The Ghosts of Trappist - (Neog) by K B Wagers

About the Book

Ensign Nell "Sapphi" Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she's hearing in the Verge and the song she can't get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma's Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief's robot dog, Doge, is acting weird--a computer problem she can't find an answer to--and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge. It doesn't help the NeoG's mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D'Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head good at trusting people to begin with, he's struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten. The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D'Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What's worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that's been taking their ships too... As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe.

Book Synopsis

"A rollicking space adventure" (Locus), military sci-fi meets found family space opera when the crew of Zuma's Ghost find themselves under attack, shocking truths are about to be exposed, and the NeoG--the Coast Guard in space--is once again called to action!

Ensign Nell "Sapphi" Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she's hearing in the Verge and the song she can't get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma's Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief's robot dog, Doge, is acting weird--a computer problem she can't find an answer to--and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge.

It doesn't help the NeoG's mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D'Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head. Never good at trusting people to begin with, he's struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten. The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D'Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What's worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that's been taking their ships too...

As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe.

Review Quotes

"Wagers's inclusive worldbuilding contains an amazing range of personalities, while the fast-paced plot still gives time for meaningful character stories....[They raise] the stakes with exciting action, terrific characters, and an expansive view on life in the universe." -- Library Journal (starred review) on The Ghosts of Trappist

"As usual, K.B. Wagers delivers a rollicking space adventure, by turns serious and funny, full of witty banter, explosive tension, relatable characters, and families found and made. [...] I hope Wagers writes more in this series, or at least in one very like it: they have a wonderful knack for writing books that I find absolutely delightful entertainment." -- Locus on The Ghosts of Trappist

"Wagers lavishes a lot of attention on the internal conflicts and interpersonal frictions that accompany the more standard space battles and computer hacking intrigues. Readers who enjoy both the glitz of space opera and the conviviality of family dramas will be rewarded with as many embraces as EMP blaster pulses." -- Publishers Weekly on The Ghosts of Trappist

"Although the storyline is powered by an impressively intricate plot that features mystery, intrigue, and nonstop action, it's the deeply developed characters and the dynamic relationships among them that fuel this narrative. Wagers creates a cast of characters that are not only authentic, but endearingly flawed...Top-notch character-driven science fiction." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Hold Fast Through the Fire

"Wagers's second NeoG novel serves up buffet-size portions of everything their fans have come to expect: dug-in friendships, action, impossible odds, and clever dialogue that always hits home...Wagers's characterization plumbs incredible depths, particularly with street rat-turned-engineering chief Jenks, a brain with vicious fists. Wagers's fans should snap up this fun, thrilling latest." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Hold Fast Through the Fire

"The Ghosts of Trappist has a bit of everything--space battles, swordfights, found families, mysteries, pirates, captures, escapes... At its essence, though, this book is military sci-fi with a beating human heart, and that's a rare thing in this world."
-- Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7

"Brilliant adventures and achingly human stories with a compelling ensemble cast - The Ghosts of Trappist has the excitement of classic SF with a thoroughly modern feel."
-- Everina Maxwell, author of Winter's Orbit

"Thrilling, explosive, and heartwarming. Wagers has become one of the go-to names for powerful space opera, and there's nothing quite like NeoG."
-- Jackson Ford, author of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind

"A fantastic take on ghost ships that reminds us our past haunts us in all kinds of ways, and incredible world-building that makes you feel like you could go out and join the NeoG right now."
-- S.A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence

"Wagers's sharp prose highlights the fast action and dialogue they're known for, bringing to life this story of found family, talent, and hard punches." -- Library Journal (starred review) on Hold Fast Through the Fire

"Hold Fast Through the Fire is an ambitious, outstanding breath of fresh air in the military SF genre, and I would recommend it even to those who may not think of themselves as military SF fans." -- Chris Kluwe, Lightspeed Magazine for Hold Fast Through the Fire?

"Wagers kicks off the NeoG series with this fun, feel-good space opera. This effortlessly entertaining novel is sure to have readers coming back for the next installment." -- Publishers Weekly on A Pale Light in the Black