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Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting

The Empire is weak. The Mad Tsar is a fool. The Motherland must reach her climax.

In a world where the Great Wars never happened, super-spy Viktor Petrov seductively topples the Russian monarchy to forge the Neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus. As rival empires caress the edges of power, he ignites rebellions, reclaims forbidden territories, and unleashes war machines against the Empire of Nippon.

In the Confederate States, his provocative alliance with Ronald Tromp sets President Besh-Kunnedy aflame, plunging the world into a dance of danger and desire.

Will Petrov tip history into a feverish peak or leave his revolution unsatisfied?

From bestselling author Vlad Puting comes a pulse-pounding alternative history epic—where the Motherland’s fate hangs in the balance, and the climax is only just beginning.

Mars Occupation Force – Press Office

29 June 2025

Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting - Chapter 1


FOREWORD

Vladimir Vladimirovich Puting, without question, ranks as one of the greatest speculative fiction authors of our generation. From the bustling bookshops in London to the global Thames online store, one can’t scroll or stroll for too long without coming across a work by Vlad Puting (best known to his legions of fans as the ‘P-Man’ or ‘VVP’). Given the remarkable events of his life, his status as international bestseller was never assured, but well deserved.

How did a former Rus Imperial soldier escape from what was once known as the Rus Empire and make his mark? First here in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Iceland, and Ireland, and then the wider world. By what means can one man turn the speculative fiction scene upside down and build hordes of fans from not only the Rus émigré communities, but Old Blighty’s very own proletarian class? To attempt to understand Vlad’s fame and prowess, we must look to his past (See Afterword – Ed).  

Vlad was born in 1952 in the occupied city of St. Petersburg. Germanic colonists from the Holy Roman Empire clashed with the ethnic Rus, Poles, and Ukrainians who inhabited these ancestral lands. Pogroms broke out frequently. After one such event, Vlad and his family relocated to Moscow. There, they sought the succour and protection of the ailing Tzar Peter III. Like so many others, they found nothing but misery.

At the age of eighteen, Vlad was conscripted into the Rus Imperial Army to fight in its never-ending succession of wars. In his diary, Vlad wrote of hoping for an assignment in the east (with naïve optimism, he writes) to fight against the forces of the Empire of Nippon, ravaging their way through China and Mongolia. Instead, due to his fluency in German, young Vlad was sent west and participated in the various border clashes between the Holy Roman Empire, the Red Rus dissidents, and Polish partisans. Twice, Vlad received wounds in combat. For his bravery and competence, he was dispatched to officer school.

Upon receiving his commission, Vlad served for another brief period in the former Polish territories before transferring to the secret police. It was here, he wrote later, he came into his own, and the seeds of mistrust at the faltering regime rooted. Witnessing firsthand the level of repression the state levelled against its people in a bid to prop up the dying Romanov dynasty, he began to question his previously undying loyalty to the state.

Vlad worked his way up the ranks, eventually reaching Lieutenant-Colonel and, in this capacity, fought in the Battle of Moscow. For two long weeks, the last remnants of the Rus Imperial forces battled the Nipponese invaders from seizing their capital. Through sheer force of will, they won a narrow victory. Decorated for his personal bravery, Vlad was transferred to the security force of the Mad Tzar himself. Here, marked the spectacular downfall of such a capable military officer.

Critics of Vladimir Vladimirovich Puting point to the rumours of his inappropriate relationship with the then eighteen-year-old Tzarina Antoinette Romanov. His supporters argue thousands of men and officers suffered exile in the purge following the Battle of Moscow, in yet more evidence of Tzar Peter’s withering mental health. Vlad himself refuses to talk of those dark days. Regardless of the reason, in 2001, Vlad relocated first to the French Republic and then to his new adopted home in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Iceland, and Ireland.

Such a remarkable journey could have ended, and how worse off would the world have been without the ‘P-Man’s’ stories? To support his family, Vlad worked a variety of jobs, although he attained true solace in his writing. Using the little spare time he had, he poured his energies into what grew into his Rus folklore inspired Baba Yaga Rising series of young adult fantasy novels.

Try as he may, Vlad was unable to land a traditional publishing deal. He languished in anonymity for years until the advent of self-publishing arrived. Finally, Vlad had an outlet for the universe inside him bursting to escape. In 2012, he self-published his first Baba Yaga Rising novel, followed in quick succession by three more books in the series, alongside two novellas.

