Book 2 in 'The Remembrance War' series.
Reclaiming Earth from the Zhen was only the beginning.
For the first time in a thousand years, humans walk the world where their civilizations first arose. Settlements have become towns, swelling with new settlers fleeing the oppression and lies of the Empire. For the first time in a thousand years, the human race is free.
But freedom never comes without a price, and a year of rebuilding ends with the human homeworld pushed to the brink of collapse by a series of Zhen attacks. Tajen Hunt, the man who found Earth and uncovered the truth about the Zhen, is sent to the Kelvaki Assembly to ask for ships and pilots to bolster Earth's defenses.
Between an assassination attempt on the Heir to the Assembly throne and the labyrinth of loyalties that is Kelvaki politics, it's not an easy task. And it's made impossible when the Zhen Empire seizes control of Earth and sets up a brutal Occupation.
Now Tajen and his team must return to Earth and find a way to end the Zhen occupation. But unlike the first Battle of Earth, the lines between friend and foe are no longer clear-because the Zhen have human agents among the people of Earth-and not all of them are known.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
Industry Reviews
Praise for The Widening Gyre (Book #1 in the Remembrance War series)
"The Widening Gyre is the best Space Opera I've read in years." -- Cemetery Dance Online
"Johnston's debut will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the heroes get themselves into one scrape after another. It has a hint of Battlestar Galactica, but with giant reptilian aliens. Johnston, with skillful plotting and impeccable world building, takes the tale of Tajen and his crew searching for home and shapes it into an unforgettable journey." - ALA Booklist
"Readers will feel invested in Tajen's team of affable human rebels and their futures" -- Publishers Weekly
"Fans of David Weber or Elizabeth Moon will enjoy this debut, and experienced sf readers will catch some winks at other series." -- Library Journal
"Johnston proves that he has a deft hand at world building and is giving us a new take on Earth's future [...] A thrilling ride full of mystery and mayhem." -- ScienceFiction.com
"What makes the book work is the characters. They all have interesting flaws, strengths, short-sightedness, and wisdom: they're well rounded enough that I really came away liking them, even some of the villains." -- Locus Magazine
"Johnston has taken the best elements from the old masters of space opera and created a fresh and fun story." -- scintilla.info