A refugee from a decimated Earth joins the crew of a junker spacecraft and needs to level up his skills—fast—as they raid a treasure-laden planet. After a galaxy-destroying cataclysm, a devastated Earth cut free from its universe and fell into the Spiral, an endless twist of thousands of orphaned planets, stars, and alien civilizations, fueled by both advanced technology and magic. Among the planet's refugees is Miles Asher, a soft-spoken tutor with a checkered, secret past. Miles needs to find his way in this world—and quickly.
When he's hired onto the Starlit Kipper as ship's healer, Miles quickly realizes his Harmonizer-class magic isn't up to the challenge . . . yet. He's determined to forge a successful path to a new future. If only he can develop the skills to become a stronger mage, he'll gain the respect he so desperately desires, meanwhile shedding the stains of his former life.
Now, the Starlit Kipper is headed for Ialis, the dungeon planet, which appears lifeless on the surface but whose interior is a maze of advanced tech, priceless metals, and rare materials. A greedy corporation controls access to this treasure, but the ship's crew is determined to deploy a raiding party to extract all they can without getting caught—or killed. It's all much more than Miles bargained for, but it's exactly the challenge he needs . . .