In the far future, humanity exists where it never belonged . . . Thousands of years ago, a human expedition was launched to the Hearth – the celestial birthplace of millions of planets, ranging from Earth-like worlds to hellscapes of pressure and heat. The descendants of the massive colony ship have since spread themselves across the Hearth. In time, humanity forgot its beginnings. But when Commander Ulla Breen, on her first tour aboard a patrol sail-ship, is attacked by an unknown enemy, she and her fellow crewmembers face slavery, punishment and death – as do their home planets. Because someone else has seen the richness of the inner Hearth and plan to take it for themselves. Worse still, this new enemy is disturbingly familiar, and knows more about the history of the Hearth than even Ulla and her crew. Faced with a complete upheaval of all she knew, Ulla and her companions must survive long enough to come up with a plan – one which will unite all the disparate elements of the Hearth – and uncover the reason humanity came to Hearthspace in the first place . . .
