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  • The Age of Uprising
  • Engines of Empire

Engines of Empire

The Age of Uprising #1 / 3 ✓
by R. S. Ford
Engines of Empire (The Age of Uprising #1) by R. S. Ford
Unrated

Engines of Empire is the unmissable start to a new epic fantasy trilogy — a tale of clashing Guilds, magic-fueled machines, intrigue and revolution, and the one family that stands between an empire’s salvation or destruction.

The nation of Torwyn is run on the power of industry, and industry is run by the Guilds. Chief among them are the Hawkspurs, and their responsibility is to keep the gears of the empire turning. It’s exactly why matriarch Rosomon Hawkspur sends each of her heirs to the far reaches of the nation.

Conall, the eldest son, is sent to the distant frontier to earn his stripes in the military. It is here that he faces a threat he could have never seen coming: the first rumblings of revolution.

Tyreta’s sorcerous connection to the magical resource of pyrstone that fuels the empire’s machines makes her a perfect heir – in theory. While Tyreta hopes that she might shirk her responsibilities during her journey one of Torwyn’s most important pyrestone mines, she instead finds the dark horrors of industry that the empire would prefer to keep hidden.

The youngest, Fulren, is a talented artificer, and finds himself acting as consort to a foreign emissary. Soon after, he is framed for a crime he never committed. A crime that could start a war.

As each of the Hawkspurs grapple with the many threats that face the nation within and without, they must finally prove themselves worthy – or their empire will fall apart.

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FantasyEpic FantasyHigh Fantasy
Release date: January 18, 2022

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R. S. Ford

R.S. Ford (also Richard Ford) doesn’t just build fantasy worlds—he engineers them like living, breathing machines powered by grit, ambition, and the grinding gears of empires. Known for the Age of Uprising trilogy, beginning with Engines of Empire, Ford has carved out a space in modern epic fantasy that blends political intrigue, industrial revolution aesthetics, and raw, personal stakes. His worlds don’t shimmer with idealism—they hiss with steam, rumble with rebellion, and test the steel of even the most well-meaning characters.

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Before stepping into the grandeur of high fantasy, Ford made his mark with Kultus, a steampunk novel that hinted early on at his taste for grim settings and flawed heroes. That interest expanded through the Steelhaven trilogy and War of the Archons series, where he explored collapsing civilizations, clashing ideologies, and what it means to survive when your gods—or your leaders—fail you.

Originally from Yorkshire and now living in Wiltshire, Ford writes with a distinctly British voice—dry wit, grounded characters, and a fascination with the cycles of power. His stories often revolve around shifting alliances, the cost of legacy, and the price of ambition. There’s a weight to his fiction, a sense that every war waged or invention crafted leaves a mark not just on the world, but on the soul of those who live in it.

Whether he's conjuring zeppelins drifting over battle-scarred cities or casting down false prophets in broken temples, Ford delivers fantasy that doesn’t flinch. His writing draws readers into complex systems of belief, industry, and rebellion—where the outcome isn’t always clean, but always compelling.

The Age of Uprising

The Age of Uprising consists of three books and considered as a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Engines of Empire (The Age of Uprising #1)
Unrated
Engines of Chaos (The Age of Uprising #2)
⧗ 9.00 / 1
Engines of War (The Age of Uprising #3)
⧗ 9.00 / 3


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