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Hostile Territory
Captured on an enemy planet with a vital secret and thousands of lives in the balance…
Silas Hunt, former pirate and current naval officer, has been taken captive, along with his friend, fellow officer, and sometimes lover, Ari. The Rosette navy clearly think he knows something and is willing to torture him to get him to confess. The problem is, he has no damn idea what he’s supposed to know. But as he begins to put the clues together, he realizes two first, the Rosette navy is planning a surprise attack that will cripple the Level. And second, the attack will start at the blockade where the Verity, with all his friends and crewmates onboard, is currently posted. He and Ari are the only ones who could possibly warn them, and locked in a prison on an enemy-held planet light-years away from the Level fleet, injured and with no knowledge of the language, it might be more of a mission than even he and Ari can pull off.
Serving in a blockade fleet on the far reaches of Level space has turned out to be much more eventful than Captain Hollis Ives had hoped. But things only get more hazardous when word comes through that Mad Dog, former pirate captain now serving in the Admiralty, has requested transfer to the fleet—to the Verity, specifically. Both Hollis and her first officers are certain she’s there to enact revenge over what happened to her former crew members Silas and Ari. But when she arrives, Hollis realizes what Mad Dog may be after something much more dangerous.
Treasure Island meets Master and Commander with a science-fiction twist and a diverse cast in R.M. Olson’s thrilling series, The Devil and the Dark.
Silas Hunt, former pirate and current naval officer, has been taken captive, along with his friend, fellow officer, and sometimes lover, Ari. The Rosette navy clearly think he knows something and is willing to torture him to get him to confess. The problem is, he has no damn idea what he’s supposed to know. But as he begins to put the clues together, he realizes two first, the Rosette navy is planning a surprise attack that will cripple the Level. And second, the attack will start at the blockade where the Verity, with all his friends and crewmates onboard, is currently posted. He and Ari are the only ones who could possibly warn them, and locked in a prison on an enemy-held planet light-years away from the Level fleet, injured and with no knowledge of the language, it might be more of a mission than even he and Ari can pull off.
Serving in a blockade fleet on the far reaches of Level space has turned out to be much more eventful than Captain Hollis Ives had hoped. But things only get more hazardous when word comes through that Mad Dog, former pirate captain now serving in the Admiralty, has requested transfer to the fleet—to the Verity, specifically. Both Hollis and her first officers are certain she’s there to enact revenge over what happened to her former crew members Silas and Ari. But when she arrives, Hollis realizes what Mad Dog may be after something much more dangerous.
Treasure Island meets Master and Commander with a science-fiction twist and a diverse cast in R.M. Olson’s thrilling series, The Devil and the Dark.
317 pages, Paperback
Published August 14, 2025
4 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
R.M. Olson
33 books57 followersR.M. Olson writes queer, feel-good space opera, featuring diverse casts, found families, and loads of action. R.M. has ridden the Trans Siberian railway, jumped off the highest bungee jump in the world, gone cage-diving with great white sharks, faced down a charging buffalo bull, and knows how to milk a goat. Currently they reside in Alberta, Canada with their four children, three cats, and a dog the size of a small bear. R.M. goes hiking and skiing more often than they probably have time for, eats more chocolate than is probably good for them, and reads more books than is probably prudent.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 8, 2025
Imma kill this author. WHERE IS THE NEXT BOOK?
Silas and Ari are prisoners of war, but Silas is being tortured for information. While the torture is not at the levels Gracie has been subjected to, it’s still serious enough that Ari is worried.
Back on the Verity, Hollis and her crew think Silas and Ari are dead, and when they hear the news that Gracie is coming to their ship, Hollis believes it is to kill her.
On the Level, Admiral Usher allows Gracie to go to the Verity to negotiate the prisoner exchange, but the Rosette are dragging their feet.
When Silas and Ari discover something that could change the course of the war, they have to find a way to break out of the prison and warn Verity.
When the Verity is surrounded by Rosette ships, Hollis and Foster has to leave the ship in Gracie’s hands while they go to the Rosette ship, pretending to be Rosette officers.
Oh man, there are so many threads and sub plots and each are more interesting than the other. I’m awed by Olson’s ability to keep everything straight because I would have been completely LOST. As always Olson lands their characters in one frying pan after another, with a fire to add some spice.
I want this war done. And I want the Level to BURN. I also want the Rosette navy to burn. In fact, I want everything except the common people and the Verity and Sweet Jenny’s crews to burn. And Lawrence. He should live. Everyone else can die.
WHERE IS MY NEXT BOOK?
Silas and Ari are prisoners of war, but Silas is being tortured for information. While the torture is not at the levels Gracie has been subjected to, it’s still serious enough that Ari is worried.
Back on the Verity, Hollis and her crew think Silas and Ari are dead, and when they hear the news that Gracie is coming to their ship, Hollis believes it is to kill her.
On the Level, Admiral Usher allows Gracie to go to the Verity to negotiate the prisoner exchange, but the Rosette are dragging their feet.
When Silas and Ari discover something that could change the course of the war, they have to find a way to break out of the prison and warn Verity.
When the Verity is surrounded by Rosette ships, Hollis and Foster has to leave the ship in Gracie’s hands while they go to the Rosette ship, pretending to be Rosette officers.
Oh man, there are so many threads and sub plots and each are more interesting than the other. I’m awed by Olson’s ability to keep everything straight because I would have been completely LOST. As always Olson lands their characters in one frying pan after another, with a fire to add some spice.
I want this war done. And I want the Level to BURN. I also want the Rosette navy to burn. In fact, I want everything except the common people and the Verity and Sweet Jenny’s crews to burn. And Lawrence. He should live. Everyone else can die.
WHERE IS MY NEXT BOOK?
Displaying 1 of 1 review