2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards Science Fiction Finalist

For how long can you play from behind before hope fades away?

From the opening attack of the conflict, the Royal Navy of the Inter-Planetary Commonwealth has been outnumbered. Unlike their enemies, who had been preparing for this war for years, the Commonwealth was caught flat-footed. Given enough time, the economic strength of the Commonwealth should prevail, but their enemies attack relentlessly. The Royal Navy hopes not for victory but for survival. Hampered by the near-complete failure of their intelligence agencies, time and again they are pushed to the very brink. Innovative approaches and the heroic sacrifices of ships and crews prevent disaster. Every time it seems as though the Royal Navy might be able to reach parity, the aggression of their enemies pushes the goal out of reach. The daunting cost of men and material keeps climbing. Yet, in the midst of this savage conflict, the relationship between Perseverance and Saint John Powell deepens.

Just as the Royal Navy introduces a technological wrinkle that gives them a much-needed advantage, their enemies introduce a new type of warship. Bigger and more heavily armed than any vessels before, these battleships have the potential to blast through the Commonwealth's defenses. It will take every bit of the Royal Navy's (and Perseverance's) grit and ingenuity to stave off defeat. Just when the Royal Navy thinks it has weathered the storm, another tempest brews. Saint John Powell is standing in the way of an enemy force twice his strength. The best he and his people can do is slow the enemy and cause as much damage as possible before they themselves are destroyed. How many times can you cheat death before the odds catch up to you?