Amaranthe Series

Where do you run when there is no escape? Where do you turn when the enemy within is as dangerous as the enemy unknown? The year is 2322 and humanity is under attack. An engineered war between rival superpowers escalates even as the shadowy Metigen armada begins attacking colonies on the frontiers of settled space. Individuals from across the galaxy fight for their own survival and to protect those they hold dear, while a group of unlikely allies race to expose a secret cabal. As the aliens draw ever closer, leaving utter destruction and death in their wake, the strongest defenders of Earth and Seneca fall to one another in a war of lies and misdirection. Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano stand accused of terrorism and murder. In a desperate gambit to clear their names and find a way to defeat the invaders, they breach the dimensional portal at the heart of the Metis Nebula. In a strange, mystical realm where nothing is what it seems, they will uncover secrets about humanity’s past and future—and one revelation which will change everything. When faced with its greatest challenge, will humanity rise to triumph or fall to ruin? Aurora Rising is an epic tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, of the thrill of discovery and the unquenchable desire to reach ever farther into the unknown. It's a tale of humanity at its best and worst, of love and loss, of fear and heroism. It's the story of a woman who sought the stars and found more than anyone imagined possible.

Humanity is saved. But its troubles are just beginning. To achieve their extraordinary triumph over the invading Metigen armada, humanity put aside its myriad of political and social conflicts and united against a common foe intent on annihilating civilization. In victory, unparalleled peace and prosperity are theirs for the taking—if they can keep hold of them. When the secrets behind the daring plan that defeated the Metigens begin to escape the shadows, the very people who won the war find their lives in danger. Facing anti-synthetic terrorists who want them dead, power-hungry politicians who want them chained, and a rapidly dwindling number of people they can trust, the Prevos—human/synthetic meldings who shouldn’t exist—must take their fate into their own hands, and with it the fates of everyone. 51 Portals. 51 Universes. One mysterious gateway connecting them all. In Aurora Rising, humanity discovered it was not alone—but few grasp the true magnitude of the discovery. Intent on learning the purpose behind the Metigens’ elaborate multiverse network, Alex Solovy, Caleb Marano and Valkyrie embark on a gripping journey through the network’s portals, each one leading to a universe not their own. In a mosaic of spaces inhabited by fantastical aliens and worlds both beautiful and deadly, they will be forced to question everything they thought they knew, including the nature of life itself. * It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises—one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons—and the race is on to determine who will control its future.

Space is vast and untamed, and it holds many secrets. The year is 2322. Humanity has expanded into the stars, inhabiting over 100 worlds across a third of the galaxy. Earth struggles to retain authority over far-flung planets and free-wheeling corporations, while an uneasy armistice with a breakaway federation hangs by a thread as the former rebels rise in wealth and power. And in the shadows, powerful forces conspire to bring the fragile peace crashing down.                Alex Solovy is a space scout for hire. When she takes a routine job to chase down an errant signal in the Metis Nebula, nothing suggests the secret it conceals will turn her life—not to mention the entire galaxy—upside down. But a chance discovery reveals a terrifying truth: we are not alone. And we are not ready. Now Alex, acerbic loner and recalcitrant wanderer, must navigate a galactic power struggle, a political conspiracy and the worst impulses of human nature to expose a threat on two fronts and avert all-out war. The fate of civilization hangs in the balance. When faced with our greatest challenge, will we rise to triumph or fall to ruin? Starshine is a riveting tale of resilience, sacrifice, and the unyielding human spirit. G. S. Jennsen weaves a masterful narrative that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, immersing them in a richly imagined world of interstellar intrigue and extraordinary technology as she whisks them along on an exhilarating journey, where the choices of one individual may determine humanity’s destiny.

