In 1918, on the bloody grounds of war-torn France, a young soldier named Mark Tudor learns the stars are closer than he thinks.
In a single act of courage, the young American grunt saves an interstellar soldier from certain death at the hands of a vicious killer. Afterward, she promises to show him the stars. Mark will begin his new life far away from Earth—a life not so different from that of a humble soldier. Out among the asteroids, he learns of swords and honor, starships and empires. He learns what it means to be a Peacemaker. Along the way, he's joined by Perry, his combat AI companion who helps Mark learn how to survive—and earn a living—among the stars. His first mission is far from simple, and it may prove to be his last. Mark's new enemy is specialized in one thing: killing Peacemakers. And they're very good at what they do. Join Mark and his crew as they start an adventure that spans the stars themselves... and launches a quiet Iowa farm boy into the ranks of the most lethal guild the galaxy has ever known. Witness the dawn of a new age and the beginning of what will one day come to be known as the Peacemaker Wars. Includes Stars and Steel, a bonus story from the Peacemaker Wars universe.