Black Flagged — “Classification given to an agent or intelligence officer who is to be interrogated and summarily killed if apprehended.”

Nearly eleven years have passed since I typed the definition of Black Flagged, the first words in a nearly four-thousand-page series that spans six novels and two novellas. Eighty-one hours if you’re an audiobook fan.

The bad news is that the “core” Black Flagged series is finished. The storyline that started with ALPHA has reached its logical end with VINDICTA.

The good news is that this isn’t the end of the characters you’ve come to know and love (or despise) over the years. I’ve written many of them into other series I’ve created over the past decade. This isn’t something I’ve directly highlighted to fans of the series. I’ve been content to let readers discover the links between the Black Flagged World on their own. Mostly because the core series wasn’t finished and spoilers regarding who lives and who dies in the end could be easily deduced.

Now that the core books are finished complete, I’d love to introduce you to the full Black Flagged World. 

THE GREATER BLACK FLAGGED WORLD TIMELINE (FICTIONAL TIME):

2005 ALPHA

2007 REDUX, APEX, VEKTOR

2009 OMEGA, VINDICTA

2019 RYAN DECKER BOOKS

2023 DEVIN GRAY BOOKS

2024-25 ZULU VIRUS CHRONICLES

CLICK THE IMAGE BANNERS BELOW

TO ACCESS EACH OF THE SERIES AND EXPLORE THE GREATER BLACK FLAGGED WORLD.

This series is named after the virus introduced (created by rogue scientist Dr. Anatoly Reznikov) in REDUX (Book 2). “ZVC” takes place roughly a decade and a half after the core series ends. I originally designed this series as an alternate universe, where the virus that turned a Russian city inside-out, was finally launched in the United States by the domestic terrorists that commissioned its creation (See APEX, Book 3). The Zulu Virus Chronicles is Operation REBOOT (introduced in VINDICTA, Book 6) made real. It’s a frightening look at a mass-scale bioweapons attack against America, perpetrated by domestic terrorists. Several Black Flag operatives show up to try and “save the day” in the series (2nd and 3rd book), including Richard Farrington and the Petroviches.

DEEP SLEEP, the first book in the Devin Gray series, centers around a Russian sleeper conspiracy on a magnitude never previously explored in the espionage genre. I don’t say that lightly. It truly takes the sleeper concept to the next level—and who better to help Devin Gray take down this network than Karl Berg, who is drawn into the plot early and plays a key role throughout. Of course, he recommends the latest iteration of the Black Flag crew to help with the “unsavory” aspects of unraveling a nationwide conspiracy. Black Flagged fans will absolutely love the crossover in this series. Richard Farrington. Scott Daly. Melendez. Miralles. So many more. It’s a must read for Black Flagged readers. This series takes place before ZVC.

I seem to have a penchant for “hard luck” protagonists who need help. The Ryan Decker series is no exception, though Decker manages to get through the third book without needing outside help. That said, the conspiracy he unravels in the third book leads to a “reckoning” of sorts in the final book of the series, and there’s no way to take down APEX Industries without some serious outside help.

Enter…Richard Farrington and a small crew of trusted (well known to you) mercenaries, who tip the balance in Ryan Decker’s favor. When I say “tip,” I mean engage in one of the best shooting/explosive/sniper scenes I’ve ever written. Seriously. I essentially threatened my publisher with “a series of chapters that will change the genre,” and I think I succeeded. The Ryan Decker series takes place before ZVC and the Devin Gray Books.

Disclaimer: The Black Flag crew does not arrive until SKYSTORM, Book 4, but when they do, it rivals anything I’ve previously written with them. Seriously…it’s next level. 

FINAL WORDS:

If you’re a long time reader of the series—thank you again for your patience. The core Black Flagged series took a decade to write. Way longer than I had hoped. I think it was worth the wait—but that’s ultimately you call. I’ve never forgotten the characters, which I’ve imbedded in most of my novels since taking a “temporary” break from the series. I hope you check out these other books and enjoy their presence in nearly everything I’ve written since starting the Black Flagged series. Even when I couldn’t write one of the core books, these characters stayed with me and kept bubbling up to the surface. 

ENJOY! 

If you have any questions about the Black Flagged World, DO NOT hesitate to email me at stevekonkoly@striblingmedia.com