First published 2026
Sixth of the Dusk has spent his life trapping Aviar on the dangerous island of Patji, bonding with the supernatural birds that are his people's greatest strength. When invaders called the Ones Above arrive from space seeking to exploit the Aviar, Dusk realizes his people must modernize or face conquest. The race to change is failing, and his people risk losing their identity in the struggle. A mystical portal offers hope. Dusk takes only his canoe, his birds, and his trapper's skills into the emberdark beyond. There he encounters Starling, a young dragon trapped in human form aboard the starship Dynamic. She leads a crew of exiles drowning in debt and facing the loss of their freedom. An ancient map in her possession shows a hidden portal between the emberdark and physical reality. Both outcasts need what the other offers. Together they navigate treacherous deals, toxic politics, and the lingering destruction left by a dead god as they fight for their independence.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, space-opera
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, outcasts, portal-fantasy
Setting: Patji, Emberdark, Dynamic
Period: Futuristic
416 pages · Hardcover · Gollancz