First published 1997
Germain kills for a living, but his latest assignment differs from any contract he has taken before. Thirteen competitors have been selected for an impossible challenge: locate the Holy Grail and claim an entire planetary system as the prize. Germain brings a unique weapon to this contest. Each time he eliminates a target, he absorbs their consciousness into his own mind. The stolen memories and skills of his victims should give him a decisive edge over the other contestants. But Germain discovers that housing multiple personalities creates its own dangers. The absorbed minds refuse to stay quiet. They fight each other for dominance inside his head. As the competition intensifies, Germain must battle external enemies while struggling to maintain control over the warring voices within his own body. The quest that promised him ultimate power may instead destroy his sanity.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Holy Grail, planetary system
Paperback · New English Library Ltd
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence