Backyard Starship

When Van Tudor returns to his childhood home, he inherits more than the family farm. His grandfather used to tell him fantastic stories of spacemen and monsters, princesses and galactic knights. Little did Van realize, the old man's tales were more than fiction; they were real. Hidden beneath the old barn, Van's legacy is waiting: a starship, not of this world. With his combat AI, an android bird named Perry, Van takes his first steps into the wider galaxy. He soon finds that space is far busier and more dangerous than he could have ever conceived. Destiny is calling. His grandfather's legacy awaits. Embark on the adventure of a lifetime with USA Today best-selling author J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert in this galactic quest for glory.

Van left his old life behind, but some things remain the same. Even in space, crime still exists. After taking a Peacemaker job to find missing fuel, Perry finds something far more sinister than simple theft - a voice, crying out in a forge of heat and flame, and the discovery reveals a series of acts so vicious that nothing short of revenge will suffice. Following leads across the stars, Van, Perry, and Torina discover the wealthy elite are doing more than just taking fuel. They're stealing lives. But it takes money to make justice, and Van has to work. Torina's land must be restored, and the Dragonet needs new armor, and Van's sword isn't going to sharpen itself. So Van throws himself into the life of a Peacemaker, where he discovers that doing his job - and doing it well - makes him a target. He's got the will. He's got the sword. And he's got help. Now all he needs is a little fuel. And maybe a gun or two.

The guild is under attack, and Van is right in the middle of it all. When Master Yewlo is abducted by unknown forces, the Peacemakers are thrown into chaos as the rescue mission begins. Finding Yewlo will be hard, but the search reveals secrets the guild might not survive - secrets about a system so corrupt, it will take Van and his team's best efforts to untangle the truth. And they might not like what they find. On the grimy station known as Halcyon, Van will track and confront thieves who deal in stolen lives, all in order to save a Master who might not have the guild's best interest at heart. With Sorcerers and Cloaks and every other kind of criminal, Van, Torina, Perry and Icky learn that friends come in all shapes and sizes - and so do enemies. From the depths of space to Iowa, join Van as he fights to save his guild, free stolen lives, and discover that money makes the universe go around - money and lies, that is. And Van will find the truth, no matter what the cost.

There are some things you simply can't escape. For Van, it's family. Out among the stars, his cousin, Carter Yost, drags Van and his team into a criminal ring run by the High Doctor – a dangerous con artist with delusions of grandeur. Working from the abandoned world of Pathway, the High Doctor has created a cult, stealing a fortune from the fearful, sick, and scared. If there's one thing Van hates, it's a bully, and the High Doctor has his full attention. But in order to crush the criminal cult, Van needs bigger, better armor-and that comes with a price. The rarest metals cost money, and that means doing a few dirty jobs in order to pay for the tools of his trade. Van's got the will. His team has the skill. Now, he has to find a way. And the way will surely involve war.

When Van gains rank as a Peacemaker, he becomes a bigger target for the criminals scattered among the stars. And he wouldn't have it any other way. On a distant world under an alien sun, hunters and their companions-the Rovan-bond in a ritual as old as their civilization. But one of the hunters is missing, and Van, along with his growing crew, knows where to look. Climbing up into the rarified air of the super-rich, Van uncovers a new enemy: The Fade. And they are as cruel as the stars are many. A gang of heartless killers, the Fade will stop at nothing in the name of profit, which is fine with Van, as he'll stop at nothing in the name of justice. Tracking his quarry across a dozen systems, Van, Torina, Perry and Icky-along with Zenophir, the new technician-will untangle a conspiracy of betrayal and death. As Van soon discovers, the Fade never lose. But they've never met Van and his crew.

The Universe is a bloody mess. Time to put on your cleaning gloves. During a routine arrest, Van discovers a stolen spacecraft, its importance far greater than it first appears. Fast, sleek, and beautiful, the ship is a cultural relic from Linulla's people, and returning their property will set off a chain of events that reveals a new adversary. Rising in the ranks, Van's confrontation with a pirate leader isn't just a case of theft, but something far more sinister. And Van's going to take this case personally. He and his crew will chase the Salt Thieves and their leader in a game that can only have one winner. Will Van rise to the challenge? Can Icky control her temper? Will Perry make Icky wear pants? The answers are more complicated than they seem, and far more dangerous, for that matter, than anything Van has ever done before. But he's got a new edge on the Moonsword, a new rank, and a new crew as he takes his Dragon to the stars with one thing in mind...justice.