First published 1957
Thorby is a slave, bought and sold at auction like livestock. But his new owner, the disabled beggar Baslim, is a spy fighting to end the atrocity of slavery. When the authorities close in, Thorby must flee, riding with a league of merchant princes across the hostile worlds of the galaxy. As he fights to survive by his wits, Thorby's destiny will be forever changed when he uncovers the shocking truth about his own identity.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, space-opera
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Galaxy
Period: 20th-Century
253 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Del Rey
Content warnings: slavery