In such novels as The Poison Master and Empire of Bones, Liz Williams sparked readers' imaginations by creating worlds at once strange and familiar. Now this bold new writer delivers a profound and provocative look at human nature in a timely novel of a nation--and a world--torn asunder, and of a hope that refuses to die.

Nine Layers of Sky

A former Soviet rocket scientist, Elena Irinovna now cleans office buildings--until she crosses paths with Ilya Muromyets. A remnant of Russia's glorious and fabled past, Ilya is an eight-hundred-year-old hero turned heroin addict, dreaming of a death that never comes. They are brought together by a strange artifact Elena has found, which offers a glimpse into another dimension, creating a dangerous breach in a world Elena only thought she knew...

Ilya is no stranger to the unexplained. He's been hired by a mysterious organization to track down the artifact. But nothing prepares him for what it offers--or for a woman like Elena. Fighting their own inner demons as well as those from across the breach, Ilya and Elena embark on a harrowing trip between nations and worlds. And for the first time the man of myth and the woman of science discover that they have a dream to defend--and even die for...

From the Paperback edition.