First published 2026
Oliver Lewis wants to keep things simple on New Sonora. He runs the family ranch with his sister, plays music with his band, and maintains their aging fleet of smart farming robots. When the transfer gate opens to restore contact with Earth, Oliver expects good things. The settlers were promised peace. Instead, Earth's government hires the Apex Corporation to evict the colonists. Apex turns the job into a profitable game called Operation Bounce House. Bored Earthers pay premium prices to design war machines and pilot them remotely against the settlers. Oliver and his friends face death at the hands of gamers who treat their lives as entertainment. Armed with his grandfather's old book and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver fights to save the only home he has ever known.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: New Sonora, Earth
Period: 21st-century
448 pages · Hardcover · Ace
Content warnings: violence