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Ashes of Empire #1
Imperial Sunset
Humanity’s thousand-year-old interstellar empire has been rotting from the inside for over a century, thanks to venal, corrupt, and power-hungry sovereigns from a dynasty many consider illegitimate. The latest in that lineage, an increasingly psychotic empress, is pushing her realm toward catastrophic collapse as admirals and generals rebel against her rule. That rebellion quickly drags the once mighty Imperial Fleet into a devastating fratricidal conflict between factions.
With civil war raging across human space, a Navy torn asunder can no longer protect frontier colonies, and barbarians long confined to the galactic badlands see an opportunity. After generations of hard existence on worlds beyond the bounds of human civilization, they hold life cheap, especially that of others. The barbarians will gladly steal everything they find and condemn defenseless star systems to technological and demographic collapse. That is if they don’t wipe them out entirely from sheer bloodlust or by selling survivors on alien slave markets.
One man, Captain Jonas Morane of the cruiser Vanquish, saw the empire’s collapse coming years before the first admiral rebelled. When he finds himself the senior surviving officer of a loyalist Navy unit almost entirely annihilated by rebels, Morane puts in motion a plan he developed long ago. This plan was designed to not only save his ships and crews from certain death but keep humanity’s accumulated knowledge from being obliterated by the long night of barbarism. However, before his dream can become a reality, Morane must lead the remains of the 197th Imperial Battle Group through an intricate wormhole network across a shattered empire, dodging his former colleagues from both sides, to the sanctuary he selected. Along the way, he rescues an Imperial Marine Corps Pathfinder battalion and the survivors of a religious order known for its mysticism from certain death, and enlists them in his cause. But will Morane’s sanctuary survive both the flames of rebellion and the depredations of invading marauders before his rag-tag fleet can reach it?
With civil war raging across human space, a Navy torn asunder can no longer protect frontier colonies, and barbarians long confined to the galactic badlands see an opportunity. After generations of hard existence on worlds beyond the bounds of human civilization, they hold life cheap, especially that of others. The barbarians will gladly steal everything they find and condemn defenseless star systems to technological and demographic collapse. That is if they don’t wipe them out entirely from sheer bloodlust or by selling survivors on alien slave markets.
One man, Captain Jonas Morane of the cruiser Vanquish, saw the empire’s collapse coming years before the first admiral rebelled. When he finds himself the senior surviving officer of a loyalist Navy unit almost entirely annihilated by rebels, Morane puts in motion a plan he developed long ago. This plan was designed to not only save his ships and crews from certain death but keep humanity’s accumulated knowledge from being obliterated by the long night of barbarism. However, before his dream can become a reality, Morane must lead the remains of the 197th Imperial Battle Group through an intricate wormhole network across a shattered empire, dodging his former colleagues from both sides, to the sanctuary he selected. Along the way, he rescues an Imperial Marine Corps Pathfinder battalion and the survivors of a religious order known for its mysticism from certain death, and enlists them in his cause. But will Morane’s sanctuary survive both the flames of rebellion and the depredations of invading marauders before his rag-tag fleet can reach it?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2018
270 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Eric Thomson
39 books129 followersEric Thomson is my pen name. I'm a former Canadian soldier who spent more years in uniform than he expected, serving in both the Regular Army (Infantry) and the Army Reserve (Armoured Corps). I spent several years as an Information Technology executive for the Canadian government before leaving the bowels of the demented bureaucracy to become a full-time author.
I've been a voracious reader of science-fiction, military fiction and history all my life, assiduously devouring the recommended Army reading list in my younger days and still occasionally returning to the classics for inspiration. Several years ago, I put my fingers to the keyboard and started writing my own military sci-fi, with a definite space opera slant, using many of my own experiences as a soldier as an inspiration for my stories and characters. When I'm not writing fiction, I indulge in my other passions: photography, hiking and scuba diving, all of which I've shared with my wife, who likes to call herself my #1 fan, for more than thirty years.
I've been a voracious reader of science-fiction, military fiction and history all my life, assiduously devouring the recommended Army reading list in my younger days and still occasionally returning to the classics for inspiration. Several years ago, I put my fingers to the keyboard and started writing my own military sci-fi, with a definite space opera slant, using many of my own experiences as a soldier as an inspiration for my stories and characters. When I'm not writing fiction, I indulge in my other passions: photography, hiking and scuba diving, all of which I've shared with my wife, who likes to call herself my #1 fan, for more than thirty years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 14, 2019
4.5. This was a really great book. There were times when it was hard to keep the characters straight, and this want the best military sci-fi book I’ve read. But it’s close. I enjoyed the humor, the high stakes, and even the mystery. I also enjoyed that there was no difference between men and women in terms of ability, leadership, or good v evil. Both the premise and the action were great, and well written.
