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Fading Empires #1
Rising Storm
The year is 2047 and Earth’s major remaining governments are now completely powerless in the face of the recently emerged voracious “megacorps” that now have near virtual reign over every aspect of life. They are headed by a ruthless power elite class whose dominance runs unabated due to their control over various police and military forces that have been co-opted by them. All opposition is crushed in their ever expanding shadow. A virtual intelligence super-structure has been set up by these organizations to monitor all, and certain sectors of the population function in the maintenance of the various zones within the closed system.
However, as always, pockets of resistance develop as Leonard Kilbane, former black ops super soldier—turned rogue resistance leader, assembles a diverse group of mercenaries who are learning to put their differences aside in order to stand up to the ultra-suppressive, all powerful corporate state. This team has barely begun to take action when the many tentacled organizations strike back with nearly omniscient technological power projection.
Sitting atop his lofty perch, shrewd businessman and banker extraordinaire Arlington Grubb, head of the uber-powered monolithic financial juggernaut Leeds-Cantwell is destroying friend and foe alike in his never-ending greed and unquenchable thirst for supremacy. Grubb is in turn watched over by a shadowy entity known only as Helix.
From the glittering palaces of the depraved power-mad elites, to crumbling urban wastelands and desiccated abandoned outer areas, this twelve novel genre-breaking opus has enough characters, action, and plot twists to fascinate everyone in this journey into a not so distant future.
However, as always, pockets of resistance develop as Leonard Kilbane, former black ops super soldier—turned rogue resistance leader, assembles a diverse group of mercenaries who are learning to put their differences aside in order to stand up to the ultra-suppressive, all powerful corporate state. This team has barely begun to take action when the many tentacled organizations strike back with nearly omniscient technological power projection.
Sitting atop his lofty perch, shrewd businessman and banker extraordinaire Arlington Grubb, head of the uber-powered monolithic financial juggernaut Leeds-Cantwell is destroying friend and foe alike in his never-ending greed and unquenchable thirst for supremacy. Grubb is in turn watched over by a shadowy entity known only as Helix.
From the glittering palaces of the depraved power-mad elites, to crumbling urban wastelands and desiccated abandoned outer areas, this twelve novel genre-breaking opus has enough characters, action, and plot twists to fascinate everyone in this journey into a not so distant future.
298 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2012
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Ian Kane
11 books39 followersIan Kane is a U.S. Army Veteran, author, and filmmaker. He is dedicated to the development and production of innovative, thought-provoking, and often inspirational character-driven films and books of the highest quality.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 28, 2014
Tome Tender is pleased to Spotlight Ian Kane's RISING STORM!
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Humanity and compassion are at a premium in the futuristic dystopian world created by author Ian Kane in Rising Storm the first installment in what is sure to become an epic series, Fading Empires. Large mega-corporations have taken over the world and the disparity between the haves and the have-nots has never been greater. Power-hungry elitists control who lives and dies, decides their usefulness and their threat level. The poor bear the brunt of ensuring the rich live excessive lifestyles with their blood, sweat and their very lives. Police and military factions are the puppets of the powerful. One reluctant hero rises, a former military elite soldier, Kilbane, who begins the task of organizing an underground resistance group with plans to overthrow those in power and give the world back to all of its people to share in. To say this is an uphill fight is an understatement, as one small misstep will bring everything crashing down around them.
Dark, foreboding and chaotic, the mood and tone of this dystopian world is portrayed vividly with the masterful guidance of Ian Kane’s pen. With life-like characters who personify everything from good to purely evil and scenes that flash across my mental movie screen, I was lost in this frightening world of the future. Mr. Kane has built his world, introduced the players and set the stage for a larger than life series, and done it well. If this is what we can expect from this author as he creates more additions to this powerful and fast-paced series, I’m all for it! A firm platform has been laid, and I can’t wait to read more from Ian Kane.
I received a copy of Rising Storm from author Ian Kane in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Fading Empires, Book 1
Publication Date: October 10, 2013
Publisher: Farther Books
ISBN-10: 1628279117
ISBN-13: 978-1628279115
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 296
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Click on Banner to Enter
Open Internationally!
