Ascent of Mars Series

The Causeway; what it is, no-one outside of the Third Empire knows for sure. Even the majority of the Shadows who operate within the Third Empire know little of what is intended to do. All that is certain, is that it was born from the fevered insanity of the Third, Shadow Emperor, and in his damaged, splintering mind it will change the course of the Age of Secession once again. Mercenary Lord James Gavain, fighting to keep his new nation together, does not trust that all is it what it seems. He watches the Third Emperor send his forces ever northwards through the colonised galaxy, knowing that this is only the prelude to what is to come, and wonders what clue in the puzzle he is missing. The alien-human hybrids are not entirely as subservient as they appear to be. The Truce is under threat, with Vindicatus operations in the east about to be uncovered. Two Faceless Assassins seek the blood of the Emperor. The Levitican Union elects its new leader, and Lady Sophia is about to discover the poisons held close to her chest. In the south, the conflict between three great nations is about to ignite, seemingly unconnected to what happens in the east and north. Everyone can see the oncoming storm, but they just do not know where or how it will break.

“Let me tell you the story of the Darkness of Mars, the time during the start of the Age of Secession when one of the greatest crimes against humanity was committed. This was the time when the majesty of the Sol System was reduced to nothing but ashes, the blood flowed freely and everywhere, borgite and humanist hated each other and fought to the death, and greedy men and women sought thrones to salve their own egos and self-importance, seeing power as a right rather than a responsibility. And it was all in the name of this planet – Mars.” The Age of Secession takes a much darker turn, continuing with the House Lords and Ladies vying against each other, trying to build something new out of the ruins of what came before. The Red Empire of Mars has dissolved in a storm of blood, but its legacy lives on; old and new powers are rising from the darkest of places. The secret of the Causeway is revealed, and the storm has broken. The Mercenary Lord James Gavain alone dares to hope that he can bring new light to atone for his failure. It is the Third Emperor’s successors who smile and laugh, thinking they have won, and they hold the key to the rest of the galaxy in their grasp. Once more the Red Planet becomes the symbol of success, the jewel in the crown of the victor.

“Do not become so successful, that you fall into that trap that all the Emperors in history do time and time again. Absolutely any time that power and success can corrupt anyone .....” “Absolute power will corrupt everyone successfully, every time,” James Gavain completed the saying, quietly. This is the story of the Diadochi, the successors to the Emperors of Mars, and the families that fight for that old title. They would be the new Emperors of the Age of Secession, because in a tired and weary galaxy, the secessionists have finally given birth to their new masters. One is an Emperor born inside the Shadow; something new and of the devil lurks in his soul, standing far too close to him. One is an Emperor born from the Shadow; he wants freedom, and his hybrid people shall have that liberty, even at the cost of everyone else’s. And one is an Emperor born outside of the Shadow; a man who did not want the title at all. It goes against everything he fought for, but in order to save his poisoned family, he will have to accept the position and become the thing he hated most of all.

This compilation book contains all three novels in the Ascent of Mars trilogy. Part I – Oncoming Storm The Causeway; what it is, no-one outside of the Third Empire knows for sure. Even the majority of the Shadows who operate within the Third Empire know little of what is intended to do. All that is certain, is that it was born from the fevered insanity of the Third, Shadow Emperor, and in his damaged, splintering mind it will change the course of the Age of Secession once again. Part II – Darkness of Mars “Let me tell you the story of the Darkness of Mars, the time during the start of the Age of Secession when one of the greatest crimes against humanity was committed. This was the time when the majesty of the Sol System was reduced to nothing but ashes, the blood flowed freely and everywhere, borgite and humanist hated each other and fought to the death, and greedy men and women sought thrones to salve their own egos and self-importance, seeing power as a right rather than a responsibility. And it was all in the name of this planet – Mars.” Part III - Rise of the Diadochi : This is the story of the Diadochi, the successors to the Emperors of Mars, and the families that fight for that old title. They would be the new Emperors of the Age of Secession, because in a tired and weary galaxy, the secessionists have finally given birth to their new masters. About The Series Age of Secession wants to entertain, challenge and introduce people to science fiction based on politics, society and real-life concerns, and imaginatively address topics relevant to today whilst telling a gripping story. Whilst some books come close, very few quite manage to bring the right mix of entertainment with some of the more world-shaking events we experience today. Age of Secession leads the way in showing that you can have a star-spanning operatic drama with some very common human failings and successes with stories not out of place in novels of romance, horror, crime, thriller and suspense, mixing all these genres in the best traditions of imaginative science fiction. But it also shows that as well as telling a ripping yarn, a gripping story can also deal with serious modern-day issues - such as the strong themes of social inequality and political upheaval amongst others - that ride underneath the plots. Whether you want to just kick back, imagine you were your favourite character and enjoy the tale, or you want to turn the stories in the light to reflect on the very real things that happen today, occurred in the past, and might feature in the future, Age of Secession is the series that you want to read.