Phobos Rising is the second novel in the Ephialtes Trilogy by Gavin E Parker. Five years after the Martian declaration of independence two worlds teeter on the brink of an abyss. The peace delivered in the wake of the Ephialtes incident is more fragile than many suppose. On Earth, civil unrest pushes the USAN towards drastic action. In the New White House the president considers a second strike at Mars. On Mars, divided loyalties threaten the entire independence project and a shocking act of violence triggers a desperate scramble for supremacy. Pressure is building. Peace is crumbling. Fear is mounting.

Ephialtes is the first book in a trilogy of novels set in the twenty-third century. In 2241 the USAN - The United States And Nations - is the dominant superpower on Earth, having successfully concluded the fourth world war. After many years of settlement and development the USAN colonists of Mars are ready to strike out independently from the mother country on Earth. The massive spacecraft Ephialtes, built to patrol Earth, is refitted for its interplanetary mission to persuade the colonists to reconsider. Can they prevail against the mighty Ephialtes?