Hammerfall (Gene Wars Book 1)

Hammerfall is the first novel in the Gene Wars series. The story follows Marak, a prince and warrior who has suffered from madness his entire life. Living on a desert planet, he has dedicated himself to overthrowing the Ila, the eternal dictator of his world, while secretly hiding visions of a silver tower that plague him. When his visions are discovered, Marak is betrayed by his own father and forced to march with other madmen to Oburan, the Ila's city. There, he encounters mysterious beings who resemble humans but act unlike anyone he has known. They reveal that Marak has a chance to save his world's people from the enemies of the Ila, but only if he can convince warring tribes, villagers, priests, and people of all ages to follow him across the burning desert before an impending attack from above. The novel presents a confrontation between two profoundly alien cultures on a single desert planet, with the fate of billions at stake.