books
grand central arena
it was supposed to be a routine test of a new ship but they landed in a alien arena where the stakes were life or death . a new paperback original by the co author of boundary . br it was supposed to be a simple test flight one that pilot ariane austin was on only as a last ditch backup ; intelligent superhumanly fast automation would handle the test activation and flight of humanitys first faster than light vessel . but when the sandrisson drive activated every automated system crashed the nuclear reactor itself shut down and only the reflexes and training of a racing pilot saved the test vessel holy grail from crashing into the impossible wall that had appeared before them a wall which is just part of a monstrous enclosure surrounding a space twenty thousand kilometers across . with all artificial intelligences inert and their reactor dead they had to find some other source of power to reactivate the sandrisson drive and hopefully take them home . br and that was only the beginning . as ariane dr. simon sandrisson darkly enigmatic power engineer marc c. duquesne and the rest of the holy grails crew explore the immense artifact they discover that they are not alone ; they have entered a place the alien inhabitants call the arena and there is no way out without joining one of the alien factions ... or winning recognition as a faction in their own right playing by the arenas rules and by the arenas rules one failed challenge could mean death or worse perhaps for the entire human race . br surrounded by alien factions each with its own secret plans and motivations some wielding powers so strange as to be magical ariane sets out to beat the arena at its own game . with duquesnes strategies sandrissons genius and her own unyielding determination shes going to bring the holy grail home even if she has to beat every faction in the arena to do it br
paperback pocket books 2010 isbn13 9781439133552 isbn10 1439133557
book type fi isbn 13 9781439133552 number of pages 671 publisher pocket books release date 1272326400000