One man has the skills to rally their cause. If he can stay alive for long enough. The nova war spreads across the galaxy, as the Emissaries wage a fierce and reckless campaign. They've already reached human-occupied space and forced the alien Shoal into a desperate retreat. And when Dakota leaves to pursue a lead, Corso's luck turns bad. Now commanding a fleet of human-piloted Magi ships, his authority crumbles before assassination attempts and politically motivated sabotage. Their best hope lies with Ty Whitecloud, currently light years beyond Consortium borders. Only Ty can decipher messages left behind by ancient star travellers – which could be crucial to their cause. But Whitecloud is imprisoned onboard a dying coreship, awaiting execution for war crimes against Corso's own people. For humanity's very survival, Corso must get to Whitecloud and keep him alive. If Dakota doesn't kill him first. 'A sharp, distinctive piece of Sci-Fi, and Gibson has certainly proved himself a name to watch out for' SFX 'Amazing energy … establishes Gary Gibson as a leading light of modern SF' FantasyBookCritic blog