Shadows Against the Empire
2013
First Published
4.17
Average Rating
248
Number of Pages
It is 1882, and from fiery Mercury to the frigid moons of the Outer Planets, a Pax Britannica holds sway. Were it not for Britain’s dominance in trade, technology and space travel, Earth’s other major colonial powers would wage wars that would consume them all, and end the peace and prosperity that stretches across the Solar System. On Mars, however, an ancient evil stirs in a dead city, dark powers emerging from the dimensions to which they were banished in primal times. As this evil force extends its reach from planet to planet, the ever-precarious balance of power begins to shift, endangering not only Britain’s Empire of Steam and Steel, but the entire Solar System and all its inhabited planets. Only a small band of dedicated men and women stand between Civilisation and the Dark Gods of Elder Mars. From a forbidden city in the Martian antarctic wastes to the steaming upland jungles of Venus to the most dangerous quarters of Constantinople and London, they will do whatever they must to fight the shadows rising against the Empire, to serve Queen and Solar System.
Avg Rating
4.17
Number of Ratings
18
5 STARS
56%
4 STARS
22%
3 STARS
11%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
6%
goodreads
Author
Ralph Vaughan
Author · 4 books
Ralph E. Vaughan is the author of several books combining the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and HP Lovecraft, such as "The Adventure of the Ancient Gods" (first story to combine Holmes & Lovecraft), "The Dreaming Detective." and "Sherlock Holmes and the Terror Out of Time." A longtime fan of the steampunk movement, he expressed that fondness by writing "Shadows Against the Empire," an epic Victorian interplanetary adventure, followed by its sequel "Amidst Dark Satanic Mills." He is also the author of "HP Lovecraft in the Comics," an exhaustive examination of the works Lovecraft's works as they were adapted into the medium of comic books, and "Reflections on Elder Egypt." a collection of essays about various aspects of Ancient Egypt and how that lost civilization is viewed by modern culture. He is the author of "Paws & Claws: A Three Dog Mystery," first in the Paws & Claws Series, in which three amazing dogs protect their neighborhood, thwart the evil plans of the nefarious Feral Gang, and occasionally save the world. This was followed by additional books, including "K-9 Blues" and "The Death and Life of an American Dog." He is a long-time resident of Chula Vista, California, which is the setting of the Paws & Claws Series. He has been married for more than 40 years, and has two children, a daughter who is a playwright, and a son who is a conductor for the BNSF.
