Humanity has conquered the Solar System. What's more, death itself has been vanquished. Wellstone--programmable matter--insures that no one need every die, or indeed, age past adulthood. But for the children of immortal parents, life remains a constant state of arrested development. And a prince shall remain a prince forever, never inheriting the throne. So what is a minor royal to do?

Bascal Edward de Towaji Lutui is tired of his parents--the Queen of Sol and her consort--treating his complaints as so much teenage whining. Exiled to a "summer camp" on a planette, where he will be out of his royal mother's hair, he decides to do something about his lot in life. Along with his fellow malcontents, he manages to make an improbable spaceship and set out for the far reaches of the colonized space. With hijacked weapons and programmable matter at their disposal, Bascal Edward de Towaji Lutui and his companions are set to prove themselves a force to be reckoned with.

About Wil McCarthy:

"McCarthy is an entertaining, intelligent, amusing writer, with Heinlein's knack for breakneck plotting and, at the same time, Clarke's thoughtfulness."--Booklist

"'Imagination really is the only limit.'"--The New York Times

"The future as McCarthy sees it is a wondrous place."--Publishers Weekly

"A bright light on the SF horizon."--David Brin

"Wil McCarthy demonstrates that he has a sharp intelligence, a galaxy-spanning imagination, and the solid scientific background to make it all work."--Connie Willis

"In nearly every passage, we get another slice of the science of McCarthy's construction, and a deeper sense of danger and foreboding . . . McCarthy develops considerable tension."--San Diego Union-Tribune

"An ingenious yarn with challenging ideas, well-handled technical details, and plenty of twists and turns."--Kirkus