In the “excellent” sequel to The Zero Stone, Murdoc Jern searches for the source of the mysterious gem that leaves violence in its wake (Kirkus Reviews). The Zero Stone is the greatest treasure–and the greatest curse. It holds all the power of the universe, and such power is worth killing for. The seemingly dull, lifeless rock is Murdoc Jern’s sole inheritance from his father, who himself was … from his father, who himself was murdered over the stone. But to uncover its power, he first has to figure out the secret of its origins.
With no choice but to run for life and limb while trying to solve the mystery of the Zero Stone, Murdoc and his feline mutant companion, Eet, travel across the galaxy–business class, of course–hopping from world to world and bad situation to worse in their quest. All they have to do now is duck the lethally unforgiving Thieves Guild, avoid the never-give-up law enforcement corps of the Patrol, and somehow manage to stay alive if they want to unleash the most awesome power the universe has ever seen . . .
Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Andre Norton’s “version of hallucinatory and telepathic events is excellent and the . . . duo is inspired.” Along with The Zero Stone, these novels are “two of the author’s best” (Kirkus Reviews).
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I read this as a teenager and liked it so much that I reread it. It’s the sequel to The Zero Stone, which should be read first.