EAST ASIA, 2199 In brutal Neo Seoul, eighteen-year-old ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the ranks of the academy. Abandoned as a kid in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past and prove himself a loyal soldier of the Neo State. When he wins the best internship in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government's supersoldier project. Tera was created for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive human-piloted robots for a never-ending war. Jaewon becomes Tera's partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon must decide where he stands—as a soldier of the Republic, or a rebel of the people. Pacific Rim meets Korean action dramas in this mind-blowing, New Visions Award–winning science fiction debut.