The ultimate truth can only be learned after you sacrifice your innocence.
Young, fearless, and free, Estee grew up on a planet untouched by man. But when a military expedition shatters her innocence, she must join with a young Arab lieutenant from Mars to unlock the secrets of her homeworld and break the cycle of violence.
The ultimate truth can only be learned after you sacrifice your innocence.
Sixteen Earth-standard years ago, Michael and Terra abandoned their scientific mission to make the planet Icaria their home. Their children have grown up in innocence on a world untouched by man. They thought it would be decades before anyone else came to this rugged, edenic paradise. They were wrong.
Young, fearless, and free, Estee has never known another man besides her father. So when a military expedition arrives from Earth, she is fascinated by all the strange new people, their heavy armored vehicles, and their guns.
But her parents have entrusted her with a secret that absolutely cannot fall into the wrong hands. After sending her into the wilderness to keep it safe, Estee realizes that there is a dark side to her homeworld—and that the marines will kill to stop it from spreading to Earth.
Among those marines is Khalil, a young Arab lieutenant from Mars. His innocence was shattered long ago, but he has no desire to shatter Estee’s world. Unfortunately, the marines have brought with them the age-old conflicts of Earth, and a division in the ranks sets him against his brothers in arms.
As the poison of war spreads across Estee’s home, she and Khalil must unlock the secrets of Icaria’s past in order to break the cycle of violence and restore their shattered worlds.