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“Walter Jon Williams has succeeded in creating the perfect contemporary space opera, revved up and ready to take the SF genre by force with all the artistry and panache one could ask for.”
--Enigma

“This is a hugely fun ride. It has empires crashing, civil wars, aliens, humans, clans, plucky young heroes and villains fighting battles in huge starships--- what more can you ask for?”
--Alien Online

Following the Naxid revolt, the Empire of the Shaa has collapsed into defeat and chaos, leaving the star-crossed lovers Martinez and Sula light-years apart. While Martinez raids deep into enemy territory, he must solve a deadly mystery that threatens the integrity of his command. And Sula, stranded in the enemy-occupied capital, is forced to weld human and alien, law-abiding and criminal elements into an improvised army capable of striking at the very heart of rebellion.

Only when they have clawed their way from the depths of defeat can Martinez and Sula meet in a blazing reunion that will determine whether the empire can survive.

“Walter Jon Williams has been compared to writers as diverse as Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen; both comparisons, bizarrely, make sense. This is classic space opera, elegantly written and beautifully plotted.”
--Guardian