Description

‘Hurley’s world-building is phenomenal . . . highly engaging’ Publishers Weekly

The first instalment of the action-packed Bel Dame Apocrypha trilogy – perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and N. K. Jemisin

Nyx is a bel dame, a bounty hunter paid to collect the heads of deserters – by almost any means necessary.

‘Almost’ proved to be the problem.

Cast out and imprisoned for breaking one rule too many, Nyx and her crew of mercenaries are all about the money. But when a dubious government deal with an alien emissary goes awry, her name is at the top of the list for a covert recovery.

While the centuries-long war rages on only one thing is certain: the world’s best chance for peace rests in the hands of its most ruthless killers. . .

*****

Make sure you’ve read the rest of the series:
1. God’s War
2. Infidel
3. Rapture

Publisher Review

"A fast-paced thriller full of brutal action and vivid characters ... we'll be surprised if you find a ballsier and more fun SF novel this year." * SFX * "God's War is so good" -- Alison Flood * The Guardian * "Kameron Hurley's a brave, unflinching, truly original writer with a unique vision - her fiction burns right through your brain and your heart." -- Jeff VanderMeer "Hurley's world-building is phenomenal... [she] smoothly handles tricky themes such as race, class, religion, and gender without sacrificing action." * Publishers Weekly * "An aggressively dark, highly original SF-fantasy novel with tight, cutting prose and some of the most inventive world-building I've seen in a while." -- Stefan Raets * Fantasy Literature.com *