Tag: Political

The Future Is Now: ‘Ashes of the Republic’ by James Chesterton

‘Ashes of the Republic’ is the forthcoming new speculative thriller by James Chesterton. Photo: Amazon

New Book Spotlight: Ashes of the Republic

A Dark Speculative Thriller by James Chesterton

In James Chesterton’s dark and thrilling futuristic satire, Ashes of the Republic, the year is 2046 and Christian Nationalism has fully consolidated power. Evidence of liberalism is subject to punishment, women’s bodies are governed by data, medical professionals have been replaced with AI, and the blueprint for authoritarian rule is no longer theoretical, it’s fully operational. It will be released on April 28 and is available for pre-order. (Meryl Moss Media, 2026)

The Plot: A Fragile Invisibility Shattered

At the center of the story is Lily Osbourne, a gifted technologist who once helped build the very systems that now govern daily life. After crossing her employer, Dennison Robotics CEO Iwanna Dennison, Lily is cast out of power and retreats into quiet anonymity.

That fragile invisibility shatters during a routine airport screening when a TSA agent informs her that she is pregnant, a state strictly controlled by the government.

In the Republic, all unregistered pregnancies are flagged. The fetus is issued a Social Security number immediately. The state is notified, and the body is no longer one’s own.

Lily and her boyfriend, Jeff Maslow, a former professor once arrested for the “crime” of reading Walt Whitman, must find a way to survive. Meanwhile, Iwanna Dennison claws her way to the highest reaches of power, driven by a psychotic and relentless ambition.

Where Fiction Meets Reality

Deeply rooted in current events, Ashes of the Republic draws from real-world debates surrounding:

  • Reproductive surveillance and the erosion of privacy.
  • The fusion of religion and state power.
  • The role of AI and data in modern governance.

Policies and ideas that felt speculative during the novel’s early drafts have since emerged as real-world court rulings, legislative proposals, and political platforms. This isn’t distant dystopia; it is a “near-now” reality where the mechanisms of control already exist, waiting only for the removal of institutional limits.

Key Themes of the Republic

  • Theocratic Surveillance: The United States has transitioned into a state governed by religious authority and high-tech monitoring.
  • Performative Democracy: Elections still happen, but they no longer carry the weight of choice.
  • Criminalized Dissent: Opposing the status quo is a high-stakes legal risk.
  • Bureaucratized Freedom: Personal liberty is slowly being filed away by administrative systems and unchallenged executive power.

This isn’t your parents’ sci-fi. The tone is controlled, unsentimental, and wickedly funny, a fast-paced thrill ride full of twists and turns.

Ashes of the Republic is the first installment in the Ascent of Dennison series. These gripping political thrillers ask a terrifying question: What happens when legal, cultural, and moral guardrails are deliberately dismantled by leaders who believe themselves divinely justified and technologically unaccountable?

About the Author: James Chesterton

James Chesterton is the author of Ashes of the Republic and Holding Patterns, a financial crime thriller inspired by his 30 years in the banking industry.

A graduate of Hunter College, he began his career teaching high school English before earning an MBA from the University of Connecticut and transitioning into corporate banking. Chesterton’s work confronts the real-world consequences of power exercised at the highest levels.

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Marko Zorn Returns: Otho Eskin’s New Thriller Delivers High-Stakes Suspense

‘Black Sun Rising’ is the new Marko Zorn novel by Otho Eskin. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight: “Black Sun Rising” by Otho Eskin

A long-buried Nazi weapon resurfaces. America stands on the brink of destruction. One man must stop history’s darkest nightmare from happening again in “Black Sun Rising,” the electrifying thriller by former Foreign Service Officer Otho Eskin. (Meryl Moss Media Group, 2025)

Release date: June 10, 2025. It is available for pre-order.

The Story

When Washington, D.C. homicide detective Marko Zorn’s partner is murdered, his pursuit of justice leads him into the heart of Black Sun—a violent neo-Nazi movement born from the ashes of World War II’s most sinister forces.

Their chilling goal: to unleash a catastrophic attack that will plunge the nation into chaos.

To stop them, Zorn must:

  • Outwit a mysterious and deadly woman known only as the Bride of the Apocalypse
  • Navigate the treacherous ambitions of two of the world’s wealthiest—and most ruthless—men
  • Expose a conspiracy stretching from the highest levels of power in Washington to the darkest corners of the underworld

Can Marko Zorn save the country from annihilation?

“Black Sun Rising” is a pulse-pounding thriller in the tradition of Baldacci, Clancy, and Patterson, delivering nonstop suspense, razor-sharp political intrigue, and a chillingly timely tale of hatred, extremism, and one man willing to risk everything to stop it.

“A taut, fast-paced thriller with unforgettable characters and high stakes from the very first page.”

About the Series

“Black Sun Rising” is the fourth book in Otho Eskin’s acclaimed Marko Zorn series, which includes:

  • “The Reflecting Pool”
  • “Head Shot”
  • “Firetrap”

Each novel can be read as a gripping stand-alone or as part of the ongoing series.

About the Author: Otho Eskin

Otho Eskin launched his career as a thriller writer in 2020 with “The Reflecting Pool,” which was met with rave reviews and chosen as an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense. (Otho Eskin, 2025)

Before turning to fiction, Eskin served in the U.S. Army and as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. His postings took him to Syria, Yugoslavia, Iceland, and East Berlin (then part of the GDR), where he witnessed political corruption and international intrigue firsthand—experiences that now inform his high-stakes novels.

While stationed in East Berlin during the Cold War, Eskin was named in a Soviet-backed propaganda publication titled Who’s Who in the CIA—a false accusation meant to discredit and endanger American diplomats. Though not a spy, the disinformation campaign shaped his understanding of global deception and power plays—key themes in his writing today.

Eskin is also an accomplished playwright. His works—including Act of God, Murder as a Fine Art, Duet, Julie, Final Analysis, and Season in Hell—have been professionally staged in Washington, New York, and Europe.

Are you ready for a thriller that doesn’t let up?
Pick up “Black Sun Rising” and join Marko Zorn in a race against time to stop a nightmare’s rebirth.

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