Humanity’s last surviving heroes must protect a shattered civilization from an all-conquering enemy in this thrilling sequel to The Cruel Stars.“[The Shattered Skies] is a delightful military space adventure that runs at full tilt.”—Booklist The Sturm, an empire of “species purists,” have returned from the farthest reaches of Dark Space to wage a war against what they call mutants and borgs: any human being with genetic or neural engineering. In a sneak attack, they overwhelmed almost all of humanity’s defenses, blasting vicious malware across galaxy-spanning networks, dark code that transformed anyone connected to the system into a mindless psychotic killer. The Sturm’s victory seemed complete, their final triumph inevitable, until one small band of intrepid, unlikely heroes struck back.Commander Lucinda Hardy and Admiral Frazer McLennan used the Armadalen Navy’s final surviving warship to fend off the Sturm, destroying the massed power of an entire Attack Fleet. With brilliant tactics—and support from drunken, grief-ravaged pirate Sephina L’trel and treasonous battle-rig operator Booker—this ragtag crew sent the Sturm running, managing to save Princess Alessia, the sole surviving heir to the gigantic Montanblanc ul Haq Corporation and perhaps Earth’s only remaining senator.Now left with the remains of a fallen civilization, they must work together to rebuild what was lost and root out the numberless enemies of Earth. The Sturm invaders remain vastly more powerful—and they may not be the only threat lurking in the darkness of space.
A crew of intrepid heroes faces off once and for all against an enemy intent on destroying humanity—and the galaxy—in this exhilarating conclusion to The Cruel Stars Trilogy.When the Sturm, a group of “species purists,” returned from the far reaches of Dark Space to eliminate any human with genetic or cybernetic enhancements, their victory seemed inevitable. Yet, as they waged war against humanity, a small group of battle-hardened heroes rose to the task of beating back the invading force.At a horrendous cost, Commander Lucinda Hardy, Admiral Fraser McLennan, Sephina L’trel, Booker3 and Princess Alessia led the only resistance to the Sturm’s overwhelming forces. Amid the ruins of a civilization utterly corrupted by the Sturm's horrific darkcode malware, they must gather allies and weapons where they can. Old enmities must be overcome and unlikely partnerships forged.Surrounded, outnumbered and outgunned, the resistance cannot hold out. By strategy and deception, they must force a decisive confrontation with the Sturm. A final stand that will demand the ultimate sacrifice . . . and extreme violence.