The Viper Pit - Expanded
(2026)(The second book in the Griwaldy Chronicles series)
A novel by Lynn Nodima
A crime. A court. A record that can destroy a captain.
In the Empire, court is not a place—it’s a weapon.
Captain Regina Griwaldy has survived the Empire’s power games by refusing to play them loudly. She doesn’t threaten. She doesn’t beg. She simply holds her ground—and keeps her crew alive through discipline, precision, and restraint.But when one of her engineers is accused of a capital crime on Viperia, Regina is pulled into a legal system where justice is swift, tradition is weaponized, and politeness can be a blade. Every hearing is a trap. Every delay is a sentence. And the real battle isn’t fought in the courtroom—it’s fought in the record that will follow her long after she leaves.
The Viperian court doesn’t seek truth so much as obedience. Every word is recorded. Every hesitation is used. And defiance is punished as harshly as guilt.
Regina won’t fight with threats or fury. She fights with procedure, discipline, and the quiet power of refusing to yield.
But on Viperia, even victory has a price.
Because in this part of the Empire, the most dangerous verdict is the one written down.
Author’s Note (2026 Expanded Edition)
The Viper Pit originally began as a short piece of fiction back in the 1980s, and over the years it quietly became one of my favorites. I first published it in 2015, and it stayed in that original form for a long time—until 2025, when I returned to Regina’s world again. I started with her Cadet story, then wrote the four books that followed The Viper Pit in the series, and eventually found myself coming back to where it all began.But as the larger story grew, the original version no longer fit the world Regina now inhabits.
So I returned to the beginning and rewrote that short story into The Viper Pit - Expanded, this novel.. This 2026 Expanded Edition has been revised and updated for smoother flow, stronger continuity across The Griwaldy Chronicles, and sharper political tension—while staying true to the heart of the original arc.
I hope you enjoy this extended version of Regina's story.
Genre: Science Fiction
Used availability for Lynn Nodima's The Viper Pit - Expanded