Crimson Dusk: The Crimson Sand Temple (Crimson Dusk Trilogy, #2)

The truth won't save Mars. It might be the weapon that destroys it.

Kyle Varian and Dr. Elira Selkiel have survived the depths of the Scar of the Abyss and confirmed their darkest fears: the legendary Heart of Mars is real, it's reawakening, and it's being manipulated. The catastrophic rifts and marsquakes are no accident they are instruments of a terrifying conspiracy orchestrated by the planet's own leaders.

To uncover this devastating truth, a member of their team has already paid the ultimate price. Now, armed with the data he died to retrieve, they know the Parliament's endgame is far more sinister than they ever imagined. It's not about controlling Mars. It's about abandoning it. A top-secret "Galactic River Project" is underway to evacuate the elite to a new world, leaving sixty-two million souls to perish on a dying planet.

Their only hope is to sever the Parliament's control over the Heart of Mars. The key lies in an ancient artifact of immense power the Crimson Crystal. But it's hidden in the legendary Crimson Sand Temple, a fortress guarded by ancient traps, ruthless soldiers, and the ghosts of a fallen civilization.

As Kyle is haunted by the ghostly voice of his lost brother echoing from a mysterious portal within the Heart, the team must launch a desperate heist. They are caught between a planet tearing itself apart, a government that wants them erased, and a mission that could trigger the very apocalypse they're trying to prevent.

The heart-pounding sequel to The Scar of the Abyss, this second installment in the Crimson Dusk Trilogy raises the stakes in a spectacular clash of high-tech action and universe-altering secrets. Perfect for readers of The Expanse and Dune.