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The Decurion Saga #1
The Infinite State
In this brand-new blistering science fiction epic, Sunday Times bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating examination of totalitarianism.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller’s husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus – governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire – he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled – each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine’s newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she’s not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot – entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Katherine Fuller’s husband is dead. As an esteemed member of Pater Aeternus – governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire – he has left behind an estate of immeasurable wealth. And Katherine is going to inherit it.
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
PATER AETERNUS.
Life under the Eternal Father is rigidly stratified, surveilled, and controlled – each new day to be endured, not lived. But with Katherine’s newfound fortune, she is presented with a rare and dangerous opportunity: purchase a virgin world, and create a better, fairer society.
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
PATER AETERNUS.
But the Empire cannot allow its wayward daughter to succeed. And as Katherine works in secret, recruiting allies she’s not even sure she can trust, she will discover exactly how far Pater Aeternus is willing to go to stop her. Because Katherine is going to create something nobody has seen for many years.
A democracy.
1984 meets The Man in the High Castle in gripping sci-fi The Infinite State from Richard Swan, which begins at a flashpoint in the lives of a widowed party member, a disgraced investigator, and a hypersled pilot – entangled in a plot to escape the suffocating authority of a fascist state.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Richard Swan
22 books2,076 followersRichard Swan is a critically acclaimed British genre writer. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Empire of the Wolf and Great Silence trilogies, the Decurion Saga, and fiction for Black Library and Grimdark Magazine. His work has been translated into ten languages.
Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.
For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.
Richard is a qualified lawyer, and before writing full time spent ten years litigating multimillion pound commercial disputes in London. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and three young sons.
For updates follow him at stonetemplelibrary.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
August 4, 2026
Empires might be ruled by monsters, but they're sustained by ordinary people who convince themselves they have no choice.
Richard Swan's The Infinite State is a chilling portrait of a society where fascism has become mundane, surveillance routine, propaganda the air people breathe and countless small acts of compliance grind inexorably towards oppression. Echoing the enduring relevance of Orwell's 1984 while remaining unmistakably its own, Swan crafts an authoritarian empire that feels all too plausible.
The political world building is exceptional. Every institution, policy and carefully calculated compromise reinforces the suffocating weight of the Decurion Empire. Swan explores the banality of evil through everyday lives, revealing how fear, ambition, privilege and mere exhaustion become the machinery of oppression. It's deeply unsettling, casting a pall across every page.
Three protagonists reveal the regime from vastly different corners of society. Katherine, a privileged widow whose grief gives way to a political awakening. Cyprian, a cynical Inspektor surviving through conformity until he is dragged back into dangerous political games. Julian, a foreign hypersled racer whose dream opportunity curdles into a nightmare as he discovers the empire's reputation was no exaggeration.
None are uncomplicated heroes. They're naïve, compromised or even complicit, yet profoundly human. Through their converging journeys, Swan gives enormous questions of freedom versus security, ethics of government and the cost of looking away an intensely personal face.
A relentless slow burn, its atmosphere of dread is punctuated with shocking reminders of the empire's power, exhilarating hypersled races, sharp twists and explosive action that reward the patient build up.
But sometimes it feels like the victories come too easily. As the protagonists are swept along by forces beyond their control, unseen allies and political operators are making the big moves just off the page sometimes only showing us the end results.
Bleak, intelligent and frighteningly believable, The Infinite State is as gripping as it is disturbingly relevant.
My thanks to Gollancz for the arc
Richard Swan's The Infinite State is a chilling portrait of a society where fascism has become mundane, surveillance routine, propaganda the air people breathe and countless small acts of compliance grind inexorably towards oppression. Echoing the enduring relevance of Orwell's 1984 while remaining unmistakably its own, Swan crafts an authoritarian empire that feels all too plausible.
The political world building is exceptional. Every institution, policy and carefully calculated compromise reinforces the suffocating weight of the Decurion Empire. Swan explores the banality of evil through everyday lives, revealing how fear, ambition, privilege and mere exhaustion become the machinery of oppression. It's deeply unsettling, casting a pall across every page.
Three protagonists reveal the regime from vastly different corners of society. Katherine, a privileged widow whose grief gives way to a political awakening. Cyprian, a cynical Inspektor surviving through conformity until he is dragged back into dangerous political games. Julian, a foreign hypersled racer whose dream opportunity curdles into a nightmare as he discovers the empire's reputation was no exaggeration.
None are uncomplicated heroes. They're naïve, compromised or even complicit, yet profoundly human. Through their converging journeys, Swan gives enormous questions of freedom versus security, ethics of government and the cost of looking away an intensely personal face.
A relentless slow burn, its atmosphere of dread is punctuated with shocking reminders of the empire's power, exhilarating hypersled races, sharp twists and explosive action that reward the patient build up.
But sometimes it feels like the victories come too easily. As the protagonists are swept along by forces beyond their control, unseen allies and political operators are making the big moves just off the page sometimes only showing us the end results.
Bleak, intelligent and frighteningly believable, The Infinite State is as gripping as it is disturbingly relevant.
My thanks to Gollancz for the arc
August 8, 2026
This is unlike anything Richard Swan has ever written. A scifi set in a galactic empire where it’s treasonous to not only doing it doggy style but to also choose your leader.
Following 3 characters who are caught up in serious trouble with the “government” and all want change. One going out of her way to purchasing a planet to create a democracy. If she’s caught? DEATH.
The beginning of the book had me worried as it’s a lot of back and forth where an evil person takes each character into a secret location to have a secret conversation and to be reprimanded and it repeats that. I wanted things to pick up and thankfully they do. It becomes more what I expect in a scifi with the buttery Richard Swan writing.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hollyheartsbooks...
Following 3 characters who are caught up in serious trouble with the “government” and all want change. One going out of her way to purchasing a planet to create a democracy. If she’s caught? DEATH.
The beginning of the book had me worried as it’s a lot of back and forth where an evil person takes each character into a secret location to have a secret conversation and to be reprimanded and it repeats that. I wanted things to pick up and thankfully they do. It becomes more what I expect in a scifi with the buttery Richard Swan writing.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hollyheartsbooks...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars.
This is a story of a sprawling sci-fi totalitarian empire, rife with politicking, scheming, backstabbing and manipulative control over the expendable masses; told through Richard Swan’s signature expansive, detail-rich world-building and densely layered, yet always pleasing to read prose.
The journey begins in Leonis, the crown jewel of Pater Aeternus’ and his rather Orwellian Decurion Empire. Here every citizen is born pre-stripped of autonomy, living a marionette existence, conditioned to conform to a prescribed way of life. Various ‘unproductive’ behaviours relegate individuals to second class citizens and women in general are seen as glorified broodmares.
Infinite State follows three very different protagonists, all dulled to sheer hopelessness, and complacency, whilst trapped under the cruel hand of Pater Aeternus. Katherine, a grieving upper-class Party woman, Cyprian, a drunk, jaded second-class Inspektor and Julian, a foreign hypersled prodigy. Each unknowingly finding themselves amidst the rabid scheming of ministry fractions; setting the core plot to motion.
