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Rogue Team International #5
Red Empire
Not yet published
Expected 10 Mar 26In the next novel in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series, the team faces new and old enemies alike as a bioengineered version of The Black Death surfaces.
Hundred of years after the first waves of the bubonic plague swept through Europe, a new, more dangerous version threatens London. Joe Ledger’s old enemy the Red Empire—reborn as a far more powerful political and military group—has bioengineered a weaponized version of yersinia pestis—the bacteria responsible for The Black Death that killed tens of millions in the Middle Ages.
As Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International race against the clock to put a stop to the Red Empire’s plans, they’re sucked into the strange and mysterious past of the man called Mr. Church. Secrets come to light that make even his staunchest allies wonder who –and more precisely what—Church really is.
With whispers of an elixir vitae—or elixir of life—circling, Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International are facing the highest possible stakes in their work together yet. As the tension builds and the balance between life and death sways precariously, it seems like tragic losses among them might be inevitable.
Hundred of years after the first waves of the bubonic plague swept through Europe, a new, more dangerous version threatens London. Joe Ledger’s old enemy the Red Empire—reborn as a far more powerful political and military group—has bioengineered a weaponized version of yersinia pestis—the bacteria responsible for The Black Death that killed tens of millions in the Middle Ages.
As Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International race against the clock to put a stop to the Red Empire’s plans, they’re sucked into the strange and mysterious past of the man called Mr. Church. Secrets come to light that make even his staunchest allies wonder who –and more precisely what—Church really is.
With whispers of an elixir vitae—or elixir of life—circling, Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International are facing the highest possible stakes in their work together yet. As the tension builds and the balance between life and death sways precariously, it seems like tragic losses among them might be inevitable.
528 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 10, 2026
3483 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
524 books7,800 followersJONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: March 10, 2026
In Jonathan Maberry’s “Red Empire”, Joe Ledger and his Rogue Team International (RTI) are back for a new adventure, this time with a side of supernatural mixing in with his James Bond vibes.
It’s been hundred of years since the Bubonic Plague destroyed London and infected its citizens, but now a new and deadlier version is once again primed for release, created by Joe’s old nemesis, a group called the Red Empire. Joe and his team find themselves working alongside other RTI teams to take out this new enemy and, as they do, secrets start to be revealed about the man in charge, simply called Church. As Joe and his team find out conflicting, and unbelievable things, about their team leader, they must face the greatest battle of their lives, hoping to find a way to stop the plague before it terrorizes London- again.
“Empire” is the fifth novel in Maberry’s “Rogue Team International” series of novels. I was given the opportunity to read book four, but that was my first and only experience with Maberry and with the RTI, so I’m still getting my bearings. It seems to be like this is one of those novel series that are best read in consecutive order, as the plots are complicated and there are often many characters, especially those that make up the different RTI teams, but I was able to keep up with the plot after only reading two books from this series, so it isn’t a total loss.
The fifth installment features Joe as the protagonist still, but there are unique components that are narrated by others, as they take place as far back as the second century BCE. Through these chapters, we learn about the long-since-defunct (or presumably thought to be) Red Order and Red Knights, who both play an important role in the current plot, although what that role is isn’t immediately known. There is a supernatural component, as mentioned, which totally caught my interest and left me wanting more.
“Empire” has a lot of moving parts. There are multiple RTI teams, as well as the Red Empire and its two different branches and then, of course, the historical figures that are mentioned that have a close connection to Church, as well as the “Saturday people” and all that they entail. If you can keep track of it all, there is also a lot of action, including some creative weapons, so the plot line is not slow moving by any means.
I thoroughly enjoyed finding out about Church and learning a bit about his backstory. That was the component that truly intrigued me and the details of his past did not disappoint. The Saturday people were unique also, and I wanted to know more. There was a lot of intense action, with fight scenes and gore, that would be perfect for anyone who loves a good spy novel, but a lot of the plot was difficult to keep up with and the ending was expected, with the exception of Church’s secrets.