Humanity and compassion are at a premium in the futuristic dystopian world created by author Ian Kane in Rising Storm the first installment in what is sure to become an epic series, Fading Empires. Large mega-corporations have taken over the world and the disparity between the haves and the have-nots has never been greater. Power-hungry elitists control who lives and dies, decides their usefulness and their threat level. The poor bear the brunt of ensuring the rich live excessive lifestyles with their blood, sweat and their very lives. Police and military factions are the puppets of the powerful. One reluctant hero rises, a former military elite soldier, Kilbane, who begins the task of organizing an underground resistance group with plans to overthrow those in power and give the world back to all of its people to share in. To say this is an uphill fight is an understatement, as one small misstep will bring everything crashing down around them.
Dark, foreboding and chaotic, the mood and tone of this dystopian world is portrayed vividly with the masterful guidance of Ian Kane’s pen. With life-like characters who personify everything from good to purely evil and scenes that flash across my mental movie screen, I was lost in this frightening world of the future. Mr. Kane has built his world, introduced the players and set the stage for a larger than life series, and done it well. If this is what we can expect from this author as he creates more additions to this powerful and fast-paced series, I’m all for it! A firm platform has been laid, and I can’t wait to read more from Ian Kane.
I received a copy of Rising Storm from author Ian Kane in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Fading Empires, Book 1
Publication Date: October 10, 2013
Publisher: Farther Books
ISBN-10: 1628279117
ISBN-13: 978-1628279115
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 296
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
December 16, 2012
A dystopian novel that gets under your skin!!!
This book got me hooked right from the beginning. It gives a realistic dystopian view of a future where mankind is confronted with a number of (life-threatening) problems, such as the effects of global warming and its consequences. Society has split into two groups, the anarchic Underzones and the privileged Safezones, both of which are supervised by mega-corporations that control their citizens with the help of special technical devices.
While the tension between the two zones is increasing, ex-ArmCor soldier Leonard Kilbane and his allies are making preparations to rise against the suppressive corporate state.
Despite the bleak outlook on the future, the author maintains a fine balance between hope and despair, humour and seriousness.
The plot is fast-paced, the characters are well-drafted and credible and the descriptions are accurate and vivid. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in dystopian fiction. I, for my part, can't wait to start reading the second volume of this series.
October 10, 2012
Fading Empires Vol 1
Ian Kane
A few years ago, there was a computer game with the strange name of "Quake 3 Arena". It was one of more than a few "first-person shooters" on the market at the time. The opening sequence of Q3:A showed a character named Sarge, a burly ex-Marine sporing a buzz haircut and chewing on a stubby cigar. Sarge carried a massive machine gun, one that could be thought of as a .50-caliber. In this "cut scene," Sarge takes on a huge number of enemies and defeats them all. As I read the first chapter of "Fading Empires: Volume I," where the main character, Kilbane, fights his way through a dense jungle to reach an extraction point, I found it very easy to picture this Sarge character.
From that first chapter all the way to the cliff-hanger ending (it is a massive cliff-hanger as well!), "Fading Empires" delivers a ferocious amount of physical carnage, much like what can be expected when playing a "first-person shooter." The novel begins with parallel scenes: Kilbane fighting his way to an extraction point where he is picked up by a remote-controlled UAV while the other scene presents a professor being interviewed on a pirate radio/video show about the horrors of the "have's" of this dystopic futuristic US of A fighting off their respective "have-nots" Because of these first scenes, the reader is given a quick but thorough layout of the novel's main conflicts.
Oddly enough, "Fading Empires" contains no chapter breaks, just scene-breaks, and there aren't many pages of action-packed adventure between each break. I don't see this as an isuse, but I'm sure that more traditionally-minded readers may be put off by the lack of chapters.
Yes. reading the novel got thinking (more than I wanted to) of playing a sci-fi first-person shooter like Quake 4:Arena or Modern Warfare; Kane must have spent a copious amount of time and effort to delinate the descriptions of so many kinds of hand-held rifles, machine guns, RPGs, etc.
Even though "Fading Empires" is set in a dystopian society fairly far into the future, Kane chooses to present that "global warming" will be a major cause of society's downfall. In this novel, global warming has caused the seas to rise which has moved the coastal populations further inland. One minor side note: it is interesting that the street-gangs (at least one gang, anyway) have very sophisticated weaponry but have to watch how much is discharged since ammo costs are very high.
I liked how Kane made a subtle transition from the action to show a more tender, dramatic side when Kilbane partners with two of his buddies. They are in the middle of planning a mission that will benefit not only themselves but possibly thousands of other like-minded souls when he gets a message from a childhood friend who's been badly injured in a gang-related excursion. It is from this point until the end of the novel that the main plot-line becomes (thankfully) very obvious.
