by Vernor Vinge
First published 2010
The Straumli realm makes a catastrophic mistake. They activate an ancient artifact from the Transcend, hoping to gain a weapon. Instead, they release a malevolent power that consumes thousands of worlds and enslaves every thinking mind it encounters. A family of scientists escapes the spreading destruction, but their ship crashes on a distant planet. The Tines capture the survivors, including two children who hold a crucial secret. These alien beings live in a medieval society and see the humans as valuable pawns in their political wars. The children become separated from their parents and trapped in the Tines' brutal power games. Meanwhile, a rescue mission launches from across the galaxy. The rescuers are not all human, and they face a race against time. The malevolent force continues to spread, devouring civilization after civilization. The secret the children carry may be the only way to stop the galactic catastrophe, but first someone must reach them alive.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, space-opera, epic
Vibes: epic, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, race-against-time
624 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor