Rising Storm

The Lightning War - Book One

A modest colony finds an alien ship. A junior officer finds out what she's made of. Fleet command and political intrigue for readers of David Weber and Jack Campbell.

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Lieutenant Maria Roszak is aboard the destroyer Błyskawica when her crew finds a wreck no one can explain - a vessel far older than anything human hands built, buried in the debris of the Theta² Tauri system.

The find drags Polonia Prime, a colony most of human space had never heard of, into the middle of a fight it never asked to join. The Zenith Caliphate wants what the wreck can teach. The Anglo-Saxon Coalition wants to make sure no one else gets it first.

Combat log · Rising Storm, Book One

“Bubble drive charged,” Pietrzak reported with the calm of a professional facing the impossible. “Ready for micro-jump on your command.”

Maria's mind raced through possibilities. The Caliphate ship was larger and better armed, but PNS Błyskawica had superior maneuverability and more refined technology.

“Recommend rolling micro-jumps, sir,” Maria said, her tactical training merging with years of experience. “We can use the debris field for cover between translations. Their targeting systems won't be able to compensate fast enough.”

What followed was a deadly dance through space. PNS Błyskawica would micro-jump to a new position, launch a spread of torpedoes, then jump again before the enemy could respond. Every jump demonstrated the Destroyer's superior maneuverability; every successful evasion proved the gap between Polonia Prime's true capabilities and the Caliphate's stolen technology.

Excerpt from the manuscript of The Lightning War: Rising Storm.

If you served with Honor Harrington, report aboard.

Rising Storm opens The Lightning War, a series built for readers who want command decisions with real consequences, fleets that fight like navies instead of fighter squadrons, and a protagonist who earns her rank one impossible call at a time.

Maria Roszak and the Błyskawica in combat

From readers

“This book is a masterclass in military sci-fi, balancing large-scale space battles with deeply personal struggles.”

Alex I · verified purchase

“A well written adventure of a destroyer, her captain and crew representing a small nation balancing powerful allies and enemies.”

WilliamB1718 · verified purchase

“A riveting tale of what could become naval warfare in space. All the elements are there including small nation heroics, thoughtful technology, good and bad nations and those in between, a touch of young romance, a singular hero with excellent supporting cast, creative tactics and more.”

Jeff Bahls · verified purchase

Quoted from Amazon reader reviews. Names and wording are kept to the supplied source excerpts.