Sin and virtue. Man and nature. Price and penance. Expedition Remus is sent to assess Planet 7355264Z for human colonization only to discover more than they bargained for. Previously thought desolate, their destination reveals a harrowing secret. The unprepared crew finds themselves stranded not only with each other but with the bloodthirsty creatures that rule the land they seek to claim. The ghaengste are the primitive and cannibalistic but intelligent natives of Matka. Their hostile world has been ravaged by lifetimes of violence and divided into four warring nations. A ragtag group of renegades seeks solace from the slaughter in one another, and then in the growing rebellion that forms from their bond. Isthmus follows two stories: the journey of four ghaengste destined to reunite their broken people and the trial of twenty-six settlers first to survive, then to discover what truly makes them human. The fate of both species is contingent only upon their will to seek redemption for the sins of the past, present, and future. Matka have mercy on them all. An experience structured to take you on a journey through two sides of one story, Isthmus is a thrilling epic that fills every word with a sense of adventure and leaves no room for dull moments. Including an illustrated map and glossary to transport you seamlessly into the rich world of Matka, you'll find yourself torn between a rawly human expedition and a riotous alien rebellion. Isthmus is an adult book that contains graphic violence and mature situations.