Nowhere is safe within the eye of the storm. . . .

The Galactic Republic is in chaos following the Nihil’s shocking destruction of the gleaming space station Starlight Beacon. Capitalizing on their victory, the Nihil have erected a barrier called the Stormwall around a section of Republic space and claimed it for themselves. Within this Occlusion Zone, people live at the mercy of the Nihil—and the Nihil are not known for mercy. 

Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, believing her Padawan, Imri Cantaros, to be among the casualties of Starlight Beacon, has retreated to a peaceful planet where she hopes to nurse her wounds and regain some sense of equilibrium. But her old friend Avon Starros has other plans. Avon knows that Imri is alive inside the Occlusion Zone—and she and Vernestra must be the ones to find him. 

With the help of former frontier deputy Jordanna Sparkburn and the extremely untrustworthy Xylan Graf, Avon and Vernestra set out to breach the Stormwall and enter the Occlusion Zone in search of Imri. But within Nihil territory, danger lurks around every corner . . . as do terrifying creatures known as the Nameless.

How can Vernestra find her lost Padawan when her very strength in the Force becomes her ultimate weakness? And what are Avon’s true motivations behind enemy lines?

Tessa Gratton is genderfluid and hangry. She’s also the author of adult and YA SFF novels and short stories that have been translated into twenty-two languages. Her most recent novels are the dark queer fairy tales Strange Grace and Night Shine and the queer Shakespearean retelling Lady Hotspur. Her current work includes the YA fantasy Chaos and Flame (2023; with Justina Ireland) and novels in the Star Wars: The High Republic series. Though she has lived all over the world, she currently resides at the edge of the Kansas prairie with her
wife. She/any.

Justina Ireland is the author of Dread Nation, a New York Times best seller and YALSA 2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten selection. Her other books for children and teens include Deathless Divide, Vengeance Bound, Promise of Shadows, Ophie’s Ghosts, Rust in the Root, and five Star Wars novels. She lives with her husband, kid, dog, and cats in Maryland. You can visit her online at www.justinaireland.com.