The sixth novel in The Book of Ruin series, THE RED OCCUPATION, is now available in E-book and paperback.
Set two generations after THE LAST SKINWEAVER, the saga follows the same bloodline.
The Flash severed Earth from its Martian colonies. Cut off and abandoned, the colonists harden, shaping themselves into something different, something ruthless. They call themselves Marinthians and live by a stark martial creed that believes in a holy war against their home world.
When they return after six centuries, it is not as prodigal children but as exterminators. Their Purge Ships first destroy the floating castles that guard American settlements in the Transylvanian Mountains and the tribal lands of the allied Vosgiens.
But conquest gives way to occupation when they discover long-abandoned, highly coveted antigravity factories buried beneath Earth’s surface. A handful of realms are spared as vassals to provide a constant supply of slave laborers to work and die at the excavation sites.
But rebellion smolders. From a hidden castle, a salt-veined mine and the shadows of Islambol, an insurgency takes shape, igniting a war between twin worlds with irreconcilable destinies.
The E-edition can be purchased from Amazon, Apple Books, the Nook and other E-sellers. The paperback can be bought through my website at https://www.wghladkyauthor.com/shop/.
Essien Asian wrote about the book:
W.G. Hladky’s The Red Occupation is the sixth book in The Book of Ruin series. The detailed list of characters, maps, places, and a beautifully written prologue that flows like poetry make it easy for readers to grasp the larger plot of the series, or to enjoy this installment as a standalone. Although the dialogue mostly has a cloak-and-dagger tone, Hladky seamlessly includes segments of thought-provoking drama, as shown when Kagan reminisces about the decisions that led her to become a RangerKnight. A rapidly shifting narrative perspective gives relatively equal attention to human and Marthinian activities, pulling readers into the action to align with whichever factions appeal to them. A masterpiece in a class of its own.
Iron John wrote about the book:
Okay, so even if you haven’t read the earlier books, you can jump into The Red Occupation. W.G. Hladky throws you straight into a wild ride…The action is nonstop, the politics are messy in a fun way, and the characters? You actually care about what happens to them… It’s the kind of book where you keep thinking, “Just one more chapter…” and suddenly it’s 2 a.m. If you love sci-fi that’s adventurous, a little intense, and just plain fun, this one’s a solid pick, even as a standalone.
Jamie Michele wrote about the book:
The Red Occupation by W.G. Hladky presents a superbly executed vision of a fragmented geopolitical future shaped by faith, fractured alliances, and historical divisions…The book’s strength lies in how it makes a fractured world feel operable, with every region and faction defined by its own functional logic. The result is a sustained sense of cohesion that holds through shifting alliances, military operations, and the embedded presence of belief and history. Very highly recommended.
If you like the book, give it five stars on Amazon and Goodreads.
PS: Years after publication, readers are still discovering my books!
The Last Skinweaver — #21 in Alien Invasion Sci-Fi, #23 in Alternative History on Kindle’s free book listings.
The Flashfall Sword — #6 in Military Fantasy, #24 in Alternative History on Kindle’s free book listings.
RangerKnights — #8 in Military Fantasy, #26 in Alternative History on Kindle’s free book listings.
The Book of Ruin — #34 in Alternative History of Kindle’s free book listings on Kindle’s free book listings.
Thank you to everyone keeping these stories alive!