The Blood Service (The Blood Service, #1)

Wrongly Convicted. Sentenced To Life. His Only Hope Lies In Service.

Aaron Havenes is serving hard labor in the colonies for a crime he didn’t commit. The last thing he wants to do is defend the Empire that chained him as a child. But when Aaron’s only friends are lured into the army with empty promises, Aaron vows to protect them at any cost, even if that means fighting monsters on behalf of a power that he loathes.

To glory-seeking Colonel Riley, convicted criminals aren’t worth the air they breathe: perfect cannon fodder. Aaron and his friends are being sent out to die in place of those ‘too valuable’ to lose.

But Aaron is set to defy all expectations. Death would be simpler, because victory means becoming a pawn for politicians and generals as they seek to further their own ambitions.
And the creatures in the mountains have plans of their own…