by Richard Swan
First published 2026
Katherine Fuller's husband dies, leaving her vast wealth as a member of Pater Aeternus, the ruling party of the galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire. The fascist state controls every aspect of life under the Eternal Father's rigid surveillance system. Katherine sees her inheritance as more than money. She can purchase an untouched planet and establish something the Empire has eliminated: a free society. Working in shadows, she recruits allies she cannot fully trust while the Empire watches. Pater Aeternus will not let its wayward daughter succeed. As Katherine builds her secret network, she discovers the lengths the totalitarian government will pursue to destroy her vision. Her plan threatens the Empire's absolute control. Katherine fights to create what has vanished from the galaxy for generations.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, political-thriller, epic
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, hidden-network, resistance-against-tyranny, underdog-hero
Setting: Decurion Empire, galaxy
416 pages · Paperback · Tor Books
Content warnings: death, violence