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For the Honor of the Empire
by
Andrew J Harvey
Book 2 of
The Honor Trilogy
REVIEWS of The Honor Trilogy
by Publishers Weekly
On an alternate Earth, Margaret Peric—the newly appointed Director of Food and Agriculture for the Cross-Temporal Empire—is field agent Markus Ackov’s last hope. He’s been tracking a suspicious crop blight and, despite being shunned by higher-ups, is desperate to share his unsettling discoveries with Margaret. But when he tries to approach her, Markus is brutally attacked, his eight-year-old daughter Jessie in tow, leading Margaret—and her bodyguard, Jade Carvello—to realize that someone intends to keep Markus’s revelation quiet. Jade—an agent of private security firm The Rucker’s Agency—takes it upon herself to find answers. That path leads her to infiltrate the Anarchists, one of many groups “seeking social change” after the recent civil war, in hopes of discovering the truth.The stakes are high in this sci-fi thrill ride, as secrets and conspiracies are uncovered and lives are put at risk. While on mission, Jade teams up with one of the Anarchists’ members, Carlos Babineaux, and sparks fly between the two—causing a conflict of interest for the star-crossed lovers. Harvey (author of The Clemhorn Trilogy) weaves together a layered story of intrigue, romance, and political agenda from there, featuring two strong female leads who are intelligent, powerful protagonists—and willing to put everything on the line to protect their loved ones.Readers will be entertained by Harvey’s blend of suspense, sci-fi, and dystopia, supplemented by worldbuilding that constructs a believable government and new social order. He is careful to include snippets of history to keep readers abreast of the Cross-Temporal Empire’s formation, and developments like the romance between Jade and Carlos elevate the tension, pitting morality against corruption, love against duty, and sacrifice against survival. Plot twists build a convincing case for a conspiracy with deeper roots than anyone expects, and Harvey leaves readers with both revelations and a dangerous new mission that promises more action in the series’ future.Comparable Titles: A.G. Riddle’s The Extinction Trials, Karin Tidbeck’s Amatka.
Read the original review
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Prologue
A century ago, Iapura led 53 survivors through a portal to escape a dying Earth. They had expected to emerge on Alpha Centauri but instead found themselves on an alternate Earth. An Earth where in 1884, Russian and English armies faced off across America’s Great Plains, unprepared for the technological prowess of the conquering Nayarit.
Within six months, the 53 refugees had seized control of the Mainline, and over the next 100 years expanded their empire across the multiverse, eventually including 54 alternate Earths within the Cross-Temporal Empire (C-TE).
Over the next 90 years, Iapura’s empire expanded steadily across a series of parallel Earths, absorbing and conquering until it included over 53 separate lines Finally, however, with its technology stagnant and its ruling council riven by dissent, the Cross-Temporal Empire descended into five years of civil-war. A civil war that pitched the C-T E’s ruling families against each other in a bitter, internecine feud that almost destroyed it.
Five years later, the Empire struggles to rebuild itself under a new dynasty, the Clemhorns. But now the Empire is under attack from an external enemy – they just know yet.
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