What does it mean to be human? What if the price of saving humanity is giving up your own? The year is 2322, and we stand upon the precipice of extinction. The invading Metigen armada has decimated the eastern third of settled space in a matter of days, leaving tens of millions dead. Determined to save the heart of human civilization, Earth and Seneca at last put aside their differences to face the threat together. But even this may not be enough to stop the fleet of colossal dreadnoughts inhabited by advanced AIs. Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano hold the key to defeating the invaders, for they know the secrets the aliens wage war to protect. Now they face a deadly gauntlet of relentless alien hunters and assassins sent to kill them before they can unleash a potent new weapon. They will risk everything in a bid to save their families, their loved ones, the entire human race—even if it means they can’t save each other. The lines blur between man and machine, ally and enemy, and soldier and civilian. In a final stand against an ancient, powerful foe intent on eradicating it from the universe, humanity comes face to face with its destiny. When faced with its greatest challenge, will humanity rise to triumph or fall to ruin? Aurora Rising is an epic tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, of the thrill of discovery and the unquenchable desire to reach ever farther into the unknown. It's a tale of humanity at its best and worst, of love and loss, of fear and heroism. It's the story of a woman who sought the stars and found more than anyone imagined possible.

“Know this: you need not be afraid. They own the fear. They fear us because they believe we are powerful, and they are correct to do so.” The technology behind Project Noetica is on the loose. Prevos—individuals and AIs sharing a single body—are spreading across the galaxy. Now two opposing but inexorably related forces, the Order of the True Sentients and the Zelones cartel, led by Olivia Montegreu, threaten to plunge the galaxy into chaos. OTS believes Prevos are monsters who endanger humanity, and it intends to destroy them by any means necessary. Underworld despot Olivia Montegreu, now a radically enhanced Prevo, is its doomsday warnings made flesh. As society splinters from within and the Earth Alliance falls to reactionaries, a formidable new player emerges on the galactic stage, one not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect all sentient life—human, Artificial and Prevo. * The Metigen surged forward to engulf her in light. I see you, Alexis Solovy. A galactic playground where the Metigens harness the elemental forces of space to destroy entire star systems. An alien species those same Metigens shelter from a terrifying enemy. Alex and Caleb’s exploration of the portal network reveals profound mysteries, but each one leads to more questions. Killers and saviors. Deceivers and protectors. Destroyers and creators. Could the Metigens truly be all these things? The search for answers leads Alex and Caleb to the most shocking revelation of all—the true face of the enemy. * It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises—one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons—and the race is on to determine who will control its future.

“I’d tell you to be careful, but we wouldn’t be here if you’d ever taken that advice. No reason to start now, right?” For millennia the Anadens have ruled the known universe. They believe they’ve crafted the perfect empire, ordered and impervious to challenge. They believe the fight has been crushed out of the species they subjugate. They are wrong. It’s a suicide mission, without a doubt. Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano must steal crucial intelligence from the Anadens’ central military headquarters. To succeed, they’ll need to navigate a strange universe ruled by a cabal of powerful immortals, populated by aliens they’ve never met and fueled by technology they’ve never seen. They’re going to need a little help—the kind of help only a suicidally defiant anarchist on the run from more than just personal demons can provide. As Anaden agents close in, back home in Aurora humanity races to prepare. Steeled from the Metigen invasion and the rise of Prevos, no longer will they wait for doom to come to them. Forewarned the Anadens intend to crush them out of existence, humans, Artificials and Prevos join together to bring the war to the doorstep of the enemy, even as a shadowy foe re-emerges to jeopardize all they’ve built. * Our universe is but a snowglobe—an experiment born of desperation and hope. The true universe is unfathomably vast, teeming with life and untold wonders. And it is enslaved. Created by ancient aliens in a daring gambit to understand the nature of the enemy, humanity is now asked to be the savior of a universe not their own. If they are to succeed, they must rise above not only their fractious past but the sins of their genetic ancestors to boldly embrace a future they never dared imagine possible.

