MECH by B. V. Larson

This collection of text is an excerpt from the science fiction novel MECH by B. V. Larson, published in 2010, which includes a table of contents and list of other books by the author. The story centers on the planet Garm and its moon, Gopus, where disparate human factions, including the new Planetary Governor Lucas Droad, the powerful and ruthless Mai Lee, and a group of skalds who share their bodies with parasitic "riders," are threatened by a sudden and brutal invasion of biological alien creatures. These creatures, including digging umulks, swift killbeasts, scavenging trachs, stealthy shrades, and commanding nife, are directed by "Parents" and aim to consume the human population and seize control of the planet and interstellar ships, leading to widespread conflict and shifting alliances among the human survivors. The excerpts showcase various characters' struggles, the alien invasion tactics, and ultimately a last-ditch effort to combat the alien leadership.