After years in exile Nyxnissa so Dasheem is back in action in service to the bel dames a sisterhood of elite government assassins tasked with eliminating deserters and traitors. The end of a centuries-long holy war between her country Nasheen and neighboring Chenja has flooded the streets of Nasheen with unemployed - and unemployable - soldiers whose frustrations have brought the nation to the brink of civil war. Not everyone likes this tenuous and unpredictable peace however and somebody has kidnapped a key politician whose death could trigger a bloody government takeover. With aliens in the sky and revolution on the ground Nyx assembles a team of mad magicians torturersand mutant shape-shifters for an epic journey across a flesh-eating desert in search of a man shes not actually supposed to kill. Trouble is killing is the only thing Nyx is good at. And she already left this man to die... Skyhorse Publishing under our Night Shade and Talos imprints is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera time travel hard SF alien invasion near-future dystopia) fantasy (grimdark sword and sorcery contemporary urban fantasy steampunk alternative history) and horror (zombies vampires and the occult and supernatural) and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller a national bestseller or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.