He wanted to be a doctor, but his family sent him to be a Ship's Inquisitor. Only his fierce determination to hold to justice wherever he can find it has preserved his sanity -- his own force of will, and a peculiar partnership with a man condemned by the Bench to serve on pain of agonizing punishment inflicted by the "governor" in his brain.

In Port Rudistal, a defeated people have been consigned to the authority of their ancestral enemies to suffer and work and die like cattle.

Bereft of his friend, drunk on absolute license to work his will on prisoner after prisoner, will Andrej realize what horrors are contained within the walls of the Domitt Prison, and can he bring the truth to light before his enemies silence him forever?

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Andrej is a compelling character...[The federation] makes a powerful background for these tales of heroic torment — and leaves room for interesting exploration in future volumes.
-Carolyn Cushman, Locus

Like the first book, this is dark, delicious, edgy and disturbing. Go for it.
-Barnes & Noble

Matthews has the ability to translate the ugliness of human society into highly readable prose. One of the most original and enjoyable works to be found in the genre in quite a while.
-Starlog

Matthews has a knack for working with horrific material in a way that acknowledges human capacity for humour, decency, affection, and survival without ever minimizing the horror. She also has a knack for writing stuff that really ought to come with nightmare warnings.Susan R. Matthews is among the best writers of ethical arguments at work in science fiction today.
-Liz Bourke, Tor.com