Planet of Gods : Book 1 of Enigma

Professor Peter Blackwood, a former Space Marine turned scientist, looks forward to retirement on a paradise resort planet. Snatching him from the hyperspace highway, a power alien intelligence catapults him light years away to a remote planet--Enigma. With his ship damaged and unable to escape, Blackwood encounters a human colony, a world controlled by the red cloud and populated by mortals and powerful overlords--immortal human beings with godlike powers. He soon becomes a player in a dangerous socio-political game. It's a game Blackwood cannot afford to lose--for on his shoulders rests the destiny of millions of people.