Ascendance (Posey)

The first novel in an exciting new series, Every Sky a Grave is a thrilling space epic following a powerful woman who can destroy planets with a single word and who is suddenly faced with an adversary that threatens the entire known universe. Mankind has conquered the galaxy. Since decoding the language of the universe 8,000 years ago, they have reached the very edges of their known galaxy and built a near-utopia across thousands of worlds, united by a common language and a powerful organization known as the Ascendance. The peaceful stability of their society relies solely on this Language. As the Ascendance prepares for the next stage of human evolution-making the leap from one galaxy to the next-they send Elyth, a female agent trained in the art of a math-encoded language that allows humans to travel to the edges of the galaxy, on a clandestine mission to suppress an uprising before it begins. While doing reconnaissance, she follows the trail of a unique speech pattern thought to be extinguished long ago and comes face-to-face with a man who should no longer exist-Varen Fedic, the First Speaker and one of the Ascendance's most dangerous adversaries. Varen's understanding of the deep Language is thorough, so much so that Elyth soon learns that the disciples whom she mistook for followers are actually his captors. Forcing Varen to teach them his ways, they plan to use his powers against an unknown force that is stopping humanity from leaving the galaxy. And now Elyth and Varen face something truly alien-an unknown species for which the Language has no name.

Jay Posey returns with the much-anticipated second installment of the critically acclaimed Ascendance series following a powerful woman who can destroy planets with a single word but who is suddenly faced with an adversary that threatens the entire universe. Far in the future, human beings have seeded themselves amongst the stars. Since decoding the language of the universe 8,000 years ago, they have reached the very edges of their known galaxy and built a near-utopia across thousands of worlds, united and ruled by a powerful organization known as the Ascendance. The peaceful stability of their society relies solely on their use of this Deep Language of the cosmos. Elyth-a former agent of the religious arm of the Ascendance, The First House-is on the run after the events of Every Sky a Grave, when she and the fugitive Varen Fedic exposed the darker side of Ascendance hegemony on a planet called Qel. Though she just wishes to put the past (and Varen) behind her, she is soon tracked and cornered by the Ascendance agents. Surprisingly, they aren't there for punishment. Instead, they offer her a deal in exchange for her help in exploring a new planet that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. If she agrees, her sins against the Ascendance and the First House will be forgiven. Elyth reluctantly agrees to join the team of elite agents (including some former allies-turned-enemies) but almost as soon as they touch down on the planet's surface, things start to go awry. Strange sounds are heard in the wilderness, horrifying creatures are seen stalking the forests, and even the landscape itself seems to change during the night. But as expedition members start dying, two things become clear: the planet is conscious, and it's trying to kill them.