Michael Cobley

The Seeds of Earth

First contact was not supposed to be like this. The first intelligent species to encounter Mankind attacked without warning and swarmed locust-like through the solar system. Merciless. Relentless. Unstoppable. With little hope of halting the savage invasion, Earth's last, desperate roll of the dice was to send out three colony ships, seeds of Earth, to different parts of the galaxy. Earth may perish but the human race would live on . . . somewhere. 150 years later, the human colony on the planet Darien has established a new world for Humanity and forged a peaceful relationship with the planet's indigenous race, the scholarly, enigmatic Uvovo. But there are secrets buried beneath the surface of Darien's forest moon. Secrets that go back to an apocalyptic battle fought between ancient forerunner races at the dawn of galactic civilisation. . .

Seeds of Earth

"It was named Bringer of Battles, three hundred worlds orbiting a single artificial star, three hundred battlefields where different species vie for mastery and triumph. It is a cage where war is a game -- brutal, savage and sudden. In this arena, all must bend the knee to the Lords of Permutation and the ancient sentient weapons with which they have merged. Or suffer indescribable agonies. Trapped in this draconian crucible of death, Brannan Pyke, captain and smuggler, must fight his way to freedom. Because in the Bringer of Battles, the game of war is played to the death and beyond." --

Ancestral machines

Darien is no longer a lost outpost of humanity, but the prize in an intergalactic power struggle. Hegemony forces control the planet, while Earth merely observes, rendered impotent by galactic politics. Yet Earth’s ambassador to Darien will become a player in a greater conflict as there is more at stake than a turf war on a newly discovered world. An ancient temple hides access to a hyperspace prison, housing the greatest threat sentient life has ever known. Millennia ago, malignant intelligences were caged there following an apocalyptic struggle, and their servants work on their release. Now a new war is coming.

The Orphaned Worlds

War erupts in the depths of space... Battle-ready factions converge above Darien, all with the same objective: to control this newly discovered planet and access the powerful weapons at its heart. Despotic Hegemony forces dominate much of known space and they want this world too, but Darien's inhabitants are determined to fight for their future. However, key players in this conflict aren't fully in control. Hostile AIs have infiltrated key minds and have an agenda, requiring nothing less than the destruction or subversion of all organic life. And they are near to unleashing their cohorts, a host of twisted machine intelligences caged beneath Darien. Fighting to contain them are Darien's hidden guardians, and their ancient ally the Construct, on a millennia-long mission to protect sentient species. As the war reaches its peak, the AI army is roaring to the surface, to freedom and an orgy of destruction.Darien is first in line in a machine vs. human war -- for life or the sterile dusts of space.

The Ascendant Stars

'Proper galaxy-spanning space opera' Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth Action-orientated sci-fi with a spaceship crewed by rogues and scoundrels, perfect for fans of Star Wars, Firefly or Farscape For Pyke and his crew it should have been just another heist. Travel to a backwater desert planet, break into a museum, steal a tracking device then use it to find a ship buried in the planet's vast and trackless sandy wastes. Except that the museum vault is a bio-engineered chamber, and the tracking device is sought after by another gang of treasure hunters led by an old adversary of Pyke's, the devious Raven Kaligara. Also, the ship is a quarter of a million years old and about two kilometres long and somewhere aboard it is the Essavyr Key, a relic to unlock all the treasures and technologies of a lost civilisation . . . 'Splintered Suns splices new and old space opera, cyberpunk, quest fantasy and heist caper -- the maddest thing I've read since Van Vogt!' Ken MacLeod "Splintered Suns is a masterpiece of future nostalgia. All who love mischievous interstellar derring-do in pursuit of ancient relics of departed races as well as exotic panoplies of sentient species, all who love space opera should feast upon this generous novel. Let us revel in the admirable jaunty technicolour richness which Mike Cobley serves up so entertainingly-for this is how the universe ought to be" Ian Watson, author of the Games Workshop Warhammer 40K novels Space Marine and The Inquisition War trilogy

Splintered Suns

A speed of light space adventure novel of a treasure hunt that could unlock all the wonders of a vast and advanced civilization's lost technologies. For Pyke and his crew it should have been just another heist. Travel to a backwater desert planet, break into a museum, steal a tracking device then use it to find a ship buried in the planet's vast and trackless sandy wastes. Except that the museum vault is a bio-engineered chamber, and the tracking device is sought-after by another gang of treasure hunters led by an old adversary of Pyke's, the devious Raven Kaligara. Also, the ship is quarter of a million years old and about two kilometres long and somewhere aboard it is the Essavyr Key, a relic to unlock all the treasures and technologies of a lost civilisation . . . For more from Michael Cobley, check out: Humanity's FireSeeds of EarthThe Ascendant StarsThe Orphaned Worlds Ancestral Machines

A new standalone epic space opera, set in the same world as the Humanity's Fire trilogy. No world is safe. The Warcage: two hundred worlds harnessed to an articial sun in a feat of unprecedented stellar engineering. Built to travel through space as a monument to peace between alien species, now its voracious rulers have turned it into a nightmarish wasteland, capturing new planets for slaves and resources, then discarding the old. Now, when a verdant agri-world is pulled out of its orbit, the captain of a smuggler ship must journey into the Warcage to rescue his crew.