In the quest to be the masters of their own fate, will humanity rise to become liberators or follow the path of their ancestors into darkness? Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano risked everything to learn the hidden purpose behind the Metigen’s multiverse portal network, but nothing could have prepared them for the answer. Humans are a genetic recreation of the Anaden, the dictators and overlords of the master universe. Aurora is a recreation of their origins, created by the Metigens in a desperate gambit to understand the nature of their enemy, and so find a way to defeat them. Instead it may turn out that history always repeats itself…. Aurora’s future hangs in the balance as the Earth Alliance goes to war with itself over the right of synthetics and Prevos—human/AI hybrids—to exist. Terrorists sow chaos in a wave of bombings and assassinations targeted at any and all who shelter Prevos. The next evolution of the human species will not be so easily defeated, however. Prevos, their friends and lovers, and all those who believe freedom is the better path forward meet malevolence with ingenuity, despair with hope, violence with fortitude.  But they must move quickly to win the day, because the true enemy is closing in faster than anyone realizes, and they—humanity, the Metigens and the trillions the Anadens enslave—are all running out of time. * It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises—one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons—and the race is on to determine who will control its future.

Fourteen years after The Displacement flung humanity into a universe teeming with alien life, a tenuous alliance has taken root among humans, Anadens, and numerous other species. The wounds of war and revolution have begun to heal, peace and prosperity are within reach, and the architects of The Displacement, Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano, are enjoying an idyllic existence on the living planet of Akeso. But growing troubles fester beneath the surface of this alliance. An upstart species offers allegiance with one hand but readies weapons of mass destruction with the other, while the Anadens, leaderless and adrift for years, increasingly refuse to play by humanity’s rules. As tensions simmer, Nika Kirumase, leader of the Asterions—a splinter group of former Anadens thought aeons dead—arrives bearing a warning of a terrifying enemy advancing across the void. Known as the Rasu, the powerful race of shapeshifting metal has already killed tens of thousands of Asterions in its quest to control all of known space. Nika’s people have struck a blow against the Rasu, and now they race against time to prepare for the coming reprisal. An alliance with humanity stands to give them a fighting chance against their enemy. But for humanity, such an alliance may cost them everything, pushing the fragile peace they fought so hard to achieve to the breaking point and beyond. * In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be changed forever.

“We are you—the you that you could have been.” The Anaden Directorate has ruled Amaranthe for millennia, subjugating species and galaxies in a neverending quest for control and order. For as many millennia, the anarchs have rebelled, defiantly claiming their own freedom yet without hope of winning it for everyone. Now, an alliance with humans offers a tantalizing chance to at last defeat their immortal masters. But can they trust an ally who looks suspiciously like the enemy? Humanity is the genetic recreation of the Anadens, but genetics aren’t everything. Humans like to make their own destiny, and they have overcome great challenges to achieve unprecedented peace and prosperity. But have their trials prepared them for the enemy they now face? “The battle for the heart and soul of Amaranthe will be joined, and we must be unafraid.” Amidst the chaos of an escalating war, Caleb’s bond with the mysterious diati grows ever more powerful, even as Alex’s forays into the hidden dimensions of the universe lead them to unfathomable places. But when the anarchs are pushed to the breaking point and the AEGIS fleet is dealt a devastating blow, Miriam Solovy must find a way to defeat a foe wielding superior technology, firepower and numbers, or else more than one civilization will be lost. * Our universe is but a snowglobe—an experiment born of desperation and hope. The true universe is unfathomably vast, teeming with life and untold wonders. And it is enslaved. Created by ancient aliens in a daring gambit to understand the nature of the enemy, humanity is now asked to be the savior of a universe not their own. If they are to succeed, they must rise above not only their fractious past but the sins of their genetic ancestors to boldly embrace a future they never dared imagine possible.

The end of the world began with a library query…how will it conclude? What began as a chance discovery of an anomalous signal is now a multiverse war between humanity and its genetic ancestors over who controls the levers of life and death. Over who decides what life is and whether it will be allowed to exist. For the ruling Anaden Directorate, victory means immortality. For humanity, defeat means extinction. On the heels of a breakthrough in wormhole technology, AEGIS and the anarchs enjoy the upper hand in the war. But their escalation pushes the Directorate to the brink, and now it will stop at nothing to destroy its enemy. “Dangerous we can do. Nearly impossible we can do. All we need is the tiniest odds of success.” The Directorate has perfected the art of conquest through obliteration. But humanity has advantages the Anadens do not. They are led by a woman who’s made a career of meeting the devil at the crossroads and sending him home in defeat. Caleb Marano wields a power as ancient as the universe itself. Alex Solovy manipulates the fabric of space-time at her whim. Unlike the Directorate, they fight for something greater than themselves. And now, they have one more Solovy on the team. In the thrilling finale of Aurora Rhapsody, events rush headlong toward an explosive conclusion that will decide the fate of civilizations, and only the victor is making it out the other side. * Our universe is but a snowglobe—an experiment born of desperation and hope. The true universe is unfathomably vast, teeming with life and untold wonders. And it is enslaved. Created by ancient aliens in a daring gambit to understand the nature of the enemy, humanity is now asked to be the savior of a universe not their own. If they are to succeed, they must rise above not only their fractious past but the sins of their genetic ancestors to boldly embrace a future they never dared imagine possible.

