Red Legion: Into the Red

“This package of high-octane action, adventure, drama, thrills, suspense, and wit will hook you from cover to cover. FX Holden’s Red Legion is a must-read for action-packed dystopian sci-fi aficionados.” Readers Favorite, 5 Star review.

WHAT IF you were offered this choice – life in prison, or service in the Red Army?

Would you take it, knowing that you need to rack up ninety-nine combat hours and only one in twenty recruits makes it out the other end alive?

Would you take it, knowing you are going to be fighting a mysterious foe who uses your own humanity against you?

Would you go, knowing none of the men and women you are going to serve with is completely sane, since no sane person would volunteer to serve Redside?

I did. And I’m keeping a journal about it, but given life expectancy Redside, this might be a very, very short story.

5 STAR REVIEW: USA READERS’ FAVORITE

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite

Into the Red is the first book of FX Holden’s Red Legion saga, a gripping exploration of survival, conflict, and human fragility on Mars, set against the backdrop of an intergalactic war. The narrative follows Linus Vespasius, a disgraced former officer sentenced to service in the brutal Legion Praeda, a fate faced by many criminally condemned individuals hoping for redemption or a slim chance at survival. The vivid setting on the alien terrain of Mars brings to life both the stark beauty and the harshness of the red planet, illuminating the desperation of human life in a hostile world. The central conflict arises from humanity’s fight against the Lilin—mysterious alien entities who use a viral infection to turn humans into their soldiers, referred to as Zeds. As settlements fall to the Lilin’s insidious tactics, Vespasius struggles with not only the external war but also the internal demons that come with the knowledge of his past and the moral ambiguities of warfare.

The characters are richly drawn, from the cynical and resourceful Vespasius to the tyrannical Tribune Gaius Avidius Hersilia, whose ambition complicates the dire situation. Holden infuses the writing with grim humor while exploring themes of dehumanization, the struggle for survival, and war. The plot features dense layers of action and introspection built around military strategy and the psychological toll of warfare. The tension grows as Vespasius and his crew face overwhelming odds. The stakes are raised with each encounter, and the fear of betrayal—or becoming one’s enemy—pervades as the narrative progresses through combat missions and harrowing revelations, culminating in moral questions about identity and complicity. Through Vespasius’s perspective, FX Holden crafts a powerful tale of grit and survival in the face of overwhelming adversity, making Into the Red an intriguing story for those drawn to complex characters in dystopian settings.

Quotes from Advance Readers:
”I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Red Legion—I think I was originally imagining a military thriller, just set in a different world—but this book was so much fun! There were parts of it that truly made me laugh out loud as I was reading” - NS

”Very “Tomorrow War”. I like the quick précis of what’s going on then ... Bang! Into the action.” BR

“Love the conflict between the characters’ survival instinct and the utter hopelessness of their circumstances!” IM

“Sci-fi with a neat twist at the end that leaves a huge opening for the future...” MR

”Finished at Mach 2. Wow!” JC

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