This Broken World (The Vortex of Worlds, 1)

NEW EPIC FANTASY FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR CHARLES E. GANNON. A young man must face dangers from without and within—and question everything he believes to be true.

Since boyhood, Druadaen expected he’d ascend to the command of an elite legion and become the leader his father predicted he would be. However, fate had something different in store.

Assigned instead to a small group of outriders tasked with watching nearby kingdoms, Druadaen discovers that the world beyond his homeland is riddled with impossibilities. How do humanoid raiders, known as the Bent, suffer staggering losses and yet return as a vast horde every decade? How do multi-ton dragons fly? How have fossils formed in a world which sacrists insist has existed for only ten millennia?

Determined to solve these mysteries, Druadaen journeys into the dank warrens of the Bent, seeks out a dragon’s lair, and ventures into long-buried ruins in search of ancient scrolls. But, whereas legends tell of heroes who encounter their greatest perils during just such forays into the unknown, Druadaen’s most lethal enemies might lurk in even more unusual places:

The temples and council chambers of his own homeland.

Praise for This Broken World:
“Charles Gannon puts the skills he has honed writing science fiction and fantasy to good use crafting a story that will keep the reader fairly entertained.” —Manhattan Book Review

“As with Gannon’s other works, there is well-drawn action . . . his world is well fleshed out, and his attention to material factors is another: how do the orcs feed and bear children? Where do they come from? Recommended to military-SF and dungeon-fantasy fans.” —Cirsova Magazine

Praise for Charles E. Gannon:
“Chuck Gannon is one of those marvelous finds—someone as comfortable with characters as he is with technology, and equally adept at providing those characters with problems to solve. Imaginative, fun, and not afraid to step on the occasional toe or gore the occasional sacred cow, his stories do not disappoint.” —David Weber

“If we meet strong aliens out there, will we suffer the fate of the Aztecs and Incas, or find the agility to survive? Gannon fizzes with ideas about the dangerous politics of first contact.” —David Brin

“Chuck Gannon writes the kind of science fiction we all grew up on: rousing, mind-expanding, pulse-pounding sagas of spaceships and aliens. He's a terrific writer, and we're lucky to have him.” —Robert J. Sawyer

“[A] strong [writer of] . . . military SF . . . [much] action going on in his work, with a lot of physics behind it. There is a real sense of the urgency of war and the sacrifices it demands.” —Locus

Praise for the work of Charles E. Gannon:
Caine's Mutiny:
“This is military Science Fiction the way it’s supposed to be written. . . . All in all, a highly satisfying tale of the Terran Republic that moves the story forward and sets us up for the next chapter, which promises to be interesting at worst and explosive at best.” —SFcrowsnest

Raising Caine:
“Raising Caine unveils a lot of thought-provoking ideas but ultimately this is a space opera adventure. There are space battles, daring emergency landings, desperate quests, hand-to-hand combat, and double-and-triple crosses. It’s an engrossing read. You owe it to yourself to read the two previous books in order. Then enjoy Raising Caine. It’s an intergalactic thrill-ride.” —Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews

“This is science-fiction adventure on a grand scale.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Gannon’s harrowing . . . military space opera (following Trial by Fire) builds well on his established setting . . . Gannon’s signature attention to developing realistic alien worlds makes this installment satisfying.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A]n incredibly active book . . . as our protagonists are confronted by the beautiful, terrible, and sometimes lethal variety of the universe and its inhabitants. . . . [A] whole mess of fun . . . that manages to be scientifically accurate while refraining from excessive wonkiness. Those who value meticulous world-building . . . will certainly have their needs met.” —BN Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog

Nebula-nominated Trial by Fire:
“I seriously enjoyed Trial by Fire. This one’s a tidal wave—can’t put it down. An excellent book.” —Jack McDevitt

“Gannon's whiz-bang second Tales of the Terran Republic interstellar adventure delivers on the promise of the first (Fire with Fire). . . . The charm of Caine's harrowing adventure lies in Gannon's attention to detail, which keeps the layers of political intrigue and military action from getting too dense. The dozens of key characters, multiple theaters of operations, and various alien cultures all receive the appropriate amount of attention. The satisfying resolution is enhanced by the promise of more excitement to come in this fascinating far-future universe.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[D]efinitely one to appeal to the adventure fans. Riordan is a smart hero, up against enormous obstacles and surrounded by enemies. Author Gannon does a good job of managing action and tension to keep the story moving, and the details of the worlds Riordan visits are interesting in their own right.” —Analog

“[O]ffers the type of hard science-fiction those familiar with the John Campbell era of Analog Science Fiction will remember. Gannon throws his readers into an action-packed adventure. A sequel to Fire With Fire, it is a nonstop tale filled with military science-fiction action.” —The Galveston County Daily News

Compton Crook Award winner for best first novel, Fire with Fire:
“The plot is intriguing and then some. Well-developed and self-consistent; intelligent readers are going to like it.” —Jerry Pournelle

“[T]he intersecting plot threads, action and well-conceived science kept those pages turning.” —SFcrowsnest

Starfire series hit Extremis, coauthored by Charles E. Gannon:
“Vivid . . . Battle sequences mingle with thought-provoking exegesis . . .” —Publishers Weekly

“It’s a grand, fun series of battles and campaigns, worthy of anything Dale Brown or Larry Bond ever wrote.” —Analog

Charles E. Gannon is the author of Compton Crook Award-winning, Nebula-nominated Fire with Fire, Trial by Fire, and Raising Caine in the Caine Riordan series. He is the coauthor with Eric Flint of 1636: The Papal Stakes and 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies in Eric Flint's best-selling Ring of Fire series. With best seller Steve White, Gannon is the coauthor of Starfire series entries Extremis, Imperative, and Oblivion. Gannon is also the author of multiple short stories. He is a member of SIGMA, the “SF think-tank,” which has advised various intelligence and defense agencies since the start of the millennium. A former professor, Gannon lives near Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife and children.