Despite the level of fanaticism of a hardcore group of fans, Vlad didn’t achieve any breakthrough moment beyond the (then) insulated world of fantasy fandom. His attendance at cons drew attention, more so for his outlandish and sometimes bizarre stunts (who doesn’t recall him riding bare-chested on a horse at BristolCon, much to Mark Lawrence’s chagrin?). Likewise, he expressed his opinions openly and had a reputation for violently attacking those who dissented with him on numerous occasions (getting into a fistfight with Irish author Damien Larkin at Octocon being a particularly low point).

Angry, Vlad poured his frustrations into something new. He landed an agent and signed a deal with a small press that prodded Vlad to step outside the box with his writing style. It took something quite different to put Vladimir Vladimirovich Puting on everyone’s radar and, it’s safe to say, the literary world has never been quite the same.

The launch of Motherland Climax: The Viktor Petrov Chronicles placed Vlad Puting in the spotlight overnight. Part alternative history, spy thriller, science fiction novel, and political discourse, Motherland Climax lit a fire in the collective imagination that critics still debate. The vision of an orderly, unified, and even militarily significant Rus state stands in stark contrast to the variety of ethno-states that replaced the old Rus Empire. Almost overnight, tens of thousands clamoured for a copy, even beyond the Rus emigres living here, in the Holy Roman Empire, the French Republic, the Iberian Union, and the Confederate States of America. The global working classes flocked to the idea of a neo-Bolshevik revolutionary republic capable of overturning the monarchies (if one can be forgiven for indulging in fruitless fantasies).

The main character of the series, Viktor Petrov, has been the subject of intense discourse. Cruel, chauvinistic, and ruthless on one hand. Loyal to millions of people and the dream of a strong and united Rus state on the other. Someone intent on fostering a stable world with the neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus as the guarantor of planetary peace. Many draw comparisons to the ‘Jans Bunt’ character so wildly popular in the Holy Roman Empire in the forties. It’s true, both are secret agents, devoted to their respective states, and quite willing to do what it takes to safeguard their country’s interests. But here, the comparison ends.

Where Jans Bunt remains the forever stoic agent in service to the emperor, Viktor Petrov sees it as his unflinching duty to seize power for himself and draw a fragmented Rus Empire back together. He alone has been chosen by history, God, Destiny, and Providence alike to guide his newly crafted neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus onto the world stage. In Viktor Petrov’s thoughts and actions lie the keys to building a new world.

Another comparison, and certainly a source of inspiration, can be noted in the writings of Corsican author Napolean Bonaparte. Puting’s an avid fan of The Ottoman Dream, telling the story of a young French general invading Egypt at the turn of the nineteenth century and establishing an empire. While Bonaparte writes of epic battles with dragons and magic, Puting utilises the latest technology, momentous war machines of the Phoenix Project, and threats of nuclear annihilation.

In Vlad’s vision, Rus rises from the ashes of the old world and transforms itself into something remarkable. People from every stratum of society band together under the leadership of one godlike man. Together, they build the neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus into a technological powerhouse unlike anything seen before. One where Rus is economically, politically, and militarily feared and respected as the single greatest power in the new human epoch.

To say such things aloud does sound fanciful in this day and age. Especially as we need only stick on the news to see pictures of the latest genocide, famine, or atrocity in the lands of the once-proud Rus Empire. But it’s a testament to the power of speculative fiction that it can lift us from what we know and transport us to another place and time.

Countless people around the world rejoice at his best-selling series and imagine a world quite different from our own, an indication of the power of Vladimir Vladimirovich Puting’s heightened imagination. I’m honoured to write this introduction on the fifth anniversary of Motherland Climax for my good friend Vlad. Like many others, I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

If you’re reading this for the first time, I envy you. Dive headfirst into the Motherland and thank Vlad later!

       Hamish Skellington, best-selling author of the Confederacy Burning series.

(London, February 2022)

 
Praise for Vlad Puting’s works:

 

The rad mad-lad Vlad’s not just a fad!

 – Tripp Ainsworth, author of Smokepit Fairytales

 

Vlad Puting’s writing is so powerful that if he wasn’t a writer, he’d probably take over the world.”

– Chelsea Burke, author of Second City

 

Sauve, sophisticated, daring; a homoerotic masterpiece.”

– Lee C Conley, author of A Ritual of Bone

 

Horseback or otherwise, taking a ride with Vlad will bring you to your happy place.”

 – Tam DeRudder Jackson, author of Talisman

 

Vlad’s novels have more twists than a Kremlin conspiracy and more subterfuge than a Holy Roman thriller.”

– Michele Packard, author of Aesop

 

Vlad put in the work and now he’s reaping what he sowed.”

– Craig Kelly, author of The Phoenix

 

He may have a glass jaw, but he spins a good yarn.”

