A former Soviet rocket scientist, Elena Irinovna now cleans office buildings - until she crosses paths with Ilya Muromyets. A remnant of Russia's glorious and fabled past, Ilya is an eight-hundred-year-old turned heroin addict, dreaming of a death that never comes. They are brought together by a strange artefact Elena has found, which offers a glimpse into another dimension, creating a dangerous breach in a world Elena only thought she knew. Ilya is no stranger to the unexplained. He's been hired by a mysterious organization to track down the artefact. But nothing prepared him for what it offers - or for a woman like Elena. Fighting their own inner demons as well as those from across the breach, Ilya and Elena embark on a harrowing trip between nations and worlds. And for the first time the man of myth and the woman of science discover that they have a dream to defend - and even die for.

Author Biography

One of the rising stars of British SF, Liz Williams is the daughter of a stage magician and a gothic novelist, and currently lives in Glastonbury. She received a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge, and her subsequent career has ranged from reading tarot cards on the Palace Pier to teaching in central Asia. Her fifth book, Banner of Souls was nominated for the Philip K Dick Award and the Arthur C Clarke Award.