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A Kiss for Damocles
A Kiss for Damocles follows the journey of Shaifennen Roehe, a young homesteader who is the right girl in the right place to serve as a catalyst in her world’s, and eventually, her civilization’s, restoration. She must adapt from merely struggling to survive in a harsh world as her simple homestead becomes a boomtown, and then the keystone of a restored colonial government.
Meanwhile, competing Townie politicians and merchant princes have other plans for Hesperides Colony’s future and take a very personal interest in her as she inadvertently kicks over a few of their apple carts. And all the while, sinister, hidden forces watch and calculate and a centuries-old shadow war comes to a head.
Shai’s universe is one filled with fallen empires, implacable war machines, lost civilizations, hostile xenos, the occasional ancient unspeakable horror, and she’s going to bring the ruckus to every corner of it.
Meanwhile, competing Townie politicians and merchant princes have other plans for Hesperides Colony’s future and take a very personal interest in her as she inadvertently kicks over a few of their apple carts. And all the while, sinister, hidden forces watch and calculate and a centuries-old shadow war comes to a head.
Shai’s universe is one filled with fallen empires, implacable war machines, lost civilizations, hostile xenos, the occasional ancient unspeakable horror, and she’s going to bring the ruckus to every corner of it.
466 pages, Paperback
Published June 25, 2025
7 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 11, 2025
I read one of the short stories Mr. Pierce has created for the Tales from the Long Night and knew I had to have more and I went looking and discovered this novel.
The wonderful cross of western and science-fiction comes across in the language and circumstances on this post-apocalyptic world where an orbital bombardment had set off the planet's equivalent of the Yellow Stone Caldera. This story is set when the survivors of the colony caught in the crossfires between two interstellar empires finally are beginning to crawl out of their Volcanic Winter and face the "landmines" left behind by the war, specifically a space platform set to destroy anything that looks like higher man-made technology.
It's hard to advance when any advancement leads to precision orbital bombardment by an ancient long-forgotten-by-its-creators platform.
A young female scrounger finds the score of a lifetime, not only for her but her community. The waves of which will either be felt around the world, or stolen from them. A Kiss follows Roehe from find, to family, to foe. Can she keep her head and her temper long enough to gain the benefit without calling down disaster upon everything.
I just love the western flavor, the scrapy characters, and the defiance against a world that was never the cradle of humanity.
The wonderful cross of western and science-fiction comes across in the language and circumstances on this post-apocalyptic world where an orbital bombardment had set off the planet's equivalent of the Yellow Stone Caldera. This story is set when the survivors of the colony caught in the crossfires between two interstellar empires finally are beginning to crawl out of their Volcanic Winter and face the "landmines" left behind by the war, specifically a space platform set to destroy anything that looks like higher man-made technology.
It's hard to advance when any advancement leads to precision orbital bombardment by an ancient long-forgotten-by-its-creators platform.
A young female scrounger finds the score of a lifetime, not only for her but her community. The waves of which will either be felt around the world, or stolen from them. A Kiss follows Roehe from find, to family, to foe. Can she keep her head and her temper long enough to gain the benefit without calling down disaster upon everything.
I just love the western flavor, the scrapy characters, and the defiance against a world that was never the cradle of humanity.
January 10, 2026
Wow! Absolutely awesome sci fi adventure
I read/ reread all Pierce's Long Night stories in the Raconteur Press anthologies and really liked Shai's narrator style. So, I was thrilled to find an entire book told from Shai's viewpoint. Bad things happen. Characters die (which makes me sad). The worldbuilding is believable and incredible. The Imps are fantastic. Shai is loveable, an engaging narrator, and a surprisingly complex character. There is definitely humor, and it is often laugh-out-loud. I made a special note to mention Vivienne and the suit (LOL), as well as "Tadpole" and the littlie Archivist. This world is impressive, and the writing is amazing. I read this book in KU, but I will buy it to reread.
I read/ reread all Pierce's Long Night stories in the Raconteur Press anthologies and really liked Shai's narrator style. So, I was thrilled to find an entire book told from Shai's viewpoint. Bad things happen. Characters die (which makes me sad). The worldbuilding is believable and incredible. The Imps are fantastic. Shai is loveable, an engaging narrator, and a surprisingly complex character. There is definitely humor, and it is often laugh-out-loud. I made a special note to mention Vivienne and the suit (LOL), as well as "Tadpole" and the littlie Archivist. This world is impressive, and the writing is amazing. I read this book in KU, but I will buy it to reread.
November 18, 2025
Awesome book. I can't wait for the sequel
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews