AustLit

'The old Chinese curse - may you live in interesting times - certainly applies to the space traveller Zan Kovac. The Aclasers, Earth's ruling elite, faced with revolts had genetically engineered a warrior species, the Krarls, to terrorise their enemies. But the Krarls, having turned on their creators, are driven almost to extinction, only to return in force.

'In this, the second in the Beyond the Silence trilogy, Zan with friends is caught up in the fighting and taken prisoner by the resurgent Krarls. They become slaves, hull-plating spaceships on an orbiting construction platform in the vicinity of Jupiter. Amy Pelazzo joins the group and with her expert help they set about hijacking the spaceship they're working on, the Hindel 59. During the takeover other Human slaves manage to get aboard.

'The struggle for survival continues as the Hindel moves across the vastness of space. Nine hundred people are rescued from a failing colony, but of those who were aboard the spaceship when it left the construction platform, only two survive.
This is a story of loyalty and love, sacrifice and survival. Will Zan as captain of the spaceship be able to reach the safety of planet Cellestia? Will the ship's supercomputer help or hinder, and what of the strange alien presence that watches unseen from the shadows?' (Publication summary)