Ace of Paints: Book 1 of New Rome Rising—a near future dystopian thriller series - Softcover

Slater-Jones, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798280174917

Publisher: Independently published, 2025

Synopsis

Walled off. Ruthlessly controlled. The last real city on Earth.
It’s 2054. Guerrilla artist, Alex Snow, wakes up in a gutter with no memory of who he is. All around him the real world has collapsed into the MetaVerses—except for one city.
Rome.
He has one ally. A woman who dares wear red in a city that has banned it. But he's terrified of what getting close might cost her.
What if he’s dangerous?
Now, a fragment from his dreams sends Alex into the buried ruins beneath the defiant city—chasing the truth about his past.
Instead, he uncovers something Rome will kill to keep buried.
A secret powerful enough to shatter the city’s perfect illusion—and put him in the crosshairs of its ruthless ruler, a tech billionaire whose punishments make death look merciful.
Hunted. Outmatched. Running out of time.
If Alex wants the truth, he’ll have to risk everything.
Even if it means bringing Rome to its knees.

Perfect for fans of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon, and Hugh Howey's Silo — with the snarky high-intelligence of Andy Weir.

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Praise for Ace of Paints — New Rome Rising
"There are few books that leave you out of breath. This is definitely one of them." ★★★★★
"A little too possible" ★★★★★
"Rockets forward with suspense that builds to a wholly unexpected climax" ★★★★★
"The most gripping book I've read in years" ★★★★★
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Praise for the New Rome Rising Series
"Dense originality" ★★★★★
"Waiting impatiently for the next installment" ★★★★★
"Grateful that the world-building and Alex and Mia's adventures are just starting" ★★★★★
"A world so layered that the peeling thereof promises many more stories of depth and verve" ★★★★★
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From filmmaker Richard Slater-Jones — whose work has reached over 100 MILLION viewers — comes a razor-sharp sci-fi thriller debut that fuses cinematic action and mind-bending suspense in a near-future Rome.

Someone erased Alex Snow. They should have finished the job.
Start the NEW ROME RISING series today.

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798280174917
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 314