The novel “House of Suns” by Alastair Reynolds was published for the first time in 2008.

Campion and Purslane are several years late to the regular reunion of the Gentian Line they’re part of. Their situation is made more complicated by the fact that they are in a relationship and that’s punishable under the laws of their Line. Part of their delay is due to a detour to find another starship to replace Campion’s one.

Negotiating with a ruthless used starship reseller, Campion and Purslane find Hesperus, a robot member of the so-called Machine People and rescue him. That may give them something positive to show the rest of their Line but as they approach the system in which the reunion was started they receive a distress signal. Another member of the Line broadcast a message that warns of a terrible attack against the Gentian Line. Campion and Purslane can only look for the survivors to find the perpetrators.