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The Queen's Spawn
The Butcher hunts for a secret … but which one?
'This series is filled with well-rounded three-dimensional characters, found family, sentient aliens from benevolent to terrifying, believable science and tech, space battles, action, devious schemes, and the return of a truly ominous artificial intelligence,' TK Toppin, Scifi author of Bis Rose and The Dark Without.
With the Wrecking Squad seeking refuge on the rundown space station Benetai from the machinations of the Empire, fear of the Butcher sweeps the Emperor’s Court. Commanding a vulnerable navy and sceptical officers, Countess Segfi begins the hunt for the human/AI hybrid, risking everything as she attacks Daphene, where he first emerged as a threat.
But the Butcher shows his hand elsewhere, attempting to take Scarva’s ship and uncover the secrets of Senti FTL. Desperate, Scarva calls upon Benetai for help, only for Rebekah and her crew to respond as they recognise the AI’s hand and dread what he might have stolen, and where he is headed next.
Drawn back into the fight, the Wrecking Squad are forced to hunt for an alien Queen’s spawn that may well be the key to Almaar’s future.
But the Butcher has other plans, and piece by piece, prepares for a war like no other.
Where The Expanse and Firefly meet, The Queen’s Spawn launches the second cycle of The Wrecking Squad series as humanity fights for its future.
Praise for the
“It's all here, from the Firefly wisecracking, broken crew and the fatally weaponised mind, to the claustrophobic terror ship of Alien. "
“Fast-paced and action-packed…”
"The prose is sharp, the dialogue witty, the characters likeable and relatable, and the story oozing with layers of intrigue, secrets and revelations."
"You don’t want to miss this series."
"Snape is a masterful storyteller, who has created a believable universe with a rich backstory of war, political intrigue and a historic cast of characters."
'This series is filled with well-rounded three-dimensional characters, found family, sentient aliens from benevolent to terrifying, believable science and tech, space battles, action, devious schemes, and the return of a truly ominous artificial intelligence,' TK Toppin, Scifi author of Bis Rose and The Dark Without.
With the Wrecking Squad seeking refuge on the rundown space station Benetai from the machinations of the Empire, fear of the Butcher sweeps the Emperor’s Court. Commanding a vulnerable navy and sceptical officers, Countess Segfi begins the hunt for the human/AI hybrid, risking everything as she attacks Daphene, where he first emerged as a threat.
But the Butcher shows his hand elsewhere, attempting to take Scarva’s ship and uncover the secrets of Senti FTL. Desperate, Scarva calls upon Benetai for help, only for Rebekah and her crew to respond as they recognise the AI’s hand and dread what he might have stolen, and where he is headed next.
Drawn back into the fight, the Wrecking Squad are forced to hunt for an alien Queen’s spawn that may well be the key to Almaar’s future.
But the Butcher has other plans, and piece by piece, prepares for a war like no other.
Where The Expanse and Firefly meet, The Queen’s Spawn launches the second cycle of The Wrecking Squad series as humanity fights for its future.
Praise for the
“It's all here, from the Firefly wisecracking, broken crew and the fatally weaponised mind, to the claustrophobic terror ship of Alien. "
“Fast-paced and action-packed…”
"The prose is sharp, the dialogue witty, the characters likeable and relatable, and the story oozing with layers of intrigue, secrets and revelations."
"You don’t want to miss this series."
"Snape is a masterful storyteller, who has created a believable universe with a rich backstory of war, political intrigue and a historic cast of characters."
447 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
3 people are currently reading
About the author
Nick Snape
22 books78 followersNick Snape has been steeped in Science Fiction and Fantasy since his friends first dragged him from his schoolwork and stuck a book under his nose. Lost to the world of imagination he became a teacher by accident though he thoroughly enjoyed developing the joy of reading and writing in his pupils. Having retired after thirty years he thought it was high time to practise what he preached.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 23, 2025
Fantastic! As always, Nick Snape has managed to engage an extraordinary world building with a magnificent characters’ in-depth. Chapeau, Nick.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review