Book four and book five in this series rate about the same for me, neither a complete disappointment nor a total page-turner, but Maberry has substantial writing talent and he will definitely connect to a certain type of reader.
Expected publication date: March 10, 2026
In Jonathan Maberry’s “Red Empire”, Joe Ledger and his Rogue Team International (RTI) are back for a new adventure, this time with a side of supernatural mixing in with his James Bond vibes.
It’s been hundred of years since the Bubonic Plague destroyed London and infected its citizens, but now a new and deadlier version is once again primed for release, created by Joe’s old nemesis, a group called the Red Empire. Joe and his team find themselves working alongside other RTI teams to take out this new enemy and, as they do, secrets start to be revealed about the man in charge, simply called Church. As Joe and his team find out conflicting, and unbelievable things, about their team leader, they must face the greatest battle of their lives, hoping to find a way to stop the plague before it terrorizes London- again.
“Empire” is the fifth novel in Maberry’s “Rogue Team International” series of novels. I was given the opportunity to read book four, but that was my first and only experience with Maberry and with the RTI, so I’m still getting my bearings. It seems to be like this is one of those novel series that are best read in consecutive order, as the plots are complicated and there are often many characters, especially those that make up the different RTI teams, but I was able to keep up with the plot after only reading two books from this series, so it isn’t a total loss.
The fifth installment features Joe as the protagonist still, but there are unique components that are narrated by others, as they take place as far back as the second century BCE. Through these chapters, we learn about the long-since-defunct (or presumably thought to be) Red Order and Red Knights, who both play an important role in the current plot, although what that role is isn’t immediately known. There is a supernatural component, as mentioned, which totally caught my interest and left me wanting more.
“Empire” has a lot of moving parts. There are multiple RTI teams, as well as the Red Empire and its two different branches and then, of course, the historical figures that are mentioned that have a close connection to Church, as well as the “Saturday people” and all that they entail. If you can keep track of it all, there is also a lot of action, including some creative weapons, so the plot line is not slow moving by any means.
I thoroughly enjoyed finding out about Church and learning a bit about his backstory. That was the component that truly intrigued me and the details of his past did not disappoint. The Saturday people were unique also, and I wanted to know more. There was a lot of intense action, with fight scenes and gore, that would be perfect for anyone who loves a good spy novel, but a lot of the plot was difficult to keep up with and the ending was expected, with the exception of Church’s secrets.
Book four and book five in this series rate about the same for me, neither a complete disappointment nor a total page-turner, but Maberry has substantial writing talent and he will definitely connect to a certain type of reader.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you enjoy action, danger, intrigue, and suspense, then look no further than
Red Empire
by Jonathan Maberry. This fifth book in the Rogue Team International (RTI) series featuring Joe Ledger is a combination of action thriller and medical thriller. Joe and his Havoc Team work for RTI. RTI are independent troubleshooters who sometimes tackle antagonists on their own and sometimes are asked for help from various countries. Once again, this is a dark and violent thriller with some interludes from the ancient past. While most of the novel takes place in London, England, readers also travel to Greece, France, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, and the United States.
Hundreds of years after the bubonic plague initially swept through Europe, an old enemy has taken on a new life as a more powerful political and military group. They’ve also bioengineered a weaponized version of The Black Death that killed millions in the Middle Ages. As the race to stop the Red Empire’s plans gets underway, secrets about Mr. Church, the leader of RTI are revealed.
Joe has unresolved rage issues despite the years of therapy with Rudy Sanchez. He tends to be empathetic and has great problem-solving skills along with a fierce determination. He tends to improvise because structure leads to predictability. This means he can be a pain when dealing with authority figures.
Once again, Maberry hooked me with a stark, dark, and chilling prologue that pulled me immediately into the story. While the plot jumps back in time with interludes, the story is mostly told from Joe’s perspective.
For an action / medical thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there are comprehensive descriptions of people, places and gear, it doesn’t go into minute detail. I believe this approach will make this novel appeal to a wider audience. There are several twists and a big surprise that I didn’t see coming. The last quarter of the book is full of pulse-pounding action. My biggest quibble is that the Historical Interludes adversely affect the pacing. However, they also provided valuable information.
