'Proper galaxy-spanning space opera' Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth

The Warcage is a feat of unprecedented stellar engineering: two hundred worlds harnessed to an artificial sun.

Built to travel through space as a monument to peace between alien species, its voracious rulers have turned it into a nightmarish wasteland, capturing new planets for slaves and resources, then discarding the old.

Now, when a verdant agri-world is pulled out of its orbit and a deal goes bad, it is up to the captain of a smuggling ship to journey into the Warcage and rescue his crew.

Science fiction on an epic scale - Ancestral Machines is a stand-alone science fiction adventure set in Michael Cobley's bestselling Humanity's Fire universe. Perfect for fans of Iain M. Banks or James S. A. Corey's Expanse series.

For more epic space opera action from Michael Cobley, check out:

Humanity's Fire Trilogy:

Seeds of Earth
The Orphaned Worlds
The Ascendant Stars

Standalone novels in the Humanity's Fire universe:

Ancestral Machines

Splintered Suns

Also look out for Cobley's epic fantasy trilogy, Shadowkings!