In Webb’s SF novel, an immortal warrior learns hidden truths about his world.

The story is set on the alien world of Garna, where human civilization is overseen and guarded by nine immortal superbeings called Tragum, who in turn answer to an enigmatic father-figure named the Primus. Lightning, the most feared of the Tragum, acts as the enforcer for this concentration of power, called the Covenant of Fire (“A government. An army. A religion. A promise you can’t take back”). During one mission against potential insurgents, he encounters an old man named Henry Madison who is connected to a subversive group called the Korts; his mention of the legendary Camelot sparks a hazy memory deep in Lightning’s past and prompts an action that seems to surprise him: He shoots Madison dead. Lightning later regrets this—he teases out the story of Camelot from a mistress and wonders about its possible significance. Of far more pressing importance is the covert surveillance he’s been under from his fellow Tragum. Lightning has always been an anomaly among the other immortals, but now he increasingly feels like he’s the target of suspicion from the “mostly silent but always watching” Primus. As events accelerate, Lightning finds himself cast out of the life he’s known for centuries and stalked by his former comrades among the very insurgents he himself used to hunt. As the narrative intensifies, one truth after another underpinning Lightning’s old life is shattered, leaving his future wide open.

One of the foremost challenges faced by any author of speculative fiction is the strategic deployment of exposition dumps—Webb handles this with such seemingly practiced skill that readers will be surprised to learn this is a debut work. His characters are sharply drawn, and the world he’s created—an alluring mixture of fantasy elements, like heavily mythologized folklore; contemporary details, including cigarettes and guns; and SF tropes, such as giant mechanized exoskeletons powered by the “aether” prevalent on Garna—is immersive. Lightning is a complicated main character, brooding and intriguing without ever actually being attractive, even after the scales fall from his eyes—he’s brutal, callous, and fairly dimwitted for somebody who’s had centuries to sharpen his wits. But he’s also always compelling to the reader, and the drama of his disillusionment with the Covenant’s world order is very effectively rendered. The author’s worldbuilding is endlessly engaging, and he displays an excellent sense of timing. The prose can range from plainspoken and brusque (“One of my men needs rescued”) to a high-fantasy eloquence (setting a scene, Webb describes “banners and war whoops and broken men in uniform, clutching at life with slipping fingers”). The author has a keen ear for the rhythm of dialogue; his tense confrontation scenes are uniformly excellent and often predominantly dialogue driven. His action sequences are deftly paced, which makes it unfortunate that there aren’t more of them. The narrative’s glimpses of the centuries-ago events that brought a remnant of humanity from Earth to Garna are temptingly scanty; the book’s conclusion naturally sets up a sequel, but plenty of readers might be just as happy with a prequel or two.

A fast-paced and intriguing SF adventure in which an immortal’s life blows apart.