The Reading Bud

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Adam Lawless for his latest release, Shards of an Empire.

Book: Shards Of An Empire
Author: Adam Lawless
Publication Date: December 14th, 2025
Publisher: –
Page Count:
Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Available in: ebook, paperback, hardback
For Readers Who Enjoyed Reading: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Other Side of Me by David Cordisco

About the Book

Four lives. Four nations. One slow-burn collapse of the world order.

Drawn together by desire, betrayal, and ambition, four strangers from opposite corners of the world collide as love turns toxic and loyalty becomes lethal. As the world edges toward an Armageddon of historic proportions, one question remains: can love redeem the broken—or will the master manipulator finish what fate began?
A soldier’s blind devotion.
Brian, a Delta Force Colonel once celebrated as a patriot, is erased after reckless ambition leads to the deaths of 22 American soldiers. Court-martialed and cast out, he reinvents himself inside the power corridors of Washington. But his greatest vulnerability isn’t his past—it’s the affair he begins while still married. As scandal, blackmail, and surveillance close in, Brian must decide how much of his country he is willing to burn to feel redeemed. Heroes fall quietly. Damage does not.
A South Asian immigrant’s disappointment.
Sayeed arrives in America believing in freedom, tolerance, and the promise of a better life. A Muslim immigrant with hope in his heart, he soon finds himself torn between family, culture, and a nation that does not always practice what it preaches. As injustice and hypocrisy mount, will Sayeed cling to his ideals—or will betrayal push him toward a darker path?
The Chinese spy who loved too deeply.
Jie rises swiftly through the ranks of China’s MSS, driven by brilliance, discipline, and ambition. But her greatest weakness is the one thing she cannot control—her heart. Preyed upon by a married man, her beauty and vulnerability ignite obsession wherever she goes. In Washington, D.C., love tempts her once more.
The Arab dreamer on the edge of ruin.
Ahmed, a poor but joyful youth from Iraq, is manipulated into stealing a sacred Islamic relic from Uzbekistan—an act that destroys his life and reshapes geopolitics. Captured and imprisoned in China, he is stripped of dignity, belief, and mercy. What survives his confinement is no longer innocent. When he finally emerges, the question is no longer if he will be used—but by whom.

Shards of an Empire is a bleak, high-stakes political thriller where nations maneuver through human weakness and love is the most exploitable asset of all. As these four lives converge, the world inches toward collapse—not with a bang, but with quiet decisions made in dark rooms.

History will call it unavoidable.
The truth is far more personal.

You can find Shards of an Empire here:
Amazon | Goodreads

About The Author

Adam Lawless

Adam Lawless is an avid student of world history, culture, philosophy, and religious thought. He loves meeting people from diverse cultures, religious backgrounds, points of view, and exchanging ideas. While he is not authoring books, he loves eating out, hanging out with friends, camping at Yellowstone National Park, sit by the fireplace and sip hot chocolate, watching thrillers, and comedy movies. Adam’s mantra for life – Life is too short to be grumpy, enjoy the tiny joys in life, be grateful for the warm sunshine, the green grass under your feet and the blue skies spread over your head. Whenever he can, he travels to other cultures to learn about their history, their civilization, their customs, and their way of life. Human beings fascinate him! His favorite thing to do is sit by the beach and watch the sun set in the orange skies.

You can find author Waddington here:
Amazon

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