The Risen Empire

Captain Laurent Zai is thrust into a rescue mission after the imperial child heir is taken hostage, pulling him into a widening conflict between an undead human empire and a machine-augmented enemy culture. As war escalates, the novel follows multiple characters on both sides, revealing competing ideas about death, power, and what it means to be human.

The story moves through shifting viewpoints and flashbacks, combining military action, political maneuvering, and personal loyalties. Zai’s role as a captain, Nara Oxham’s position in the political sphere, and other recurring figures place the larger conflict in both battlefield and government settings.

The narrative builds toward major confrontations while withholding full resolution. It ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the larger conflict and several central questions to be continued in the next volume.