The protagonists feel compellingly human and complex; each perspective engaging in its own way. I enjoyed the parallels between Katherine and Cyprian and how grief becomes the catalyst to acknowledging their oppression and thus desire to seek change. By contrast, Julian’s perspective is uncomfortably invasive, yet a morbidly fascinating experience of identity erosion, as someone from freedom, unused to fanatical obedience and subjugation is conditioned through fear.
Swan explores human psychology; cognitive dissonance, dehumanisation, indoctrination and conformity, which I found thought-provoking and relevant. This ability to disregard basic morality and freedoms for the pageantry of comfort, status and group belonging. There’s interesting social commentary imbedded in the narrative and an eerie parallel with extreme sentiments found in reality. Yet the story is also the search for hope, seeking selfhood and ultimately, happiness.
There’s much to unpack in this novel it’s difficult to do it justice with this review. The plot is world-hopping and vast. Swan takes unlikely protagonists and fluidly manipulates all the threads to convincingly bring them together and weave a dynamic, riveting narrative. Overall, this leads to a suitably tense and action-packed novel with a satisfying conclusion that sets up potential for further exploration of the Empire and Free Nations.
Looking forward to reading more! Thanks Netgalley and Orion Publishing for the eARC, this was an amazing read!
This is a story of a sprawling sci-fi totalitarian empire, rife with politicking, scheming, backstabbing and manipulative control over the expendable masses; told through Richard Swan’s signature expansive, detail-rich world-building and densely layered, yet always pleasing to read prose.
The journey begins in Leonis, the crown jewel of Pater Aeternus’ and his rather Orwellian Decurion Empire. Here every citizen is born pre-stripped of autonomy, living a marionette existence, conditioned to conform to a prescribed way of life. Various ‘unproductive’ behaviours relegate individuals to second class citizens and women in general are seen as glorified broodmares.
Infinite State follows three very different protagonists, all dulled to sheer hopelessness, and complacency, whilst trapped under the cruel hand of Pater Aeternus. Katherine, a grieving upper-class Party woman, Cyprian, a drunk, jaded second-class Inspektor and Julian, a foreign hypersled prodigy. Each unknowingly finding themselves amidst the rabid scheming of ministry fractions; setting the core plot to motion.
The protagonists feel compellingly human and complex; each perspective engaging in its own way. I enjoyed the parallels between Katherine and Cyprian and how grief becomes the catalyst to acknowledging their oppression and thus desire to seek change. By contrast, Julian’s perspective is uncomfortably invasive, yet a morbidly fascinating experience of identity erosion, as someone from freedom, unused to fanatical obedience and subjugation is conditioned through fear.
Swan explores human psychology; cognitive dissonance, dehumanisation, indoctrination and conformity, which I found thought-provoking and relevant. This ability to disregard basic morality and freedoms for the pageantry of comfort, status and group belonging. There’s interesting social commentary imbedded in the narrative and an eerie parallel with extreme sentiments found in reality. Yet the story is also the search for hope, seeking selfhood and ultimately, happiness.
There’s much to unpack in this novel it’s difficult to do it justice with this review. The plot is world-hopping and vast. Swan takes unlikely protagonists and fluidly manipulates all the threads to convincingly bring them together and weave a dynamic, riveting narrative. Overall, this leads to a suitably tense and action-packed novel with a satisfying conclusion that sets up potential for further exploration of the Empire and Free Nations.
Looking forward to reading more! Thanks Netgalley and Orion Publishing for the eARC, this was an amazing read!
Want to Read
April 18, 2026beyond excited to have received a physical arc! i love any book that has comps to red rising🙂↕️ so i'm eager to dive in!
August 8, 2026
4.5 stars! I am not a fan of Empire of the Wolf, so my expectations were very reserved going into this. I wasn’t sure I would even read it, to be honest, but I love sci-if and I was intrigued by the description. Something told me I should give it a shot, and I’m very glad I did! I was instantly hooked and tore through it in a few sittings. I’m looking forward to the next one!
July 5, 2026
4.5 stars
I had such a fantastic time with this book from beginning to end. I absolutely love the way that Richard Swan crafted this book. It was beautifully written with incredible word choices that felt immersive and intelligent without feeling like he just pulled out of thesaurus or was trying to show off. As someone who just loves words, I constantly found myself being so satisfied with the choices he made, and I don't know if anybody else will relate to that but it really increased my enjoyment.
The story itself was fast moving and compelling. The characters were intriguing, although not always the most likable. I felt like the politics were explored well, and nothing was glanced over, but at the same time it wasn't unnecessarily loquacious or boring. I cannot wait to see where this goes in the future.
Minor complaint:
I did have a few issues with it, but I liked it so much that I brushed them off. I didn't love the way the female characters were portrayed. It was a little annoying to have the fmc basically just fumbling along with a young man having to mansplain every single aspect of how government works. It would've just been nice to see her have a little bit more agency, especially since this particular male character really could have not existed and she could have found these answers on her own. But I'm choosing not to dwell on that because I just enjoyed the story so much. I'm also never going to be a fan of what is the equivalent of a villain monologue, but again it was a minor thing.
Overall, this was a fantastic book and I can't wait to see where it goes from here!
Audiobook: I was about halfway through reading this when the audiobook became available from Libro alc, and I was so happy because I didn't want to stop reading this book for a single second. The audiobook was fantastic. I thought all of the narrators did an incredible job and I loved that there were multiple different narrators for each of the main characters. Highly recommend!
I had such a fantastic time with this book from beginning to end. I absolutely love the way that Richard Swan crafted this book. It was beautifully written with incredible word choices that felt immersive and intelligent without feeling like he just pulled out of thesaurus or was trying to show off. As someone who just loves words, I constantly found myself being so satisfied with the choices he made, and I don't know if anybody else will relate to that but it really increased my enjoyment.
The story itself was fast moving and compelling. The characters were intriguing, although not always the most likable. I felt like the politics were explored well, and nothing was glanced over, but at the same time it wasn't unnecessarily loquacious or boring. I cannot wait to see where this goes in the future.
Minor complaint:
I did have a few issues with it, but I liked it so much that I brushed them off. I didn't love the way the female characters were portrayed. It was a little annoying to have the fmc basically just fumbling along with a young man having to mansplain every single aspect of how government works. It would've just been nice to see her have a little bit more agency, especially since this particular male character really could have not existed and she could have found these answers on her own. But I'm choosing not to dwell on that because I just enjoyed the story so much. I'm also never going to be a fan of what is the equivalent of a villain monologue, but again it was a minor thing.
Overall, this was a fantastic book and I can't wait to see where it goes from here!
Audiobook: I was about halfway through reading this when the audiobook became available from Libro alc, and I was so happy because I didn't want to stop reading this book for a single second. The audiobook was fantastic. I thought all of the narrators did an incredible job and I loved that there were multiple different narrators for each of the main characters. Highly recommend!
Want to Read
October 29, 2025Richard Swan writing dystopian novel with Roman/Kier Eagan vibes? And I hear there are killer gorillas?
Want.
Want.
August 6, 2026
I’ve seen The Infinite State touted as 1984 meets The Handmaid’s Tale. Inasmuch as both of those books made me extremely uncomfortable while reading, it’s fairly accurate. If you’re a fan of futuristic political dystopian featuring fascist galactic empires, this book is for you.
The Infinite State is told from three POVs; the widow of a very wealthy higher up party member, a famous hypersled racer (futuristic Nascar like sport), and a washed up alcoholic police detective.
The Infinite State felt like 1984 on steroids. The women are there to have babies. Lots of babies who will grow up to be good little soldiers for the state.
Katherine the widow is left so much money by her husband that she decides to buy a planet and start a democracy, which for me is when the story became really intriguing. I learned quite a bit about what creating an entire new world society would entail. Who knew?
I’m really simplifying the story here, but overall I did end up enjoying it. It did take a bit for me to get into the book and I’m glad I hung in there. I was confused at first by the three entirely different POVs, but I finally got into the rhythm of their stories and somewhere in there, I had to know. Why are we getting three characters that seemed to have no connection to each other whatsoever.
By the end, I was completely invested in all three.
I’m definitely looking forward to the continuation of this series.
*Thanks so much to Tor Books and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*
The Infinite State is told from three POVs; the widow of a very wealthy higher up party member, a famous hypersled racer (futuristic Nascar like sport), and a washed up alcoholic police detective.
The Infinite State felt like 1984 on steroids. The women are there to have babies. Lots of babies who will grow up to be good little soldiers for the state.
Katherine the widow is left so much money by her husband that she decides to buy a planet and start a democracy, which for me is when the story became really intriguing. I learned quite a bit about what creating an entire new world society would entail. Who knew?
I’m really simplifying the story here, but overall I did end up enjoying it. It did take a bit for me to get into the book and I’m glad I hung in there. I was confused at first by the three entirely different POVs, but I finally got into the rhythm of their stories and somewhere in there, I had to know. Why are we getting three characters that seemed to have no connection to each other whatsoever.
By the end, I was completely invested in all three.
I’m definitely looking forward to the continuation of this series.
*Thanks so much to Tor Books and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*
August 8, 2026
Well well well, you've done it again Mr. Swan. HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!! I am a huge Swan fan as you know, nearly all his books have been knockouts for me, but especially the original Empire of the Wolf trilogy.
Sci-fi is not a genre I read a ton in so I was a bit nervous for this but damn if this wasn't a killer fucking book. I read this thing in two days, I couldn't put it down. I loved the worlds, the characters were so unexpected, the politics were insane. I had such a good time with this book, I really think this has some of his strongest writing and he's been a damn fine writer since day 1.
Exceptional, truly pick this up. The sci-fi/political weaving was so impressive it transported me back to watching Season 1 of Battlestar Galactic iykyk. I loved every second. Will be a top read of the year for sure!
Thank you to Gollancz/Macmillan for the audiobook ARC, the physical copy was my own purchase.
Sci-fi is not a genre I read a ton in so I was a bit nervous for this but damn if this wasn't a killer fucking book. I read this thing in two days, I couldn't put it down. I loved the worlds, the characters were so unexpected, the politics were insane. I had such a good time with this book, I really think this has some of his strongest writing and he's been a damn fine writer since day 1.
Exceptional, truly pick this up. The sci-fi/political weaving was so impressive it transported me back to watching Season 1 of Battlestar Galactic iykyk. I loved every second. Will be a top read of the year for sure!
Thank you to Gollancz/Macmillan for the audiobook ARC, the physical copy was my own purchase.
Read
August 6, 2026Rtc. A banger
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A top read of the year for me. Full review to come
August 4, 2026
Richard Swan’s new science fiction series launches with a gripping and compelling opening. Set on a tyrannical world where fear and suffering define everyday life, the story follows three individuals determined to carve out a better future. Each has their own deeply personal reasons for wanting to escape the planet, and as their journeys unfold, they’re forced to confront how far they’re willing to go for it.
I absolutely loved this first entry into the series. With every book, Richard Swan further cements himself as a must read author for me, and I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.
The more sci fi books with LGBT+ characters and murder gorillas the better!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC
I absolutely loved this first entry into the series. With every book, Richard Swan further cements himself as a must read author for me, and I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.
The more sci fi books with LGBT+ characters and murder gorillas the better!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC
July 30, 2026
4.5
I loved this so much. It had everything you would ever want, well, anything I want in a book. Politics, war, technology, terraforming new planets, HYPERSLED RACING. Sign me up.
I’m sad the next book won’t be released tomorrow, plzzzzz hurry Richard swan :))))
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC <3333
I loved this so much. It had everything you would ever want, well, anything I want in a book. Politics, war, technology, terraforming new planets, HYPERSLED RACING. Sign me up.
I’m sad the next book won’t be released tomorrow, plzzzzz hurry Richard swan :))))
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC <3333
July 30, 2026
Infinite State is a marvelous dystopian scifi! I loved how Richard Swan slowly reveals the world through small details instead of explaining everything at once.
The empire of Pater Aeternus was fascinating to learn about. Citizens are divided by class, fertility is treated like a duty to the state, and even private parts of life are controlled or watched. There’s a real emphasis on being “productive in this society. At the same time, people are provided healthcare and other basic needs, which made the political conversations more complicated than just saying one side was completely right or wrong. I really enjoyed the arguments between characters about democracy, capitalism, freedom, and what people should be owed by a government.
Another part I found really interesting was how humans treated genetically created people/soldiers. It opened up a lot of questions about conformity, human psychology for me. Mainly what people might do when no one is watching and the social rules they were taught no longer feel impressed upon them.
The mix of advanced technology and old methods also worked really well for me. It was a cool take for someone in the technology world. People have implants and access to massive amounts of data, but government agencies in the empire still rely on paper records because technology can be hacked or changed. Seeing information manipulated through metadata, tabloids, surveillance, and propaganda felt very believable.
I also enjoyed how the different POVs slowly began weaving together. The characters come from different classes and have very different levels of understanding about the empire. Some are naive, some are gritty, some politically saver and other somewhere in the middle. There were multiple moments that I was shocked and I realized I couldn’t take the characters interpretation of events at face value when the world is under mass surveillance and manipulation of information wars,
The three narrators, Chris Rowe, Helen Keeley, and Nathaniel Priestley, all did a very solid job. Helen Keeley was great as Katherine. There are multiple scenes when she’s moving between emotions and where she was under duress. My favorite performance was Nathaniel Priestley as Cyprian. The accent and flair he gave to the beat down cop personality was fantastic. There are a lot of high intensity moments, but his grumpy comments still made me laugh 😂 . Chris Rowe was also solid as Julian. I particularly think about the pain and helplessness in his voice through some of those moments of realization for his character.
