Last Stop - (Diamond Knife) by Django Wexler (Paperback)

About the Book

"While his older sister, Quedra Sa-Yool, was brought down by her political enemies, ne'er-do-well and pilot extraodrinaire Zham followed her into exile. Quedra, a military genius once known as the Diamond Knife, now commands the mercenary airship Last Stop and its motley crew, and Zham leads its tiny air wing--when he's not roistering in bars and dodging moneylenders, that is. The one thing keeping this ragged outfit together (besides Quedra's blistering stare) is everyone's desire to survive on the edge, even if that means smuggling, battling pirates, and flying too close to the solid floor of clouds known as the Layer, below which the merciless insectoid mantids hold sway. Indeed, few who are to venture ever return... But when Last Stop is enlisted to search for a lost expedition that may have discovered a haven for humans beneath the Layer, it's the chance of a lifetime. What awaits Zham and the team at the end of this dangerous mission might just change their lives--and their world--forever. Then again, it might mean the end of both."--Publisher description.

Book Synopsis

From the author of the epic Shadow Campaigns saga comes a new action-adventure sci-fi series set in a dangerous world in which one must fly--or die . . .

When his older sister, Quedra Sa-Yool, was brought down by her political enemies, ne'er-do-well and pilot extraordinaire Zham followed her into exile. Quedra, a military genius once known as the Diamond Knife, now commands the mercenary airship Last Stop and its motley crew, and Zham leads its tiny air wing--when he's not roistering in bars and dodging moneylenders, that is.

The one thing keeping this ragged outfit together (besides Quedra's blistering stare) is everyone's desire to survive on the edge, even if that means smuggling, battling pirates, and flying too close to the solid floor of clouds known as the Layer, below which the merciless insectoid mantids hold sway. Indeed, few who dare to venture there ever return . . .

But when the Last Stop is enlisted to search for a lost expedition that may have discovered a haven for humans beneath the Layer, it's the chance of a lifetime. What awaits Zham and team at the end of this dangerous mission might just change their lives--and their world--forever. Then again, it might mean the end of both.

Last Stop is the first book of a thrilling new series from the critically acclaimed creator of Burningblade & Silvereye and the Forbidden Library.

Review Quotes

"A pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure reminiscent of Joss Whedon's Firefly . . . Readers will hope for a quick return to this exciting universe." --Publishers Weekly

"This novella . . . delivers adventure and action in a series starter that will be of interest to fans of James S. A. Corey's Expanse series." --Booklist

About the Author

Django Wexler is the author of flintlock fantasy series the Shadow Campaigns, epic fantasy series Burningblade & Silvereye, YA fantasy trilogy the Wells of Sorcery, and middle-grade fantasy series the Forbidden Library. In his former life as a software engineer, he worked on AI research and programming languages. Wexler currently lives near Seattle with his wife, daughter, four cats, and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.