For a hundred and fifty thousand years, the alien Shoal have been hiding a terrible secret behind a faรงade of power. In the twenty-fifth century, they dominate the galaxy and control all trade and exploration, possessing the secret of faster-than-light travel. Mankind has established just a handful of interstellar colonies; their freedom and knowledge of the galaxy limited by the Shoalโs punitive colonial charter.
Dakota Merrick is a machine-head pilot on the run from one of the Consortiumโs most powerful criminals. Desperate for escape, she contracts to ferry an expert team to a remote star system. Her passengers hope to scavenge a functioning FTL-drive from a derelict starship โ rumoured to pre date the Shoal. But theyโll expose an ancient genocide the Shoal will do anything to hide. And Dakota will be forced to face demons from her own military past.
โPacked with massive concepts and dark psychological twists . . . seriously entertainingโ SFX
โFast, confident, daring, skilful ... A big book in scope and imaginationโ Vector
โThe depth and scale of a writer coming into his ownโ Sci-Fi-London.com
Sciencefiction en fantasy