A NEW MILITARY SCIENCE FICTION SERIES FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND CREATOR OF THE HONOR HARRINGTON SERIES DAVID WEBER AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR RICHARD FOX
Six Billion Dead — And One Man Intent on Putting a Stop to the Killing
For more than fifty years, the Terran Republic and the Terran League have been killing one another. The death toll has climbed ever higher, year after year, with no end in sight. But the members of the Five Hundred, the social elite of the Republic's Heart Worlds, don't care.
Their star systems are light-years from any threat of attack. Their children are sheltered from the “mandatory service” that falls so heavily on the Fringe Worlds' backs. Their trade connections with the Rishathan Sphere bring them wealth and influence. And their contracts to build ships, fighters, missiles, and all the other sinews of war have made them the wealthiest human beings in the history of the galaxy.
Rear Admiral Terrence Murphy is a Heart Worlder. His family is part of the Five Hundred. His wife is the daughter of one of the Five Hundred's wealthiest, most powerful industrialists. His sons and his daughter can easily avoid military service, and political power is his for the taking. There is no end to how high he can rise in the Republic's power structureAll he has to do is successfully complete a risk-free military "governorship" in the backwater Fringe System of New Dublin without rocking the boat. Without dredging up any lunatic Fringe conspiracy theories. Without undercutting the Five Hundred's stranglehold on wealth and power.
But the people sending him to New Dublin have miscalculated, because Terrence Murphy is a man who believes in honor. Who believes in duty — in common decency and responsibility. Who believes there are dark and dangerous secrets behind the façade of what "everyone knows."
Terrence Murphy intends to meet those responsibilities and unearth those secrets, and he doesn't much care what the Five Hundred want.
He intends to put a stop to the killing.
Wherever that takes him, he will go. Whatever that costs him, he will pay. And whatever that requires, he will do.
Terrence Murphy is coming for whoever has orchestrated fifty-six years of bloodshed and slaughter, and Hell itself is coming with him.
A new novel in the world of In Fury Born, one of David Weber's most celebrated novels.
The series
In Ascent to Empire, David Weber and Richard Fox transport readers into a universe teeming with political intrigue, military strategy, and the relentless pursuit of power. This series is a dynamic blend of space opera and high-stakes drama, where the rise of an empire is as much about the calculated maneuvering of its leaders as it is about the vast, complex universe they seek to dominate.
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The series follows a fast-paced narrative as ambitious leaders, both ruthless and idealistic, carve their paths through a galaxy on the brink of transformation. As factions vie for control, each move is laden with consequence. It’s a world where the balance of power shifts like sand underfoot, and the tides of war never ebb. But beneath the surface of this grand struggle for empire lies a deeper question: What will humanity sacrifice in the name of progress, and what kind of empire is truly worth building?
What sets Ascent to Empire apart is the intricacy of its world-building. Weber and Fox don’t just craft galaxies—they populate them with political systems, cultures, and technology that are as rich as they are diverse. Every new planet, each faction, and every faction leader has a history and a set of motivations that shape the conflicts driving the series. This attention to detail doesn’t just create a setting—it creates a living, breathing world that feels as dynamic and unpredictable as any real political landscape.
Character-driven and filled with morally gray figures, the Ascent to Empire series excels at exploring themes of leadership, loyalty, and betrayal. Characters wrestle with their personal ambitions and ideals, making decisions that will echo across the galaxy. Some are driven by a vision of unity, while others are fueled by a hunger for power. These complex, multifaceted characters make the stakes personal, heightening the tension and drama as each book unfolds.
For fans of military sci-fi and epic space sagas, Ascent to Empire promises not only action-packed battles and strategic brilliance but also thoughtful explorations of the cost of empire-building, the price of ambition, and the uncertain path to absolute power. With its sharp prose, layered storytelling, and deeply engaging characters, the series is a compelling journey into a universe where every choice could tip the scales of destiny.
If you're looking for a series that doesn't just tell you about the rise of an empire but shows you its heart—its struggles, triumphs, and betrayals—then Ascent to Empire is a story that demands your attention.
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