April 28, 2019
Imperial Sunset, by Eric Thomson, puts us in the shoes of Imperial Navy and Marines with a front row seat to the destruction of the Empire they are sworn to serve. The book begins with the destruction of the 197th Task Group in a space battle with a rebel fleet. The survivors barely escape with their lives and decide Imperial service isn’t what it used to be and decide to go it alone. Civilization is falling apart all around as loyal and rebel fleet units bomb colony worlds, leaving them crippled and defenseless against space pirates from beyond the frontier. Once devastated, inhabited worlds have little chance to recover their advanced technology and will slide into barbarism.
Captain Morane has hatched a plan. His idea is to hole up the remnants of the 197th in a dead-end star system hosting a single colony world. Being at the end of a disused wormhole corridor, the Lyonesse system would have a chance to sit out the drama of imperial collapse. By protecting the backwater system from raids by rebels and space pirates, civilization could be maintained and from this base eventually returned to the rest of the old empire. It’s a bold plan because the Lyonesse system is far away and the path is filled with perils. Rebel fleet units scour the spaceways for Imperial ships to destroy.
My experience reading the book was growing to become more interested in the story as the pages turned. The beginning is slow and dialogue-heavy. Once the action picked up, and especially the last third of the book, I was wanting to know what happened next. Some opportunities for tension are lost early on, but the last part of the book kept me reading past bedtime.
Captain Morane has hatched a plan. His idea is to hole up the remnants of the 197th in a dead-end star system hosting a single colony world. Being at the end of a disused wormhole corridor, the Lyonesse system would have a chance to sit out the drama of imperial collapse. By protecting the backwater system from raids by rebels and space pirates, civilization could be maintained and from this base eventually returned to the rest of the old empire. It’s a bold plan because the Lyonesse system is far away and the path is filled with perils. Rebel fleet units scour the spaceways for Imperial ships to destroy.
My experience reading the book was growing to become more interested in the story as the pages turned. The beginning is slow and dialogue-heavy. Once the action picked up, and especially the last third of the book, I was wanting to know what happened next. Some opportunities for tension are lost early on, but the last part of the book kept me reading past bedtime.
July 14, 2019
I didn't finish this book. I like the basic idea of "Ashes of Empire" which had some warships from an interstellar empire that is falling apart, going to an isolated planet to start over, picking up some religious and other refugees on the way. I checked to see if there is a series of books taking place in that isolated planet. Apparently there is one so far.
But the bad guys are so very bad, and the good guys aren't interesting enough for me. And I have so many other books I want to read.
But the bad guys are so very bad, and the good guys aren't interesting enough for me. And I have so many other books I want to read.
November 9, 2019
CAUTION
Really enjoyed! I was looking forward to volumes to come. Then I checked and found vol. 2 is not covered by Kindle unlimited.
I would like a warning when the first volume is free or Kindle unlimited and the rest will be pay as you go. Sometimes I am smart enough to check.
I am retired and read constantly. (TV commercials are so disruptive I frequently turn off the boob tube.) I read five or more books a week. Buying two e-books a week would be $500 a year, in addition to my subscriptions and hardcovers.
Am I alone?
Really enjoyed! I was looking forward to volumes to come. Then I checked and found vol. 2 is not covered by Kindle unlimited.
I would like a warning when the first volume is free or Kindle unlimited and the rest will be pay as you go. Sometimes I am smart enough to check.
I am retired and read constantly. (TV commercials are so disruptive I frequently turn off the boob tube.) I read five or more books a week. Buying two e-books a week would be $500 a year, in addition to my subscriptions and hardcovers.
Am I alone?
July 26, 2019
Three and three quarters stars. It's such an old trope that I couldn't quite give it four. The characters are decently developed the universe is Thompson's same old, same old just at a different time period. Nothing great or outstanding, but a solid read if you like the old "failing empire" storyline.
February 14, 2024
What if Hari Sheldon was a starship captain, and found some Bene Gesserit on his way to save human knowledge from the coming darkness?
October 1, 2024
Space Romans heading to a safe harbor to wait out The Empires fall.
