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Ashes of the Crown
When a quiet agricultural settlement on Massox 7 is reclassified by a long-dormant colonial system, Coordinator Judith Fenwick-Gray must decide how a community of survivors will respond. What begins as inexplicable AI integration forcing itself upon old systems with locks opening, water rationed and lights obeying a hidden logic, soon becomes siege as scavenger raiders arrive. A desperate defense against pirates, drones that strike from orbit and something older and larger returns to claim the planet in the name of an empire thought dead.
Ashes of the Crown is a taut, atmospheric science fiction story about memory, authority and the costs of survival. Judith fights to hold a fragile society together, forging defences and outwitting a merciless network while the sky fills with imperial remnants, impartial machines and brutal politics.
For readers who love rigorous worldbuilding, hard choices and human courage under pressure, this is a fiercely human story of defiance against a dominion that refuses to die. Ashes of the Crown is book 3 of the interplanetary empire of Great Britain series and should be read third for the best experience.
Ashes of the Crown is a taut, atmospheric science fiction story about memory, authority and the costs of survival. Judith fights to hold a fragile society together, forging defences and outwitting a merciless network while the sky fills with imperial remnants, impartial machines and brutal politics.
For readers who love rigorous worldbuilding, hard choices and human courage under pressure, this is a fiercely human story of defiance against a dominion that refuses to die. Ashes of the Crown is book 3 of the interplanetary empire of Great Britain series and should be read third for the best experience.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2025
About the author
Richard Toulouse
6 booksHi goodreads community. My name is Richard Toulouse and I am an English Teacher from the UK, currently based in Vietnam. I have always enjoyed writing, but began actually putting stories together fully last year after finding it a useful distraction from an unexpected bereavement.
Since then, I have released four books as part of my Sci-Fi series (The Interplanetary Empire of Great Britain Series) and a single full-length novel, Ypres.
I am currently working on a few other projects which are as yet untitled and may or may not get finished, but I do intend to continue releasing content, including further additions to my Sci-Fi collection, and additional standalone works of Historical Fiction.
Please feel free to connect with me. I am very happy to discuss my books (or the works of others). Thank you!
Since then, I have released four books as part of my Sci-Fi series (The Interplanetary Empire of Great Britain Series) and a single full-length novel, Ypres.
I am currently working on a few other projects which are as yet untitled and may or may not get finished, but I do intend to continue releasing content, including further additions to my Sci-Fi collection, and additional standalone works of Historical Fiction.
Please feel free to connect with me. I am very happy to discuss my books (or the works of others). Thank you!
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 22, 2026
This third book continues the bleak themes of the series well. It explores the cost of leadership and the fragility of what remains after an empire falls in a way that feels earned. The resolution to the immediate conflict is satisfying without being too neat. It is a solid addition to the series that kept me interested.
Displaying 1 of 1 review