The complete duology, in signed hardcover.

Against the Red Sky is a fast-paced YA sci-fi thriller duology, and this is the only place to get it in hardcover.

  • Against the Red Sky signed hardcover duology
  • Against the Red Sky Book Box - signed hardcover duology with sticker sheet, map, and bookmark
  • Against the Red Sky: Mission X hardcover mockup
  • Against the Red Sky: Colony Exposed hardcover mockup
  • Against the Red Sky book detail photo
  • Against the Red Sky book detail photo
  • Against the Red Sky book detail photo
  • Against the Red Sky book detail photo
1 9

Against the Red Sky: Special Edition (PRE-ORDER)

Against the Red Sky: Special Edition (PRE-ORDER)

Both books rated 9.75+ out of 10 by The BookLife Prize · funded on Kickstarter in under an hour

$84.99 USD
$84.99 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
ChooseWhich edition do you want?
PaperbackThe complete duologyBoth books in paperback, both eBooks, free shipping. Colony map as a digital file.$29.99
Signed hardcoverSpecial Edition, both booksSprayed edges, custom endpapers, chapter header art, and the colony map printed into the book.$84.99
Collector's boxThe Book BoxThe same two hardcovers, plus the Academy gala invitation, Maddie's holocard, and a custom series box.$119.00
IncludedWhat arrives in the box

Two signed 5x8 hardcovers, over 600 pages combined, with sprayed edges, full color endpapers, chapter header art, and the map of the Mars colony printed right into the book. Plus character art stickers and a signed bookmark. Kristen signs every copy herself, and the Special Edition is sold as a set, never as single books.

Limited print run. Ships late October 2026 — order by December 10 for delivery by Christmas in the US. Free shipping, and both eBooks arrive instantly so you can start reading today.
  • Signed by Kristen, and only sold here
  • Free shipping, no minimum
  • Both eBooks delivered instantly, start reading tonight

Enzo Cruz was raised to destroy the system. Maddie Westing was born to inherit it. Together, they'll have to burn it all down to save what matters.

Do you love YA dystopian sci-fi with:

  • A Mars colony that promises paradise and delivers something far darker
  • An evil billionaire with no limits and no conscience
  • Two teens navigating impossible loyalties, to their missions, their families, and each other
  • Dual POV, two planets, one collision course
  • Found family forged under pressure
  • Betrayal disguised as survival
  • A secret beneath the Martian surface that changes what it means to be human

Then you need this series on your bookshelf: Against the Red Sky, the complete duology, in one deluxe hardcover set.

Mission X (Book 1): On an Earth running out of water, Enzo is Terra Primera's youngest operative, sent to infiltrate a new facility training recruits for the Martian colony, and sabotage its shuttle before it ever leaves the ground. Maddie is one of thirty elite students chasing her dream of reaching Mars and her mother. When their paths collide, so does everything they thought they knew, and exposing Transcendia founder Augustus Sardeth won't come without a price.

Colony Exposed (Book 2): Enzo and his friends are sent to Mars to die building domes they'll never live in. Maddie has to break out of her uncle's facility and reach Mars before it's too late, only to find a colony built on a secret darker than either of them imagined.

The map, printed into the book. The map of the Mars colony is part of the hardcover interior, not a loose insert, so it's there every time you open it. Paperback and eBook readers receive the map as a digital file; only the hardcover editions have it bound in.

Special Edition, only available from my store. The Special Edition is sold as a set, never as single books. This run is 20 copies. Pre-order now and yours ships in late October, well ahead of Christmas. Order by December 10 for delivery by Christmas in the US. Free shipping, and both eBooks arrive instantly so you can start reading today.

Funded on Kickstarter in under an hour.

42 readers backed Against the Red Sky and the campaign funded in under sixty minutes.

This is the store edition of that set: the same signed hardcovers, sprayed edges, custom endpapers and chapter header art. The ribbon marker and dust jacket were exclusive to Kickstarter backers and are not part of this printing.

Want it boxed? The Book Box is the same two hardcovers in a custom series-themed collector's box.

Includes

Mission X + Colony Exposed, deluxe hardcover (duology only, signed, not sold as single books), plus a bonus character art sticker sheet and signed bookmark
Features

Two 5x8 hardcovers, over 600 pages combined. Sprayed edges with a custom design, full color end papers front and back, chapter header art, and the map of the Mars colony printed into the book.
Ships

Begins shipping late October 2026. Order by December 10 for delivery by Christmas in the US.
View full details

The BookLife Prize · 9.75 out of 10

“Illarmo is a natural storyteller, developing polished, smooth prose that builds a creeping dread along with nail-biting suspense.”

