First published 2005
New Moscow lies in ruins, its population vaporized in a devastating attack. The surviving refugees point their fingers at New Dresden, their former trade competitors, and launch retaliatory missiles toward the neighboring system. Rachel Mansour receives an urgent assignment: discover the real perpetrators before the weapons reach their target and destroy an innocent world. Her investigation leads her to Wednesday Shadowmist, a rebellious teenager who holds the key to the mystery without realizing it. Wednesday carries crucial information buried somewhere in her memory, but accessing it proves far more difficult than Rachel anticipated. The missiles streak through space toward New Dresden while Rachel struggles to unlock Wednesday's hidden knowledge. Two civilizations hang in the balance as Rachel fights against time to prevent the annihilation of billions of innocent people caught in someone else's war.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: New Moscow, New Dresden
Period: 21st-century
480 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Orbit (UK)