[Jacob's Ladder 03] • Robots · The Recent A.I.

**Rife with intrigue and betrayal, heroism and sacrifice, *Grail* brings Elizabeth Bear’s brilliant space opera to a triumphant conclusion.

** ****

At last the generation ship *Jacob’s Ladder* has arrived at its destination: the planet they have come to call Grail. But this habitable jewel just happens to be populated already: by humans who call their home Fortune. And they are wary of sharing Fortune—especially with people who have genetically engineered themselves to such an extent that it is a matter of debate whether they are even human anymore. To make matters worse, a shocking murder aboard the* Jacob’s Ladder* has alerted Captain Perceval and the angel Nova that formidable enemies remain hidden somewhere among the crew.

On Grail—or Fortune, rather—Premier Danilaw views the approach of the *Jacob’s Ladder* with dread. Behind the diplomatic niceties of first-contact protocol, he knows that the deadly game being played is likely to erupt into full-blown war—even civil war. For as he strives to chart a peaceful and prosperous path forward for his people, internal threats emerge to take control by any means necessary.