“Mars feels like a tangible place here, built on rigid systems and orders enforced by guards, prison labor... Forced labor on Mars is a chilling premise, and the experiences Illarmo’s characters undergo are vividly real.”

Perfect scores for Plot, Prose and Character. Reviewed by The BookLife Prize, a Publishers Weekly property.

And what readers are saying

  • Nick Wilford ★★★★★

    "One of the best YA sci-fi tales I have read in some time. The book keeps up a lively pace throughout and is easy to read quickly."

    Goodreads review, Mission X

  • Chad Barrus ★★★★★

    "This is one of the best books I have read this year and I have read over a hundred so far. A nail biting, page turning masterpiece that will completely have you mesmerized and under its spell by the first few chapters."

    Goodreads review, Mission X

  • ★★★★★

    "This was an absolutely perfect conclusion to the Against the Red Sky saga. More action packed than the first, the character development was stellar all the way through."

    Early reader, Colony Exposed

Hardcover with sprayed edges and more

  • Only here

    Hardcovers with sprayed edges, full color endpapers and chapter header art. This is the only place they are sold.

  • The colony map, printed in

    The map of the Mars colony is printed right into the hardcover edition. Paperback and eBook readers get it as a digital file; only the hardcovers have it bound in.

  • Signed, with swag

    Every Special Edition is hand-signed and comes with character art stickers and a double-sided bookmark.

  • Free shipping

    Shipping is included on every Special Edition, no minimum required.
Against the Red Sky: Mission X hardcover mockup

Mission X

Enzo is Terra Primera's youngest operative, sent to infiltrate the Mars Ascendance Academy, sabotage the shuttle, and disappear. Maddie is one of thirty elite students chasing her dream of reaching Mars, and her mother. When their paths collide, so does everything they thought they knew.

Against the Red Sky: Colony Exposed hardcover mockup

Colony Exposed

Enzo and his friends are sent to Mars to die building domes they'll never live in. Maddie has to break out of her uncle's facility and reach Mars before it's too late, only to find a colony built on a secret darker than either of them imagined.

Why readers love this series

  • One Mars colony

    Promising paradise. Delivering something far darker.

  • One evil billionaire

    No limits. No conscience.

  • Two teens

    Impossible loyalties, to their missions, their families, and each other.

  • Found family

    Forged under pressure.

  • One secret

    That changes what it means to be human.

Questions readers ask before buying

When will my Special Edition ship?

Shipping begins in late October 2026. Order by December 10 for delivery by Christmas in the US. Your card is charged at checkout, and both eBooks are delivered immediately so you can start reading.

Is the map of the Mars colony included?

Yes, and in the hardcover it is part of the book itself. The map is printed into the Special Edition interior, so it is always there when you open it. Paperback and eBook pre-orders get the map as a digital file sent to your inbox instead. The printed version exists only in the hardcover editions.

Is this the same as the Kickstarter edition?

Almost. This is the store edition of the set that funded on Kickstarter in under an hour: the same signed hardcovers, sprayed edges, custom endpapers and chapter header art. The ribbon marker and dust jacket were exclusive to the 42 Kickstarter backers and are not part of this printing.

Can I buy just one book in hardcover?

No. The Special Edition is produced and sold as a two-book set only. If you want a single book, Mission X and Colony Exposed are both available in paperback.

What's the difference between this and the Book Box?

The books are identical, colony map and all. The Book Box adds three things this edition does not have: a custom series-themed collector's box built to hold the set, the black-tie invitation to the Academy gala from Mission X, and Maddie's holocard from Colony Exposed, printed on thick plastic with a blank passenger field you fill in yourself.

If you want the hardcovers on your shelf, this is the one. If you want the artifacts and the box, take the Book Box.

Why should I buy direct?

Buying direct supports me as an author. I receive a larger portion of the royalties from purchases made here than from purchases made at other retailers, and the hardcovers are not sold anywhere else at all.

Hi, I'm Kristen

Even as the world burns, my characters remind us: you don't have to be perfect, you just have to keep fighting for what's right.

More about Kristen