About the Book
The year is now 2081. People from many nations have established vast sea-steading communities across earth's oceans.
As explorers push into uncharted abyssal plains, they uncover a secret blurring the boundaries between material and spiritual realms. Their discovery ignites dark forces who battle to control knowledge powerful enough to rewrite existence itself.
Rich in marine science and high-stakes adventure, DeepStar plunges readers into an oceanic realm shimmering with beauty and danger. When the sea-steaders awaken an ancient guardian, they are forced to confront not only rival powers but also shadows within themselves.
In the ocean's dark depths, humanity's fate is contested by forces, seen and unseen.
Characters
Kiyoshi Nakamura
At twenty-four, Kiyoshi struggles to help his mother keep their seastead farm afloat. Haunted by his father's mysterious disappearance when he was twelve—and by a recurring nightmare he can't shake—he feels restless, unsure of his purpose despite his martial-arts training. When shadowy forces begin hunting him, Kiyoshi is thrust into a fight for survival. To stay alive, he must uncover the truth behind his father's fate and engage in a battle over a priceless secret.
Daichi Nakamura
Blinded in a cruel attack yet unbroken, Kiyoshi's uncle, Daichi, is a martial-arts master who fills the void left by the disappearance of Kiyoshi's father. His faith in God shapes every movement, every strike, and every lesson he imparts. When Chiyome's disciples emerge as a deadly threat, Daichi must prepare Kiyoshi for a fight that tests both body and spirit, drawing on wisdom, discipline, and hidden truths of their family's past.
Chiyome Mochizuki
Formerly Daichi's most gifted trainee, Chiyome has risen to rule a covert network of kunoichi who sell their lethal skills—espionage, blackmail, seduction, and assassination—to the highest bidder. Ambitious and calculating, she deploys some of her assassins to hunt Kiyoshi, believing him to be the key to unlocking a source of limitless power.
Yua Ishii
Raised as an orphan by Chiyome, Yua becomes a devoted member of the elite kunoichi network. She accepts a mission to abduct Kiyoshi, but when confronted by Daichi's wisdom and Kiyoshi's courage, her long-suppressed conscience stirs. Her loyalty wavers, and her carefully forged identity begins to fracture as an unexpected spark of love ignites in the midst of conflict.
Wheke
A giant squid trained by Chiyome and loyal to Yua, Wheke is both weapon and companion. Utterly loyal, he carries out dark deeds on behalf of his masters.
Rafi Qawwi
After Rafi's father fails a mission, his family is cast out of the New Caliphate. Rafi grows up embittered, determined to prove their exile unjust. Convinced Ben Holden killed his father, he hires Chiyome's network to murder Lisa. His dealings with the kunoichi catch the Caliphate's attention, and they offer him a chance to restore his family's honor by retrieving advanced technology hidden in the abyssal plains. Rafi accepts, unaware of the deadly peril awaiting him.
Lisa Holden
In revenge against Lisa's father, Ben Holden, Rafi hires Chiyome's network to abduct and kill twelve-year-old Lisa. But once she is taken, Chiyome chooses to keep the girl alive and mold her into a kunoichi instead. Terrified, Lisa clings to any hope of escape, while her devastated family believes she is gone forever.
What Readers Are Saying
"Mystery, adventure, intrigue, and science. DeepStar delivers a great read set in a plausible seasteading future. Thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in this world that might well be."
"Steve masterfully weaves his marine biology expertise to bring a vivid pelagic world to life – leaving lingering mysteries to ponder long after the book is finished."
"If you enjoy science-rich sci-fi with a healthy dose of the unexpected, DeepStar is a must-read—it was genuinely hard to put the book down."