"What they saw, streaking through the atmosphere, was a turquoise world--blue-green with vegetation, water, and cloud-laced sky: a world never seen before. Here was a virginal world, rich and ripe, free and unspoiled. A perfect world--or so it seemed in those first dizzying moments of discovery. . ."

How could they know what lay ahead?

Vagabond, bon vivant, debt-dodger, and writer of history books nobody buys, Orion Treet is astounded to be invited to accompany a top-secret mission. Sprawling mega-corporation Cynetics offers him 8 million dollars and the chance of a lifetime: observe and document an extra-terrestrial colony on a newly discovered planet: Empyrion.

In hardback for the first time, this Enhanced Edition also includes:

• A six page author interview on the writing and themes of the book.
• Material from the author's archives: the original, deleted epigram and prologue.
• The author's hand-drawn reference map.
• A newly approved text and redesigned interior.

Stephen R. Lawhead is a multi-award winning author of mythic history and imaginative bestsellers. In over thirty years of professional writing he has established an international reputation and is known for such works as the King Raven trilogy, a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend, and the Pendragon Cycle, an historic retelling of the King Arthur legend.

Other notable works include the fantasy series The SONG of ALBION, and the DRAGON KING trilogies-- as well as the historical works Byzantium, Patrick, Avalon, and the works of science-fiction Dream Thief and EMPYRION, as well as the five-book series BRIGHT EMPIRES. Lawhead makes his home in Oxford, England, with his wife.