Overall, this novel is a shockingly dark, disturbing, and tense thriller. Be aware that there is plenty of violence and emotional turmoil in this story. This is the ninth book I have read by this author who writes in a variety of genres. I can’t wait to read another one by him. Maberry’s books are well-written with characters that have depth and there is always an interesting plot where the story line pulls the reader in immediately. I believe those readers who enjoy action thrillers and medical thrillers that are dark will enjoy this book.
St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 10, 2026.
------------------------------
My 4.25 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Hundreds of years after the bubonic plague initially swept through Europe, an old enemy has taken on a new life as a more powerful political and military group. They’ve also bioengineered a weaponized version of The Black Death that killed millions in the Middle Ages. As the race to stop the Red Empire’s plans gets underway, secrets about Mr. Church, the leader of RTI are revealed.
Joe has unresolved rage issues despite the years of therapy with Rudy Sanchez. He tends to be empathetic and has great problem-solving skills along with a fierce determination. He tends to improvise because structure leads to predictability. This means he can be a pain when dealing with authority figures.
Once again, Maberry hooked me with a stark, dark, and chilling prologue that pulled me immediately into the story. While the plot jumps back in time with interludes, the story is mostly told from Joe’s perspective.
For an action / medical thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there are comprehensive descriptions of people, places and gear, it doesn’t go into minute detail. I believe this approach will make this novel appeal to a wider audience. There are several twists and a big surprise that I didn’t see coming. The last quarter of the book is full of pulse-pounding action. My biggest quibble is that the Historical Interludes adversely affect the pacing. However, they also provided valuable information.
Overall, this novel is a shockingly dark, disturbing, and tense thriller. Be aware that there is plenty of violence and emotional turmoil in this story. This is the ninth book I have read by this author who writes in a variety of genres. I can’t wait to read another one by him. Maberry’s books are well-written with characters that have depth and there is always an interesting plot where the story line pulls the reader in immediately. I believe those readers who enjoy action thrillers and medical thrillers that are dark will enjoy this book.
St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 10, 2026.
------------------------------
My 4.25 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Man, what a book.
This is the 5th book in this series, but it is actually the 15th or so book in the Joe Ledger series. If you have not read any of these books, it is extremely hard to explain. Somehow, Mr. Maberry has created a world with characters and storylines that seem other worldly and supernatural while at the same time giving the readers scientific explanations on how crazy things like vampires or zombies can actually be a threat.
We are again following MMC Joe Ledger and Mr. Church as they continue the "war" against those that try to threaten or harm the innocent. The Red Order has been vanquished....or have they?
This book FINALLY gives us the back story on Mr. Church, and we get to go back into the past and follow him into the present. Even though I had a fairly good idea of what to expect, THAT in itself makes this book worth it.
Without going into spoilers, this book takes us on one heck of an adventure. Things are crazy and there is a heck of a lot going on but the chess board is being manipulated. People are being maneuvered into specific locations and when the fog clears, it is horrifying to discover how vulnerable the folks at RTI are. There is a mastermind pulling all of the strings. There were several times I realized that I was holding my breath as I was reading. Ingenious, yet spine chilling.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on March 10, 2026.
This is the 5th book in this series, but it is actually the 15th or so book in the Joe Ledger series. If you have not read any of these books, it is extremely hard to explain. Somehow, Mr. Maberry has created a world with characters and storylines that seem other worldly and supernatural while at the same time giving the readers scientific explanations on how crazy things like vampires or zombies can actually be a threat.
We are again following MMC Joe Ledger and Mr. Church as they continue the "war" against those that try to threaten or harm the innocent. The Red Order has been vanquished....or have they?
This book FINALLY gives us the back story on Mr. Church, and we get to go back into the past and follow him into the present. Even though I had a fairly good idea of what to expect, THAT in itself makes this book worth it.