October 13, 2024
Foundation meets Dune with a sprinkle of Friefly/Serenity
November 15, 2021
There are two main advantages of this book: the first that it is a solid, fun space-opera, the second is the price! I am so getting fed up with paying 15 bucks for mediocre eBooks, which would have never made it into print, that it is just refreshing to have a solid fun read for $6. To support this, I’ll just going to plain buy everything Mr. Thomson wrote.
Imperial sunset is a Foundation-inspired space opera about the decline of the human empire and a visionary captain’s attempt to establish a knowledge vault to shorten the long night. Solid, fast-paced and fun. The characters are decently developed for the good guys and a bit one-dimensional for the bad guys. The military guys are a bit to positively drawn, politicians a bit too negatively, but not to an extend that it becomes annoying. No question that I’ll go for the sequel.
For five stars the story would need a bit more originality. But four stars for a well-executed version of a “fall of the empire” story.
Imperial sunset is a Foundation-inspired space opera about the decline of the human empire and a visionary captain’s attempt to establish a knowledge vault to shorten the long night. Solid, fast-paced and fun. The characters are decently developed for the good guys and a bit one-dimensional for the bad guys. The military guys are a bit to positively drawn, politicians a bit too negatively, but not to an extend that it becomes annoying. No question that I’ll go for the sequel.
For five stars the story would need a bit more originality. But four stars for a well-executed version of a “fall of the empire” story.
September 27, 2022
The concept, and world building are solid. The execution leaves something to be desired.
Characters are not developed, at all. Who are these people? In the midst of the horrific collapse of civilization; there is little feeling, or introspection, individually.
The pace is sllooowww. Endless nattering conversations. Don’t these people have jobs to do in space? Little military action, most of it reduced to an order, and a button pushed.
His “Ghost Squadron “, and “Constabulary “ novels are much better. I am reading the second volume…looking for improvement and better story telling.
Characters are not developed, at all. Who are these people? In the midst of the horrific collapse of civilization; there is little feeling, or introspection, individually.
The pace is sllooowww. Endless nattering conversations. Don’t these people have jobs to do in space? Little military action, most of it reduced to an order, and a button pushed.
His “Ghost Squadron “, and “Constabulary “ novels are much better. I am reading the second volume…looking for improvement and better story telling.
July 13, 2018
Really Enjoyed and would read the next one
I found the characters believable and the plot lines plausible. The military org charts were well done. You can also tell the author served. A few minor editing issues but they didn't detract from the story too much. Hope the next one is out soon.
I found the characters believable and the plot lines plausible. The military org charts were well done. You can also tell the author served. A few minor editing issues but they didn't detract from the story too much. Hope the next one is out soon.
December 11, 2019
This was a decent read and I fully intend to read the next one in the series. The basic story isn’t that original, but there was enough originality to keep it interesting, if not that exciting.
Although the main character is the Captain of a fast cruiser, there is very little space action and there were times when I thought the story dragged a little.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
Although the main character is the Captain of a fast cruiser, there is very little space action and there were times when I thought the story dragged a little.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
March 2, 2023
The plot reminds me of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, with an empire going down in flames, a refuge intend on keeping the scientific knowledge alive and a telepathic order keeping watch.
On the other hand, there's strategy although only just a bit, few space battles and some ground action.
In all, an ambitious attempt but lacking in execution.
On the other hand, there's strategy although only just a bit, few space battles and some ground action.
In all, an ambitious attempt but lacking in execution.
May 12, 2025
Military sci-fi without a single military challenge to the main bunch of heroes. Good guys are way too good, and bad guys are way too bad. All the parts feel artificially tied together. Though I did finish the book, so there is that. And maybe there are more action in the sequels as this did feel like a very long first chapter for a series.
August 17, 2018
I enjoyed this novel. I like an easy to follow Sci Fi and this book hit the mark. It didn’t get bogged down with tech no jargon and was an easy read. There was a lac of technology with such an advanced society but the in fighting and how the empire broke apart is all to familiar.
September 1, 2018
Good start to a promising series
Obviously a prelude to a multi-century series of how the human race rises from the ashes of a fallen empire. Good set up but the next couple of books will determine how good a story this is.
Obviously a prelude to a multi-century series of how the human race rises from the ashes of a fallen empire. Good set up but the next couple of books will determine how good a story this is.
September 6, 2023
Fairly pedestrian military sci-fi. Not bad as such, but there wasn’t really any of the interesting tactics I consider a core of the genre. And then I found the premise a bit weak and the conservative world view a bit thick, even if that is pretty standard for mil scifi
October 10, 2024
Started off pretty excellently, quickly became a by-the-book Space Opera.
