The Story
Fresh from the war in the Balkans, Aleksey Rybinski returns home to find his homeland on the brink of secession from the increasingly oppressive Slavic Federation. Caring little for politics, he wants nothing more than to enjoy a well-deserved month of leave from the military. However, when he returns home, he finds his apartment vacant, his life turning upside down, and his plan to leave the service in question.
Torn between a lust for freedom and duty to his nation, Aleksey finds himself caught in the middle of a civil war brewing within his own family. While his father holds a top cabinet position, his uncle is leading the secessionist charge from the Senate floor. Despite his apparent neutrality, both seek to use Aleksey for their own aims.
Cornered, Aleksey must decide which side of the political divide he stands with. Does he stand by his father and the Federation, or does he boldly take a stand alongside his countrymen? Whatever side Aleksey chooses, the price of his decision will be steep and the rewards uncertain, for both sides will be pursue victory at all costs.
At All Costs is an Alternate History
At All Costs (AAC) largely takes place in Poland in the year 1997. While the novel’s world appears quite similar to our own, there are some notable differences. This is a result of a timeline split nearly three decades prior to the start of the story with the Invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In both the real world and the world of AAC, the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968. In our reality, the Soviet-led forces of the Warsaw Pact crushed the dissidents and overturned the Prague Spring reforms. In the alternate reality of AAC, the Czechoslovakians put up a protracted resistance, inspiring the rise of anti-communist and nationalist movements around the Eastern Bloc.
The ensuing armed resistance led to several years of armed conflict and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact,
In the wake of the Soviet collapse, a loose collection of free republics calling itself the Slavic Confederacy arose to bring peace and prosperity back to the former Eastern Bloc.
Over the decades, the democratic confederacy slowly corrupted and transformed into a federation led by a man seeking to rule the Slavic people with an iron fist.
Why Poland and an Alternate Timeline?
The decision to make the story take place in Central and Eastern Europe was a matter of intrigue, personal interest, and a feeling that America plays the starring role a bit too much in fiction.
What drew me to this setting was threefold. For one, I studied a great deal of Imperial Russian and Soviet history while in pursuit of my History degree, so when I began writing my series, I envisioned a Russian Empire reborn in the modern age. Secondly, though I’m an ethnic mutt thanks to my patrilineal lineage tracing back to the American Revolution, I somehow I ended up with a largely Slavic ethnic background. Lastly, I have strong Polish roots in my family thanks my wife and my paternal grandmother.
Being just three generations removed from Poland with a grandmother that keeps many of the traditions alive, I studied the region in-depth, so it felt natural to set my novel there. As well, I felt it made the story stand out in your imagination a bit more. Gdansk and Moscow are exotic places to the average American, while LA or NYC are not so much.
What Makes This Story Special?
At All Costs takes a three plot approach to the story to craft an exciting drama with enough action to please fans of spy fiction, war films, and even martial arts.
One plot line follows a decorated member of Poland’s elite GROM unit as he attempts to reinvigorate his career while dealing with the lingering pain of personal tragedy and his nation’s decision to secede from the Slavic Federation.
A second plot line follows a hero of the Polish Revolution turned top General for the Russian-dominated federal government torn between his homeland and his duty to the Federation.
The final plot line follows a down on his luck semi-professional kickboxer as he travels to the capital of the volatile Slavic Federation to chase his dreams of fame and fortune.