Like I mentioned earlier, the novel ends with a heavy cliff-hanger. It is so abrupt that I literally grunted my out loud when I hit that proverbial concrete wall! Then I was greeted by an appendix that includes a "cast of characters" along with a glossary of terms for the weaponry, etc. described in the novel.
"Fading Empires" is a very-quick, action-intensive read that introduces gang-bangers, ex-cons, industry tycooons, and yes, military types like Kilbane. Even though Kane's first action-packed novel ends with a massive cliff-hanger (which I suppose should lead interested readers directly to volume two of the series), I give it a bloody -- but frustrated -- 3.5 .50cal casings!
Ian Kane
A few years ago, there was a computer game with the strange name of "Quake 3 Arena". It was one of more than a few "first-person shooters" on the market at the time. The opening sequence of Q3:A showed a character named Sarge, a burly ex-Marine sporing a buzz haircut and chewing on a stubby cigar. Sarge carried a massive machine gun, one that could be thought of as a .50-caliber. In this "cut scene," Sarge takes on a huge number of enemies and defeats them all. As I read the first chapter of "Fading Empires: Volume I," where the main character, Kilbane, fights his way through a dense jungle to reach an extraction point, I found it very easy to picture this Sarge character.
From that first chapter all the way to the cliff-hanger ending (it is a massive cliff-hanger as well!), "Fading Empires" delivers a ferocious amount of physical carnage, much like what can be expected when playing a "first-person shooter." The novel begins with parallel scenes: Kilbane fighting his way to an extraction point where he is picked up by a remote-controlled UAV while the other scene presents a professor being interviewed on a pirate radio/video show about the horrors of the "have's" of this dystopic futuristic US of A fighting off their respective "have-nots" Because of these first scenes, the reader is given a quick but thorough layout of the novel's main conflicts.
Oddly enough, "Fading Empires" contains no chapter breaks, just scene-breaks, and there aren't many pages of action-packed adventure between each break. I don't see this as an isuse, but I'm sure that more traditionally-minded readers may be put off by the lack of chapters.
Yes. reading the novel got thinking (more than I wanted to) of playing a sci-fi first-person shooter like Quake 4:Arena or Modern Warfare; Kane must have spent a copious amount of time and effort to delinate the descriptions of so many kinds of hand-held rifles, machine guns, RPGs, etc.
Even though "Fading Empires" is set in a dystopian society fairly far into the future, Kane chooses to present that "global warming" will be a major cause of society's downfall. In this novel, global warming has caused the seas to rise which has moved the coastal populations further inland. One minor side note: it is interesting that the street-gangs (at least one gang, anyway) have very sophisticated weaponry but have to watch how much is discharged since ammo costs are very high.
I liked how Kane made a subtle transition from the action to show a more tender, dramatic side when Kilbane partners with two of his buddies. They are in the middle of planning a mission that will benefit not only themselves but possibly thousands of other like-minded souls when he gets a message from a childhood friend who's been badly injured in a gang-related excursion. It is from this point until the end of the novel that the main plot-line becomes (thankfully) very obvious.
Like I mentioned earlier, the novel ends with a heavy cliff-hanger. It is so abrupt that I literally grunted my out loud when I hit that proverbial concrete wall! Then I was greeted by an appendix that includes a "cast of characters" along with a glossary of terms for the weaponry, etc. described in the novel.
"Fading Empires" is a very-quick, action-intensive read that introduces gang-bangers, ex-cons, industry tycooons, and yes, military types like Kilbane. Even though Kane's first action-packed novel ends with a massive cliff-hanger (which I suppose should lead interested readers directly to volume two of the series), I give it a bloody -- but frustrated -- 3.5 .50cal casings!
December 3, 2013
The Plot
This book is set in a dystopian future gone very wrong. I really enjoy dystopian novels and one of the greatest worries for the world right now is the imbalance between the haves and have nots that seems to get wider by the day. Its not a huge jump to imagine a world where taken to the extreme, the corporations become the de facto government as they control most of the valuable resources. Kane has created exactly this type of world - one populated by mercenary soldiers, corrupt cops, greedy CEO's and gang members trying to survive in this dark and strange world. I won't reveal anything except to say that we are treated to a classic tale of resistance with it's own twists and turns that make a for a great page turner. One aspect that Kane excels in is writing fight scenes, they come across exceptionally believable and really add to the story.