Without going into spoilers, this book takes us on one heck of an adventure. Things are crazy and there is a heck of a lot going on but the chess board is being manipulated. People are being maneuvered into specific locations and when the fog clears, it is horrifying to discover how vulnerable the folks at RTI are. There is a mastermind pulling all of the strings. There were several times I realized that I was holding my breath as I was reading. Ingenious, yet spine chilling.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on March 10, 2026.
June 17, 2025
This is more or less the 15th book in the Joe Ledger series.
The 1st book Patient Zero was beyond amazing.
I may have read it 3 times.
Which for me is almost unheard of.
Also still reading a series with so many books in it
is a rare trick.
Maberry has managed to keep the
stories entertaining still even after so damn many of them.
Loosley summed up
this series is
James Bond
+
The X Files.
Ledger is a Baltimore cop
who gets volunteered for the DMS
(Department of Military Sciences)
(imagine Q Branch but with REALLY weird shit)
When on a Joint Task Force he is involved
with raiding a terror cell hideout
and accidentally wrassles
a zombie ( caused by a manufactured virus )
and did not die,
impressing Mr. Church the mysterious leader of the DMS.
He proceeds to fuck up more terrorists zombie and regular.
Foiling the Big Bads nefarious plan.
This time is sort of more of the same.
1) Shit happens
2) Ledger reacts
3)The traitor is revealed
4) The traitors plan is exposed
5)Joe / his team / everyone gets their asses handed to them.
6)Hope is lost as Evil seems triumphant
7)Joe / Church / Someone pulls a miracle out of their ass and saves the day
8)The villain is defeated but at what cost???
This time there is a bonus
we finally learn the origin
of Mr. Church.
And it is a doozey.
Oh and yeah I got an ARC of this, no time travel was involved ( cause occasionally some wanker will complain)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC! As an "auto-buy" fan of Jonathan Maberry, I was counting down the days for Red Empire, and it absolutely delivered. This is a phenomenal continuation of the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series that raises the stakes to an almost impossible level.
The plot centers on a weaponized, bioengineered version of the Black Death being unleashed on London by the reborn Red Empire. The tension is relentless as Joe Ledger and the team race against time, but the real highlight for me was finally getting some answers. We learned some truly jaw-dropping information about Mr. Church that we have been wondering about since the very first book. Seeing those long-standing mysteries start to unravel while the team faces such a global threat was incredible.
The pacing is spot-on, with consistent, pulse-pounding action that moves the plot along without ever feeling stalled. It was also wonderful to see so many characters we have come to love over the years; it feels like catching up with old friends, even if they are in the middle of a biological apocalypse.
Another amazing Maberry book that has me eagerly waiting for more!
The plot centers on a weaponized, bioengineered version of the Black Death being unleashed on London by the reborn Red Empire. The tension is relentless as Joe Ledger and the team race against time, but the real highlight for me was finally getting some answers. We learned some truly jaw-dropping information about Mr. Church that we have been wondering about since the very first book. Seeing those long-standing mysteries start to unravel while the team faces such a global threat was incredible.
The pacing is spot-on, with consistent, pulse-pounding action that moves the plot along without ever feeling stalled. It was also wonderful to see so many characters we have come to love over the years; it feels like catching up with old friends, even if they are in the middle of a biological apocalypse.
Another amazing Maberry book that has me eagerly waiting for more!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book 5 is an epic (500+pages) supernatural thriller that will confuse you if you've never read Jonathan Mayberry. I read book 4 and I was kinda confused at times with all the ancient lore and the character name changes, but it all comes together at the end...kinda? I highly doubt I'll read another book in this series, but might check out another series because the author tells a very entertaining story. I would recommend reading the series in order for a better understanding of the storyline.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC and the book will be available on March 10, 2026.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC and the book will be available on March 10, 2026.
December 27, 2025
For Joe Ledger fans, this is one of the best yet. Only wish for more!
Review of advance copy
Recycled plots about bioengineerd plaques.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review soon!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews