Dark Diamond is the first in a high-octane space opera trilogy, Time’s Shadow. From Neal Asher, creator of the Polity universe.

‘Infinitely entertaining’ – Locus Magazine

Somebody is trying to kill Captain Blite, but each attempt ends in unexpected failure. All Blite knows is that a black diamond – left to him by the dark AI Penny Royal – is the cause of his unlikely survival.

Each failed attempt on Blite’s life generates temporal anomalies, drawing the scrutiny of the ruthless Mobius AI Straeger, who craves the power and possibilities the diamond holds. But they also draw the attention of the legendary Polity agent Ian Cormac, whose skills and destructive reputation may make him Blite’s only hope. Caught in the crossfire of galactic forces, Blite must uncover the true nature of the dark diamond before it causes his destruction . . .

Praise for Neal Asher

‘Neal Asher’s books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly for the brain’ – John Scalzi, author of Old Man’s War

‘Non-stop action and unimaginable stakes’ – Yoon Ha Lee on The Soldier

‘Imaginative, energetic and insane’ – SFX on Brass Man

Magnificently awesome . . . Asher turns it up to eleven -- Peter F. Hamilton, author of Exodus: The Archimedes Engine, on The Soldier
Asher rocks with XXX adrenaline while delivering a vivid future -- David Brin, author of The Postman, on Dark Intelligence
Nonstop action, and unimaginable stakes -- Yoon Ha Lee, author of Ninefox Gambit, on The Soldier
Gleeful but superbly controlled action-adventure -- The Times on Weaponized
A powerhouse cocktail of lurid violence, evocative world-building and typically grotesque monsters -- SFX on Orbus
Without a doubt the most entertaining science fiction author writing today -- SFF World on Line War
Asher’s work continues to combine the best of advanced cybertech and military SF * Publishers Weekly *
Asher is a modern master of sci-fi -- Starburst Magazine on Dark Intelligence

Neal Asher divides his time between Essex and Crete, mostly at a keyboard and mentally light years away. His full-length novels are as follows. First is the Agent Cormac series: Gridlinked, The Line of Polity, Brass Man, Polity Agent and Line War. Next comes the Spatterjay series: The Skinner, The Voyage of the Sable Keech and Orbus. Also set in the same world of the Polity are these standalone novels: Prador Moon, Hilldiggers, Shadow of the Scorpion, The Technician, Jack Four, Weaponized, and War Bodies. His Transformation trilogy comprises Dark Intelligence, War Factory and Infinity Engine. The Departure, Zero Point and Jupiter War are set in a dystopian future and connect to the World Walkers standalone, while Cowl transports us across time. The Rise of the Jain trilogy is made up of The Soldier, The Warship and The Human. Dark Diamond is the first novel in the Time’s Shadow trilogy, also part of the Polity universe.