To Challenge Heaven

In the forty years since the Shongairi attacked Earth, they have been driven away by an alliance of humans and other sentient bipeds. However, it transpires that the expedition may have been acting as an unwitting cats-paw for the Founders, the ancient alliance of evil aliens who dominate the galaxy. It may be possible to turn the Shongairi into allies against the Hegemony, but the Shongairi honor code makes this difficult.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 12 February 2024
Publisher: St Martin's Press

Forty years have passed since the Shongairi attacked Earth, killing half its population and eventually being driven away by a coalition of humans and other sentient bipeds. We have taken the technology they left behind and quickly built ourselves into a star-faring civilization. We know we don't have time to lose because there are more powerful and hostile aliens out there, and Earth needs allies. But it also turns out that the Shongairi expedition that nearly destroyed our home planet was not an official one. In fact, its commander may have been acting as an unwitting puppet for the Founders, the ancient alliance of very old, very evil aliens that rule our galaxy and hold the Shongairi and most non-Founder species in contempt. It may even be possible to turn the Shongairi against the Hegemony. The only problem is the Shongairi honor code, which makes bushido look like a child's game. We may be able to make them our friends if we can destroy their planetary defenses in the greatest battle we or they have ever seen.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 164 x 243 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781250907394