One curse. Two sworn enemies. Thousands of lives in the balance.
'A glorious cast of misfits that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure - even as they hold a gun to your head' KATE DYLAN

Winter's Orbit meets The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet in this stunning emotional yet action-packed adult science-fiction novel, perfect for fans of found family and queer-platonic relationships.

Ash, dried flowers, and a drop of blood: Remy has all he needs to avenge his brother's death.

Five years ago, interstellar pirate Idrian Delaciel ordered a withering - a death curse - cast on Remy's brother, costing him his life. Now, Remy is ready to return the favour. Only when he casts the withering, it also rebounds onto him.

The implications are unthinkable - that Remy is fatebound to his brother's killer.

The only way to slow the curse is to close the distance between them, so Remy infiltrates Idrian's criminal crew, hiding his identity as the witherer. But Remy quickly learns that Idrian is the sole provider of life-saving supplies to thousands of innocents. And if he dies, they will perish with him.

With more at stake now than just revenge, Remy must find a way to break the curse. Too bad for him - the only way to stop a withering is to kill the witherer.

'Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming' ESSA HANSEN

'Amidst all the magic and space-faring adventure is a stunning, thoughtful treatise on grief and love in all its forms' JULIE LEONG

READERS LOVE LORD OF THE EMPTY ISLES

'Oh gods did I love it . . . a heartwarming, eye tearing story of a found family' Reader review

'Wow! Jules Arbeaux has crafted a masterpiece with this book' Reader review


'A beautiful story . . . Probably my favourite book of the year so far!' Reader review


'A magnificent debut, characterized by a heartwarming story, incredible characters, and a spectacular found family!'


'This was one of those books that was addicting . . . It was fast-paced and tense and I was hooked almost immediately. It was incredibly emotional and I was on tenterhooks throughout' Reader review