In a galaxy ravaged by war, a young man must decide how far heโll goโand what heโs willing to becomeโto save his sister.
James never imagined that when his older brother and sister departed on planetside leave, it would be the last heโd ever see them. But as soon as theyโre gone, a ruthless Hameji battle fleet invades their peaceful star system, transforming it into a war zone. Fleeing with his father on board the family starship, James can only watch in horror as the verdant planet below is reduced to molten slag.
On the way home, James learns the devastating truth: his sister is alive but enslaved. To rescue her, he must make an impossible choice. He's no warriorโhas never even held a gun, much less fired one. But to save his sister, he'll become whatever he needs to beโeven if it means crossing a line he can never uncross.
Joe Vasicek fell in love with science fiction and fantasy when he read The Neverending Story as a child. He is the author of more than twenty books, including Genesis Earth, Gunslinger to the Stars, The Sword Keeper, and the Sons of the Starfarers series. As a young man, he studied Arabic at Brigham Young University and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus Mountains. He lives in Utah with his wife, daughter, and two apple trees.