The Emperor of the galaxy has fallen, slain at the hands of his own son. Forced into exile, Katrijn was tasked with a mission sent to her by her father from beyond the grave: free the people of the Andlios Republic. Her biggest hurdle? First it's the assassins sent after her by the emperor. After years alone on the fringes of the galaxy, who will be there to help her dethrone the mad emperor and reclaim the throne. Then, it's dealing with her brother... The Mad Emperor himself. Katrijn must carve her own path forward, forging new alliances and swallowing her pride to take whatever help she can find along the way, no matter how... unconventional that help seems, even from sworn enemies. If dethroning her deranged brother isn't hard enough, she's not the only one gunning for the throne, making it a deadly race to save the people of Andlios in this action-packed space epic. *** Cydonia Rising is the first book in the Andlios science fiction space opera series. This free ebook harkens back to the classic, epic space opera series like Dune, Star Wars and Hyperion, while perfect for fans of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Imperial Radch, New Crobuzon and more. With complex characters and themes, readers follow Katrijn as she deals with the ghosts of her family’s past and the pressures of a galaxy’s future on her shoulders. She’s not alone, though, as Jace, Trella and more cope with their own place in human history, dealing with LGBTQ, collectivist and anti-imperialist themes. The series delves into the metaphysical, asking tough questions about capitalism, colonialism and racism that have plagued history and if we can still build a better future. Veteran Star Trek and Dr. Who author Robert Jeschonek describes Cydonia Rising as such: “Once this book unlocks the vast, rich, and challenging universe that Dave has conjured in his ongoing literary Big Bang, you will never look back.” Author Matt Saccaro touches on the different themes: “It’s a classical space opera mixed with some ancient Rome + medieval Scandinavia. A fascinating juxtaposition and difficult to pull off, but Walsh makes it work.”