Winner, Best Science Fiction Novel, 2023 Royal Palm Literary Awards!How do you escape totalitarian control? Jake Palatin is forced to develop an antimatter bomb on the planet Verdant, where global war using his technology is terrifyingly close. Zofia, a woman with a secret, tempts him to resist. She also has a solution, a new technology for empathic connection that might save humanity.Fleeing in desperation, they confront a powerful foe who holds everything in totalitarian control. They must learn to trust each other while facing oppressive police, devious leaders, and a war that could break out at any instant. Danger looms at every step, while love threatens to derail all their plans.Success is crucial. One mistake, and Verdant will go the way of a dozen other worlds, including old Earth: dead to everything.Humanity destroys every world it touches, because those other people are “Not Like Us.” Jake and Zofia discover the key.
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