First published 2023
Steffan Dekkard takes his seat on the Council of Sixty-Six as the first Isolate ever elected to the governing body. His immunity to empathic manipulation makes him unique among politicians, but it cannot protect him from bombs or bullets. Armed riots sweep the streets as unemployment and failed harvests push citizens to desperation. Insurrectionists detonate explosives in the Council Office Building, then assassinate Dekkard's patron, the Premier. With little political experience and fewer allies, Dekkard must navigate deadly infighting while assassination attempts target him directly. The crisis deepens when rebels seize a naval cruiser and vanish without a trace. Evidence suggests someone in the highest levels of government or corporate power has armed the insurrectionists. Dekkard races to expose the conspiracy before the nation tears itself apart, knowing that his next mistake could be his last.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, action, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, political-intrigue
Setting: Council of Sixty-Six
Period: 21st-century
624 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books
Content warnings: violence