Lost Souls (Phoenix Company Book 1.5) - Phoenix Company, #1.5

Life-changing moments don't always wear name tags. Sailing the vast void of space is a chaotic life fraught with danger and mystery. It's often the unlikely connections with people that shape us in unexpected ways.  A pair of famous freelancers face their hidden pains as they uncover the mysteries of a blood-soaked research station overrun with horrible monsters. Cyborg agents dispatched by their AI overlord find a touch of humanity as they infiltrate a party of wealthy elites.
A bright-eyed teenager finally gets accepted as an armiger for his hero knight. Everything flips upside down when he lands in a shuttle full of convicted criminals screaming toward a pitched battle with pirates. Two wayward samurai face uncomfortable truths about life and death at a floating island resort owned by amethyst dragons. An unlikely band of misfit mercenaries drunkenly try to figure out what went wrong on their mission to discreetly protect a VIP from a gang of assassins.
Through their defining struggles, these lost souls find new purpose in each other. A sci-fi fantasy anthology of nine shorter stories in the vein of Last Wish from Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series, Lost Souls weaves together the heartwarming tale of Phoenix Company finding each other against all odds. As a prequel to the main narrative, it gives more background on Phoenix Company's founding four and their time with the Deadmaws while introducing some new characters entering the series.
All the same, you don't have to have read Inglorious Resurrection or In The Storm to enjoy Lost Souls. So check out the compelling and beautifully crafted tale of Lost Souls! Even as your first dive into the series, it stands on its own and won't disappoint. Content Warning: Lost Souls explores some mature subject matter including violence, gore, profanity, body horror and struggles with PTSD and addiction.