When she was sixteen, Khuyên left behind her family, the decaying sentient spaceship Nightjar, and the Tribute—the regular disappearances of children offered to Nightjar. She's never once looked back.

But now, her grandmother has passed away and duty dictates that Khuyên the adult, Khuyên the magistrate, must return to Nightjar for the funeral. Yet it's also a return to the past: children are still disappearing, and worst of all, after making cryptic statements, her cousin Anh vanishes.

Accompanied by Thảo, an alluring and mysterious woman who seems to know too much about her and Nightjar, Khuyên sets out to save Anh. But saving Anh requires Khuyên to do what she could not in the past: she will have make her own stand against Nightjar. And only when Khuyên can find her own strength will she be able to build a future—one that might well include Thảo.

Praise for Aliette de Bodard:

"Incredible ... This is a world of dizzying tech, gorgeous illusions and twisty political thrills." — The New York Times

"Beautifully written and deeply imagined... highly recommended." — Kate Elliott, New York Times bestselling author

"[In The Shadow of the Ship] is a dense and emotionally complex piece, carrying grief and hope, pain and potential, in equal measure. The ashes of the past meeting the chance to build something different for the future. I always enjoy de Bodard's work, and In the Shadow of the Ship is no exception: a sharp-edged and glittering science-fictional gem." — Liz Bourke, Locus