Dark Agent: The explosive time-travelling trilogy continues in this thrilling sequel to Dark Diamond

Time's Shadow #2

by Neal Asher

‘Balls-to-the-walls levels of exuberance and inventiveness’Locus Magazine on Dark Diamond

FORGE A NEW FUTURE. OR BE CONSUMED BY THE PAST.

Captain Blite and Agent Cormac thought they had defeated the malevolent AI Straeger. But Straeger’s mission to plunge the galaxy into a devastating war is far from over. With a twisted p-prador army bred from the Spatterjay virus, Straeger sets his plans in motion.

Meanwhile, on the war-struck world of Yossander’s Hold, Blite and Cormac are trapped in a maelstrom of betrayal and violence. They must fight their way through the chaos as they seek to repair Blite’s damaged ship. But their escape requires resources from the Bracken, and aboard that ship, a terrifying transformation is underway . . .

Recognizing the threat posed by the p-prador, the Prador Kingdom and the human Polity’s ruling AI form an uneasy alliance. But with Straeger’s plans unfolding and reality itself under threat, the galaxy is poised on the brink of destruction. Can Blite and Cormac survive the escalating war and the collapse of time itself?

From Neal Asher, Dark Agent is the second entry in the Time's Shadow trilogy, following Dark Diamond. Set in Asher's expansive Polity universe, this is unmissable military space opera from a master of the genre.

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Praise for the series

‘The stakes are high, the pacing relentless, and the scale immense . . . Asher delivers again’ – 5* Goodreads Review

‘Filled with action, suspense, and mind-wrenching twists. You’ll love it!’ – 5* Goodreads Review

‘What the cosmos really needs is more megalomaniac artificial intelligences, belligerent alien crustaceans, and protagonists who treat death like a minor inconvenience’ – 5* Goodreads Review

Genres: Science Fiction

Audible Audio

Published May 14, 2026

About the author

I’ve been an engineer, barman, skip lorry driver, coalman, boat window manufacturer, contract grass cutter and builder. Now I write science fiction books, and am slowly getting over the feeling that someone is going to find me out, and can call myself a writer without wincing and ducking my head. As professions go, I prefer this one: I don’t have to clock-in, change my clothes after work, nor scrub sensitive parts of my body with detergent. I think I’ll hang around.

Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asher has been a favourite of mine for years. Dark Agent picks up where the first in the series left off and somehow manages to up the stakes.

Keep it coming please.

[Trickyplayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent Asher book

Loved this book as part 2 of this series. Violence, hard science, humour, great characters all on display. Looking forward to the next book in the series.