The Last Republic

Deseret Series, Book 1

De: Ryan McBeth

Narrado por: Garan Patrick

In 1849, Brigham Young declared independence. In 2025, the United States declares war.

In the heart of the American West lies Deseret—a Mormon theocratic nation born of faith, isolation, and resilience. For nearly two centuries, it has stood as a testament to independence and religious devotion. But now, Deseret finds itself at the center of a global conflict, its survival threatened by the world's only remaining superpower: the United States.

When the US launches a military operation to dismantle Deseret's alliance with Iran, the battle-lines blur between morality, faith, and ambition. As American forces attack, the citizens of Deseret fight back with unyielding resolve, advanced weapons, and a belief that their cause is divine.

Amidst the chaos, an embedded journalist with the 101st Airborne wrestles with the human cost of war, while Deseret fighter pilot rises as a symbol of resistance. In the shadows, a Mossad courier uncovers secrets that could shift the balance of power, and a police lieutenant faces a moral reckoning that could determine the fate of his nation.

The Last Republic is a gripping tale of geopolitics, faith, and survival—a story where ideologies clash, loyalties are tested, and no one emerges unscathed. As the smoke clears, one question remains: How far will a nation go to protect its identity, and what price will it pay?

Welcome to Deseret. Choose your side.

©2025 Ryan McBeth Productions LLC. (P)2025 Ryan McBeth Productions LLC.

Great sophomore effort!!

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out for Levi and the others.. as was pointed out “who is the bad guy here”?

Have you ever heard a Utah accent?

How does a Latter-day Saint say "Nephi," "Moroni," "Stripling Warriors," etc? It's really hard to listen to this, especially when you have accents for other groups and just have awkward, stinted speech with mispronounced words for the people of Deseret.

The plot is decent, though.

A very interesting take on alternative American history

I appreciated the genuine effort the author took to reflect what Utah and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints might look like in 2025 in this alternative history scenario. It's not every day the scriptures that you hold dear in your heart become chapter headers in a way that helps carry the story. Great writing, looking forward to the next book!

Fun ride

I enjoyed this, Some very interesting ideas.

Characters could be fleshed out more, but it’s done well!

IF you love High Castles this one is for you!

I love alternate histories, and this one grabbed me right away. Ryan McBeth asks what might have happened if Brigham Young had succeeded in turning the original Utah Territory, stretching across what is now several states into the nation of Deseret. In this reimagining, Deseret defeats the United States in the early 1930s, and in the modern day both countries stand on the brink of another war, and the global stakes for such a war.

The story is vivid, detailed, and full of tension, leaving me wanting even more of the moments and decisions that shape the characters. It’s a gripping setup for a world I can’t wait to see expand. I’m excited to see where Ryan McBeth takes us next.

5 x 5

Good world building good story What Tom Clancy books used to be can't wait for the next one Too bad you can't autograph an audiobook 5 / 5

the complicated relationships

loved the story and the history that made up the story. looking forward to more from this author.

FRESH technothriller, strong, engaging concept!

This new author of technothriller has hit the ground running with a strong concept, engaging characters, and satisfying technical details. As befits his background, he is in his wheelhouse with infantry specifically, and military ops generally, bringing them and their practitioners to sympathetic life. Very much looking forward to what he does next.

(I'd have given 5 stars throughout, except that as a Utah boy I kept tripping over a few of the performer's place name mispronunciations. Oh--and the U.S. president's cringy stereotyped accent... Otherwise first rate.)

Great premise not really a book

So this is just a volume 1 of what the author says will be more books. You don’t find this out till the story just stops. I really wish this book had taken longer and got fleshed out. Again the idea is very interesting but I didn’t really care about the characters. If you follow Ryan on YouTube every character seems like just him wearing the clothes of who they are supposed to be. I’ll still buy the next book but I hope it goes through more rewrites than this one before it comes out.

Awaiting the next book

The Last Republic: A book worth reading while waiting for the next Expeditionary Force novel.

Ryan’s book was the grand theft auto of the litany world. It was fascinating to watch the world building. I am not even sure who the bad guys were.

It is an alternate history story with the possibility of being Clancy (Esk) Clancy had character arcs with Mary Pat Foley, Mr. Clark, and Jack Ryan. Had Clancy lived longer I would have hoped Chavez would have come in to his own. I am looking forward to seeing what Ryan comes up with next.