Fast, furious, violent, slightly tongue-in-cheek (I think), and a whole lot of fun that makes 1984 seem like a children’s tea party . . . the start of another promising series from Asher. Go on, dive in, you won’t be disappointed — British Fantasy Society

Delivers plenty of thrills, and the climax also sets up a very intriguing status quo for the second volume — SFX

Fast, dramatic stuff . . . this is a book with lots of Asher trademarks: rapid pace, great action, messy consequences — SFFWorld

I had an absolute blast with this book . . . his work really does get better and better — Falcata Times

The Orwellian intro had me utterly hooked right from the start. I simply couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end — WorldsInInk

Action packed and thrilling, The Departure is a must for all fans of contemporary science fiction who haven’t experienced Asher’s visceral novels before — We Love This Book

A man with no memories
Wakes to a world without justice

The Argus Space Station looks down on a nightmarish Earth. And from here, the Committee enforces its despotic rule. Corruption is rife, people starve and the poor are policed by mechanized overseers. But worse is yet to come. Earth is desperately over-populated and under-resourced, so the Committee has decided to do the unthinkable – to kill twelve billion people.

Alan Saul wakes inside a sealed crate, bound for an incinerator. All he recalls is pain and his tormentor’s face. And he has company: Janus, a rogue intelligence, inhabiting forbidden hardware within his skull. As Janus shows his host a damaged Earth, Saul resolves to annihilate the Committee. But first, he resolves to reclaim his memories and hunt down his interrogator.

‘Fast, dramatic stuff . . . rapid pace, great action, messy consequences’
SFFWorld

‘I had an absolute blast with this book’
Falcata Times

[insert JPEGs of THE SOLDIER and DARK INTELLIGENCE on either side of the barcode]