It’s business as usual for Ship Leader Parnell Shi-Sawahla and the crew of the corvette Sassafras. Ride a Massif to a new system, fight the enemy, repeat. For more than two hundred years humans have been hitching rides on these sentient, starfaring mountain ranges, colonising planets and exporting an on-again, off-again war between Earth and Mars. But the big questions are always there, behind every battle, every new colony, every new star system discovery. Why do the Massifs carry humans to the stars? Why do they help us export our wars? What’s in it for the Massifs? Ship crews aren’t supposed to ask these questions, they aren’t supposed to think about these questions, and they definitely aren’t supposed to go deep and talk to Massif avatars. But now Parnell and his tight-knit crew must try to find the answers, to save not only themselves but the future of humanity. ‘Nix showcases his worldbuilding prowess in his first adult sci-fi novel, a riveting space opera set in the 24th century. The result is a staggering adventure that should win Nix a whole new set of fans.’ Publishers Weekly, starred review ‘Strange galaxy-faring mountain ranges, a loyal renegade spaceship crew, plenty of military action, and a creepy interstellar mystery combine to make a compelling science fiction epic set in an inventive new universe.’ – Marko Kloos, bestselling author of the Frontline series