100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Enjoy overnight NZ-wide delivery from our NZ-owned independent bookstore! 🎉

Dark Diamond

By Neal Asher
Series: Time's Shadow
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
Doomed to die. And die again. Dark Diamond is the first in a high-octane space opera trilogy from Neal Asher, creator of the Polity universe. Captain Blite knows that someone, or something, is trying to kill him. But a device he possesses, known only as the... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3200
Elsewhere:
$3999
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Captain Blite owns a death-defying device that's coveted by powerful factions across space and time. Join the adventure in the first instalment of this thrilling trilogy from sci-fi's most explosive author, Neal Asher.

Doomed to die. And die again.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Doomed to die. And die again.

Dark Diamond is the first in a high-octane space opera trilogy from Neal Asher, creator of the Polity universe.

Captain Blite knows that someone, or something, is trying to kill him. But a device he possesses, known only as the dark diamond, won't let that happen. After surviving a series of catastrophic accidents and assassination attempts, Blite realizes that whenever he dies, the dark diamond reverses time to a moment before his death. He must go through the traumatic experience again and again until he escapes.

Every encounter Blite survives generates a time flash which reveals potential futures. This extraordinary phenomenon attracts the attention of Polity agents and the crab-like p-Prador who wish to acquire this power for themselves. Hunted across space and time, Blite must uncover the true nature of the dark diamond before it causes his destruction...

Praise for Neal Asher

'Neal Asher's books are like an adrenaline shot targeted directly at the brain' - John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War

'Non-stop action and unimaginable stakes' - Yoon Ha Lee on The Soldier

'Imaginative, energetic and insane' - SFX on Brass Man

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781035037940

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 April 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Tor

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 828g

Pages: 688

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Neal Asher New Release Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction Series: Time's Shadow

About the Author

Neal Asher divides his time between Essex and Crete, mostly at a keyboard and mentally light years away. His full-length novels are as follows. First is the Agent Cormac series: Gridlinked, The Line of Polity, Brass Man, Polity Agent and Line War. Next comes the Spatterjay series: The Skinner, The Voyage of the Sable Keech and Orbus. Also set in the same world of the Polity are these standalone novels: Prador Moon, Hilldiggers, Shadow of the Scorpion, The Technician, Jack Four, Weaponized, War Bodies and World Walkers. The Transformation trilogy is also based in the Polity: Dark Intelligence, War Factory and Infinity Engine. Set in a dystopian future are The Departure, Zero Point and Jupiter War, while Cowl takes us across time. The Rise of the Jain trilogy, set in the Polity universe, too, comprises The Soldier, The Warship and The Human.

Also by Neal Asher

View all
  • World Walkers
    He can jump between worlds. But can he save his own? As the totalitarian Inspectorate tightens its grip, one man discovers the power to slip through the gaps and traverse alternate universes. World Walkers by Neal Asher is an exhilarating standalone novel set within the Owner universe. World Walkers is Neal Asher in his prime - FanFiAddict Ottanger is a...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • World Walkers
    He can jump between worlds. But can he save his own? As a totalitarian Inspectorate tightens its grip, one man discovers the power to slip through the gaps and traverse alternate universes. World Walkers by Neal Asher is an exhilarating standalone novel set within the Owner Trilogy. Ottanger is a rebel and mutant on an Earth governed by a ruthless...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Dark Diamond
    Dark Diamond
    Doomed to die. And die again. Dark Diamond is the first in a high-octane space opera trilogy, Time's Shadow. From Neal Asher, creator of the Polity universe. 'Infinitely entertaining' - Locus Magazine Somebody is trying to kill Captain Blite, but each attempt ends in unexpected failure. All Blite knows is that a black diamond—left to him by the dark AI...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Soldier
    The Soldier
    Her mission is vital. Her failure is unthinkable. A hidden corner of space is swarming with lethal alien technology, a danger to all sentient life. It's guarded by Orlandine, who must keep it contained at any cost—as it has the power to destroy entire civilizations. She schemes from her state-of-the-art weapons station, with only an alien intelligence to share her...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Warship
    The Warship
    In this second volume of Rise of the Jain, Neal Asher takes us on a thrilling ride into interstellar politics and impending war. Their nemesis lies in wait . . . Orlandine has destroyed the alien Jain super-soldier by deploying an actual black hole. And now that same weapon hoovers up clouds of lethal Jain technology, swarming within the deadly...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Human
    The Human
    An epic adrenaline-filled space opera, The Human is the final thrilling book in Neal Asher's Rise of the Jain trilogy. Their enemy seems unbeatable. But humanity is indomitable . . . A Jain warship has risen from a prison five million years old, wielding a hoard of lethal technology. Its goal is to catch their old enemy, the Client, and...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Dark Agent
    Balls-to-the-walls levels of exuberance and inventivenessLocus Magazine on Dark Diamond FORGE A NEW FUTURE. OR BE CONSUMED BY THE PAST. Captain Blite and Agent Cormac thought they had defeated the malevolent AI Straeger. But Straeger's mission to plunge the galaxy into a devastating war is far from over. With a twisted p-prador army bred from the Spatterjay virus, Straeger sets...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • War Bodies
    Long ago, the Cyberat left Earth to co-evolve with machines. Now, led by the powerful dictator Castron, their Old Guard believe that machines should replace the physical body. But these beliefs are upended with the arrival of the human Polity — and their presence ignites rebellion. Piper was raised as a weapon against the Cyberat, implanted with secretive hardware. When...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Skinner
    Is immortality worth the price? The savage ocean planet of Spatterjay draws visitors with very different agendas. Erlin is immortal and seeks a reason to keep living. Janer hosts a hive mind, which paid him to find this planet. And Keech is an agent of Earth who has been dead for seven hundred years - but still hunts a notorious...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Jack Four
    This high-octane adventure is set in the same world as Neal Asher's acclaimed Polity universe. It's a thrilling, fast-paced standalone novel, perfect for fans of Alastair Reynolds and Stephen Baxter. Created to die - determined to live... Jack Four - one of twenty human clones - has been created to be sold. His purchasers are the alien prador, and they...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • World Walkers
    He can jump between worlds. But can he save his own? As a totalitarian Inspectorate tightens its grip, one man discovers the power to slip through the gaps and traverse alternate universes. World Walkers by Neal Asher is an exhilarating standalone novel set within the Owner universe. Ottanger is a rebel and mutant on an Earth governed by a ruthless...
    By Neal Asher
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Hilldiggers
    They have extraordinary power and aren't afraid to use it... Two planets in the same solar system are locked in war when some kind of cosmic super-string is discovered. It seems packed with alien technology or perhaps even life. For safety, it is stored—in four segments—within a maximum-security space station. A female research scientist falls pregnant on the station soon...
    By Neal Asher
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Sci-Fi & Fantasy

