A gripping sci-fi mystery from the master of the genre, Adrian Tchaikovsky, featuring rebellious clones, deep-sea secrets and the dark truth behind a manufactured world.

On an island alone in the sea, a monastic community of clones lives in the shadow of a long-wrecked spaceship. There are seven clone lineages in their Retreat, so only seven shared human faces in their world. They know that benevolent ancestors, who landed here in a past age, designed their peaceful lives. But the tide is about to turn.

While serving a punishment detail on the beach, rebellious clone Six-Maijo makes a harrowing discovery. A body with a face belonging to no known lineage has washed ashore. Secretly pursuing the mystery, Maijo learns that some questions are best left unasked. What happened to the missing, submerged section of their wrecked ship? Why is the sea casting up its corpses – and why won’t they stay dead? The Retreat is under threat, and something sinister lies waiting in the depths.

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Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky:

‘One of the most interesting and accomplished writers in speculative fiction’
– Christopher Paolini, author of The Inheritance Cycle series

‘Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of our finest writers’
– Gareth L. Powell, author of Embers of War

‘Tchaikovsky is writing modern classics and you should start reading them as soon as possible’
– Tade Thompson, author Rosewater

‘Tchaikovsky has become one of science fiction’s premier authors for the quality, scope and sense of adventure in his work. It’s rare to find an author who is so good across such different genres’
– James Oswald, author of The Ballad of Sir Benfro series