- The Fantasy Book Review

Five thousand years in the future, mankind has spread halfway across the galaxy. Almost two sextillion humans, living on nearly a billion worlds, are still rebuilding from a Galactic Civil War the end of which gave rise to the Imperium. But for some people, the fighting continues....

Shepard Bellator, one of the twelve members of the Imperator's recently disbanded Caelian Guard, has been charged with ending the ambitions of Skel Stottle, a crime boss and weapons dealer who is on the verge of starting another Civil War to bring down the Imperator.

Tasked to work as a lone agent to give the Imperator some measure of deniability, Shepard must not only avoid using any resources among the Imperial Forces but he must also achieve his objective without incurring enough collateral damage to set off another conflict and end the already fragile concord....