Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Chimera Vector | 2012 | Nathan M. Farrugia | Buy |
| 2 | The Fifth Column | 2019 | Nathan M. Farrugia | N/A |
| 3 | The Seraphim Sequence | 2013 | Nathan M. Farrugia | Buy |
| 4 | The Phoenix Variant | 2014 | Nathan M. Farrugia | Buy |
| 5 | The Phoenix Ascent: An Action-Packed Short Story | - | Nathan M. Farrugia | N/A |
| 6 | The Phoenix Ascent | 2018 | Nathan M. Farrugia | Buy |
| 7 | Nature of War | 2019 | Nathan M. Farrugia | N/A |
| 8 | Last Stand | 2022 | Nathan M. Farrugia | N/A |
The Fifth Column series opens with The Chimera Vector, introducing Damien, a covert operative who discovers that the organization he works for has been conducting experiments on its own agents. That revelation sets the series in motion: Damien has to figure out who to trust, what has been done to him, and how to stop a program that reaches further than he initially understood.
Farrugia keeps the books moving at a relentless pace, with action sequences that are detailed and kinetic alongside enough conspiracy architecture to give the story weight between the firefights. The series draws on real-world concerns about private military contractors, state-sponsored programs, and the ethics of enhancement, filtered through a thriller framework that doesn’t spend too long in one place.
With eight entries spanning from 2012 to 2022, the series is long enough to develop its world without ever quite settling down. Readers who enjoy authors like Vince Flynn or Brad Thor but want more science fiction in the mix will find plenty here to keep them going.