A World Too Near

Return to the world of the Entire in the acclaimed second book of the epic series.

Titus Quinn is back in the universe of the Entire with a new task: to enter and destroy the impregnable fortress of Ahnenhoon. The fortress, called the Repel, is replete with eons-long Tarig secrets and a most disturbing personal one for Quinn: a special prisoner resides there and will perish with the Repel.

To reach Ahnenhoon, Quinn journeys across the Entire and down the River Nigh in the company of a subversive godwoman, a renegade Tarig lord, a mad navitar, and Anzi, a woman of the Chalin people, who guides him with her wit and a deepening love.

He is pursued by an assassin sent by his own daughter, Sydney, who counts the Entire as her home. Formerly a slave, she now has at her command a transforming and revolutionary power. Not only that, but Sydney has a strange ally, a person from earth who has her own plans for the Entire, enabled by a powerful machine sapient.

Weighing into this dance of power are: A Tarig queen who once loved Quinn, the alien Paion, and a Hirrin servant of the Magisterium whose growing disaffection can bring down the whole house of cards.

"The fate of two universes hangs in the balance in this intricately plotted sequel to Bright of the Sky. . . . Tangled motivations, complex characters, and intriguing world building will keep readers on the edges of their seats." --Publishers Weekly starred review

"One of the most imaginative creations in recent science fiction history." --SF Site

"Kay Kenyon continues to offer some neat adventures for her protagonists in this really alluring offbeat universe she's created. . . . All the characters continue to be fascinatingly complex. . . .Every minor character is endowed with exceptional depth and reality . . . . The artificial universe known as the Entire remains a great conception and playground for adventure." --Sci Fi Weekly

470 pages