On an isolated planet where unity is as engineered as its people, Jesse seeks the truth behind the slaughter of his family—starting with the immortal who spared him.

A century ago, two human lines nearly wiped each other out rather than acknowledge their shared humanity. But when Jesse’s mining town is slaughtered under mysterious circumstances, it’s clear ancient bigotries linger, and rebels have access to some magic or tech capable of wide-scale genocide.

The Red Demon bloodied her swords in that massacre—a bioengineered immortal left over from that century old war. Jesse expected to be upholding his empire’s fragile peace, not killing her own. Jesse is too optimistic and stubborn to break. Better days are coming—and he’s willing to take on an immortal to ensure they do.

Faruhar, the so-called Red Demon, is not the mastermind Jesse expects. Her fragmented mind is ravaged by guilt over crimes she cannot remember committing, and a code impressed on her by a few kind people she cannot forget.

A fast-paced science fantasy with tense fight scenes, a spicy romantic subplot, and a twisty plot that punches you in the feels. Fans of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising and R.F. Kuang’s Poppy War Trilogy will appreciate this book.

Themes and Tropes: Resilience, found family, mental health, redemption, enemies-to-lovers romance, queer-normative worldbuilding.

Content Warnings: Depictions of death (including children), graphic violence, one chapter of graphic gore, bioengineered animal death (they aren’t cute), profanity, graphic sexual content (M/F), off-page rape references, threats of sexual violence, and inappropriate physical contact.