The Faith of Beasts - The Captive's War by James S A Corey Hardcover

About the Book

"The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran's command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered. Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters' use. But Dafyd's loyalty is not what it seems. The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx's deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. Its mission: discover a way to bring down the empire's eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon. As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction. But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears..."-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

James S. A. Corey's Expanse series has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 23 languages, establishing itself as a modern masterwork of science fiction. Now, the Hugo-award winning author returns with the second volume in their New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed space opera trilogy, The Captive's War.

★ "Masterful . . . . This is space opera at its best." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Mercy of Gods

The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran's command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered.

Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters' use. But Dafyd's loyalty is not what it seems.

The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx's deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. Its mission: discover a way to bring down the empire's eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon.

As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction.

But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears...

"The start of something truly epic." ― Fonda Lee on The Mercy of Gods

"Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre." ― Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

For More from James S. A. Corey, check out:

The Captive's War
The Mercy of Gods
The Faith of Beasts

The Expanse
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
Abaddon's Gate
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Games
Babylon's Ashes
Persepolis Rising
Tiamat's Wrath
​Leviathan Falls

Memory's Legion

The Expanse Short Fiction
Drive
The Butcher of Anderson Station
Gods of Risk
The Churn
The Vital Abyss
Strange Dogs
Auberon
The Sins of Our Fathers

Review Quotes

"Like The Expanse, The Mercy of Gods balances cosmic stakes with an astonishingly powerful human drama. Pitch-perfect storytelling."

--M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All The Gifts on The Mercy of Gods

"The stakes are sky-high, the scale is vast, and pseudonymous writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck remain unparalleled at crafting deeply human characters even in wildly alien worlds."

--Publishers Weekly (Best of the Year) on The Mercy of Gods

"This is an intelligent and innovative sci-fi epic with infinite scope that somehow never overshadows the small moments of human vulnerability and courage... Nail-biting suspense makes for an engaging and compulsively readable intro to yet another ambitious series from this writing team."

--Library Journal on The Mercy of Gods (starred review)

"The Mercy of Gods is a wonderful mix of alien worldbuilding on a grand scale and deeply human characters, a portrait of reactions to adversity and disaster and the morality of collaboration. Lots of fun, and fans of Daniel Abraham's The Dagger and the Coin will love it."--Django Wexler, author of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying on The Mercy of Gods

"The Mercy of Gods is something altogether new but just as exciting [as the Expanse]...I've never read a book quite like this one,"
--The Washington Post on The Mercy of Gods

"A fast-paced, intelligent book. Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre."--Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time on The Mercy of Gods

"A riveting read."--The Ringer on The Mercy of Gods

"All the things you want in an alien invasion novel: overwhelming aliens, end-of-world terror, and plucky humans who never stop fighting. If that was all there was, The Mercy of Gods would be great, but amid the mayhem James S. A. Corey also manages to weave in a closely observed study of the small things that make us human: our loves and jealousies, our foibles and weaknesses, our empathy and our resilience. A bang-up read. I want more."--Paolo Bacigalupi, author of The Windup Girl on The Mercy of Gods

"Ever wonder what happens after the alien invasion? The Mercy of Gods radiates the dread and revelation of first contact, shaping new worlds and cultures that had me riveted. Characters to root for and disdain, Corey's novel delves into the human condition as that condition irrevocably changes. These guys are on their game, and I can't wait until the next book in the series!"--Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars on The Mercy of Gods

"First contact, domestication experiments, and the knife-edge between appeasement and intel-gathering. Corey spins a gripping story where the twinned stakes are humanity's survival and the humanity of characters pushed to the brink by brutal intergalactic conquerors."--Yoon Ha Lee, author of Ninefox Gambit on The Mercy of Gods

"If you enjoy reading science fiction, this is one of the must-read books of the genre published this year."
--Winter Is Coming on The Mercy of Gods

"James S. A. Corey serves up terrifying alien overlords and a vast intergalactic war with humankind on the brink of annihilation--all while never losing focus on its cast of vulnerable, courageous characters. The Mercy of Gods is the start of something truly epic." --Fonda Lee, author of Jade City on The Mercy of Gods

"James S.A. Corey's The Mercy of Gods is a thrilling, furious adventure, but beneath its quicksilver plot and epic space battles lies a brilliant, unflinching exploration of how alien alien life might be. The Mercy of Gods is a powerful, provocative masterpiece that I will be thinking about for a very long time."
--Ryka Aoki, author of Light from Uncommon Stars on The Mercy of Gods

"Masterful . . . . This is space opera at its best."
--Publishers Weekly on The Mercy of Gods (starred review)

"No one builds a universe like James S. A. Corey. The Mercy of Gods is wilder and weirder than you can imagine, and when it ends, all you'll want is... more."--John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author on The Mercy of Gods

"The latest sci-fi epic from the authors behind the Expanse series (Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, using pen name James S. A. Corey) shows the seeds of rebellion beginning to sprout after a planetary invasion forces the humans who were spared into proving their worth to stay alive. This novel is definitely worth it."--Entertainment Weekly on The Mercy of Gods

"This is old-fashioned space opera on a grand scale and a promising start for an epic new series."--Booklist on The Mercy of Gods (starred review)

"This series-starting novel from the author of The Expanse is pointed, powerful, and simply fantastic."--Esquire on The Mercy of Gods

"While the character development is exceptional, the pacing breakneck, the emotional intensity off the charts, and the worldbuilding simply extraordinary, it's the sheer scope of the narrative--the Carryx's backstory, their "long" war, the countless sentient races they've conquered and/or destroyed, etc.--that will have science fiction fans befittingly blown away. The sense of wonder associated with the story's magnitude is simply breathtaking... The beginning of what could be Corey's most epic--and entertaining--series yet. Simply mind-blowing."
--Kirkus on The Mercy of Gods (starred review)

About the Author

James S. A. Corey is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. In addition to writing the novels and short stories of The Expanse, they wrote and produced the television series of the same name. Daniel lives with his family in the American southwest. Ty will tell you where he lives when and if he wants you to come over.