The world of Aurora Rhapsody spans five decades, megaparsecs of space and hundreds of exoplanets. Yet a million words across nine novels were not enough. There were more stories that needed to be told. These are those stories. Featuring Meridian, a brand new short story available exclusively as part of this Collection.

When man and machine are one and the same, there are many crimes but only one sin: psyche-wipe. The secrets it has buried could lead to a civilization's salvation, or to its doom. The Asterion Dominion is at peace with its neighbors and itself. Its citizens enjoy great freedoms and all the luxuries their biosynthetic minds can imagine, design and create. But beneath the idyllic veneer, something is going wrong. People are going wrong, driven to commit inexplicable crimes without motive or purpose. And once imprisoned for those crimes, they simply vanish. Psyche-wiped and dumped in an alley 5 years ago, awakened into a culture where ancestral memories stretch back for millennia, Nika Tescarav's past is a blank canvas. But if whoever erased her did so in the hope of silencing her, they should have tried harder. Someone must speak for the lost. Someone must uncover how and why they became lost.  Someone must find the lost. Nika is that someone. ASTERION NOIR 700,000 years ago, the Asterions fled persecution for their pro-synthetic beliefs. In the safe harbor of a distant galaxy, they have evolved into a true biosynthetic race and built a thriving society upon the pillars of personal autonomy, mutual respect and boundless innovation. Now that society is fracturing at the seams. Beneath lies built upon lies, the shocking truth as to why threatens the future of not merely the Asterions, but all life in the universe. Cyberpunk and space opera collide in a thrilling new trilogy from the author of the epic Aurora Rhapsody space opera saga. Enter a world of technological wonders, exotic alien life, enthralling characters, captivating worlds—and a terrifying evil lurking in the void that will shatter it all.

When man and machine are one and the same, death is no longer an inevitability. But in the darkest reaches of space, neither is life. Diplomat. Rebel. Fugitive. Nika Tescarav has lived many lives, though she no longer remembers most of them. Chased by agents of a regime that will do anything to protect the secrets of the Rasu Protocol, Nika flees to the stars with her once and future lover on a mission to expose those secrets. A race across alien worlds both exotic and deadly leads them to the bastion of the enemy, but its discovery brings a terrible revelation: sometimes the truth is indeed worse than the lies spun to conceal it. With Nika and Dashiel on the run, NOIR steps up to defend against a virulent pathogen unleashed upon innocent civilians. When a desperate government moves to crush the resistance once and for all, unlikely alliances are forged between former adversaries and all paths converge in an explosive showdown that will change the future of the Asterion Dominion forever. ASTERION NOIR 700,000 years ago, the Asterions fled persecution for their pro-synthetic beliefs. In the safe harbor of a distant galaxy, they have evolved into a true biosynthetic race and built a thriving society upon the pillars of personal autonomy, mutual respect and boundless innovation. Now that society is fracturing at the seams. Beneath lies built upon lies, the shocking truth as to why threatens the future of not merely the Asterions, but all life in the universe. Cyberpunk and space opera collide in a thrilling new trilogy from the author of the epic Aurora Rhapsody space opera saga. Enter a world of technological wonders, exotic alien life, enthralling characters, captivating worlds—and a terrifying evil lurking in the void that will shatter it all.