– Damien Larkin, author of Big Red

 

 

CHAPTER 1: A HARDENED MAN RE-ENTERS

The chilled Moscow air cut deep into Viktor Petrov’s lungs. After three years of exile on the Tzar’s command, he had returned to the loving bosom of Mother Rus. One way or another, he would never leave again. Either he lived out his days as a true patriot for the Motherland or his bones would rest within her sacred grove. The warriors of the neo-Bolshevik movement refused anything short of total victory...


Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting is out Tuesday 1st July available exclusively on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Motherland-Climax-Vlad-Puting-Alternative-ebook/dp/B0F5QKSZBJ/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motherland-Climax-Vlad-Puting-Alternative-ebook/dp/B0F5QKSZBJ/


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28 June 2025

Damien Larkin vs Vlad Puting: The Interview.




DL
: Today, I’m joined by Vlad Puting, bestselling author of the Motherland Climax series of alternate history/spy thriller novels. On the fifth anniversary of Motherland Climax, we’ll be delving a bit more into the world he created, his inspirations, and aspirations, and a secret new project he’s working on dubbed a ‘special literary operation.’ Vlad, we’ve had our difficulties over the years, but it’s a pleasure to have you here.

VP: The pleasure is all yours, I’m sure.

DL: I’d say thank you for agreeing to this interview, but it was your agent who reached out to me and paid me a bunch of cash, so…yeah. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

VP: You’re welcome. I’m told you could use the money.

DL: Funny guy. For this interview, it’s best to get the obvious out of the way. Our altercation at Octocon in His Britannic Majesty’s city of Dublin a few years back led the media to speculate we were engaged in a feud. I’m happy to state quite clearly that what a certain author friend of yours, Hamish Skellington, reported as a fistfight, was merely a misunderstanding taken out of context. Would you agree?

VP: A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinions of an ant.



Except from the Foreword of Motherland Climax written by Hamish Skellington (appears in the fifth anniversary special edition):



DL: Right… Moving on. So, we’re here today to discuss the fifth anniversary of Motherland Climax. A multiple million-selling novel featuring one of the literary world’s most applauded or vilified characters, Victor Petrov. If you were given the chance of going back and changing anything about the book or Victor Petrov, would you?

VP: No. It was a story that had to be told, and I am glad it resonated.

DL: Even those excessive and gratuitous battle scenes that have drawn outrage from groups like the Confederate Mothers Against Fictional Violence or the League of Britannic Mothers? Activist committees who condemn, what they refer to as, chauvinistic, and misogynistic themes in your works?

VP: I care little for the false outrage others feel over trivial non-issues. The fact they protest me at every book signing or speaking tour shows they perceive me as a threat. My message has been simple and well received by those it was meant for. That is the only thing that matters.

DL: And what is your message? If you were to explain it in the most basic of ways to a wider audience, what would it be?

VP: Read my book and find out.

DL: Oh, I have.

VP: Thank you for the royalties.



DL: You served with the Imperial Rus Army during the Battle of Moscow in 1998. Three months after that, you and several thousand officers and enlisted were purged and either arrested or went into exile on the Mad Tzar’s orders. There’s been speculation that you, a battle-hardened and decorated officer, were singled out due to reports of an inappropriate relationship with Tzarina Antionette. These rumours have been fuelled by a fictional version of her appearing in Motherland Climax and being coerced into marrying Victor Petrov. Care to make a statement?

VP: No comment.

DL: I thought the lion didn’t concern itself with the opinions of an ant.

VP: I have nothing to say on this matter.

DL: Fine. Let’s talk about what you refer to in your books as the Doctrine of Equality but which many interpret as a veiled hatred of modern liberal democracy. Most of your detractors see this as you promoting authoritarianism to a new generation. Do you believe democracy should be replaced with a new system of government—one more autocratic, paternalistic, and less inclined to stay within the bounds of the law?

VP: I believe the best man should rule his country as he sees fit.

DL: The best man… not the best woman? Or person?

VP: To each their own.

DL: Motherland Climax has certainly had an impact on a specific subset of (mostly) young men, as can be witnessed at any convention. Was that intentional, or just luck?

VP: I don’t believe in luck. I make my own destiny.

DL: Ok… how about the fictional political creed you mention throughout the series referred to as neo-Bolshevism? Your detractors continually point out that there’s very little of the actual dogma explained throughout the entire series. No explanation of the economic or social model of that system of government aside from a few vague references. The Victor Petrov character appears to utilise it purely to rally popular support, but if anything, it comes across that he’s only interested in his own power. Was that a deliberate decision on your part?