The writing was poignant when describing the setting which I loved. Plus the language used during the characters political speeches and arguments made me feel their beliefs thought out. There were moments where the amount of political information could feel a little overwhelming initially, but I was locked into the world and wanted to understand how it connected.
Overall, this had some great twists on what I normally expect from dystopian science fiction. A strong 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️. I’d gladly read the next book in this world.
Thank you to Richard Swan, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!
The empire of Pater Aeternus was fascinating to learn about. Citizens are divided by class, fertility is treated like a duty to the state, and even private parts of life are controlled or watched. There’s a real emphasis on being “productive in this society. At the same time, people are provided healthcare and other basic needs, which made the political conversations more complicated than just saying one side was completely right or wrong. I really enjoyed the arguments between characters about democracy, capitalism, freedom, and what people should be owed by a government.
Another part I found really interesting was how humans treated genetically created people/soldiers. It opened up a lot of questions about conformity, human psychology for me. Mainly what people might do when no one is watching and the social rules they were taught no longer feel impressed upon them.
The mix of advanced technology and old methods also worked really well for me. It was a cool take for someone in the technology world. People have implants and access to massive amounts of data, but government agencies in the empire still rely on paper records because technology can be hacked or changed. Seeing information manipulated through metadata, tabloids, surveillance, and propaganda felt very believable.
I also enjoyed how the different POVs slowly began weaving together. The characters come from different classes and have very different levels of understanding about the empire. Some are naive, some are gritty, some politically saver and other somewhere in the middle. There were multiple moments that I was shocked and I realized I couldn’t take the characters interpretation of events at face value when the world is under mass surveillance and manipulation of information wars,
The three narrators, Chris Rowe, Helen Keeley, and Nathaniel Priestley, all did a very solid job. Helen Keeley was great as Katherine. There are multiple scenes when she’s moving between emotions and where she was under duress. My favorite performance was Nathaniel Priestley as Cyprian. The accent and flair he gave to the beat down cop personality was fantastic. There are a lot of high intensity moments, but his grumpy comments still made me laugh 😂 . Chris Rowe was also solid as Julian. I particularly think about the pain and helplessness in his voice through some of those moments of realization for his character.
The writing was poignant when describing the setting which I loved. Plus the language used during the characters political speeches and arguments made me feel their beliefs thought out. There were moments where the amount of political information could feel a little overwhelming initially, but I was locked into the world and wanted to understand how it connected.
Overall, this had some great twists on what I normally expect from dystopian science fiction. A strong 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️. I’d gladly read the next book in this world.
Thank you to Richard Swan, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!
August 8, 2026
The Decurion Empire provides free housing, utilities, food, and healthcare to all its citizens. Automated factories manufacture immense quantities of commodities for domestic consumption and international trade. Citizens fly their autocruisers through the air lanes. Hypersled racing is the most popular sport in the galaxy and the team for Leonis, the capital of the Empire, is often the best in the galaxy. There's even a nominal free market.
The Decurion Empire is also a totalitarian state. Citizens are stratified as Party Member, Class I, II, and Unproductive. Their rights and subsistence depend entirely on their classification. There are no civil rights. What is politically acceptable regularly changes. Aside from the Unproductives, everyone must be Productive and Reproductive. Men are sent off in vast numbers at a young age to die in the Empire's wars across the galaxy. Women must continually be giving birth. Both are given medals of service. The only allowable form of sex is the missionary position for the purpose of procreation. To do anything else is punishable up to death.
Everything belongs to the state. Everything you are is because of Pater Aeternus. There is no god. There is nothing outside of the state. The state is infinite. The Ministries control and dispose of the populace as they see fit. Even senior party members aren't safe. All that can be hoped for is that Political Enforcement doesn't come for you. Purges and coup attempts happen every now and again, so staying alive can be difficult.
Life is this society is presented through three viewpoints. Katherine is the wife of the Lamprey Corporation's director. Life has always been good for her. There's little to complain about, or at least there wasn't, not until her life was personally affected. Cyprian is an Inspektor for the Ministry of Justice. Many of his cases are sanctioned homicides that don't go anywhere. Doing his job well took everything from him except his life. Julian is the Hypersled Racer for Leonis. He may be the best racer in the galaxy, but he's a foreigner, a detestable reminder that life exists outside of the Empire. He doesn't realize he signed his life away without even reading the contract.
The first half is these three trying to survive daily life in Leonis. Each character explores a different aspect of how the Empire operates. Specifically politics, enforcement, and image management. The second half takes place on a different planet where a new nation is being formed. The story follows its founding, early development, and the Empire's reaction.
Everything about this was great. For me it's Swan's best novel yet. I was fully immersed and engaged with the characters and the world. The characters really felt like people who developed over time. The races were a surprisingly enjoyable inclusion. I don't have any significant complaint.
The Decurion Empire is also a totalitarian state. Citizens are stratified as Party Member, Class I, II, and Unproductive. Their rights and subsistence depend entirely on their classification. There are no civil rights. What is politically acceptable regularly changes. Aside from the Unproductives, everyone must be Productive and Reproductive. Men are sent off in vast numbers at a young age to die in the Empire's wars across the galaxy. Women must continually be giving birth. Both are given medals of service. The only allowable form of sex is the missionary position for the purpose of procreation. To do anything else is punishable up to death.
Everything belongs to the state. Everything you are is because of Pater Aeternus. There is no god. There is nothing outside of the state. The state is infinite. The Ministries control and dispose of the populace as they see fit. Even senior party members aren't safe. All that can be hoped for is that Political Enforcement doesn't come for you. Purges and coup attempts happen every now and again, so staying alive can be difficult.
Life is this society is presented through three viewpoints. Katherine is the wife of the Lamprey Corporation's director. Life has always been good for her. There's little to complain about, or at least there wasn't, not until her life was personally affected. Cyprian is an Inspektor for the Ministry of Justice. Many of his cases are sanctioned homicides that don't go anywhere. Doing his job well took everything from him except his life. Julian is the Hypersled Racer for Leonis. He may be the best racer in the galaxy, but he's a foreigner, a detestable reminder that life exists outside of the Empire. He doesn't realize he signed his life away without even reading the contract.
The first half is these three trying to survive daily life in Leonis. Each character explores a different aspect of how the Empire operates. Specifically politics, enforcement, and image management. The second half takes place on a different planet where a new nation is being formed. The story follows its founding, early development, and the Empire's reaction.
Everything about this was great. For me it's Swan's best novel yet. I was fully immersed and engaged with the characters and the world. The characters really felt like people who developed over time. The races were a surprisingly enjoyable inclusion. I don't have any significant complaint.
