Fleeing a menace of galactic proportions, a spaceship crashes on an unfamiliar world, leaving the survivors--a pair of children--to the not-so-tender mercies of a medieval, lupine race.

Responding to the crippled ship’s distress signal, a rescue mission races against time to retrieve the children and recover the weapon they need to prevent the universe from being forever changed.

; 1993 John W. Campbell Memorial Award nominee ; 1993 SF Chronicle Award, best novel ; 1993 Hugo Award, best novel ; 1993 Locus Poll Award nominee, best SF novel ; 1992 Nebula Award nominee, best novel ; Editor’s Choice, New York Times Book Review

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"Against a background depicting a space-time continuum stratified into ‘zones of thought,’ the author has created a rarity--a unique blend of hard science, high drama, and superb storytelling. A mind-stretching, challenging novel."
   LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Heart-pounding, mind-expanding science fiction at its best."
   PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"The reader grows breathless, carried away in a way that only the very best can manage."
   ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION

"A tale that burns with the brazen energy of the best space operas of the golden age. Vinge has created a galaxy for the readers of the 90s to believe in...immense, ancient, athrum with data webs, dotted with wonders."
   JOHN CLUTE, INTERZONE

"Vernor Vinge’s best novel yet... One of the best novels of the year!"
   GREG BEAR

"The first grand SF I’ve read in ages... Awesome vistas of time and space. Vinge is one of the best visionary writers of SF today."
   DAVID BRIN, AUTHOR OF THE UPLIFT WAR

"Vast, riveting, far-future saga... The overall concept astonishes; the aliens are developed with memorable skill and insight, the plot twists and turns with unputdownable tension. A masterpiece of universe building."
   KIRKUS REVIEWS

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