The Characters
The main character we follow is Kilbane, the hard as nails mercenary that has gone from soldier of fortune to resistance fighter. Beneath his hard exterior he is a loyal friend that will go beyond the call of duty to help his friends - in short a very solid and classic good guy. I found the character of the gang member Lita very interesting - a tough and strong female character is always welcome and she was excellent. The main 'bad guy' in this story is Grubb, a greedy and avaricious CEO who wants to control more and more and will stop at nothing to do so - a particularly odious and despicable character. There are plenty of other characters in the book as we whizz through this strange and dark world. I suspect his military background really helps in adding some genuine authenticity here.
Summary and Rating
I have rated this novel at 4 stars. On the plus side I really enjoyed the story and I think it is wonderfully imagined. However for me this story moves just a little too fast at times, whizzing along at breakneck speed between scenes. There is a lot that happens over the course of this book, so I found it hard to really settle down with the characters as yet. However considering that this book is the first of eleven volumes, there should be plenty of time to get to know the characters more fully. I also got the sense that this novel would make an interesting TV series or a movie - the pace of the plot is perfect for it. On the editing side, this book is reasonable well edited, but there are still a few minor issues to be sorted out, however this hardly detracts from the enjoyment of reading the book. Overall a brilliant story , fast paced and furious, one that most lovers of dystopian sci-fi will love. I look forward to reading the forthcoming titles in this series.
This book is set in a dystopian future gone very wrong. I really enjoy dystopian novels and one of the greatest worries for the world right now is the imbalance between the haves and have nots that seems to get wider by the day. Its not a huge jump to imagine a world where taken to the extreme, the corporations become the de facto government as they control most of the valuable resources. Kane has created exactly this type of world - one populated by mercenary soldiers, corrupt cops, greedy CEO's and gang members trying to survive in this dark and strange world. I won't reveal anything except to say that we are treated to a classic tale of resistance with it's own twists and turns that make a for a great page turner. One aspect that Kane excels in is writing fight scenes, they come across exceptionally believable and really add to the story.
The Characters
The main character we follow is Kilbane, the hard as nails mercenary that has gone from soldier of fortune to resistance fighter. Beneath his hard exterior he is a loyal friend that will go beyond the call of duty to help his friends - in short a very solid and classic good guy. I found the character of the gang member Lita very interesting - a tough and strong female character is always welcome and she was excellent. The main 'bad guy' in this story is Grubb, a greedy and avaricious CEO who wants to control more and more and will stop at nothing to do so - a particularly odious and despicable character. There are plenty of other characters in the book as we whizz through this strange and dark world. I suspect his military background really helps in adding some genuine authenticity here.
Summary and Rating
I have rated this novel at 4 stars. On the plus side I really enjoyed the story and I think it is wonderfully imagined. However for me this story moves just a little too fast at times, whizzing along at breakneck speed between scenes. There is a lot that happens over the course of this book, so I found it hard to really settle down with the characters as yet. However considering that this book is the first of eleven volumes, there should be plenty of time to get to know the characters more fully. I also got the sense that this novel would make an interesting TV series or a movie - the pace of the plot is perfect for it. On the editing side, this book is reasonable well edited, but there are still a few minor issues to be sorted out, however this hardly detracts from the enjoyment of reading the book. Overall a brilliant story , fast paced and furious, one that most lovers of dystopian sci-fi will love. I look forward to reading the forthcoming titles in this series.
September 21, 2012
If subsequent novels in this series are as good as this initial entry, then it's safe to say that Ian Kane has a sure winner on his hands!
Expertly written in such a way that it successfully captures and holds onto the reader's attention from start to finish, this book vividly conjures up a world that is often quite nightmarish, especially in the sense that a future of this nature is not exactly out of the question, considering the often unpredictable tide of global events.
And yet, despite the creepiness, it's re-assuring to note that characters like Kilbane and (especially) Lita are able to retain their sense of humanity and compassion, rendering the events of this novel all the more life-like. Contrast is provided, of course, in characters like Pike (my favorite), whose bullying nature emerges as all the more dangerous, considering his powerful physique.
Zigzagging back and forth from one scene to another, the narrative is often episodic in nature, but this technique only serves to enhance the tension that is created in the mind and mood of the reader.
I can easily picture this as a Showtime or HBO series, and in the best of all possible worlds, it would surely be considered highly competitive.
Needless to say, I'll probably be investing a good deal of my time in reading future volumes of this series.
