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Storyline
At the conclusion of Unconquered, the first book of the Planet of Perpetual Peace trilogy, Canadian teenager Victoria has survived her perilous journey to China to reunite with her biological parents. Along the way, she uncovers some of China’s most mysterious historical secrets. As life returns to normal for Victoria back in Canada, a confluence of disasters suddenly pummels Earth, a premonition of the Armageddon about to befall humankind. An immense armada transporting hundreds of millions of female warriors from the red giant Betelgeuse has arrived at the outer reaches of our solar system. They plan to exterminate all humans on Earth and colonize the planet.
With the help of a dimension-tunnelling catoptron, Victoria visits the paradise planet Shangria, where an ingenious one-eyed warrior ends the Endless War. However, the tragic hero inadvertently causes a temporal rift, threatening the destruction of the universe. The trouble at Shangria reaches Earth through Betelgeuse, where a race of female warriors known as Amazons overturns the patriarchal rule of their planet and, by a twist of fate, discovers Earth as prime real estate for a colony.
Trapped in the labyrinth of the past without her fancy gadgets, Victoria must find a way to get back to the future, as she is the only person who can stop the alien invasion and reverse the temporal rift. To escape her predicament, Victoria visits the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the four greatest classical novels of China, and unlocks some of its most enigmatic mysteries, one of which helps her return to the present timeline.
Halfway on her journey back to face the aliens, Victoria stops along the banks of the Danube to witness an invincible general, also an early founder of Canada, win a decisive victory in one of the greatest battles in European history. She learns what is most important to her and refuses to abandon the human race, even though she realizes she has little chance of saving it. Will Victoria risk everything on a fool’s errand? To find out, carpe liber—seize the book!
With the help of a dimension-tunnelling catoptron, Victoria visits the paradise planet Shangria, where an ingenious one-eyed warrior ends the Endless War. However, the tragic hero inadvertently causes a temporal rift, threatening the destruction of the universe. The trouble at Shangria reaches Earth through Betelgeuse, where a race of female warriors known as Amazons overturns the patriarchal rule of their planet and, by a twist of fate, discovers Earth as prime real estate for a colony.
Trapped in the labyrinth of the past without her fancy gadgets, Victoria must find a way to get back to the future, as she is the only person who can stop the alien invasion and reverse the temporal rift. To escape her predicament, Victoria visits the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the four greatest classical novels of China, and unlocks some of its most enigmatic mysteries, one of which helps her return to the present timeline.
Halfway on her journey back to face the aliens, Victoria stops along the banks of the Danube to witness an invincible general, also an early founder of Canada, win a decisive victory in one of the greatest battles in European history. She learns what is most important to her and refuses to abandon the human race, even though she realizes she has little chance of saving it. Will Victoria risk everything on a fool’s errand? To find out, carpe liber—seize the book!
Dedication
Reviews
Reader Mail
"I recently discovered your book, Bellatrix, and was truly captivated by its concept and visual design. The creativity and attention to detail are remarkable. Your work stands out beautifully. Congratulations on such an inspiring creation!”
─ Eliana B., Jan. 2026
“I’m absolutely in love with this series! I’m simply amazed at how [the author] can actually integrate works of classical literature into the story and how everything unfolds in a very interesting way that will tickle your curiosity to follow the story until the end.”
─ Russ Ann, Amazon Reader Review
“Blending ancient Chinese history, Confucianism, mythology, science fiction and humor may sound like a daunting task, but Peter Man makes it work well indeed ... Watch him grow.”
─ Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer
“What a pleasant surprise! I love the stage, the setting, and all the creative characters, ideas, story ... everything. It was definitely a fun adventure for those of us who love sci-fi and fantasy.”
─ Jose Popoff, Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer
“I recommend you all to get the engine started from the first book of the series, Unconquered. I assure you that this book will keep your eyes widened throughout and is an entertaining and enthralling read.”
─ Aparna Preethi, Amazon Reader Review
“I found this story to be very entertaining. The narrative is so lively that I completely immersed myself in the story. It is a story that will keep readers hooked until the end.”
─ Dani Savante, Amazon Reader Review
“Mixing ancient history and legends with urban sci-fi is a brilliant idea. This book is super entertaining!”
─ Lorenza Seldner, Amazon Reader Review
“Time for another amazing adventure; this is a great sequel to the first story.”