View all
  • The Strength of the Few
    The highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023's most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels. The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am. But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore. I am no longer one. I won the...
    By James Islington
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Project Hail Mary
    Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...
    By Andy Weir
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Red Rising
    The first book in the incredible New York Times bestselling series Darrow is a Helldiver, toiling beneath the surface of Mars. As a member of the Red caste, he performs grueling labor in the belief that his sacrifice will enable future generations to one day inhabit the surface of the Red Planet. The Reds are humankind's lowest caste, living in...
    By Pierce Brown
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Crossroads of Ravens
    THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON RETURNS... Every legend has an origin - and Geralt of Rivia's begins here. In this brand-new chapter of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series, follow Geralt in his earliest days as a Witcher, as he faces monsters and humans alike. Discover the untold stories and encounters that shaped the iconic character known today. Crossroads of Ravens brings readers into...
    By Andrzej Sapkowski
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Will of the Many
    Phenomenal! One of the best high fantasy novels I've read in years—think Red Rising meets The Name of the Wind. I couldn't put it down. - LYNETTE NONI This new edition of book one in the Hierarchy series features never-before-seen bonus materials, including a full-colour map by the author, a note to the reader, and new cover art. AUDI. VICE....
    By James Islington
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Wind and Truth
    The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the Number One New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive. Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson sees Dalinar Kholin challenge the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare, and the sudden ascension of the...
    By Brandon Sanderson
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Ministry of Time
    One of the 18 best novels of the year for the Sunday Times A book of the year for the New York Times, Guardian, Independent, Evening Standard, Spectator, Red, NPR, Vanity Fair, People, Slate, Advocate, Sydney Morning Herald, Globe and Mail, Den of Geek, Good Housekeeping, Goodreads, NetGalley and Smithsonian Magazine 'A sparkling delight' Observer 'Make room on your bookshelves...
    By Kaliane Bradley
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Assassin’s Apprentice
    Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb marks the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in the rich and immersive world of the Six Duchies. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, this gripping tale introduces readers to FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard whose existence threatens the stability of the crown. When the crown prince's secret...
    By Robin Hobb
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • I Who Have Never Known Men
    A haunting, heartbreaking tale of female friendship and intimacy that evokes the chilling atmospheres of The Handmaid's Tale and the desolate landscapes of The Road, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a story that lingers long after the last page is turned. This gripping narrative takes us deep underground, where thirty-nine women are held in isolation...
    By Jacqueline Harpman
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Colour Illustrated Hobbit
    The Colour Illustrated Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien is a timeless classic that has enchanted readers for generations. This beloved tale follows Bilbo Baggins, a peace-loving hobbit from the quaint and picturesque Shire, who finds himself thrust into an epic journey far from the comforts of his cosy home. Charming and lively illustrations by Jemima Catlin breathe new life...
    By J. R. R. Tolkien
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Blood Over Bright Haven
    A riveting dark academia fantasy about the limits of truth and power, from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. For twenty years, Sciona...
    By M. L. Wang
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Great Dune Trilogy
    Frank Herbert's The Great Dune Trilogy plunges readers into an evocative and grandiose saga set on the desert planet of Arrakis. This richly detailed landscape becomes the focal point for a complex tapestry of political intrigue, military conflict, and galaxy-wide repercussions. Arrakis, also known as Dune, is the sole source of the spice melange, a valuable and highly sought-after substance...
    By Frank Herbert
    Paperback
    $3900
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all