When man and machine are one and the same, time moves differently. But it runs out all the same. The Asterion Dominion government has fallen, its rulers slain—but in the Dominion, the dead rarely stay that way. A doomsday clock rushes headlong toward the day the monstrous alien shapeshifters known as the Rasu will demand their next tribute of lives. When denied it, the Rasu will burn every Dominion world to the ground. Unless they can be stopped. Nika, Dashiel and their allies fight to hold onto the reigns of power even as they search for a way to defeat the enemy. Their quest will take them from barren deserts to a remote wilderness to the hidden homeworld of an ancient, mysterious species, all to uncover a secret 700,000 years in the keeping. With everything they thought they knew now called into question and the reckoning at hand, the Asterions’ past, present and future will collide in a last daring gambit to save all three. ASTERION NOIR 700,000 years ago, the Asterions fled persecution for their pro-synthetic beliefs. In the safe harbor of a distant galaxy, they have evolved into a true biosynthetic race and built a thriving society upon the pillars of personal autonomy, mutual respect and boundless innovation. Now that society is fracturing at the seams. Beneath lies built upon lies, the shocking truth as to why threatens the future of not merely the Asterions, but all life in the universe. Cyberpunk and space opera collide in a thrilling new trilogy from the author of the epic Aurora Rhapsody space opera saga. Enter a world of technological wonders, exotic alien life, enthralling characters, captivating worlds—and a terrifying evil lurking in the void that will shatter it all.

Concord, with its vaunted indestructible warships and dimension-bending weapons, has been knocked back on its heels. A stunning loss in the Battle of Namino has left its best and brightest leaders scattered, trapped or thought lost. The Rasu press their advantage, laying siege to Namino and cutting it off from the rest of civilization. For Miriam Solovy, a coup attempt by Anaden rebels and a flaring conflict with the militaristic Savrakaths are the least of her concerns. After blowing up the Concord flagship to prevent its capture by the Rasu, she is awakened in a new body and expected to don the mantle of leadership once again. But how can she lead Concord in the fight against the Rasu when humanity doesn’t trust regenesis and she no longer trusts herself? For Caleb Marano, nothing matters more than family. When his niece is trapped behind enemy lines, he turns his back on the peaceful sentient planet he shares a consciousness with in order to rescue her. If he hopes to succeed, he must become the killer he once was, even if it costs him everything. For Alex Solovy and Nika Kirumase, however, the crucible of two deadly intergalactic conflicts has taught them that survival is not enough. Together they will cross every line and break every rule to accomplish the impossible, end the siege of Namino and take the fight directly to the enemy. * In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be changed forever.

“Everything we have done from the start of this endeavor has been risky. Is the goal not worth any risk?” In the aftermath of Namino’s liberation, everyone seeks a moment of peace to catch their breath and regroup. But the Rasu will not be waylaid for long, and peace soon becomes a race against time before the next onslaught. Alex and Caleb search distant stars and the ruins of a dead civilization for a secret weapon that may hold the key to defeating an enemy who cannot be killed by conventional means. In the Dominion, Nika and Dashiel probe the mysteries of kyoseil in search of answers, but the Asterions’ bond with this ancient and enigmatic life proves more complicated than they ever realized. “You act as if there are no consequences for your actions and no price for your foolish decisions. It is time to remind you that there is always a price to be paid.” Formidable as they are, the Rasu are not the only foe seeking to destroy Concord. The Savrakaths have seen their cities leveled and fleets decimated by rebel Anaden forces. Now they marshal their last resources for a final vengeance-fueled strike—against the wrong enemy. After a failed coup attempt, the Anaden leadership bickers and squabbles amongst themselves—until a ghost from the past returns, determined to finally unite his people. But those who have wielded unbridled power for millennia will not give it up so easily. Yet amid the deadly battles and insurrections, struggles of faith, hope, friendship and love light the way forward, because winning is about more than just surviving.

