Three centuries after first contact, the squids own almost everything. I'malar commands the senate and supplies the lifeblood of Terrace ships with Phantom Drives, a benevolent gesture to smother a quiet unrest building within the Galactic Union. Striving for economic independence, backers fund the manufacture of a technology that, if used properly, would challenge I'malar's hold on humanity.
What a strange book...There was enough world-building and action where this felt like a much longer work. The author successfully pared down the story to the bare minimum and still told a story that was gripping and captivating - a perfect example of how you don't need hundreds of pages of flowery descriptions and weepy characters to keep the reader's attention.