The Dark Ascent. Published 2003 (hardcover), 2004 (mass-market paperback); Tor Books.

With the Solar Empire's war against the vuhls in full swing, Commodore Laperriere must fight on a different scale and for different stakes. No one is telling the whole truth, and no one has all of the answers – or even all of the questions. The end to both of these conflicts is in the future – which no one can clearly see.

Reviews

"Keeping track of the players — the heroes and the villains, alive and dead — is a delightful challenge. So is distinguishing the manipulated from the manipulators. The many borrowings from Zen Buddhism and Taoist philosophy, not to mention the resemblance of the zor language to the old style of transliterated Chinese, add depth and interest." Publisher's Weekly. (©2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Series fans - clearly a patient, dedicated bunch - will relish Hunt's slow-motion intrigues and detailed exploration of alien societies." Library Journal. (©2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Fans of Walter H. Hunt's The Dark Wing and The Dark Path space opera epic will be delighted to see The Dark Ascent." Analog. (© 2004 Dell Magazines; "The Reference Library" ©2004, Tom Easton.)

"This surprisingly thoughtful space opera, lacking neither adventure nor battles, considers issues of genocide and enmity in surprising depth." Booklist. (©2004, American Library Association.)