July 31, 2026
4.5/5
Want to Read
April 21, 2026HELLO YES I AM SEATED!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Final Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
THE INFINITE STATE is a dystopian sci-fi that's ironically undercut by succeeding a little too well at crafting a seemingly inescapable authoritarian police state. I admit, I had to sit with THE INFINITE STATE for a bit before I wrote this review. I was caught up in trying to figure out why the bleakness of the author's previous series, EMPIRE OF THE WOLF, worked for me, while the bleakness of THE INFINITE STATE left me underwhelmed. But it has finally clicked. Bear with me for a moment.
In EMPIRE OF THE WOLF, you are told from page one that the empire in this saga is doomed to fall. We know everything is going to fall apart, but the drama is in HOW it falls apart. More importantly, even though the empire is doomed, the characters we follow still have agency. They are making choices and they are still the ultimate drivers of the narrative. And even in ultimate failure, there are some successes to be found along the way.
In THE INFINITE STATE, we arrive at the very worst of times. The empire is a totalitarian surveillance state, where no one is safe from political murder. There should be excitement in watching characters break out of this nightmare. The problem is that success doesn't actually seem like a viable path for our characters. The government knows all their moves before they make them. Resistance is futile. A lot of the story is things happening to them, rather than as a result of their actions. Whatever victories our heroes achieve is because they are caught up in political machinations way above their head, not because they have some cunning plan of their own.
I don't hate the characters outright. Cyprian, an Inspecktor in the state police and by far my favorite of the three POVs, is a competent but disillusioned man who has realized the futility of trying to achieve any real justice. His job is to keep his head down and to make political assassinations disappear. His junior office, starry-eyed with patriotism, can't understand how things work and suffers for it. Cyprian is out here doing his best to survive because he's been around long enough to actually know how to survive. But surviving is all he really does.
Katherine, on the other hand, is a character that stumbles into success. Now there is plenty to be said about the fact that this woman even has the idea to begin with to start a new planet and government. She's the will that keeps the progress of this whole project moving forward. But really, that's all that she contributes: a will to succeed. She's not particularly smart or politically savvy, but somehow keeps moving the ball forward.
And lastly there's Julian, whose poor unfortunate arc is to be the guy who comes from a privileged life in a neighboring regime of planets; when he comes to spend his racing career in Pater Aeternus, he doesn't imagine that life could be THAT bad here. He quickly realizes his mistake when he violates the "morality" clause of his racing contract.
Interesting characters, for sure. But watching them trapped in an authoritarian state, knowing that none of them would break free without circumstances outside their control aligning, that was a level of bleakness I found a bit suffocating. I want to know our heroes can make things happen on their own. Sure, sometimes it takes a bit of luck, but there's got to be that glimmer of hope. And this story was decidedly without hope because for the most part, our characters are just passive prisoners in a nightmare.
Despite all my critiques, I will be continuing with the series. It's still an interesting premise, even if the execution was too bleak for my taste. There's also the fact that, as the first book of the series, our characters are just getting started. They're already more proactive in the final pages; there's every chance that will only grow with time. But if you're looking for an escape from our present world society, this may not be the one for you.
Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
THE INFINITE STATE is a dystopian sci-fi that's ironically undercut by succeeding a little too well at crafting a seemingly inescapable authoritarian police state. I admit, I had to sit with THE INFINITE STATE for a bit before I wrote this review. I was caught up in trying to figure out why the bleakness of the author's previous series, EMPIRE OF THE WOLF, worked for me, while the bleakness of THE INFINITE STATE left me underwhelmed. But it has finally clicked. Bear with me for a moment.
In EMPIRE OF THE WOLF, you are told from page one that the empire in this saga is doomed to fall. We know everything is going to fall apart, but the drama is in HOW it falls apart. More importantly, even though the empire is doomed, the characters we follow still have agency. They are making choices and they are still the ultimate drivers of the narrative. And even in ultimate failure, there are some successes to be found along the way.
In THE INFINITE STATE, we arrive at the very worst of times. The empire is a totalitarian surveillance state, where no one is safe from political murder. There should be excitement in watching characters break out of this nightmare. The problem is that success doesn't actually seem like a viable path for our characters. The government knows all their moves before they make them. Resistance is futile. A lot of the story is things happening to them, rather than as a result of their actions. Whatever victories our heroes achieve is because they are caught up in political machinations way above their head, not because they have some cunning plan of their own.
I don't hate the characters outright. Cyprian, an Inspecktor in the state police and by far my favorite of the three POVs, is a competent but disillusioned man who has realized the futility of trying to achieve any real justice. His job is to keep his head down and to make political assassinations disappear. His junior office, starry-eyed with patriotism, can't understand how things work and suffers for it. Cyprian is out here doing his best to survive because he's been around long enough to actually know how to survive. But surviving is all he really does.
Katherine, on the other hand, is a character that stumbles into success. Now there is plenty to be said about the fact that this woman even has the idea to begin with to start a new planet and government. She's the will that keeps the progress of this whole project moving forward. But really, that's all that she contributes: a will to succeed. She's not particularly smart or politically savvy, but somehow keeps moving the ball forward.
And lastly there's Julian, whose poor unfortunate arc is to be the guy who comes from a privileged life in a neighboring regime of planets; when he comes to spend his racing career in Pater Aeternus, he doesn't imagine that life could be THAT bad here. He quickly realizes his mistake when he violates the "morality" clause of his racing contract.
Interesting characters, for sure. But watching them trapped in an authoritarian state, knowing that none of them would break free without circumstances outside their control aligning, that was a level of bleakness I found a bit suffocating. I want to know our heroes can make things happen on their own. Sure, sometimes it takes a bit of luck, but there's got to be that glimmer of hope. And this story was decidedly without hope because for the most part, our characters are just passive prisoners in a nightmare.
Despite all my critiques, I will be continuing with the series. It's still an interesting premise, even if the execution was too bleak for my taste. There's also the fact that, as the first book of the series, our characters are just getting started. They're already more proactive in the final pages; there's every chance that will only grow with time. But if you're looking for an escape from our present world society, this may not be the one for you.
Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
August 6, 2026
Thank you, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for the gifted ARC and ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
4.5 stars
Richard Swan has created a world that’s ruled by fascism; everyone is constantly surveilled and ruled by fear. Everyone is living complacently because they feel they have no choice. There are three different POV’s and two of them took me a bit to get into. It didn’t take long, and I was hooked on all three stories. I was eagerly waiting to see how they would all come into play with the overall plot.
The world-building in this book is phenomenal. Swan has created a world that’s full of political intrigue. I was fascinated by what it all takes as Katherine considers creating her own democracy. You know, there’s always so much more going on behind the scenes, and we get it laid bare here. The details of the world were vast, interesting, and a bit too close to home. We all want a better world, but who actually has what it takes to make it happen? It’s really the bulk of what this book is about. There are so many times in this book that things felt a little too relevant, and that’s a scary thought.
Katherine is a character who took me a minute to warm up to, but I ended up loving her arc by the end. Julian is a character that’s in a bad circumstance and is doing what he can to stay alive. Cyprian is an investigator, and his story was the one I connected to the quickest. There are times in each of these POV’s that their stories broke my heart or had me stressed and sitting on the edge of my seat! It’s truly heartbreaking to see what it takes and what has to happen to a person before they say enough. Honestly, the range of emotions this book had me experiencing was wild. I’m truly impressed.
