The undead Emperor has ruled the Eighty Worlds for sixteen hundred years. His is the power to grant immortality to those he deems worthy, creating an elite class known as the Risen. Along with his sister, the eternally young Child Empress, his power within the empire has been absolute. Until now.

The empire's great enemies, the Rix, hold the Child Empress hostage. Charged with her rescue is Captain Laurent Zai. But when Imperial politics are involved the stakes are unimaginably high, and Zai may yet find the Rix the least of his problems. On the homeworld, Zai's lover, Senator Nara Oxham, newly appointed to the Emperor's War Council, must prosecute the war with the Rix while holding the inhuman impulses of the Risen councillors in check. If she fails at either task, millions will die.

And at the centre of everything is the Emperor's great lie: a revelation so shattering that he is willing to sanction the death of entire worlds to keep it secret ...

*Review coverage in the genre press *Online activity to include www.orbitbooks.co.uk and the e-zine

About the Author
Scott Westerfeld is a software designer and composer. He lives in New York and Sydney.

Reviews
...this is SF as it should be: savvy, space-smart and fascinating, filled with dazzling concepts and a genuine sense of wonder. THE AUSTRALIAN * "Scott Westerfeld sets a stage half the size of the universe, yet tells a very intimate and personal tale. His scope ranges from the politics of a galactic empire to the essence of what it means to be human. One of the best space operas I have read in a *
Ingenious enough to call to mind Iain M. Banks * SFX *



Book Information
ISBN 9781841493725
Author Scott Westerfeld
Format Paperback
Page Count 720
Imprint Orbit
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 384g
Dimensions(mm) 178mm * 113mm * 35mm