In a galaxy on the brink, survival is the ultimate lesson.

The Xair Space Academy trains the galaxy’s most elite cadets, but for Lupita, a battle-hardened Jazan warrior, excelling isn’t enough. Her combat skills are unmatched, yet academic life tests her in ways she’s never faced—and exposes vulnerabilities she didn’t know she had.

When she crosses paths with Alex, a brilliant hacker hiding from enemies he may never escape, an unlikely alliance forms. Together with a small, secretive team of cadets, they navigate a web of rivalries, hidden agendas, and dangerous secrets within the academy’s walls.

As an ancient threat looms over the Confederation, Lupita and Alex must trust each other—and their newfound family—if they hope to survive. In a world where loyalty can be deadly, will they be ready for what’s coming?

Alain Brousseau is the author of the Jazan sci-fi series, with ten novels currently under contract with Atmosphere Press and one children’s book, The Marvelous Little Frog, also under contract with the same publisher.

The adventure began in July 2002, just as I was about to move to Washington, DC, to work for an international organization. Progress was initially slow because my work visa didn’t allow me to earn any income beyond my employer's salary. In practice, that meant I couldn’t publish anything until I retired a quarter of a century later, which removed the urgency to complete the project. Nevertheless, for many years, I worked as an economist during the day and wrote fiction as a hobby at night and on weekends.

In 2008-2009, I took an 18-month unpaid leave, which allowed me to make significant progress on my first novel. During that time, I joined a fabulous writer group in Port Moody, BC. At my first meeting, I introduced myself and proudly told the group that I had already written more than 500 pages and planned to stop at about 1,000 pages. Consternation spread across the room, and my fellow writers dutifully informed me that, as a first-time author, I would never be published unless I shortened my novel to about 80,000 words.

Some writers even advised me to start over. To be honest, that advice left me deflated for quite a while. After several months of procrastinating, I grudgingly restructured the novel, moving some chapters into prequels and shifting others into future novels in the series. By the time I returned to work in 2009, I had completed the first draft of my first novel, The Xair Space Academy. Unfortunately, the accomplishment meant little because my work visa still prevented me from publishing it. I continued working on the series over the years, and by the time I retired in June 2026, I had completed ten novels.

The children’s book (The Marvelous Little Frog) began as a Christmas gift for my son in 2020. I bought a 26-page artist’s book (14” x 11”) on high-quality paper and began writing a story about a young boy living in a magical forest populated by talking animals. I illustrated the book copiously, with drawings filling entire pages and overlapping the handwritten text. One day, I mentioned the book to Atmosphere Press, and they suggested I send them a copy for evaluation. They agreed to publish it, and it will go on sale in October 2026.

After working on the Jazan series for a quarter of a century, my dream is finally coming true, and I am looking forward to sharing the adventure with my readers.