The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance.

In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission—determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada.

The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor, who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.

Earth will need a fleet. One with a hidden purpose. One strong enough to fight a battle against annihilation.

The Ember War is the first installment in an epic military sci-fi series. If you like A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and The Last Starship by Vaughn Heppner, then you'll love this explosive adventure with constant thrills and high stakes from cover to cover.


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Q&A with Richard Fox:

How would you describe The Ember War?
In as few words as possible: Battlestar Galactica meets Mass Effect. In more words: It is a story of first contact with galactic empires, some with our best interests at heart, others that see us as an infestation to be wiped out.

Your previous books were historical fiction and spy thrillers, why write a military science fiction novel?
I’ve been a science fiction fan since I was a kid, stories about space marines, power armor and battles between giant space fleets have are always at the top of my reading list. Setting a space opera around the star carrier Breitenfeld was exciting for me, and I’m sure that excitement will carry over to the readers.

Are you going to hit us with a cliff hanger ending?
As a reader, I’m not a big fan of cliff hanger endings so I won't do that to you. The ending for The Ember War is definitely a preview of coming attractions.

Where’d you get the idea for The Ember War?
The stars are silent. We’ve had our ear to the sky for decades but we haven’t had a confirmed peep from any alien civilizations. There are three reasonable explanations: no one else is out there, we don’t have the right tools to listen, or something is silencing extraterrestrial civilizations as they start broadcasting.
If the third explanation is the right one, how could humanity save itself from that threat, and what if other aliens could help us?

What makes this unique?
I have a strong military background and that carries into my writing. I spent ten years on active duty in the US Army, and served two combat deployments to Iraq. I try and bring all the fear, doubt and pulse pounding adrenaline from war into my novels, and I hope it shines through for the readers.

If this was a movie, what would it be rated?
PG-13 for some language and intense action.