Expertly written in such a way that it successfully captures and holds onto the reader's attention from start to finish, this book vividly conjures up a world that is often quite nightmarish, especially in the sense that a future of this nature is not exactly out of the question, considering the often unpredictable tide of global events.
And yet, despite the creepiness, it's re-assuring to note that characters like Kilbane and (especially) Lita are able to retain their sense of humanity and compassion, rendering the events of this novel all the more life-like. Contrast is provided, of course, in characters like Pike (my favorite), whose bullying nature emerges as all the more dangerous, considering his powerful physique.
Zigzagging back and forth from one scene to another, the narrative is often episodic in nature, but this technique only serves to enhance the tension that is created in the mind and mood of the reader.
I can easily picture this as a Showtime or HBO series, and in the best of all possible worlds, it would surely be considered highly competitive.
Needless to say, I'll probably be investing a good deal of my time in reading future volumes of this series.
August 11, 2016
The author, Ian Kane, gave me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.
Kane’s Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) sketchs out how the world got to a place where its ruled by a powerful few. In reflection of our current world, we see the divide between the super rich and super poor expanding and the middle class disappearing. Is it so out of the realm of possibility that we may one day find ourselves at the mercy of the elite? The idea of mega-corps ruling and the super-rich living in protected “safezones” is so farfetched and yet at the same time not so farfetched. Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) is bone-chillingly plausible.
Despite the wonderful idea of the plot, Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) is the first in a planned 12 novel series, Kane is playing an extremely long game. While first books in a series tend to be weaker than those that follow, Kane has a strong start but suffers from an almost anecdotal type feel as it shifts perspective. Kane’s writing style is very visual and exactly where the trend seems to be going in fiction.
If you like sci-fi and series, pick this one up. Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) is a unique and well-written work of fiction and one that I highly recommend for readers who are in it for the long haul.
Kane’s Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) sketchs out how the world got to a place where its ruled by a powerful few. In reflection of our current world, we see the divide between the super rich and super poor expanding and the middle class disappearing. Is it so out of the realm of possibility that we may one day find ourselves at the mercy of the elite? The idea of mega-corps ruling and the super-rich living in protected “safezones” is so farfetched and yet at the same time not so farfetched. Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) is bone-chillingly plausible.
Despite the wonderful idea of the plot, Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) is the first in a planned 12 novel series, Kane is playing an extremely long game. While first books in a series tend to be weaker than those that follow, Kane has a strong start but suffers from an almost anecdotal type feel as it shifts perspective. Kane’s writing style is very visual and exactly where the trend seems to be going in fiction.
If you like sci-fi and series, pick this one up. Rising Storm (Fading Empires Book 1) is a unique and well-written work of fiction and one that I highly recommend for readers who are in it for the long haul.
November 8, 2013
"Rising Storm (Fading Empires)" by Ian Kane is a futuristic science fiction story set in the near future that is ruled by megacorporations. Kane paints a very dark picture of a world full of corruption, military and corporate super powers and inhumanity. The discepancies between poor and rich are so huge that there are anarchic Underzones for the poor and Safezones for the rich.
With great descriptive talent the author manages to bring the scenes to vivid life and moves his reader through an action packed and fast paced plot.
One of the narratives sees our hero Kilbane escape the military and set up a group of rebels; other narratives follow police officers, corporate executives and a gang of outlaws. Although set in a possible future the ideas portrayed are not far from possibly becoming reality which makes for a very engaging and captivating reading experience.
This being the first in a series is only a set up for the next instalments and does not end with a complete conclusion.
A series that should do well with fans of the genre.
With great descriptive talent the author manages to bring the scenes to vivid life and moves his reader through an action packed and fast paced plot.
One of the narratives sees our hero Kilbane escape the military and set up a group of rebels; other narratives follow police officers, corporate executives and a gang of outlaws. Although set in a possible future the ideas portrayed are not far from possibly becoming reality which makes for a very engaging and captivating reading experience.
This being the first in a series is only a set up for the next instalments and does not end with a complete conclusion.
A series that should do well with fans of the genre.
November 26, 2012
I really enjoyed this book! Ian has a great way of covering several decades of backstory without it sounding like a history textbook. He paints a very believable future for our world technologically, socially and economically. The plot, so far (it ends in a cliffhanger), is solid and the characters are nicely fleshed out. It's a good read, that's enjoyable for more than just Sci-Fi fans and I very much look forward to reading Volume II! I highly recommend picking this one up, 'cause once you do, won't put it down!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews