A 1920s space expedition reaches the frozen asteroid Zura, seeking the precious metal Xalite. Instead they find a kingdom. Twenty years ago, Earth sent miners here. Now their descendants have built a civilization beneath the ice, ruled by a young woman named Tara, born of that original expedition. When the new arrivals arrive, they discover Tara's empire rests on secrets the newcomers have come to claim. Ambitious crew members eye Xalite's wealth. Tara guards her world's mysteries. The frozen frontier becomes a powder keg where Earth's ambitions collide with a society that has evolved beyond its control. Ray Cummings writes with the breathless energy of early pulp SF, when space still felt like the Wild West and every asteroid could hide a kingdom or a grave. This is adventure science fiction at its most romantic and dangerous.
