Frequently Asked Questions
Questions people actually ask, answered without a chatbot pop-up, a cookie banner, or a fourteen-paragraph preamble about my journey.
The Series
What order should I read the Ashton Frey Series in?
Read Privatized Freedom first, then Regulated Truth, then Ethical Tyranny. They are books one, two, and three of a single continuous story, published in 2025, 2026, and 2026 respectively. There is no clever alternative order. People have tried.
How many books are in the Ashton Frey Series?
Three. Privatized Freedom (2025), Regulated Truth (2026), and Ethical Tyranny (2026). The trilogy is complete.
Do I need to Read the books in order?
Yes. Each book is a direct sequel to the one before it and assumes you already know who everyone is, what they did, and which of them are dead. Reading them out of order will spoil everything behind you and confuse you about everything ahead.
Is the Ashton Frey Series finished?
Yes. The Ashton Frey Series is a complete trilogy. The story that starts in Privatized Freedom finishes in Ethical Tyranny. There is no cliffhanger waiting on a fourth book that may or may not ever arrive, which in independent publishing is worth stating out loud.
What is the Ashton Frey Series about?
The Ashton Frey Series follows Ashton Frey, a washed-up private investigator on a ruined Earth locked in permanent impact-winter. Humanity survives inside sealed dome cities owned outright by corporations, where personal freedom is sold as a subscription tier and every appliance has opinions. Ashton's neural implants burned out years ago, which cut him off from the networked world everyone else lives in, ruined his life, and made him nearly impossible to surveil. Over three books he takes cases he should have walked away from, and the consequences get progressively harder to walk away from too.
What genre is the Ashton Frey Series?
The Ashton Frey Series is satirical cyberpunk: science fiction with a hardboiled noir structure and a comic voice. It also gets shelved as dystopian fiction, science fiction noir, and dark comedy. The Nordic setting and permanent winter give it a Nordic noir texture that most cyberpunk doesn't have.
Is it funny or is it serious?
Both, deliberately. The Ashton Frey Series is a comedy about genuinely bleak things. The jokes are constant and the violence is real, and neither one is there to soften the other. If that combination sounds unpleasant, it might be. Read the free excerpt before committing.
Can I read Ethical Tyranny as a standalone?
No. It is the conclusion of a trilogy and assumes two books of history, several dead people, and one ongoing argument with a voice in Ashton's head. Start with Privatized Freedom.
Does the Ashton Frey Series have a proper ending?
Yes. Ethical Tyranny finishes what Privatized Freedom started, and it finishes it conclusively. It is not a happy ending. Anyone hoping the series goes soft in its final act should adjust their expectations while there is still time.
Will there be a fourth Ashton Frey book?
No. Ashton's story is finished, and finishing it properly was the entire point. Dragging a character back for a fourth outing because the third one sold is exactly the kind of decision the series spends five hundred pages making fun of. That said, no author has ever successfully predicted what they'll be doing in five years, and I am not going to be the first. For now: no. The trilogy is the story.
Will you write prequels or side stories about Ashton and the crew?
Maybe. There is a great deal of history behind these characters that never made it onto the page, and some of it is more interesting than what did. Whether any of it gets written depends on whether readers want it and whether the idea survives contact with a keyboard. If enough people ask about a particular character, that tends to be persuasive. I am not made of stone. I am made of spite and coffee, but the ratio fluctuates.
Will you write other books set in the same world?
Possibly. The world is considerably bigger than the three books that take place in it, most of it is unpleasant, and none of it requires Ashton Frey to be standing in the middle of it complaining. Nothing is announced and nothing is promised. If it happens, the newsletter will hear about it before anyone else does.
Is This For Me
What books is the Ashton Frey Series similar to?
The Ashton Frey Series is most often compared to William Gibson's Neuromancer and Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash for the futurism and satire, and to Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for the comic voice, though considerably darker. Readers also compare it to Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon, the work of Philip K. Dick and Bruce Sterling, and to Blade Runner with a Scandinavian edge.
Do I need to know cyberpunk to enjoy it?
No. The Ashton Frey Series explains its own world as it goes and assumes no prior reading. Knowing the genre will get you a few extra jokes. Not knowing it costs you nothing.
