The Second Karacknid War has begun. Tens of thousands of Karacknid warships are pouring south into The Wilds. Their goal is simple; breach the system of Human border forts and strike at Earth. Led by Imperator Tanaka-lan, their numbers are overwhelming, and his tactical skill is second to none.
Emperor Somerville and the Imperial Fleet have no other choice, they must move out and meet Tanaka-lan in The Wilds. While Jonathan and others seek to raid the Karacknid battlefleets’ supply lines, James faces them head on. Across an area more than a thousand light years long and wide, he must use his fleet’s speed and flexibility to try and blunt and slow the Karacknids’ relentless advance.
For twenty-five years Humanity has been preparing for the war they always knew was coming. Now their defenses will be tested to the breaking point, and Humanity’s best commanders will be put to the ultimate test.
Battle of the Wilds is book 19 in the Empire Rising series and continues the Second Karacknid War arc.
The series
In a future shaped by starships and shifting alliances, Empire Rising delivers a galaxy on the brink—and dares readers to step into its war-torn heart. This expansive military sci-fi series begins not with glory, but with the quiet tension of a commander burdened by duty. At its core is James Somerville, a Royal Space Navy officer navigating the fine line between loyalty and survival as humanity stretches its reach across the stars.
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What sets this space opera apart isn’t just the scope of its interstellar conflicts or the precision of its tactical warfare—though those are delivered with grit and clarity—but the weight of consequence that hangs over every decision. Empires don’t rise without cost, and here, each battle scars more than just hulls. The political games are as dangerous as the dogfights, and the galaxy is far from black and white.
With a tone steeped in realism and a clear respect for naval tradition, the series blends grounded strategy with far-reaching stakes. Readers are drawn into a universe where no victory is simple, and peace is always temporary. As alliances crack and new threats emerge, Somerville and his crew must navigate not only hostile alien forces, but the very ambitions of the human powers they serve.
Tense, deliberate, and steeped in atmosphere, Empire Rising offers a vision of the future shaped by conflict, command, and the unshakable belief that even in the darkest corners of space, leadership matters. It’s a series that rewards those who savor intricate world-building, evolving character arcs, and the moral grey zones of war among the stars.
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