March 25, 2024
When Hwa Young was 10, Imperial raiders destroyed her home and killed her family of rebels against the empire. Six years later, Hwa Young is a student of the empire she was taught to oppose. She dreams of becoming the empire’s best lancer pilot, and she has no qualms following their rules to do so. An attack on her school forces the empire to implement an emergency draft that gives Hwa Young the opportunity to become a lancer pilot candidate two years earlier than expected. But as a ward of the state, Hwa Young is at a disadvantage to her classmates, whose well-established families give them an edge. As she undergoes grueling training she works hard to hide her rebel childhood background. Soon, Hwa Young unearths harrowing secrets about the empire and its history, and realizes that she must call upon her childhood teachings if she and her classmates hope to survive.. Via probing prose, Lee (Ninefox Gambit) addresses issues of colonialism and revolution in a high-concept space adventure narrative that centers a determined protagonist whose personal loyalties and lifelong dreams compete as she fights for the forces that killed her family. Ages 12–up. Agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Co.
