První kniha Enderovské série. Vědeckofantastický román, který můžeme doporučit všem milovníkům dobré literatury. Román nejen o zápasu pozemské civilizace se smrtelným nebezpečím z kosmu, ale také o přátelství, bratrské lásce a nenávisti. Kniha je napsána strhujícím způsobem a patří k tomu nejlepšímu, co současná americká sci-fi produkce nabízí. Kniha oceněna cenou Nebula 1985 a Hugo 1986.
In 1885, the promise of quick wealth and wild dreams turns Texas's Austin into a city of fear, haunted by the "Maid Killers." The first victim, a mixed-race housekeeper, is brutally murdered in her bed, followed by six more women, including the beautiful blonde Eula Phillips, the love of bank clerk Will Porter. A decade later, Porter lives in New York as the famous writer O. Henry, but he remains haunted by the horrors of his past and a relentless blackmailer. Responding to a mysterious letter, he returns to Texas to track down a sadistic killer, confronting the demons of his tortured mind along the way. Steven Saylor, having paused his Gordianus series thirteen years prior for this work, weaves a captivating tale that skillfully blends history, literature, and vivid imagination, utilizing real characters and true crimes, rivaling the masterpiece "The Angel of Death" by Caleb Carr.