Description

Sounding Dark is a legend, a ghost ship missing two hundred years. Now it may be the only hope for the pirate republic of Eresh to stand against the mighty Calpurnian Navy. In the wake of a terrible defeat, Adelita Massacre, the Steel Captain, knows that their days are numbered without a miracle.

Bister is the only survivor of the defeat, a Tainted smuggler and fixer from the interdicted world of Inanna. Found alive, adrift in a spacesuit hours after its air supply should have run out, her survival is a literal miracle. Has the Lady of the Void herself chosen Bister to free her from imprisonment?

Now Adelita, Bister, Bister’s lover Griffin, and the mysterious Navigator must find Sounding Dark and her ancient weaponry if they hope to protect Eresh from the Calpurnian attack. But Sounding Dark will not give up her secrets easily….

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Praise for Sounding Dark:

Faith, luck, and grit propel this ambitious space opera from Graham (Black Ships). // Graham amps up the action, constructs a rich mythology of gods, cultures, and societies, and develops evocative characters that will make readers cheer. This pure sci-fi escape proves a fresh experience for fans who are tired of clichés. — Publishers Weekly

Sounding Dark is tremendously exciting space opera. // It’s the sort of book you stay up far too late finishing, and then go back to re-read so that you can savor the details. The thing that’s hard to express how well Sounding Dark blends solid technical SF // with deep myths. // Jo Graham makes both aspects utterly believable and equally crucial to the story. — Melissa Scott, legendary pioneering SFF author of more than thirty novels, winner of multiple genre awards

Jo Graham’s space opera is a richly imagined narrative which uses its spectrum of relatable heroes who face overwhelming odds with drive, determination, grit, and most powerfully of all, hope. With its inventive use of Sumerian motifs in its intriguing worldbuilding, Sounding Dark soars to reach a liminal place on the boundaries of science fiction and myth. — Paul Weimer, SFF book reviewer and Hugo finalist

Sounding Dark is a hope-filled space opera with a classic feel. It has space battles, politics, and // vividly-imagined worlds in conflict. Enduring friendships and the deeply-held beliefs of the characters // make it a story with heart, as well. I’ll definitely be looking forward to further books exploring this universe. — K.V. Johansen, author of the Gods of the Caravan Road epic fantasy series

Jo Graham specializes in writing gloriously epic yet deeply personal science fantasy, and Sounding Dark is the beginning of just my kind of saga: generational, political, magical. — E.K. Johnston, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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Sounding Dark
by Jo Graham
Published by Candlemark & Gleam, December 2021
240 pages
ISBN: 978-1-952456-05-3
eISBN: 978-1-952456-06-0
Cover artist: Eleni Tsami
Series: The Calpurnian Wars #1