Words are weapons, and one man is immune, in this dazzlingly original thriller from the author of JENNIFER GOVERNMENT.
Sticks and stones break bones... but words can kill.
They recruited Emily Ruff from the streets. They said it was because she's good with words. They'll live to regret it.
They think Wil Parke survived something he shouldn't have. But he doesn't remember. Now they're after him and he doesn't know why.
There's a word, they say. The most powerful thing in the world. And they want it back...
Find out why in one of the most mind-bending, page-turning, thrilling novels you'll ever read.
Brilliantly realised... strikingly relevant... a resounding success - SFX
Highly entertaining and engrossing... characters that are both complicated and likeable - SciFi Now
Gripping... a pitch-perfect thriller, a jetpack of a plot that rocketed me from page one to page 400 in a single afternoon - BoingBoing - Cory Doctorow
Truly original... a crack-paced thriller... smart and tons of fun - Australian
Barry's smartest dystopia yet - io9.com
Sophisticated and laden with subtext... clearly reaffirms Barry's status as a gifted purveyor of suspense - Time Out New York
Best thing I've read in a long, long time... a masterpiece - Hugh Howey, bestselling author of Wool
Wonderfully crafted, dark yet humourous, fast-paced and tragic in turn - National
Max Barry is the author of numerous novels, including Jennifer Government, Company, Machine Man, Lexicon and Providence. He is also the developer of the online nation simulation game NationStates. Prior to his writing career, Barry worked at tech giant HP. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and two daughters.