The Spin, an ancient artificial cluster of eighty-eight planets and twenty-two suns - is in decline. The boundaries of the formerly prosperous Inside have shrunk to a mere eleven planets, their trade routes are cut off, and their last remaining source of income comes from selling the services of their vast industrial slave-colony - The Hive. Then a group of Hivers escape... A must-read for fans of SF bestsellers such as Iain M. Banks, Peter F. Hamilton and Alastair Reynolds.