Choice is a crime…
freedom is a lie…
control is absolute.
“This densely packed, intricately woven narrative is everything a smart political satire should be; at times bitingly funny, it effortlessly combines some truly over-the-top moments with pointed commentary about everything from American politics and artificial intelligence to religion and women’s reproductive rights.”
— Kirkus Reviews on Ashes of the Republic
Terrifyingly plausible and razor-sharp, Ashes of the Republic is a gripping series opener that blends the political paranoia of 1984 with the feminist fury of The Handmaid’s Tale.
COMING APRIL 28th
In 2046, the United States is a surveillance state ruled by Christian nationalists. Charity Malodor, once a robotics prodigy, has spent two decades hiding under a false identity. Now Lily Osbourne, she is confronted by an impossible pregnancy and the reality that it was forced upon her. But who could do something so monstrous?
As war escalates and millions starve, Lily is drawn into a dangerous struggle between her estranged father, the world’s first trillionaire, and the ruling Dennison dynasty. Torn between survival and resistance, she must decide whether to stay invisible—or ignite the revolution that only she can spark.
Welcome!
I’m James Chesterton,
author of Ashes of the Republic.
After teaching high school English for three years in New York, I sold my soul to the corporate sector and spent the next thirty years there. My experience in the banking industry informed my first novel, Holding Patterns, a financial crime thriller. My focus is on the world we are leaving for our children. This is the inspiration for my latest novel, Ashes of the Republic, where I seek to answer a simple question: Can the principles of American democracy survive theocratic rule? My wife and I live in New England in our now-emptied nest, our two children having started their own journeys into today’s already frightening and damaged society.
What readers are saying
about James Chesterson’s stories…
“This densely packed, intricately woven narrative is everything a smart political satire should be; at times bitingly funny, it effortlessly combines some truly over-the-top moments with pointed commentary about everything from American politics and artificial intelligence to religion and women’s reproductive rights.”
— Kirkus Reviews on Ashes of the Republic
“Chesterton creates an immersive future America that is shocking but not hard to imagine…(he) skillfully creates a sense of vivid social horror…The conclusion surprises, but it’s fitting for a world where truth and integrity are traded for power and control.
— Booklife Reviews on Ashes of the Republic
“Chesterton masterfully weaves in and addresses current issues so many of us are grappling with: religious nationalism, women’s rights, gun policies, irresponsible governance. Ashes of the Republic doesn’t just hold up a mirror to our present moment — it warns us of a future where complicity leads to the destruction of our own freedoms.”
— BookTrib Reviews on Ashes of the Republic
“Chesterton’s prose is sharp and evocative, particularly the dialogue, which captures the jocular, rapid-fire delivery that readers associate with Wall Street.”
— Kirkus Reviews on Holding Patterns
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