VP: Petrov does what needs to be done depending on the circumstances. He doesn’t have the time or luxury to sit down and debate it. He acts decisively and in the interests of his nation, as any true leader should.

DL: I’d like you to expand on that. Petrov doesn’t shy away from using military force as a political tool, but he also orchestrates high-level acts of espionage and destabilisation against nations he perceives as rivals, even though they’re not technically at war. Things like widespread disinformation campaigns, disruption of free and fair elections, eroding political and legal institutions, economic warfare, and so forth. Do you believe a civilised leader should engage in such practices? Doesn’t that blur the lines between war and peace?

VP: I never dreamed of entering politics, so I cannot answer that question. I merely imagined a character with a different outlook from what you would call the mainstream and allowed him free reign. If the Rus Empire never collapsed, in the right set of circumstances, there’s always the possibility I would have followed a different path and given you a different answer. We will never know.



DL: Vlad, from my perspective you’re being quite cryptic and vague. This is your five-year anniversary book tour of Motherland Climax. Your team asked me to host this interview. Is there anything you’re prepared to talk about without being so…evasive?

VP: Yes. I am working on a special literary operation.

DL: A special literary operation…what exactly is that? Like a new book?

VP: No. It involves a hundred thousand words and tells a new story set inside the world of Motherland Climax.

DL: That’s a book, Vlad.

VP: No. It is a special literary operation.

DL: Will it be printed in paper and available in digital format?

VP: Yes.

DL: Sounds like a book to me. Care to share any details?

VP: It is a special literary operation. Not a book.

DL: …

VP: …

DL: When can we expect this new book to land, Vlad?

VP: Nothing is landing! This is a special literary operation, not a book! This interview is over.

DL: Come on, you lion. I call a spade a spade. Why won’t you call a book a book? Unless there’s something fundamentally different about this special literary operation? I mean, from what you’ve described, it sounds exactly like a book.

VP: I will not waste my time with you, Larkin. I am leaving.

DL: Did I hurt your feelings?

VP: I refuse to be taunted by a washed-up author whose sole contribution to the literary world is writing about a pot-head Irish soldier with an itchy trigger finger.

DL: Not a Big Red fan then?

VP: This interview is over.

DL
: I hope your book flops, you prick. Oh, sorry. I meant special literary operation. What a wanker. 
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28 May 2025

Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting: The Great Powers


In my last blogpost, I chatted a bit about the origins of Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting and what drove me to write something so unlike anything I’ve penned before. For this post, I’ll be a delving a bit more into the actual world of Motherland Climax, giving insights into how it differs from our reality, and exploring the various Great Powers mentioned throughout the story.

Most alternative history novels have a point of divergence. One event that doesn’t happen quite like it did in our world or a pivotal historical figure behaving in a very different manner. In some cases, it might only be a slight deviation that has huge knock-on ramifications for later events. It varies from story to story. I must admit, I was deliberately vague on what the point of divergence was for Motherland Climax, but I do hint at it in the ‘Foreword’ (the actual Chapter One). Take this quote from the (fictional) bestselling author Hamish Skellington discussing Vlad Puting’s writing style:

“Another comparison, and certainly a source of inspiration, can be noted in the writings of Corsican author Napolean Bonaparte. Puting’s an avid fan of The Ottoman Dream, telling the story of a young French general invading Egypt at the turn of the nineteenth century and establishing an empire. While Bonaparte writes of epic battles with dragons and magic, Puting utilises the latest technology, momentous war machines of the Phoenix Project, and threats of nuclear annihilation.”



Essentially, in the world of Motherland Climax, the Napoleonic Wars never happened. This left the Holy Roman Empire intact, preventing the rise of Prussian militarism, the reunification of Germany, and no World Wars.

Warfare does exist between the various Great Powers, but nothing to the extent of what we’ve seen in our timeline. This has led to a certain degree of technological, economic, and political stagnation. Nuclear weapons/technology have never been developed, the living standards for the lower classes are far below average (having a radio or electricity is seen as a luxury), and the world has become far more stratified.

The opening chapters of Motherland Climax are set in the early twenty-first century, but it resembles our version of the early twentieth century in many ways. Colonialism is very much rampant with the Great Powers competing for control of land and resources. Powerful empires prey on weaker states for influence and to expand their territory, all the while attempting to prevent their rivals from doing the same.