WAR HAS COME TO CONCORD. NOW NO ONE AND NOWHERE IS SAFE. When indestructible warships and dimension-tearing weapons are not enough to defeat the enemy, how do you protect thousands of worlds and trillions of citizens from a Rasu tidal wave bent on devouring everything in its path? The Rift Bubbles offer much-sought protection, but is the safety they promise anything more than an illusion? A weapon crafted by the nearly extinct Ourankeli may hold the key to gaining the upper hand—or it may be a doomsday bomb too dangerous to chance wielding. The Asterions strive tirelessly to improve upon and create new weapons that can kill Rasu, even as Nika Kirumase draws tantalizingly close to unlocking the true power of kyoseil. Yet for every strategic move Commandant Miriam Solovy makes to thwart the Rasu’s advances, the enemy swiftly counters in a deadly battle of escalation. Regenesis, long the exclusive domain of Anadens, begins to take root in human society. But the possibility of immortality for all does not sit well with those who would rather keep it for themselves. When a conspiracy to sabotage the future of regenesis is uncovered, an unlikely advocate decides to risk his one-and-only life to bring the perpetrators to justice. And amidst all the conflict, the enigmatic Katasketousya have been playing a secret long game with the fate of the universe. Now events race toward a rendezvous with their unfolding machinations, and the resulting collision is going to change everything. * In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be altered forever.

“I save the people who will save the universe. If it can be saved.” After an extraordinary encounter with kyoseil in the Oneiroi Nebula, Nika Kirumase is transformed. Now able to understand and harness the true power of the ancient, primordial life form, she finally has the ability to defend her people—if the kyoseil doesn’t destroy her sanity first. Mesme has long been meddling with the fate of the universe, but the events in the Oneiroi Nebula have exposed its deceptions. A schism erupts between Alex and Mesme over the secrets the Katasketousya keeps—and if their relationship isn’t mended, the world may lose its best chance at salvation. The fractures threatening Concord’s survival aren’t merely personal, and the ramifications of the Ruda’s betrayal in the last battle prove costly to everyone. The Rasu begin deploying antimatter weapons, thereby neutralizing Concord’s greatest advantage, its impervious adiamene warships. Now losing ships, people and planets as the Rasu close in on the Milky Way, Miriam Solovy finds herself short on options and out of time. But Alex has never let those kind of odds stop her, and so a desperate plan is hatched—one that will either save civilization, or doom it to annihilation. * In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be altered forever.

*A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe* “Can I ask where we’re going?” “Someplace safe…as safe as anywhere on this broken, fallen world can be.” A first contact encounter isn't supposed to kick off with a dead body. Ambassador Marlee Marano has been dispatched to Belarria as part of a Concord initiative to meet new species and build alliances. But when an assassin murders her counterpart in front of her eyes and takes her hostage, she is plunged into an alien world on the brink of collapse. With no way to contact Concord or get offworld, Marlee’s only allies may be a shadowy band of rebels with a questionable agenda steeped in government conspiracies, mysterious genetic experiments and bloody historical grievances that threaten to boil over. The rightness of their cause is the least of her concerns, though, for she finds herself wanted for murder and hunted by all sides. Medusa Falling is a heart-pumping sci-fi adventure that will take you on a roller-coaster ride of twists and turns as Marlee races to uncover the secrets and lies of a captivating but deadly alien culture and find a way home.

Humanity was granted their time to prepare. Now that it has come to an end, all Miriam Solovy wants is one more day. The Rasu civil war engineered by Alex Solovy and Nika Kirumase has provided Concord the time it desperately needed. Every weapon, every technology, every tactic will be brought to bear in a bid to defend thousands of worlds and trillions of people from annihilation. The enemy that emerges from the civil war victorious is like nothing Concord has ever faced. A boundless legion of Rasu—now interlinked and of one collective mind due to their integration of kyoseil—prepares to sweep across Concord space in a devastating tidal wave. But there might be a way to stop them. It will mean two individuals must take upon themselves the burden of committing genocide, so the innocent beings they protect need never know how such an act comes with a price. “There has never been a timeline like this one before.” A war has been waged for endless aeons. Our greatest champions fight it again and again across millions of years, in a tireless endeavor to save not merely innumerable lives but existence itself. With Mesme’s secret revealed, the enormity of the stakes is clear to all, and humanity and its allies are united as they brace for the return of the Rasu. But the enemy has a secret, too—one that may ensure Concord’s destruction, as it has countless times before. * In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be altered forever.