Are there content warnings for the Ashton Frey Series?
Yes. The Ashton Frey Series contains graphic violence, body horror, frequent strong profanity, references to trauma and PTSD, and dark humour about death, injury, and corporate exploitation. It is adult fiction.
Is the Ashton Frey Series suitable for teenagers?
No. The Ashton Frey Series is written for adults and contains graphic violence, body horror, and frequent strong language. It is not young adult fiction and is not appropriate for younger readers.
Can I read a sample before buying?
Yes. The complete prologue and first chapter of all three books are free to read on this site, with no email signup required. Privatized Freedom excerpt · Regulated Truth excerpt. Ethical Tyranny excerpt.
Buying and Formats
Where can I buy the Ashton Frey Series?
All three books are available worldwide from Amazon. The ebooks are exclusive to Amazon Kindle and are included with Kindle Unlimited. The audiobooks are available from Audible, Apple Books, Kobo, Spotify, Storytel, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Everand, Chirp, and more. Full retailer links are on each book's page: Privatized Freedom · Regulated Truth. Ethical Tyranny.
What formats are the books available in?
Privatized Freedom, Regulated Truth and Ethical Tyranny are all available as ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Who narrates the Ashton Frey audiobooks?
All three Ashton Frey audiobooks are narrated by voice actor Hector Carrillo. They are human-narrated, not AI-generated. You can find his work at hectorsvoice.com.
How long are the books?
Privatized Freedom and Regulated Truth are each around 500 pages in print, with Ethical Tyranny running a little longer at just under 700 pages. The first two audiobooks run approximately 12 hours each, with the third clocking in close to 15.
Are the books available outside the US?
Yes. All three books are distributed worldwide in all formats. The author is based in Finland, the books are published under a Finnish ISBN, and print editions are printed regionally, so shipping is local in most markets rather than international.
Are the books on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes. Both Privatized Freedom and Regulated Truth are free to read with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. If you already pay for KU, you don't need to pay for them again.
Can I get the books from my library?
Possibly! The ebooks and audiobooks of Privatized Freedom, Regulated Truth, and Ethical Tyranny can be borrowed through most library lending apps, including Libby (OverDrive), Hoopla, BorrowBox, cloudLibrary, and Vivlio. Print copies are held by the National Library of Finland, and any library can order the paperback or hardcover. Availability depends on whether your local library has licensed the title. If they haven't, most libraries take purchase requests from patrons, and asking costs nothing.
About The Author
Who is Rhys Constance?
Rhys Constance is an author of satirical Nordic cyberpunk fiction. Born in Australia and based in Finland, he has worked in the video game industry for over a decade, and writes books as an expensive hobby. The Ashton Frey Series is his debut series. Full biography.
Where is Rhys Constance from?
Rhys Constance was born in Australia and now lives in Finland, where the winters are dark enough to make writing dystopian fiction feel less like invention and more like reporting.
Is Rhys Constance traditionally published?
No. Rhys Constance is an independent author. All Ashton Frey books are self-published under his own Finnish ISBN registration, in print, ebook, and professionally narrated audiobook.
Why does an author who writes about evil corporations sell books on Amazon?
Because the alternative is not selling books. The ebooks are exclusive to Amazon so they can be part of Kindle Unlimited, which is the only way most people will ever take a chance on an unknown author. The audiobooks are everywhere else: Kobo, Libro.fm, Storytel, Apple Books, Spotify, and more, and Libro.fm splits its revenue with independent bookshops. The satire survives the hypocrisy; it's largely made of it.
Contact and Updates
How do I get updates about new books?
The newsletter is where release news goes first. No spam, no content strategy, no inspirational garbage; just updates on what's being written and advance notice of new releases. Subscribe here.
How can I contact Rhys Constance?
Use the contact form on the About page, or reach out on any of the social accounts linked in the header or footer.
Do you provide review copies, interviews, or podcast appearances?
Yes. Reviewers, bloggers, booktubers, and podcasters can request review copies or arrange interviews through the contact form on the About page. Please mention your outlet and preferred format.
What's the best way to support the books?
Leave a review. An honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or Storytel does more for an independent author than almost anything else, including buying a second copy. Telling one person who'd like it comes a close second.