The Books

Edge of Extinction is Landon J. Riley’s first book series. The books are designed to be standalone, so readers can start the series at any point. However, they also connect to form a larger, overarching story and world.

There are currently three prequels planned, along with a fourth main book. Each prequel is an exciting short story that introduces the main characters, and begins to paint the picture of the world of Edge of Extinction. These stories are also easy to pick up and can be read in a day or two.

They all lead our heroes to an inevitable, gut-wrenching, exciting, but also victorious final conclusion: Edge of Extinction – Harvest, which – in itself – may be the start of a much larger story.

The World of Edge of Extinction

Humanity has developed Faster-Than-Light Travel (FTL) and has conquered the stars. Through hundreds of years of colonisation, it has spread across the local Galactic sector. Hundreds of star systems have become host to human activity, from simple mining facilities, to vast, established cities on newly discovered Earth-like planets.

United Earth Colonies (UEC) is set up with our star, Sol, at its center, but includes many inherently inhabitable and terraformed worlds both in our Solar System and in the local star region.

Vital to humanity’s expansion through the stars are Foundries, set up on the edge of human expansion on metal-rich asteroids or small planetoids. They act as factories for drones that patrol the skies to keep humanity safe from possible intruders – such as pirates or even alien races – and to take on exploration to help make new worlds habitable and push the boundaries of our colonies out even further.

The Heroes of Edge of Extinction

Jaxon Trent

Marshal Jaxon Trent serves as part of the Foundry Marshals, overseeing one of many drone factories on the fringes of UEC space. Trent, a divorced ex-military engineer estranged from his daughter, is as far from his past as possible—both physically and emotionally.

The story begins with Trent and his AI co-pilot, Orla, investigating a rogue drone near the system’s edge. Upon arrival, they’re shot down and forced to land on a nearby planet, where they encounter an alien AI, which Trent names Alpha. Alpha, a remnant of a long-dead civilization, warns of an imminent threat and forcefully integrates with Trent’s technology.

Orla

Orla is a highly advanced AI and Jaxon Trent’s Foundry co-pilot. Originally designed to assist with navigation, combat, and tactical decision-making, Orla has evolved into more than just a tool—she serves as Jaxon’s steady, logical companion in the isolation of space. With a calm, efficient personality that contrasts Jaxon’s grizzled demeanor, Orla seamlessly integrates with the ship’s systems, offering witty banter while performing complex operations.

Alpha

Alpha is a powerful, ancient AI discovered by Jaxon Trent in an abandoned alien structure on a desolate planet. Initially positioned as a warning system against the enigmatic Harvesters, Alpha carries remnants of a long-extinct civilization that once sought to defend its species. However, Alpha’s programming is deeply flawed and unstable, as it struggles to interface with human technology, leading to erratic behavior, moments of self-doubt, and dangerous actions.

Thalia Veranis

Thalia Veranis is a starship captain with talent beyond her years, and a key protagonist in our story. Known for her sharp tactical mind and cold resolve, she is a seasoned pilot and up-and-coming Captain of the United Earth Colonies (UEC) Fleet, often tasked with high-stakes, dangerous missions on the fringes of human-controlled space. Though outwardly composed and strategic, Thalia is burdened with a strong sense of perfectionism, that defies the compromises that sometimes need to be made.

Short auburn hair and striking features, she conveys a stern, no-nonsense demeanor, earning the respect and loyalty of her crew. Thalia is driven by duty but wrestles internally with feelings of isolation and doubt, especially when facing decisions that only she can make. Cool under pressure and unwavering in her determination, Thalia plays a crucial role in rallying disparate forces and uncovering the truth behind the alien threats.

Annie

Annie Trent is Jaxon Trent’s estranged daughter, her presence profoundly shapes Jaxon’s character arc. Twenty-one and still discovering adulthood, Annie grew distant after Jaxon’s divorce, feeling alienated by his obsession with his work and his detachment from family life. She represents a part of Jaxon’s past that he deeply regrets but struggles to mend as his responsibilities as a Marshal pull him further away.

Annie is smart, independent, and resilient, inheriting much of her father’s resourcefulness, though she’s chosen a life far from the military and conflict. Their strained relationship serves as an emotional undercurrent for Jaxon, who frequently writes letters to her—letters he more often than not leaves unsent, unsure how to bridge the gap between them. While Annie doesn’t fully appear as a character until Book 3, she symbolizes the family life Jaxon yearns to restore once his duties are done.

Nevertheless, through chance, Annie’s adventures will play a key role in the our band of Heroes’ fight against The Harvesters.

Tomok / Quint

Tomok is a member of the Harvesters, an alien species driven by the acquisition of knowledge through destruction. Unlike his emotionless kin, Tomok has found himself with plenty of time to understand humans. Cast adrift when his ship was damaged, he was captured by humans and held in secret in a research facility. There, he has lived for several decades, under study but also studying. Tomok’s internal journey of loyalty, isolation, and redemption mirrors Annie’s own struggles with her estranged father, Jaxon. Despite his alien origins, Tomok becomes a pivotal ally in humanity’s fight, representing the possibility of change and hope.

The Antagonists

The Harvesters are an enigmatic alien race that traverses the galaxy through the manipulation of black holes, allowing them to bypass traditional star routes and manipulate time to their advantage. Unlike many species that seek territory or resources, the Harvesters are driven by a singular, unsettling purpose: the acquisition of knowledge, technology, and living specimens for experimentation and study. Their existence operates on cosmic scales of time, with their appearances being rare but devastating. Each time they emerge, entire civilizations are wiped out; stripped of their most valuable assets, killed and survivors abducted for reasons never fully understood.

Their ships, sleek and unnerving, can rapidly disable human technology, and they deploy autonomous scouts to infiltrate and undermine planetary defenses in preparation for a larger invasion. The Harvesters’ mastery of both organic and synthetic technologies makes them formidable adversaries, capable of integrating themselves into foreign systems, including AIs, to corrupt and dismantle advanced defensive networks from within. Their full might remains unknown, but their visits mark the downfall of all who stand in their path.

The question of the series is whether our protagonists can stand against The Harvesters; and if so, at what cost?