I listened to the audio as an immersive read. Chris Rowe, Helen Keeley, and Nathaniel Priestley were fantastic with their narration. They worked perfectly together and made me feel the tension in the book. I loved how they had a different narrator for the three main POV’s. It made it much easier to follow, and the pacing flowed easily.
I first read Swan’s work with his Empire of the Wolf series, which I loved. I was hopeful I would like his science fiction writing, and I’m glad to say that I loved it too. This was a great start to a new series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I have come to love and root for these characters!
4.5 stars
Richard Swan has created a world that’s ruled by fascism; everyone is constantly surveilled and ruled by fear. Everyone is living complacently because they feel they have no choice. There are three different POV’s and two of them took me a bit to get into. It didn’t take long, and I was hooked on all three stories. I was eagerly waiting to see how they would all come into play with the overall plot.
The world-building in this book is phenomenal. Swan has created a world that’s full of political intrigue. I was fascinated by what it all takes as Katherine considers creating her own democracy. You know, there’s always so much more going on behind the scenes, and we get it laid bare here. The details of the world were vast, interesting, and a bit too close to home. We all want a better world, but who actually has what it takes to make it happen? It’s really the bulk of what this book is about. There are so many times in this book that things felt a little too relevant, and that’s a scary thought.
Katherine is a character who took me a minute to warm up to, but I ended up loving her arc by the end. Julian is a character that’s in a bad circumstance and is doing what he can to stay alive. Cyprian is an investigator, and his story was the one I connected to the quickest. There are times in each of these POV’s that their stories broke my heart or had me stressed and sitting on the edge of my seat! It’s truly heartbreaking to see what it takes and what has to happen to a person before they say enough. Honestly, the range of emotions this book had me experiencing was wild. I’m truly impressed.
I listened to the audio as an immersive read. Chris Rowe, Helen Keeley, and Nathaniel Priestley were fantastic with their narration. They worked perfectly together and made me feel the tension in the book. I loved how they had a different narrator for the three main POV’s. It made it much easier to follow, and the pacing flowed easily.
I first read Swan’s work with his Empire of the Wolf series, which I loved. I was hopeful I would like his science fiction writing, and I’m glad to say that I loved it too. This was a great start to a new series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I have come to love and root for these characters!
August 12, 2026
I'm so bummed I didn't like this more. I made it 50% and had to stop.
The themes were exceedingly heavy handed. Beating us over the head with "Decurion bad" over and over. I can definitely tell the author wanted to go for Orwell/Butler, but the characters weren't compelling to me at all.
The pacing had a lot of issues for me. We have three MCs that we bounce between and most of what I read was basically a nothing burger. Yes, we're repressed. Yes, the planet we're on really sucks. Yes, they're only allowed to ejaculate with the intent to procreate and only missionary... Sure, okay.
The characters were such a miss for me, too. We have a cop (ACAB), a foreign bisexual sports-racer, and the token woman character.
The cop is a cop character, but doesn't like the government. Pretty straightforward, nothing pulling me in, bit of a dickhead.
The Bi is a sports-racer, who was contracted to do racing in a colony he's never been in. But oh boy! He doesn't read the contract nor does he do any research on the colony he's going to be in. They frown on any homo activity. Big no-no. So then he's blackmailed into sexing up the only other woman character we have any meaningful interactions with in the first half of the book... All to get on camera to talk about this mans semen with other women. Wtf are we even doing?
Then we have the woman... My god, how to put this into words. She does such a disservice to women in general. Yes, "thE PlOt iS suPpOseD To bE [insert tantrum here]". I TOTALLY GET IT, BRO. After being married to a man for decades and trying like hell to be a broodmare, her husband is murdered. She's free to do what she wants, but before she is able to have any agency AT ALL... *POOF* more men start making her decisions for her. THE WHOLE TIME. She literally doesn't stop to reflect on any choice she makes, just blindly does the bidding of men hiding behind her. The author had a really good chance to do something cool with this character, but every woman that "matters" to the plot is reduced to Mommy. It's so boring and cringe.
Anyway, it wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for a copy of the Audio ARC for my open and honest review.
The themes were exceedingly heavy handed. Beating us over the head with "Decurion bad" over and over. I can definitely tell the author wanted to go for Orwell/Butler, but the characters weren't compelling to me at all.
The pacing had a lot of issues for me. We have three MCs that we bounce between and most of what I read was basically a nothing burger. Yes, we're repressed. Yes, the planet we're on really sucks. Yes, they're only allowed to ejaculate with the intent to procreate and only missionary... Sure, okay.
The characters were such a miss for me, too. We have a cop (ACAB), a foreign bisexual sports-racer, and the token woman character.
The cop is a cop character, but doesn't like the government. Pretty straightforward, nothing pulling me in, bit of a dickhead.
The Bi is a sports-racer, who was contracted to do racing in a colony he's never been in. But oh boy! He doesn't read the contract nor does he do any research on the colony he's going to be in. They frown on any homo activity. Big no-no. So then he's blackmailed into sexing up the only other woman character we have any meaningful interactions with in the first half of the book... All to get on camera to talk about this mans semen with other women. Wtf are we even doing?
Then we have the woman... My god, how to put this into words. She does such a disservice to women in general. Yes, "thE PlOt iS suPpOseD To bE [insert tantrum here]". I TOTALLY GET IT, BRO. After being married to a man for decades and trying like hell to be a broodmare, her husband is murdered. She's free to do what she wants, but before she is able to have any agency AT ALL... *POOF* more men start making her decisions for her. THE WHOLE TIME. She literally doesn't stop to reflect on any choice she makes, just blindly does the bidding of men hiding behind her. The author had a really good chance to do something cool with this character, but every woman that "matters" to the plot is reduced to Mommy. It's so boring and cringe.
Anyway, it wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for a copy of the Audio ARC for my open and honest review.
August 3, 2026
5 stars and you've done it again Mr. Swan. I was absolutely obsessed by The Infinite State the way Mr. Swan does character work is some of my favorite. He can make you love or hate a good or bad character, feel things and grow attached to fictional situations like not many authors can. The Infinite State is a dystopian, sci-fi, masterpiece set in a totalitarian world where the Pater Aeternus will be telling everyone what to wear, what to eat, how to have fun, while watching your every move on camera. We are talking a complete police state with a government and emperor that care nothing for individual freedoms and everything for the advancement of Decurion empire and "society".
I love dystopian settings an this one is one of the worst (like best worst). You meet Katherine one of the upper class, party members who is in good standing within the system. But her life still isn't her own. After her husbands untimely dimise, Katherine starts to feel uneasy about her place in society and how much she is contributing to the atrocities allowed under the current political system. But what is a middle aged, women, with little to no formal education on politics, merely, a housewife do about a totalitarian regeime? Well she would try to buy a neutral planet with the excess wealth she has from her husbands death and rebuild a society built on democratic principles. Let's go Katherine, I am ALL in.
