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Table of Contents
About The Book
The Billion Worlds’ Greatest Spy Faces His Greatest Challenge
At the end of the Tenth Millennium, Sabbath Okada, agent of a nameless branch of Deimos’ labyrinthine government comes to the vast city of Ishtar on Venus to investigate the suspicious death of an undercover agent. His companion, Daslakh, is an old and cunning AI with its own self-imposed mission: to act as Okada’s conscience.
Searching for the truth takes Sabbath and Daslakh to the glittering towers of Ishtar’s elite, a brutal combat sport arena, and the unforgiving, wind-lashed face the highest peak on Venus. Along the way they face ruthless Lunar Republic spies, double agents, and sadistic Ishtar police, but Sabbath’s greatest challenge comes from Meili Tewa, his deadliest enemy—and his only love.
Each twist in the case reveals a new layer of deception, another betrayal. Hunted and on the run, with no one he can trust and no help from home—it’s time for Sabbath Okada to remind everyone why he’s the greatest spy in the Billion Worlds of the Solar System.
Product Details
- Publisher: Baen (June 2, 2026)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668073308
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Raves and Reviews
Praise for The Godel Operation:
“With this freewheeling story of an ancient, cunning artificial intelligence and its naïve human companion, Cambias (The Initiate) mashes humor, mystery, and looming apocalypse into a roundly satisfying space epic. . . . With plenty of fun moments along the way, this raucous adventure through the solar system’s distant future will appeal to any fan of lighter science fiction.” —Publishers Weekly
“Cambias makes his solar system feel very alive, with wildly different cultures on different planets and moons . . . It is far-future space opera that is astronomically contained and written with a lightning bolt.” —Warped Factor
Praise for Arkad's World:
“Far-flung adventure . . . Cambias offers up an entertaining coming-of-age novel filled with action and surprises. His aliens are suitably non-human in mannerisms, attitudes, and objectives, and his worldbuilding suggests a vast universe ready for further exploration. Readers . . . will find this hits the spot.” —Publishers Weekly
“. . . a classic quest story, a well-paced series of encounters with different folk along the way, building momentum toward a final confrontation with Arkad’s past . . . [with] a delicious twist to the end.” —ALA Booklist
“Cambias has achieved a feat of world-building: an expansive, believable setting with fascinating aliens, compelling mysteries, and a rich sense of history.” —Bookpage
“Drop a teenage boy into a distant planet chock-full of colorful aliens—with troubles all their own. Stir, flavor, apply heat. A tour de force in the field, and great, quick fun.” —Gregory Benford
Praise for the work of James L. Cambias:
“Beautifully written, with a story that captures the imagination the way SF should.” —Booklist, starred review
“An engaging nail-biter that is exciting, fun and a satisfying read.” —The Qwillery
“An impressive debut by a gifted writer.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An exceptionally thoughtful, searching and intriguing debut.” —Kirkus, starred review
“James Cambias will be one of the century's major names in hard science fiction.” —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues
“Fast-paced, pure quill hard science fiction. . . . Cambias delivers adroit plot pivots that keep the suspense coming.” —Gregory Benford, Nebula Award-winning author of Timescape
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High Resolution Images
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Book Cover Image (jpg): The Ishtar Deception
Trade Paperback 9781668073308





