Publisher Description

Eight hundred years ago, the Zhen Empire discovered a broken human colony ship drifting in the fringes of their space. The Zhen gave the humans a place to live and folded them into their Empire as a client state. But it hasn't been easy. Not all Zhen were eager to welcome another species into their Empire, and humans have faced persecution. For hundreds of years, human languages and history were outlawed subjects, as the Zhen tried to mold humans into their image. Earth and the cultures it nourished for millennia are forgotten, little more than legends. One of the first humans to be allowed to serve in the Zhen military, Tajen Hunt became a war hero at the Battle of Elkari, the only human to be named an official Hero of the Empire. He was given command of a task force, and sent to do the Empire's bidding in their war with the enigmatic Tabrans. But when he failed in a crucial mission, causing the deaths of millions of people, he resigned in disgrace and faded into life on the fringes as a lone independent pilot. When Tajen discovers his brother, Daav, has been killed by agents of the Empire, he, his niece, and their newly-hired crew set out to finish his brother's quest: to find Earth, the legendary homeworld of humanity. What they discover will shatter 800 years of peace in the Empire, and start a war that could be the end of the human race. AUTHOR: Born in the San Francisco bay area and raised in Napa, California, Michael R. Johnston grew up steeped in everything Science Fiction and Fantasy from Asimov to Zelazny, as well as endless terrible SF TV shows he still has a slightly embarrassed fondness for. Faced with the choice between moving back in with his parents and continuing school, or paying his rent, he took "a year" off from college. He spent time as a court process server, a retail sales associate, a sandwich maker, and a data entry tech, before finding himself in a management role. A decade later, burnt out from his job in political research and facing 30, he decided he'd had enough and returned to college, graduating with honors from California State University, Sacramento. In fall 2006, he became a high school English teacher, a job he likens to herding a swarm of angry bees. It's the best job he's ever had. In 2013, he attended the 17th Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writing Workshop. The experience of having his story critiqued by other writers, some of them professionals he'd been reading for years, helped him realise he could write professionally.

Author Biography

Born in the San Francisco bay area and raised in Napa, California, Michael R. Johnston grew up steeped in everything Science Fiction and Fantasy from Asimov to Zelazny, as well as endless terrible SF TV shows he still has a slightly embarrassed fondness for. 

Faced with the choice between moving back in with his parents and continuing school, or paying his rent, he took "a year" off from college. He spent time as a court process server, a retail sales associate, a sandwich maker, and a data entry tech, before finding himself in a management role.  

A decade later, burnt out from his job in political research and facing 30, he decided he'd had enough and returned to college, graduating with honors from California State University, Sacramento. In fall 2006, he became a high school English teacher, a job he likens to herding a swarm of angry bees. It's the best job he's ever had. 

In 2013, he attended the 17th Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writing Workshop. The experience of having his story critiqued by other writers, some of them professionals he'd been reading for years, helped him realize he could write professionally, and introduced him to some of his best friends.  

He currently lives in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter, surrounded by a circle of incredibly geeky and amazing people. When he's not writing or teaching, he spends time with his family, plays video games and tabletop RPGs, and reads.  He blogs at MJohnstonBooks.com, and can be found on Twitter @MREJohnston.

Review

"The Widening Gyre is the best Space Opera I've read in years." -- Cemetery Dance Online
"Johnston's debut will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the heroes get themselves into one scrape after another. It has a hint of Battlestar Galactica, but with giant reptilian aliens. Johnston, with skillful plotting and impeccable world building, takes the tale of Tajen and his crew searching for home and shapes it into an unforgettable journey." -- ALA Booklist
"Readers will feel invested in Tajen's team of affable human rebels and their futures." -- Publishers Weekly
"Fans of David Weber or Elizabeth Moon will enjoy this debut, and experienced sf readers will catch some winks at other series." -- Library Journal
"Johnston proves that he has a deft hand at world building and is giving us a new take on Earth's future [...] A thrilling ride full of mystery and mayhem." -- ScienceFiction.com
"What makes the book work is the characters. They all have interesting flaws, strengths, short-sightedness, and wisdom: they're well rounded enough that I really came away liking them, even some of the villains." -- Locus Magazine
"Johnston has taken the best elements from the old masters of space opera and created a fresh and fun story." -- scintilla.info
"The story is the action-packed space opera that the synopsis suggests. But it was so much more! [...]But I think the best surprise, for me, was the introduction of LGBT characters. It was unexpected, yet done in such a casual way that it was just natural." -- Astroclone

Long Description

Eight hundred years ago, the Zhen Empire discovered a broken human colony ship drifting in the fringes of their space. With only a third of the original colonists left alive in their cryo-pods, and the ship's computers damaged beyond repair, there was no way to know where the humans were from. The Zhen gave them a place to live and folded them into their Empire as a client state. Humans are safe. They're secure. But it hasn't been easy. Not all Zhen were eager to welcome another species into their Empire, and humans have faced persecution. For hundreds of years, human languages and history were outlawed subjects, as the Zhen tried to mold humans into their image. Earth and the cultures it nourished for millennia are forgotten, little more than legends.One of the first humans to be allowed to serve in the Zhen military, Tajen Hunt became a war hero at the Battle of Elkari, the only human to be named an official Hero of the Empire. He was given command of a task force, and sent to do the Empire's bidding in their war with the enigmatic Tabrans. But when he failed in a crucial mission, causing the deaths of millions of people, he resigned in disgrace and faded into life on the fringes as a lone independent pilot. When Tajen discovers his brother, Daav, has been killed by agents of the Empire, he, his niece, and their newly-hired crew set out to finish his brother's quest: to find Earth, the legendary homeworld of humanity. Along the way, Tajen finds he's got a new family, including the dashing ex-soldier Liam Kincaid. Flying this close to disaster and death is probably the worst time for Tajen to start caring about people again, but he'll need them--because what they find on Earth will shatter the peaceful coexistence of humanity and the Zhen Empire, and start a war that could be the end of the human race. The Widening Gyre is a story about putting yourself back together, finding a family, and finding something worth fighting for. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

Review Quote

"Every now and then the Space Opera genre wakes up from its current day mediocrity, and something good shines under the light of a different star. This is what happened with this book." - Angelo Benuzzi"Johnston can bring up not only solid worldbuilding [...] but investigate a full spectrum of themes from belonging to friendship to personal identity and more." - ScienceFiction.com"I'll be very interested to see where Johnston goes with the next book. He has the potential to take it in some unexpected directions, and I'm hoping he does." - Locus Magazine"Johnston's debut will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the heroes get themselves into one scrape after another. It has a hint of Battlestar Galactica, but with giant reptilian aliens. Johnston, with skillful plotting and impeccable world building, takes the tale of Tajen and his crew searching for home and shapes it into an unforgettable journey." - Booklist"Fans of David Weber or Elizabeth Moon will enjoy this debut, and experienced sf readers will catch some winks at other series." - Library Journal"The story is the action-packed space opera that the synopsis suggests. But it was so much more! [...]But I think the best surprise, for me, was the introduction of LGBT characters. It was unexpected, yet done in such a casual way that it was just natural." - Astroclone

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