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Literary Fiction
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| Critics: |
How humanity came to the planet called Anjiin is lost in the fog of history, but that history is about to end.
The Carryx – part empire, part hive – have waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy. Now, they are facing a great and deathless enemy. The key to their survival may rest with the humans of Anjiin.
Caught up in academic intrigue and affairs of the heart, Dafyd Alkhor is pleased just to be an assistant to a brilliant scientist and his celebrated research team. Then the Carryx ships descend, decimating the human population and taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society away to serve on the Carryx homeworld, and Dafyd is swept along with them.
They are dropped in the middle of a struggle they barely understand, set in a competition against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure. Only Dafyd and a handful of his companions see past the Darwinian contest to the deeper game that they must play to survive: learning to understand – and manipulate – the Carryx themselves.
With a noble but suicidal human rebellion on one hand and strange and murderous enemies on the other, the team pays a terrible price to become the trusted servants of their new rulers.
Dafyd Alkhor is a simple man swept up in events that are beyond his control and more vast than his imagination. He will become the champion of humanity and its betrayer, the most hated man in history and the guardian of his people.
This is where his story begins.
"Masterful...This is space opera at its best." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"While the character development is exceptional, the pacing breakneck, the emotional intensity off the charts, and the worldbuilding simply extraordinary, it's the sheer scope of the narrative—the Carryx's backstory, their "long" war, the countless sentient races they've conquered and/or destroyed, etc.—that will have science fiction fans befittingly blown away. The sense of wonder associated with the story's magnitude is simply breathtaking... The beginning of what could be Corey's most epic—and entertaining—series yet. Simply mind-blowing." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This is old-fashioned space opera on a grand scale and a promising start for an epic new series." ―Booklist (starred review)
"This is an intelligent and innovative sci-fi epic with infinite scope that somehow never overshadows the small moments of human vulnerability and courage... Nail-biting suspense makes for an engaging and compulsively readable intro to yet another ambitious series from this writing team." ―Library Journal (starred review)
"Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre." ―Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time
"A bang up read. I want more." ―Paolo Bacigalupi, author of The Water Knife
"A powerful, provocative masterpiece that I will be thinking about for a very long time." ―Ryka Aoki, author of Light from Uncommon Stars
James S. A. Corey is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. In addition to writing the novels and short stories of The Expanse, they wrote and produced the television series of the same name. Daniel lives with his family in the American Southwest. Ty will tell you where he lives when and if he wants you to come over.
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