First published 1989
Bart Fraden sits in exile, stripped of power but not ambition. The cynical former dictator teams with military commander Willem Vanderling to identify their next target for conquest. Their computer analysis points to Sangre, a planet controlled by the Brotherhood of Pain, followers of the Marquis de Sade who have built their society around suffering and cruelty. Fraden and Vanderling see opportunity in this twisted world, calculating that such a regime creates perfect conditions for revolution. They arrive expecting to exploit the population's misery for their own ends. But when the two men deliberately amplify the planet's existing horrors to spark their planned uprising, they trigger forces far beyond their control. What starts as a calculated grab for power becomes something neither anticipated, as the very brutality they sought to manipulate consumes everything around them.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, power-struggle
Setting: Sangre
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · HarperCollins Publishers
Content warnings: torture, violence