The Killing of Worlds - (Succession) by Scott Westerfeld (Paperback)

About the Book

In this powerful conclusion to the first story arc of Succession--which began in "The Risen Empire"--Captain Laurent Zai, unjustly held responsible for the death of the Child Empress, and his crew are sent on a suicide mission.

Book Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling author Westerfeld continues one of the first great space operas of this century

Scott Westerfeld, the acclaimed author of Fine Prey, Polymorph, and Evolution's Darling, follows The Risen Empire with the next thrilling space opera in Succession, the Killing of Worlds.

The immortal Emperor can grant a form of eternal life-after-death, creating an elite known as the Risen, and so has ruled the eighty worlds unchallenged for sixteen hundred years. The only thing he fears are the Rix, machine-augmented humans who worship AI compound minds. They are dedicated to replacing his prolonged rule with an eternal cybernetic dynasty of their own.

Brilliant tactician Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial Frigate Lynx faces a suicide mission: stopping the next thrust of the Rix invasion with just his own vessel. While ship-to-ship combat rages among the stars, Zai's lover, Senator Nara Oxham, is caught in a deadly political fencing match with the Emperor himself. The Emperor has a terrible secret, a secret Nara is in danger of finding out, a secret for which he would countenance the killing of worlds.

Review Quotes

"In the tradition of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series and Frank Herbert's Dune books. With a light touch all his own, Westerfeld illumines the clash of mighty galactic empires by focusing on individuals who, despite the distractions of war and politics, cannot help falling in love." --The New York Times on The Risen Empire

About the Author

Scott Westerfeld lives in New York City and Sydney, Australia.