Red Empire, Jonathan Maberry
Red Empire, Jonathan Maberry
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Red Empire
A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Narrator: Ray Porter

Unabridged: 20 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/10/2026


Synopsis

In the next novel in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series by New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, the team faces new and old enemies alike as a bioengineered version of The Black Death surfaces. This program is read by award-winning narrator Ray Porter.

Hundreds 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.

"Listeners will find themselves entranced by [Ray] Porter’s terrific narration." —Kirkus on The Dragon Factory (Earphones Award winner)

"Ray Porter narrates in a gleefully theatrical tone...Porter commands the ear and beckons listeners deeper into the battle between ancient beings and undead monstrosities." —Kirkus on Necrotek

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

About Jonathan Maberry

JONATHAN MABERRY (he/him) is a New York Times bestselling, Inkpot winner, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Relentless, Ink, Patient Zero, Rot & Ruin, Dead of Night, the Pine Deep Trilogy, The Wolfman, Zombie CSU, and They Bite, among others. His V-Wars series has been adapted by Netflix, and his work for Marvel Comics includes The Punisher, Wolverine, DoomWar, Marvel Zombie Return and Black Panther. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine and also edits anthologies such as Aliens vs Predator, Nights of the Living Dead (with George A. Romero), Don’t Turn out the Lights, and others.

About Ray Porter

Ray Porter is a prolific voice actor that has recorded for over 100 audio books and dozens of television series, video games and video shorts.  Among his wide variety of audiobook credits are The Silver Linings Playbook, The Black Hole War, and the Joe Ledger series. He claims, “With every book I’ve done, I have found that the author has a voice and if I can just do my best to stay out of the way of that voice, then the writer will convey what he’s trying to put across. So for me, it’s really more about enabling the text and what the author is trying to say.”


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tobin on March 16, 2026

Maberry has absolutely put his characters through the wringer before, and likely never more so than in the 15 books of the Joe Ledger series. But never more than this book. Maberry takes a long time lighting the fuse, but when this thing goes bang, it leaves a mushroom cloud behind. I won't spoil any......more

Goodreads review by Travis on March 12, 2026

Just to be transparent, I have a huge bias towards this book series. There isn’t a Joe Ledger novel or novella that I haven’t enjoyed reading. Jonathan Maberry is thorough and mindful of the content in his books, his attention to keeping the integrity of the continuity of the books is my favorite as......more

Goodreads review by Erin on January 28, 2026

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 t......more

Goodreads review by PamG on February 13, 2026

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......more

Goodreads review by Lukasz on March 15, 2026

4.5/5 but I'll round it up and I'm not really objective. Jonathan Maberry’s Red Empire is the fifteenth Joe Ledger novel and the fifth Rogue Team International book. At this point, the series is long enough that picking up a single entry without context is a bit like walking into season twelve of a T......more


Quotes

"A high-octane, action-packed thriller filled with wicked fight scenes, bioweapons, assassins, supervillains, and Ledger’s trademark grim humor. The novel is perfect for Maberry’s fans or for those who enjoy thrillers with a horror and sci-fi edge." —Library Journal, starred review

"[A] relentless page-turner... Series fans will devour this." —Publishers Weekly

"With each book the action is more spectacular, the stakes higher—this is the biggest, baddest Joe Ledger novel yet." —Booklist

Additional Praise for Jonathan Maberry:

“Once in a while, if you’re really lucky, you find a book series that hits all the right spots. It excites the action fan in you, inspires you with its characters, and leaves you wanting more with its engrossing stories. Joe Ledger is that series for me. With its cross-genre blend of storytelling, amazing action, great characters and the best action dog ever, it’s easy to see how much Jonathan Maberry loves writing Joe Ledger… Almost as much as you‘ll love reading them.” —Chad Stahelski, director of the JOHN WICK movies

"Maberry takes a calculated risk here, both in crafting a story that is darker than your typical Ledger novel and in taking Joe to a place from which we wonder if he can fully return... it’s exciting to see [the risks] paying off so spectacularly." — Booklist on Relentless

"Your heart will be in your throat during the non-stop action that Jonathan Maberry has created... one of the best in the business." —Criminal Element on Rage

"Maberry readers who haven't sampled the Ledger novels should rectify that immediately by cracking open this one." - Booklist on Cave 13