Sixth Nik

Perfectly aligned for readers of Iain M. Bankss The Culture series and Ursula K. Le Guins The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, The Sixth Nik is a galaxy spanning adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prizewinning author of Angel Down and Whalefall.Deep into space, far past the triworld outposts, beyond range of the lethal trollbot internet, soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of reacting to every need of its human crew. Sisilla, a nine-year-old cultist with a brain enhanced by arcane tech known as niks, has boarded to investigate the enigma of Fma plague-riddled planet that has abruptly gone rogue. The mysterious crew includes a faceless assassin, a beautiful engineer jigsawed by plastic surgery, a peyote-addicted medic, andmost lethal of alla rugged, NonModded captain with a score to settle with Sisilla. Other dangers abound. A hacked robot begins to believe Sisilla is its daughter. The Sickness itself is mutating, possibly even pregnant. And the secret of Fm is more horrific than anyone could have imagined. To survive, Sisilla will need to forsake her predetermined fate and embrace the unknown.