When a giant colony ship along with its escorts emerges from deep space in 1866, the world changes overnight.The Kilrathi-lion-like settlers from Kilrath Prime-came looking for a new beginning, not expecting to find railroads, armies, or the bustling frontier of post-Civil War America.Thrown together by chance and necessity, humans and Kilrathi must navigate suspicion, opportunity, and the messy business of coexistence. For Claire Zadowsky, a survivor on the run, and Zhara nar Korith, a curious young Kilrathi caught between tradition and an unfamiliar world, the collision of cultures is both dangerous and full of possibility.As alliances form and tensions simmer, Claire and Zhara's unlikely friendship will reshape the fate of both peoples, as the human girl sheds her past and, quite literally, reach for the stars.