Centuries after they were defeated and exiled to Dark Space, the Sturm have returned. In a sneak attack, the Sturm's victory seemed complete, their final triumph inevitable, until one small band of intrepid, unlikely heroes struck back. PRAISE FOR JOHN BIRMINGHAM: 'Birmingham's gripping novel launches readers into a genocidal interstellar war amid sudden violence and dark humor... Birmingham alternates between gut punches and laugh-out-loud humor, with some gore and thought-provoking philosophy thrown in for good measure... Plenty of twists, sharp turns, and fateful encounters will keep readers guessing and turning pages. This jarring, engrossing story of a species-wide fight for survival is recommended for all science fiction readers' Publishers Weekly (starred review), on The Cruel Stars. 'Glorious excitement and meticulous density' Sci-Fi.com, on Axis of Time. 'The action is nonstop, the characters very real - and very different from each other - and, to coin a phrase, it makes you think'