Along the way you meet two other POVS, Cyprian, a disillusioned, often drunk, inspekotor, with little to no cares given after the death of his wife and "re-education" of his children. Because of Cpyprian's relaxed demeanor when it comes to the parties wishes, he finds himself in hot water after a bad sequence of events leaves him in the crossfires. Did I mention that literally anything you do where you are deemed to be acting against the emperor will get you killed, like literally any slight. So Cyprian finds himself needing to find friends who can help him out of his current predicament and comes into contact with Katherine.
The finally, and maybe my favorite POV is Julian. Julian is a hypersled raccer who is contracted to race for with the empire for one year. But after his one year, will he be able to go back to his home planet with it's freedoms and his family? Julian starts to realize that his contract was not what he sigend up for. There is mystery, danger, and fear. Julian ends up having to do just about anything he is told for fear for his life.
All of these POVs coalece in such a beatuiful story of hope, danger, and possible betrayal. Just where should their trust lie? I absolutely can not get enough of this story, it was fast paced, interesting, griping, hopeless and full of hope and it was absolutely PERFECT. Oh, how could I not meniton, there are KILLER GORILLAS/APES? I cannot wait for book two. Thank you so much to Richard Swan, TOR publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I love dystopian settings an this one is one of the worst (like best worst). You meet Katherine one of the upper class, party members who is in good standing within the system. But her life still isn't her own. After her husbands untimely dimise, Katherine starts to feel uneasy about her place in society and how much she is contributing to the atrocities allowed under the current political system. But what is a middle aged, women, with little to no formal education on politics, merely, a housewife do about a totalitarian regeime? Well she would try to buy a neutral planet with the excess wealth she has from her husbands death and rebuild a society built on democratic principles. Let's go Katherine, I am ALL in.
Along the way you meet two other POVS, Cyprian, a disillusioned, often drunk, inspekotor, with little to no cares given after the death of his wife and "re-education" of his children. Because of Cpyprian's relaxed demeanor when it comes to the parties wishes, he finds himself in hot water after a bad sequence of events leaves him in the crossfires. Did I mention that literally anything you do where you are deemed to be acting against the emperor will get you killed, like literally any slight. So Cyprian finds himself needing to find friends who can help him out of his current predicament and comes into contact with Katherine.
The finally, and maybe my favorite POV is Julian. Julian is a hypersled raccer who is contracted to race for with the empire for one year. But after his one year, will he be able to go back to his home planet with it's freedoms and his family? Julian starts to realize that his contract was not what he sigend up for. There is mystery, danger, and fear. Julian ends up having to do just about anything he is told for fear for his life.
All of these POVs coalece in such a beatuiful story of hope, danger, and possible betrayal. Just where should their trust lie? I absolutely can not get enough of this story, it was fast paced, interesting, griping, hopeless and full of hope and it was absolutely PERFECT. Oh, how could I not meniton, there are KILLER GORILLAS/APES? I cannot wait for book two. Thank you so much to Richard Swan, TOR publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
August 11, 2026
The first sci-fi book I’ve given 5 stars to in a long time.
For anyone who thinks reading isn’t political… this book is not for you. It’s heavy-handed with its fascism commentary and in the best way.
We follow a world where Pater Aeternus is the fascist regime running every aspect of life, Big Brother taken to a whole new level. And this isn’t some ridiculous solitary leader standing at the front causing all of this. At this point in the story, the regime is completely engrained in the entire system. It’s built into every aspect of everyday life. The scariest part is that it’s just accepted, and has been. Everyone’s gone along with it until now.
There are three main characters:
Katherine recently lost her husband and inherited a massive amount of money, which she wants to use to buy a world and build a fairer society. Pater Aeternus will not allow this.
Cyprian is an exhausted inspector who is tired of contributing to this system.
Julian is a hypersled racer from a place with freedom, struggling to accept the oppression he unknowingly signed up for. He’s losing his identity and autonomy to the homophobia of Pater Aeternus.
There’s so much social commentary here: watching people with privilege start to realize and question what’s going on the moment it affects them personally. People who’ve been struggling and fighting back, but are silenced. And it shows how easily people fall in line and overlook their own oppression, as long as the regime agrees with them on the things they care about.
And I have to mention the audiobook narrators. All three brought this to life, not just the main characters, but the horrifying, larger-than-life fascist characters running the regime. I’m so glad I listened to this one, because it truly elevated the experience. When I talk about books that hit differently on audio versus on the page, this is exactly the kind of book I mean.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.
For anyone who thinks reading isn’t political… this book is not for you. It’s heavy-handed with its fascism commentary and in the best way.
We follow a world where Pater Aeternus is the fascist regime running every aspect of life, Big Brother taken to a whole new level. And this isn’t some ridiculous solitary leader standing at the front causing all of this. At this point in the story, the regime is completely engrained in the entire system. It’s built into every aspect of everyday life. The scariest part is that it’s just accepted, and has been. Everyone’s gone along with it until now.
There are three main characters:
Katherine recently lost her husband and inherited a massive amount of money, which she wants to use to buy a world and build a fairer society. Pater Aeternus will not allow this.
Cyprian is an exhausted inspector who is tired of contributing to this system.
Julian is a hypersled racer from a place with freedom, struggling to accept the oppression he unknowingly signed up for. He’s losing his identity and autonomy to the homophobia of Pater Aeternus.
There’s so much social commentary here: watching people with privilege start to realize and question what’s going on the moment it affects them personally. People who’ve been struggling and fighting back, but are silenced. And it shows how easily people fall in line and overlook their own oppression, as long as the regime agrees with them on the things they care about.
And I have to mention the audiobook narrators. All three brought this to life, not just the main characters, but the horrifying, larger-than-life fascist characters running the regime. I’m so glad I listened to this one, because it truly elevated the experience. When I talk about books that hit differently on audio versus on the page, this is exactly the kind of book I mean.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2026
Happy book birthday to The Infinite State! I can't recommend this one enough.
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
If your response to those questions is anything but PATER AETERNUS, you will be running for your life or forced to live as a mono in this authoritarian police state.
The novel opens with the death of Eskil Fuller, prominent Decurion Party member and director of the Lamprey Corporation. He leaves behind an astonishing amount of money to his wife, Katherine. All her life she has faithfully toed the party line herself, obeying society's rules without ever questioning what they truly meant. That changes when she becomes caught up in an incident orchestrated by a seditionist group and unthinkingly picks up a leaflet bearing a dangerous message: PATER AETERNUS IS EVIL. With the first seeds of doubt taking root in her mind, and an immense fortune suddenly at her disposal, Katherine sets out to do something no loyal citizen would ever dare imagine: purchase her own world and build a nation where people are granted the right to vote.