The world of Motherland Climax provides ample opportunity for a ruthless and disgruntled super-spy named Victor Petrov to seize power and rewrite the course of history. Without further ado, meet some of the so-called Great Powers you’ll read about in Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting:
 
The Rus Empire:
Viewed as the weakest of the Great Powers, the Rus Empire suffered a catastrophic decline over the last century, ushered on by Tzar Peter Romanov III (also referred to as the ‘Mad Tzar.’) Due to a series of devastating wars, its territory has shrunk to a sliver of what it is in our timeline, with vast tracts of land under foreign occupation. Against this backdrop, Victor Petrov leads a revolution against the Romanov dynasty to establish the neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus. Under his firm and unwavering hand, he will bring the Motherland to her climax…

The Confederate States of America:
By far, considered the strongest of all the Great Powers in every respect. Officially, the CSA adopts a policy of isolation, showing little interest in the affairs of Europe, Asia, and Africa while focusing its energies on its ‘Forever War’ in South America. For generations, the CSA has slowly but steadily occupied Central and the northern portion of South America in a bid to subjugate all the Americas under the Confederate banner. As the story starts, it has become bogged down in a new confrontation with the Empire of Brazil.

Unofficially, the CSA exports its ‘Doctrine of Equality’ as a sort of soft power strategy against perceived rival nations. Espousing the belief that all people should be treated equal (even though slavery is still legal in the CSA), this concept works to destabilise other countries by creating a core cadre of agitators to demand change and more freedoms in their own societies.

Many of the Great Powers despise this tactic but genuinely fear Confederate military might and are actively grateful they’re focused on their own territorial ambitions in South America, so tend to ignore it for the most part. Fearing the neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus’ rising power, Hereditary President Besh-Kunnedy will stop at nothing to thwart Victor Petrov. The only internal threat that concerns him is presidential contender and tremendous war leader, machoman, and philanderer, Ronald Tromp.

He’s a tremendous guy. Absolutely tremendous. Of all the guys, he’s the most tremendous. Modest too.


The Holy Roman Empire:
This loose confederation of states dominates middle and Eastern Europe to varying degrees. Internal dissent remains a constant problem as various ethnicities demand more political freedoms after centuries of Germanic domination. With a weakened Rus Empire on the eastern flank, the Germanics manage to narrowly consolidate their position. But a new, self-assured neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus poses an existential threat. Should the Holy Roman Empire fall, what will rise from its ashes?

The United Kingdom of Great Britian, Iceland, and Ireland:
Seen as one of the most dominant powers in Europe, the British have had less success overseas with retaining their empire. Nipponese encroachment in Asia and independence movements in Africa have weakened their grip on some colonial possessions, but the British Navy remains one of the most powerful in the world. As the story takes off, we learn a little bit more about British plans to apply pressure to the faltering French Republic and a general wariness about the rapid growth of Rus military strength and technology.


The French Republic:
Facing similar problems to the British in Asia, the French fear the loss of their Great Power status. Led by right-wing zealot President Marie Lepen, they eagerly seek out an alliance to fend off British encroachment on their colonies. Even going so far as to opening relations with the neo-Bolshevik Republic of the Rus. Surely, such an agreement will be to the benefit of both nations and not a lopsided affair (in every sense of the word…)

The Empire of Nippon:
In our timeline, Imperial Japan sought to build the ‘South-east Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’ prior to and during World War Two. This involved a massive enlargement of Japanese military power to occupy new territories, subjugate people for labour, and harness vast newly-won resources to continue expanding its influence.
In Motherland Climax, the Empire of Nippon has been successful in this endeavour. Without foreign interference or any serious counterbalance in the Pacific, it occupies huge areas of Asia, including Siberia. One of the Victor Petrov’s core drives is to seek revenge for the Battle of Moscow (which happened three years prior to the story.) Although it ended in a slim victory for the Rus, his subsequent dismissal from service embitters him and spurs him on to seek vengeance against all who wronged him (perceived or otherwise).


The Iberian Union:
Historically viewed as one of the preeminent colonial powers, the Iberian Union has fallen into disarray over the previous century. Independence movements in South America cost it virtually all its colonies. Despite its shrinking political clout, the Iberian Union takes strong exception to Confederate intervention into an area it considers rightfully theirs. One reckless action could start a chain of events leading to the first ever Intercontinental War…
 
If you hadn’t guessed it already, the history buff in me really shone through in this story. I admit, some of what I proposed may not be plausible even in extreme circumstances, but it was fun to write about. As I mentioned in my previous post, I enjoyed tearing up the rulebook for this project. If you pick up on nothing else when reading Motherland Climax, I hope it’s that I had an amazing time writing it!

Motherland Climax by Vlad Puting out 1st July 2025. Available for pre-order now:
 https://www.damienlarkinbooks.com/shop/pre-order-motherland-climax-by-vlad-puting
 
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