Alek L. Cristea
Queer Science-fiction and fantasy writer
"On a man-made hell of a planet, against all odds and hope, I forged the beginning of a new family.”
outlaw. rebel. thief.
Malek has always dreamed of his own ship, of following in his amma’s footsteps and leading a crew through the stars. Salvage, trade, adventure. The perfect life. There’s only one problem: Malek’s in prison, and nobody leaves Helios alive. But after two years of unfair imprisonment, Malek is getting out, one way or another—and he’s taking his new friends with him.
He has a plan (sort of), but when Malek’s bid for escape collides with the secret agenda of another prisoner—a Shinarian girl in hiding from her people—she presents him with a choice: trust her and finally leave Helios, or get caught in the crossfire alone.
Trystan hates Eden One, a radical colony built upon antiquated ideology and conservative hate. With his father rising in power and his mother docile, cowed, Trystan’s only ally is his uncle, a man who keeps Trystan’s deadly secret safe. Using forbidden alien technology, Trystan’s uncle builds him an android, allowing him to split his consciousness between his real and synthetic bodies. Allowing Trystan a taste of freedom, even if in secret.
But everything on Eden One is twisted, so it should come as no surprise when he stumbles upon the terrible project his uncle is working on, with Trystan’s own father at the helm. If he acts, he could lose everything, but if surviving Eden One has taught him anything, it’s that every revolution begins with a single spark of courage.
Làhn is a thief, and a good one. As a child on Kirillion, he fell through the cracks and wound up in the Guild. Raised by thieves, conmen and mercenaries, Làhn has never met a mark he couldn’t charm. He’s happy in the Guild, with his family, with his best friend, Kode. This is his life, and he’s content with it.
Perhaps that’s because he doesn’t remember before. Before Kode and the Guild. Before Kirillion.
When a job goes wrong and Làhn’s life shatters, his only choice is to look to the past. With little more than fragmented memories and the coordinates tattooed on his wrist, Làhn doesn’t have much to go on. But, with the future in tatters, framed for a crime he didn’t commit, suddenly, his past is all Làhn has.
Together, they must stand against Berik Corp, the shadowy megacorp whose power stretches across the galaxy. If they don’t—everything will fall.