 It is the first of the two books in the "Empire" duet, followed by "Hidden Empire" with the video game "Shadow Complex" bridging the two.The book follows U.S. Army Major Reuben Malich and U.S. Army Captain Bartholomew Coleman, both former Special Forces officers, as America falls into a civil war after the assassinations of both the American President and Vice President.A radical leftist army calling itself the Progressive Restoration takes over New York City and declares itself the rightful government of the United States.