Description

All systems inevitably collapse. Societies fall apart. Worlds eventually end.

In the oppressive Federation, an intricate conspiracy unfolds around the assassination and replacement of its President—an authoritarian leader who has maintained absolute control by downloading his consciousness into a series of new bodies, effectively becoming immortal. At the same time, Western Europe has replaced flawed human governance with seemingly perfect AI Prime Ministers, optimized for peace, objectivity, and efficiency. Yet, even in this supposedly flawless system, an experimental artificial intelligence begins to malfunction, threatening to unleash chaos that could lead to the collapse of the entire Western world.

As both the Federation and the West edge closer toward catastrophe, Lilia, the gifted scientist whose groundbreaking invention could be the key to overthrowing the seemingly unstoppable Federation President, finds herself hunted and trapped within a dense web of surveillance. Fleeing from authorities, her fate becomes intertwined with a global network of individuals resisting against the dominant world order: Palmer, the lover she abruptly abandoned in London, desperately searches for answers behind her mysterious disappearance; Zoya, a seasoned revolutionary imprisoned deep in the Siberian taiga whose writings have ignited a widespread resistance; Nikolai, the President’s own personal doctor, increasingly tormented by morally wrenching choices as he’s dragged deeper into deadly palace intrigues; and Nurlan, a well-meaning but unlucky parliamentary worker whose attempt to help his home Republic catastrophically backfires. Overseeing it all is Krotov, the ruthless head of Federation Security, whose spies, assassins, and schemes cast a shadow over every corner of the globe.

Following the critical success of his debut, “The Mountain in the Sea,” Ray Nayler thrusts readers into an exhilarating near-future of espionage, political treachery, and technological upheaval. A gripping exploration of power, identity, and resistance, “Where the Axe is Buried” is an electrifying cybernetic thriller that combines the intensity of revolutionary rebellion with a compelling critique of authoritarian oppression and the myriad subtle ways it stifles human liberty.