A Humanity's Fire novel

Ancestral Machines

War erupts in the depths of space. . . Battle-ready factions converge above Darien, all with the same objective: to control this newly discovered planet and access the powerful weapons at its heart. Despotic Hegemony forces dominate much of known space and they want this world too, but Darien's inhabitants are determined to fight for their future. However, key players in this conflict aren't fully in control. Hostile AIs have infiltrated key minds and have an agenda, requiring nothing less than the destruction or subversion of all organic life. And they are near to unleashing their cohorts, a host of twisted machine intelligences caged beneath Darien. Fighting to contain them are Darien's hidden guardians, and their ancient ally the Construct, on a millennia-long mission to protect sentient species. As the war reaches its peak, the AI army is roaring to the surface, to freedom and an orgy of destruction.Darien is first in line in a machine vs. human war -- for life or the sterile dusts of space.

For one thousand bright and fortunate years the Khatrimantine Empire had guaranteed peace and benevolence. Then came the vast hordes of the Mogaun, driven by an evil deity, the Lord of Twilight, corrupter and devourer. The unprepared Khatrimantine armies could not stand against the brutal might of the invaders, not even with the help of the Empire’s spirit/magical guardians. Yet at the very pinnacle of his triumph, the Lord of Twilight made a fatal mistake, shattering his essence into five parts: five lost souls destined to become the Shadowkings. Now, sixteen years after the invasion, Mogaun warlords and petty despots squabble amid the ruins. Yet ancient powers are stirring and the Empire’s last valiant defenders are gathering their strength, hoping that one decisive strike can reverse their long, bleak decline. But the forces of Night know well the dance of might, and match them step for step. REVIEWS “... a pacey action and adventure story, packed with battles, rescues and political double-dealing...” -- Infinity Plus on SHADOWKINGS “SHADOWKINGS, was brutal, cruel and realistic in a way genre usually avoids. SHADOWGOD, his second, is not only lighter, it is better... and makes good use of the world Cobley has created... writing to rival David Gemmell.” -- Jon Courtenay-Grimwood (Guardian)

Shadowkings

Sixteen years it has been since the dazzling Khatrimantine Empire fell to the vast hordes of the Mogaun. Sixteen years since the invaders` evil deity, the Lord of Twilight, was shattered into five hosts, five lost souls destined to become the Shadowkings. Sixteen long years since the forces of the Earthmother and the Fathertree were defeated, and the Rootpower magic itself was destroyed... But for Suviel, one of the few surviving mages, it was not a final defeat. Nor was it so for Ikarno Mazaret, Lord Commander of the Knights of the Fathertree. They and their companions face a deadly struggle against terrifying odds in their fight for freedom. Byrnak, one of the many warlords who squabble amid the Empire`s ruins, discovers that he is one of the five Shadowkings and thus compelled to bring the Lord of Twilight into fleshly being. Across the battlefields and dreamscapes of the land, he is driven ever closer to this goal. Tauric is the lost heir to the Imperial throne. He must learn courage and the realities of command if he is to survive the battles that lie ahead. These lives and uncountable others will be changed forever when the Empire`s last valliant defenders take arms against ancient sorceries and new terrors. Shadowkings introduces a world both dark and fascinating from a writer who is a major voice in the future of fantasy fiction

Die grandiose Fortsetzung von Schattenkönige – von einer faszinierenden neuen Stimme der Fantasy. Die dunklen Seelen haben sich vereint und greifen nach der Macht. Nichts und niemand scheint sie aufhalten zu können. Nur Tauric, der Sohn des rechtmäßigen Herrschers, stellt sich ihnen entgegen.

Roman

Schattengötter

'Proper galaxy-spanning space opera' Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth The Warcage is a feat of unprecedented stellar engineering: two hundred worlds harnessed to an artificial sun. Built to travel through space as a monument to peace between alien species, its voracious rulers have turned it into a nightmarish wasteland, capturing new planets for slaves and resources, then discarding the old. Now, when a verdant agri-world is pulled out of its orbit and a deal goes bad, it is up to the captain of a smuggling ship to journey into the Warcage and rescue his crew. Science fiction on an epic scale - Ancestral Machines is a stand-alone science fiction adventure set in Michael Cobley's bestselling Humanity's Fire universe. Perfect for fans of Iain M. Banks or James S. A. Corey's Expanse series. For more epic space opera action from Michael Cobley, check out: Humanity's Fire Trilogy: Seeds of Earth The Orphaned Worlds The Ascendant Stars Standalone novels in the Humanity's Fire universe: Ancestral Machines Splintered Suns Also look out for Cobley's epic fantasy trilogy, Shadowkings!

Der neuen Heimat droht Gefahr Die Menschheit hat das All besiedelt – und dabei den Kontakt zur Erde verloren. Als auf ihrer neuen Heimat Darien ein mysteriöser Tempelkomplex entdeckt wird, müssen sich die Menschen mit den einheimischen Uvovo zusammentun. Doch die Uvovo verbergen ein Geheimnis: eine uralte, bösartige Intelligenz, die sie seit Jahrtausenden in dem Tempel gefangen halten. Und die finstere Rache geschworen hat...

Waisen des Alls

Der Aufbruch ins All wird zur atemlosen Flucht Der Griff nach den Sternen verlangt der Menschheit das größte Opfer der Geschichte ab – die Erde wird von rücksichtslosen Außerirdischen vernichtet, und die Menschen fliehen ins All. Auf ihrem neuen Heimatplaneten müssen sie sich mit den einheimischen Uvovo arrangieren. Was zunächst nach einer friedlichen Koexistenz aussieht, entwickelt sich jedoch bald zu einem gefährlichen Konflikt ...

Michael Cobley

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