Empty Between the Stars — Stephen Hunt

It is the far future. The artificial intelligences created by humanity are now gods, and mankind mere ants who scrabble in their shadows across a million worlds. The Lords of the Great Houses on the ever-night Moon of Hexator are suspected of the murder of one of their own. And merchant William Roxley, once a magistrate-priest, is unwillingly coopted to uncover the truth behind the killings.  With only the help of his naive young assistant and a brutish robot bodyguard, the man they call 'Sweet William' digs into the Moon's eerie existence. A collapsing society where many strange, terrible things are happening under night's unsettling cover.  Hexator is a place where nothing is what it seems, perhaps not even William Roxley himself! -------------------------------- ABOUT THE AUTHOR  Stephen Hunt is the creator of the much-loved 'Far-called' series (Gollancz/Hachette), as well as the 'Jackelian' series, published across the world via HarperCollins alongside their other science fiction authors, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury. -------------------------------- REVIEWS  Praise for Stephen Hunt's novels:  'Mr. Hunt takes off at racing speed.'— THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 'Hunt's imagination is probably visible from space. He scatters concepts that other writers would mine for a trilogy like chocolate-bar wrappers.' - TOM HOLT  'All manner of bizarre and fantastical extravagance.' - DAILY MAIL  'Compulsive reading for all ages.' - GUARDIAN  'An inventive, ambitious work, full of wonders and marvels.' - THE TIMES  'Studded with invention.' -THE INDEPENDENT  'To say this book is action packed is almost an understatement… a wonderful escapist yarn!' - INTERZONE  'Hunt has packed the story full of intriguing gimmicks… affecting and original.' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY  'A rip-roaring Indiana Jones-style adventure.' —RT BOOK REVIEWS  'A curious part-future blend.' - KIRKUS REVIEWS  'Hunt knows what his audience like and gives it to them with a sardonic wit and carefully developed tension.' - TIME OUT  'A ripping yarn … the story pounds along… constant inventiveness keeps the reader hooked… the finale is a cracking succession of cliffhangers and surprise comebacks. Great fun.' - SFX MAGAZINE  'Put on your seatbelts for a frenetic cat and mouse encounter... an exciting tale.' - SF REVU