The Faith of Beasts
Second entry in The Captive's War trilogy.
The Faith of Beasts, a science fiction novel released in 2026, was written by American authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck under their shared pseudonym James S. A. Corey. It serves as the second major installment in The Captive's War trilogy, following *The Mercy of Gods* and the novella *Livesuit*. The narrative picks up with Dafyd Alkhor and other humans who, after the conquest of their home planet, must adapt to their new existence as enslaved subjects within the alien Carryx empire.
The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, including those of Dafyd, Jessyn Kaul, Surur (a keeper-librarian), Campar, and The Swarm—a biological spy created by the Carryx’s enemies, currently inhabiting the form of Jellit. After the events of the first book, five hundred humans have been dispatched to various studies across the empire, while the rest remain in the world city. Dafyd meets with keeper-librarian Ekur-Tkalal, who advises that humanity must increase its population; Dafyd responds by authorizing the creation of babies from artificial embryos. Jessyn is sent to a remote planet once inhabited by the Carryx’s foes, the “Deathless Ones,” where a sinen named Third Gardener explains that the enemy tries to erase all evidence of its existence. There, she encounters Garral, another human researcher, and both are captured by a group of humans attempting to evacuate the planet. They eventually discover that the Deathless Enemy is, in fact, humanity itself.
Rickar, infected with the Swarm’s communication signal at the end of *The Mercy of Gods*, is sent with an expedition fleet to an unknown battlefield alongside Campar and Ghati. Their warship emerges from “Asymmetric Space” into a battle with the Deathless Enemy. After weeks of combat, the Carryx fleet prevails, with most enemy ships destroyed or fleeing—except for the command vessel. Back in the World-Palace, Tonner is killed suddenly after revealing that the Soft Lothark can communicate through DNA exchange; Dafyd covers up the death by claiming Tonner’s Rak-Thun guard perceived him as a threat. The Swarm gains access to the Carryx archives, and the Soft Lothark reach out to Dafyd, proposing an alliance. Jessyn and Garral execute a plan to evacuate children, with Jessyn returning to the main Carryx camp; the plan seems to succeed when shuttles initially fail to launch, and she believes Garral escaped.
Ghati and
- published
- April 14, 2026
- publisher
- Orbit Books
- authors
- Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (as James S. A. Corey)
- genre
- Science fiction
- series
- The Captive's War (second main entry)
- format
- Hardcover, e-book, audiobook
Lore & Background
The novel picks up after the first book, with 500 humans sent to various studies across the Carryx empire while the rest remain in the world city. Dafyd meets keeper-librarian Ekur-Tkalal, who tells him humanity needs to grow its population, leading Dafyd to create babies from artificial embryos. Jessyn is sent to a remote planet inhabited by the Deathless Ones, where she learns that the Deathless Enemy is humanity itself. Rickar, infected with the swarm's communication signal, is sent with an expedition fleet to an unknown battlefield alongside Campar and Ghati. Their warship emerges from Asymmetric Space into a battle with the Deathless Enemy, and after weeks of fighting the Carryx fleet is victorious except for the enemy command ship. Back in the World-Palace, Tonner is killed after revealing that the Soft Lothark communicate through DNA exchange; Dafyd covers it up. The Swarm accesses the Carryx archives, and the Soft Lothark reach out to Dafyd as potential allies. Jessyn and Garral execute an evacuation plan for children, which appears successful when shuttles fail to launch. Ghati, Campar, and Vaudai are sent to retrieve data from the enemy command ship, but the Deathless Enemy returns, Campar is injured, and the data is lost. The Swarm sends gathered info to the enemy fleet, causing Rickar to combust. The first generation of human babies hatches, sparking happiness. Dafyd discusses with the Swarm that humans are part of the Deathless Enemy, and the Sovran is killed and replaced by a daughter. Dafyd asks what would happen if there were two Sovrans. The novel ends with Garral, rescued by the Deathless Enemy, meeting a human interrogator who shows him a photo of the World-Palace transmitted by the Swarm.
Reader's Guide
The Faith of Beasts expands the universe of The Captive's War, deepening the exploration of alien subjugation and human resilience. Its significance lies in advancing the trilogy's central conflict between the Carryx and the Deathless Enemy, while introducing new points of view such as Jessyn Kaul, Surur, Campar, and The Swarm. The novel's plot twists—including the revelation that humanity is part of the Deathless Enemy and the assassination of the Sovran—set up major stakes for the trilogy's conclusion. The book's release by Orbit Books and its ranking as a New York Times Best Seller indicate strong commercial reception. The inclusion of multiple alien species and the Soft Lothark's unique communication method add depth to the series' world-building. The novel's legacy will likely be as a pivotal middle chapter that redefines the nature of the conflict and the role of humanity within it.
Did You Know?
- The novel was released on April 14, 2026, by Orbit Books.
- It is the second main entry in The Captive's War trilogy, following The Mercy of Gods and the novella Livesuit.
- The audiobook version, narrated by Jefferson Mays, was released on the same date as the hardcover and e-book.
- Two weeks after release, it ranked 6th on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
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