Disunion: Book One: The Mantiz Gambit

Disunion is the first entry in The Mantiz Gambit series by John Whitman and an enthralling read for fans of science fiction. The Earth has expanded its colonization into other planets, and when the planet Acadia begins to clamor for its independence from the Union, problems ensue. Ex-Fleet Commander Matt Ryder is torn between supporting Acadia, the planet on which he was born and Earth in which he has strong roots and loyalties. With the impending civil war, Amanda Chester investigates the involvement of alien forces in the rebellion. Amanda Chester never chose politics, but those in power use her as a piece in a chess game in which they expect her to fail. Will she be able to stop the war or will her actions and her team of operators plunge the galaxy into more chaos?

Fans of space opera will be stunned by Whitman's dazzling imagery and ability to create action-packed scenes in space. The characters are rock-solid and sophisticated. Matt Ryder is a character who struggles with loyalties, unable to choose between following the politics of the planet on which he was born or the legacy of his dead father. Amanda is an intelligent commander, a character with grit and vision, but she has a lot of internal conflicts to deal with as well. Whitman's prose is highly descriptive and it evokes compelling imagery of a world that is exciting to explore. Disunion is a searing, revolutionary novel with strong shades of dystopian. The power struggle and the quest for freedom become dominant themes as a planet seeks to secede from the grips of its colonizers. It is bracingly epic and imaginative, a tautly plotted and intelligently accomplished tale for fans of science fiction. The elements of the setting — space, culture, and politics —are thrillingly rendered in Disunion, and the story is stunningly wrought