Nothing new brought to the table and let down by a few common-place issues that a lot of far-future falling galactic empire books seem to suffer from.
Why do so many books set thousands of years in the future on worlds far away from Ol' Mother Earth have so MANY references to contemporary quotes or historical characters that we use today?
Also, many of the mundane conversations and 'banter' between the characters sound stilted and, well um, written?
If you accept these shortcomings this looks like a readable series of books and I will continue reading them.
Incidentally, as an Englishman it's satisfying to see that the word 'bugger' has survived through space and time and is alive and well - but then the author is Canadian:)
Nothing new brought to the table and let down by a few common-place issues that a lot of far-future falling galactic empire books seem to suffer from.
Why do so many books set thousands of years in the future on worlds far away from Ol' Mother Earth have so MANY references to contemporary quotes or historical characters that we use today?
Also, many of the mundane conversations and 'banter' between the characters sound stilted and, well um, written?
If you accept these shortcomings this looks like a readable series of books and I will continue reading them.
Incidentally, as an Englishman it's satisfying to see that the word 'bugger' has survived through space and time and is alive and well - but then the author is Canadian:)
August 6, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi which follows a well travelled path -- The decline and fall of a galactic empire. Our hero decides the best way forward is to pull a Hari Sheldon and create a Foundation... err... I mean... a Human Knowledge Bank at the very edge of the universe, to hopefully speed up the revival of human civilisation after the fall. Wackiness ensues. Anyhow, it's just volume one of six, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Proper good old fashioned space opera. Heinlein would be proud -- If only they'd thrown in a juvenile to say "Huh?" periodically.
May 5, 2019
The Fall of Space Rome
The empire falls in civil war. The barbarians invade formerly safe territory. Stable settlements are wiped out.
It's the end of the roman empire. In space.
Not bad but pretty standard. Drags in places, with some odd filler that doesn't add anything. Other sections are tense and well written.
The empire falls in civil war. The barbarians invade formerly safe territory. Stable settlements are wiped out.
It's the end of the roman empire. In space.
Not bad but pretty standard. Drags in places, with some odd filler that doesn't add anything. Other sections are tense and well written.
July 21, 2018
A fun read good character development I am looking forward to the next installment
I enjoyed the book and liked the few twists he put in. The next book will be very interesting and I hope it continues in the same vein and not in a tangent.
I enjoyed the book and liked the few twists he put in. The next book will be very interesting and I hope it continues in the same vein and not in a tangent.
June 8, 2019
Shades of falkenburgs legions
Not a bad start to collapse of empire series. I found the book to be worth my time and money, as long as I do not have to wait to long for the next novel in the series
Not a bad start to collapse of empire series. I found the book to be worth my time and money, as long as I do not have to wait to long for the next novel in the series
September 8, 2019
Interesting if fatalistic Story
Good read and interesting plot development. characterization is a little rough but the overall story is rather enjoyable. It does grab your attention and keeps your interest going!
Good read and interesting plot development. characterization is a little rough but the overall story is rather enjoyable. It does grab your attention and keeps your interest going!
July 24, 2018
Enjoyable read
Enjoyed the story, had bits of differing styles from writers I enjoy. I will read more of these. The characters were relateable and filled out well.
Enjoyed the story, had bits of differing styles from writers I enjoy. I will read more of these. The characters were relateable and filled out well.
April 11, 2019
Great space opera.
Large sweep of the end of the beginning of a new path.
Can't wait for the continuation of this story.
Large sweep of the end of the beginning of a new path.
Can't wait for the continuation of this story.
April 19, 2019
Excellent story
Well written with fully developed characters. I like the story premise and see a lot of good books in the future. I can't wait.
Well written with fully developed characters. I like the story premise and see a lot of good books in the future. I can't wait.
April 22, 2019
Almost completely uneventful. Tedious and pointless
June 1, 2019
Good start
While there are a few stumbles, overall one of the better "post Empire" type SF books. Looking forward to the next book.
While there are a few stumbles, overall one of the better "post Empire" type SF books. Looking forward to the next book.
August 23, 2019
Found it hard to get excited about.
December 7, 2019
Great
Great tale. Characters are developing well. Story is intriguing. Thanks to the author for sharing his writing skills and imagination.
Great tale. Characters are developing well. Story is intriguing. Thanks to the author for sharing his writing skills and imagination.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews