My first novel for DAW Books, now availalbe in a new trade paperback edition from Endless Sky Books (an imprint of Shadowpaw Press)
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Shadowpaw Press
Read the prologue and first two chapters
A thrilling far-future science fiction adventure of communication and learned trust between human and alien
As a young child, the human empath Kathryn’s world was ripped apart when the alien, bat-like S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Only the Translators, the elite guild of empaths who maintain the fragile peace of the seven-race Commonwealth, were able to free her from the trauma and give her a new life.
As a young S’sinn, Jarrikk saw his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who sought to colonize his world. Crippled so that he could never fly again, he sought death, as honour demanded, but when the Guild of Translators recognized his empathic ability, that choice was forbidden him. Instead, he, too, was trained to be a Translator.
When humans and S’sinn find themselves poised on the brink of a war that could devour not only their own species but all the races of the Commonwealth, these two shattered survivors from opposite sides of the last war, in a desperate attempt to salvage peace, forge an unbreakable bond—and unlock a power that could save or doom them all.
As shadowy traitors create chaos, Jarrikk and Kathryn unleash their newfound abilities in a desperate attempt to avert apocalypse—and come face to face with the deadly consequences of the power they now wield.
Praise for Lost in Translation
“This book has it all: great aliens, brilliant world-building, a breakneck plot, and a message that resonates with our times. Edward Willett has arrived, and SF is the richer for it.” – Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Downloaded
“Lost in Translation is a believable, absorbing, thought-provoking and highly enjoyable read.” – Kathy Tyers, Author of Firebreak, Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura, and Star Wars: Balance Point
“Willett has created an interstellar adventure story worthy of Golden Age masters like Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein. The pace is fast, the invention rich, and the plot twirls and twists like an Aldebaranian Woggle Dancer. Willett even pulls off that trickiest of SF finesses, the alien species that does not think like humankind and yet makes enough sense to capture our interest and sympathy. If you hanker after a journey to distant worlds and a visit to the Galactic Commonwealth, then reach forLost in Translation.”– Dave Duncan, author of the Seventh Sword series and the King’s Blades series
“The fast-paced action kept me turning pages long after I should have been abed, and the anti-racist, anti-war message seemed particularly timely!”–Dr. Robert Runte, Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine
“LOST IN TRANSLATION by Edward Willett is definitely a book science fiction purists will savor. Intrigue, the threat of interstellar war, and action all combine to make this tale a suspenseful and pleasant experience to those who enjoy intelligent writing and crafty storytelling . . .” – Courtney Michelle, Romance Reviews Today
