear my hair out.
But now I’m done with the worst it. So let’s put away those law books and college textbooks, it’s time to read something that’s actually fun.
Now be sure to the click the links on the titles of each book. It’ll take you either to the Based Book Sale page or the book’s Amazon page.
Books by Michael P. Marpaung (Reviewed by Brian Heming)
Yes, I will first go through my own books first. Shameless, I know. But I’m not that shameless, so I won’t be reviewing my own books. Instead, I will employ the words of one
who has some good things to say about my novels.By the way, Brian also has his own post reviewing the books currently on the 2025 Based Book Sale:
Inquisitor’s Promise
Mechas, Wyvern Knights, Dragonball Fighters, Catgirl Ninjas, and Catholics take on Nanotech Borg
An intensely Catholic military tour-de-force set after the year 7000, this book details a series of battles to unite Christendom, then bring its full force against the world-ending peril of a nanotech Grey Globe that suborns all it touches.
This is not just a battle-laden piece of military sci-fi, but also a deep homage to the history of genre fiction, taking inspirations from such greats as Virgil, C.S. Lewis, and Miguel de Cervantes. Beyond the sheer spectacle of catgirl ninjas fighting against and alongside mecha robots, we also have deeply religious character development within the frame of a traditional pulp fiction/fairytale prince-and-space-princess tale, with not one, not two, but five different princesses, not to mention a number of princes.
A whole lot of fun combined with deep underlying meaning and philosophy.
The Santara Commentaries, Book 1: The Padri
Imagine the tactical military sci-fi of Jerry Pournelle, e.g. in Janissaries. Take that tactical mindset, put it in the mind of an amnesiac protagonist, and have him direct a motley crew of 17th-century soldiers including swordsmen, musketeers, cannon, wyvern cavalry, elemental magic blasters riding pegasi, and more, against an evil empire. Set this all in an alternate history version of the many islands of Indonesia.
Epic? Yes. Awesome? Yes. Wargame-nerd well-thought out strategies, tactics, and battles? Definitely in this book.
Brian also wrote a long form review of The Santara Commentaries on
:
Other Books (Reviewed by Me, Michael P. Marpaung)
Faith and Empire: Book One of The Holy Terran Empire
by Carlos Carrasco
So let’s start with what I consider to be my favorite book that is currently in the sale. Heck, I’d call it my favorite indie book. If I didn’t already buy the book on Kindle 2 years ago, I would have bought the book right now.
So why do I love this book so much? For one thing, the setting is right up my alley. Taking place in the 51st century, you’d think it would be yet another cliche’d sci-fi universe. But no, the story had a fresh take on the space opera genre that differentiates itself from the Star Trek and Star Wars wannabes.
Now let’s get to our hero, Zephyrinus ‘Zeph’ Zapatas. A member of the Imperial Marines, Zeph is a fresh-faced recruit facing his first battle; and it was to be a brutal fight against a group of space pirates. Throughout the book, Zeph’s resolve was tested, and his character developed in a way that is natural.
Carrasco’s book reminds me of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. And while Faith and Empire may not have killer bugs, it is the closest thing I can think of to a spiritual successor to that masterpiece of military sci-fi.
I also have a long form review of this book. While that review is two years old, I still stand by it:
The Pulp Mindset: A NewPub Survival Guide
by J.D. Cowan (Author), L. Jagi Lamplighter (Editor)
On Goodreads, I gave a pretty short review of this book:
Concise and gets straight to the point. A must read for 'aspiring writers'.
Now I want to expand on this a little. I’m not someone who started out hating the mainstream publications. Nor am I someone who tried to “get published” but never made it or was cancelled so I had an axe to grind against those guys. None of that.
I just didn’t care. It’s not a conscious thing. I grew up loving sci-fi/fantasy stuff. I also love reading. But at some point it occurred me that I never cared for the stuff that kept coming out of the mainstream publications, meaning the things that you’ll find in the sci-fi/fantasy section of Barnes & Noble. I don’t really read those things. More importantly, it felt like no one else read them either.
Now, everyone agrees that no one reads anymore. Not books. So how do we move forward? It’s a tough question. But this book is an important guide to help writers seeking to “hawk their wares” in navigating this brave new world.
And trust me, what is contained in this writing is far from the bland nonsense that you’ll find from some writing workshops or seminars or whatever place rich people go to to waste their cash.
Side note:
and is on Substack also. Go check them out, they’re great.But speaking of pulp…
A Princess of Mars:
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
This is a classic. I wish I can say that this book’s reputation precedes it, but it doesn’t. The only thing most people know about it is that Disney movie that flopped (though perhaps that was for the better since that means Disney won’t ruin it like they did Star Wars, but I digress).
What can I say? This is pulp fiction at its finest, and I’m not talking about Sam Jackson. It began with John Carter, a former Confederate veteran who somehow got himself transported to Mars. And unlike the dead world of Elon Musk’s obsession that the Red Planet is now known as, this Mars is a dying world of adventure and romance. Think of all the sci-fi/fantasy cliches: alien princesses, desert world, airships, even the concept of isekai; there’s a good chance that John Carter did it first.
As for the characters: John Carter is how a hero should be, Dejah Thoris is how a heroine should be, Tars Tarkas makes for a great rival/friend/companion to the hero. So they’re cool (and surprisingly deep too).
Speaking of isekai, let’s get to the last book in this overview…
Gun Magus
by N.R. LaPoint
I don’t even know where to begin with this. Kenneth ‘Ken’ Jericho is a gunslinging vigilante who got himself transported into a Final Fantasy-esque world. There, he met a colorful cast of characters which includes but are not limited to: an anime magical girl (down to the gratuitous Japanese, she’s the main love interest, obviously), a monster girl with spider features, and a panda warrior monk. Also, the panda monk is a Catholic monk… in this isolated parallel fantasy world. I guess the late Papa Francesco and the Jesuits weren’t telling us something.
Anyways, when I say that the setting is a Final Fantasy-esque world, I mean that in almost every sense of it. Even the way the characters are set up is basically a JRPG party. Not that I’m complaining. It wasn’t forced and was done in a creative way. Ken himself with his gunplay became a mage of sorts, a gun magus (title drop).
Just read the book for yourself. Better yet, read all the books mentioned in this post. Get them for $0.99 while supplies last the sale is still ongoing!
So that’s the post right there. Happy Reading!
Peace.