In this old-school interplanetary epic, the flames of hope cannot easily be extinguished. After three years of forced labor in the mines, Cerrin is free at last. Now she leads a band of escaped slaves on a deadly race for freedom across an endless, ancient forest. At her heels are soldiers of the most powerful, most advanced, most ruthless empire the galaxy has ever known. Leading the pursuit is Count Talazeer himself, a vicious nobleman driven by a personal vendetta again Cerrin––and a desperate need for redemption in the eyes of his family and his people. Every day of survival is a victory. Fighting back against their enemy remains an impossible dream. And yet, even as death claims them one by one, the slaves cling fast to faith in their gods and, above all, in Cerrin. And she’s about to discover strange new allies––and enemies––are waiting for her people amid the trees and beyond the stars.
