For a hundred and fifty thousand years, the alien Shoal have been hiding a terrible secret behind a fa???ade 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 Shoal's punitive colonial charter. Dakota Merrick is a machine-head pilot on the run from one of the Consortium's most powerful criminals. ...
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For a hundred and fifty thousand years, the alien Shoal have been hiding a terrible secret behind a fa???ade 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 Shoal's punitive colonial charter. Dakota Merrick is a machine-head pilot on the run from one of the Consortium's 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 - rumoured to pre date the Shoal. But they'll expose an ancient genocide the Shoal will do anything to hide. And Dakota will be forced to face demons from her own military past. 'Packed with massive concepts and dark psychological twists . . . seriously entertaining' SFX 'Fast, confident, daring, skilful ... A big book in scope and imagination' Vector "The depth and scale of a writer coming into his own' Sci-Fi-London.com
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Seller's Description:
Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
The cast of characters is well chosen to relate the story of Mankind's efforts to get out from under the thumb of an alien monopoly on faster than light technology. Humanity has been offered a small slice of the galaxy for settlement on terms offered by the Shoal, a truly alien marine lifeform which controls all FTL travel in the known universe.
A desperate situation, between conflicting cultures sharing a planet, and a bio-augmented "wirehead" pilot, framed for the destruction of an inhabited asteroid, leads to an attempt to recover a derelict starship in a far and hostile environment. The Shoal, anxious to protect their monopoly on interstellar travel, conspire to prevent human aquisition of the relic ship and the tale it has to tell.
Action moves at a good pace. The setting is expertly presented. The cooperating human factions are splintered, complex, and convincing in their humanity. Some plot twists are telegraphed to the veteran si-fi reader, but don't spoil the impact of the story.
Recommended to the space opera fan who appreciates the depth available in a multi-volume series.
