Part of Series
Vakov Fukasawa used to be a Reaper, a biosoldier fighting for the intergalactic governing body of Harmony against a brutal invading empire. Now, he fights against the stormtech: the DNA of an extinct alien race Harmony injected into him, altering his body chemistry and making him permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. It made him the perfect soldier, but it also opened a new drug market that has millions hopelessly addicted to their own body chemistry. But when Harmony tells him that his former ally Reapers are being murdered, Vakov is appalled to discover his estranged brother is likely involved in the killings. They haven’t spoken in years, but Vakov can’t let his brother down, and investigates. But the deeper he goes, the more addicted to stormtech he becomes, and Vakov discovers that the war might not be over after all. It’ll take everything he has to unearth this terrible secret, although doing so might mean betraying his brother. If his own body doesn’t betray him first. A vibrant and talented new voice in SFF: alien technology, addictive upgrades, a soldier determined to protect his family, and a thief who is prepared to burn the world down . . .
Author
Jeremy Szal was born in 1995 and was raised by wild dingoes, which should explain a lot. He spent his childhood exploring beaches, bookstores, and the limits of people’s patience. He’s the author of the Common trilogy from Gollancz, a space opera trilogy, which includes STORMBLOOD, BLINDSPACE, and WOLFSKIN, about a drug harvested from alien DNA that makes users permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. He likes writing about broken heroes looking for hope in dark worlds, found families, aliens, outcasts, and morally-grey heroes who don't always do the right thing, even when they want to. He’s the author of over fifty science-fiction short stories, translated into six languages, published in many anthologies and podcasts. He was the fiction editor for Hugo-winning podcast StarShipSofa until 2020, where he has worked as audio producer with George R. R. Martin, William Gibson, Harlan Ellison and others. He holds a rather useless BA in Film Studies and Creative Writing from the University of N.S.W. He carves out a living in Sydney, Australia where he drinks too much gin, watches too many weird films and makes too many dark jokes. Find him at @jeremyszal or http://jeremyszal.com/