Alongside Katherine, the novel follows two other main protagonists: Cyprian Reis, burned-out Inspektor in the Ministry of the Interior, and Julian Yashego, a foreigner recently recruited as Leonis's star hypersled pilot.
What an adventure! I freaking loved this one! This book has so many things I enjoy in a science fiction novel. There's political intrigue, rebellion against a totalitarian government, an interplanetary empire, a full throttle extreme racing sport, morally grey characters, and lots and lots of action. Huge thanks to Richard Swan and Tor for the advance reading copy. The only downside is now I have to wait for the sequel!
WHO GIVES YOU LIFE?
WHO GIVES YOU PURPOSE?
WHO GIVES YOU JOY?
If your response to those questions is anything but PATER AETERNUS, you will be running for your life or forced to live as a mono in this authoritarian police state.
The novel opens with the death of Eskil Fuller, prominent Decurion Party member and director of the Lamprey Corporation. He leaves behind an astonishing amount of money to his wife, Katherine. All her life she has faithfully toed the party line herself, obeying society's rules without ever questioning what they truly meant. That changes when she becomes caught up in an incident orchestrated by a seditionist group and unthinkingly picks up a leaflet bearing a dangerous message: PATER AETERNUS IS EVIL. With the first seeds of doubt taking root in her mind, and an immense fortune suddenly at her disposal, Katherine sets out to do something no loyal citizen would ever dare imagine: purchase her own world and build a nation where people are granted the right to vote.
Alongside Katherine, the novel follows two other main protagonists: Cyprian Reis, burned-out Inspektor in the Ministry of the Interior, and Julian Yashego, a foreigner recently recruited as Leonis's star hypersled pilot.
What an adventure! I freaking loved this one! This book has so many things I enjoy in a science fiction novel. There's political intrigue, rebellion against a totalitarian government, an interplanetary empire, a full throttle extreme racing sport, morally grey characters, and lots and lots of action. Huge thanks to Richard Swan and Tor for the advance reading copy. The only downside is now I have to wait for the sequel!
August 11, 2026
Thank you to Gollancz and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.25 stars.
A widow whose deceased husband was a member of the totalitarian government of a galaxy-wide empire, finds herself left with a fortune when he passes. Looking for a change, she decides to purchase a planet and create a democracy.
The first part of this novel evoked dystopian classics such as 1984, with our protagonist, Katherine, and a couple of other POVs finding themselves becoming targets of ever watchful surveillance starts. As the story evolved, I enjoyed that it became more hopeful, while keeping the tight pacing and ramping up the action.
The characters were interesting, although covering three points of view meant that perhaps they were not as fleshed out as they could have been.
The strongest parts of the book for me here were the plot and the world-building. I'm fascinated as to where the series will go.
4.25 stars.
A widow whose deceased husband was a member of the totalitarian government of a galaxy-wide empire, finds herself left with a fortune when he passes. Looking for a change, she decides to purchase a planet and create a democracy.
The first part of this novel evoked dystopian classics such as 1984, with our protagonist, Katherine, and a couple of other POVs finding themselves becoming targets of ever watchful surveillance starts. As the story evolved, I enjoyed that it became more hopeful, while keeping the tight pacing and ramping up the action.
The characters were interesting, although covering three points of view meant that perhaps they were not as fleshed out as they could have been.
The strongest parts of the book for me here were the plot and the world-building. I'm fascinated as to where the series will go.
August 9, 2026
I received an ARC of this from Netgalley.
I really liked this book. Richard Swan is so good at political intrigue. This book is more sci fi leaning but I wouldn't say that it was heavy on the sci fi. I loved the look at some of the science of setting up a new planet and all the things that go with that. I really liked the characters and how none of them were 100% black or white in terms of morals. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series and see what the characters get up to from where this book ends.
This book has some great things to say about an authoritarian state and how little say that people have in their own lives. I also liked the discussions about democracy and the highs and lows of that. Richard Swan is now an autobuy for me.
I really liked this book. Richard Swan is so good at political intrigue. This book is more sci fi leaning but I wouldn't say that it was heavy on the sci fi. I loved the look at some of the science of setting up a new planet and all the things that go with that. I really liked the characters and how none of them were 100% black or white in terms of morals. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series and see what the characters get up to from where this book ends.
This book has some great things to say about an authoritarian state and how little say that people have in their own lives. I also liked the discussions about democracy and the highs and lows of that. Richard Swan is now an autobuy for me.
May 12, 2026
Initially, this book gave me major Silo vibes, which really pulled me in because I love that show. Swan does a great job of capturing the hopelessness, and constant fear of living under a totalitarian regime. While the characters weren’t really “lovable”, they never felt one-dimensional either. Even though I couldn’t relate to their exact situations, Swan’s writing style perfectly depicts their harrowing experiences. The twists got me too! And they never felt forced or thrown in just for shock value. Toward the end, some parts of the writing were a bit harder to follow because of the more specific jargon and terminology being used and I had to slow down and reread a few sections to fully keep up. Nonetheless, this book does a great job of showing how thin the line between freedom and control can become without the people even noticing. This is one dystopian novel that people will certainly talk about for years to come.
August 6, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for the arc for this.
This was a brilliant novel that discussed so many important subjects in today’s modern world while creating a whole new world in the galaxy. The characters themselves had such development throughout the book, especially the main female character, who first starts off as a housewife and then develops to the president of this new planet.
I loved how the author had actually brought so many of today’s issues to light in a fictional sense and would recommend this to everyone to read.
This was a brilliant novel that discussed so many important subjects in today’s modern world while creating a whole new world in the galaxy. The characters themselves had such development throughout the book, especially the main female character, who first starts off as a housewife and then develops to the president of this new planet.
I loved how the author had actually brought so many of today’s issues to light in a fictional sense and would recommend this to everyone to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2026
Objectively this is not terrible, but I was bored by most of it. It reads more like a thriller than the blurb had led me to believe; I was expecting more political philosophy. There is a great deal of state-sanctioned murder and too many unnecessary “sporting“ and battle scenes for my tastes. The one scene I did enjoy involved two characters cackling with glee about how they can freely insult the president without worrying about being sentenced to death on this new democratic planet. The audio narration was competent, with different narrators for each POV which made it easy to follow.
Many thanks to Tor for sending me a physical ARC and to NetGalley for audiobook access.
Many thanks to Tor for sending me a physical ARC and to NetGalley for audiobook access.
August 9, 2026
Some pros and cons.
Pros:
World building that actually explains how political systems operate.
Multiple POVs that are easy to follow
Moments of high action where characters contemplate consequences.
Cons:
Pacing was all over the place.
The messaging throughout was incredibly heavy handed.
The POVs and their stances didnt differ as much as you would want.
Overall good but not great that I was expecting.
Pros:
World building that actually explains how political systems operate.
Multiple POVs that are easy to follow
Moments of high action where characters contemplate consequences.
Cons:
Pacing was all over the place.
The messaging throughout was incredibly heavy handed.
The POVs and their stances didnt differ as much as you would want.
Overall good but not great that I was expecting.
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