Empire Rising · #9 / 22
Empire's Birth
The Karacknid invasion of Earth has been turned back. Yet the War of Doom has only just begun. Tens of thousands of warships are amassing along the Varanni Alliance border. In one fell swoop they threaten to strike into the heart of Alliance space, conquering and devastating everything in their wake.
Meanwhile on Earth, the shadow of the nuclear holocaust the Karacknids unleashed hangs over all the survivors. Many of Humanity’s major cities lie in ruins. Her fleet has been devastated. The UN has crumbled. For the survivors, one phrase rises above all others; ‘never again.’
Against his better judgement, James finds himself thrust into taking charge of the rebuilding efforts. When political infighting and fractures threatening to split the survivors into competing factions, he is convinced something new is needed. Somehow, he must find a way to forge Humanity into a weapon that can turn back the tide of the Karacknid war machine. Somehow, out of the ashes of destruction a Human Empire must rise to take its place among the stars.
Empire’s Birth continues the story of James, Christine, Gupta and all the others as the struggle to protect their species against the Karacknid threat.
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.
Read full series description
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.
#1 · 2015The Void War 
#2 · 2016A King's Ship 
#8 · 2020Empire's Doom 
#9 · 2020Empire's Birth 
#11 · 2021Counterstrike 
#15 · 2022Into the Breach 
#16 · 2023Shadow Strike 
#17 · 2023Debt of Deceit 
#18 · 2023The Call of Honor 
#19 · 2024Battle of The Wilds 
#20 · 2024Empire's End 
#21 · 2025Inheritance of War 
#22 · 2025Empire Divided Be the first reviewer
Sign in and write the first reader review.