─ Phil Bolos, Amazon Reader Review
“A Sci-Fi Romance--a delightful story.”
─ Bess C., Amazon Reader Review
“This is a science fiction book with lots of twists and turns that exceeded my expectations. This piece of writing took me on a journey and the amazing plot kept me interested. I highly recommend this novel.”
─ Ivana S., Amazon Reader Review
“… fun, action packed sequel to the first book … I liked the integration of real-life sagas and legends which gave the story a realistic element.”
─ J. Armstrong, Amazon Reader Review
“Not for the faint of heart, this story has it all!”
─ Mint Tea, Amazon Reader Review
“[The author] has been able to unfold a science fiction narrative in a way that seems realistic. The language employed is simple and easy to follow. I have enjoyed this tale a lot!”
─ Sol Tyler, Amazon Reader Review
“This journey combines warriors, aliens, the earth, and much more as the struggle for survival continues. This sequel is a good one and gets my vote. Check it out folks, it is worth the time.”
─ Jimmy Jefferson, Amazon Reader Review
“The pace is fast, the settings are intriguing and well described, and the characters are developed well… Overall an interesting and recommended read.”
─ V. E. Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer
"I recently discovered your book, Bellatrix, and was truly captivated by its concept and visual design. The creativity and attention to detail are remarkable. Your work stands out beautifully. Congratulations on such an inspiring creation!”
─ Eliana B., Jan. 2026
“I’m absolutely in love with this series! I’m simply amazed at how [the author] can actually integrate works of classical literature into the story and how everything unfolds in a very interesting way that will tickle your curiosity to follow the story until the end.”
─ Russ Ann, Amazon Reader Review
“Blending ancient Chinese history, Confucianism, mythology, science fiction and humor may sound like a daunting task, but Peter Man makes it work well indeed ... Watch him grow.”
─ Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer
“What a pleasant surprise! I love the stage, the setting, and all the creative characters, ideas, story ... everything. It was definitely a fun adventure for those of us who love sci-fi and fantasy.”
─ Jose Popoff, Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer
“I recommend you all to get the engine started from the first book of the series, Unconquered. I assure you that this book will keep your eyes widened throughout and is an entertaining and enthralling read.”
─ Aparna Preethi, Amazon Reader Review
“I found this story to be very entertaining. The narrative is so lively that I completely immersed myself in the story. It is a story that will keep readers hooked until the end.”
─ Dani Savante, Amazon Reader Review
“Mixing ancient history and legends with urban sci-fi is a brilliant idea. This book is super entertaining!”
─ Lorenza Seldner, Amazon Reader Review
“Time for another amazing adventure; this is a great sequel to the first story.”
─ Phil Bolos, Amazon Reader Review
“A Sci-Fi Romance--a delightful story.”
─ Bess C., Amazon Reader Review
“This is a science fiction book with lots of twists and turns that exceeded my expectations. This piece of writing took me on a journey and the amazing plot kept me interested. I highly recommend this novel.”
─ Ivana S., Amazon Reader Review
“… fun, action packed sequel to the first book … I liked the integration of real-life sagas and legends which gave the story a realistic element.”
─ J. Armstrong, Amazon Reader Review
“Not for the faint of heart, this story has it all!”
─ Mint Tea, Amazon Reader Review
“[The author] has been able to unfold a science fiction narrative in a way that seems realistic. The language employed is simple and easy to follow. I have enjoyed this tale a lot!”
─ Sol Tyler, Amazon Reader Review
“This journey combines warriors, aliens, the earth, and much more as the struggle for survival continues. This sequel is a good one and gets my vote. Check it out folks, it is worth the time.”
─ Jimmy Jefferson, Amazon Reader Review
“The pace is fast, the settings are intriguing and well described, and the characters are developed well… Overall an interesting and recommended read.”
─ V. E. Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer
Prelusion
One might think writing a book, even a trilogy, would be easier than building and running a television station with no money, a feat I was foolish enough to attempt in my youth. This assumption is categorically and indubitably erroneous. Writing is harder by multiple degrees of magnitude. I’m not suggesting authors should put down their pens and start building TV stations, which requires certain deranged bravado and recklessness, as well as a total disregard for the economic consequences of the real world. Make no mistake, many people helped me with my TV endeavour, and I would like to thank them all, but it’s a story for another time.
When it comes to creative writing, combining imagination with substance, such as the chapters in Unconquered recounting the life and death of the Shang Dynasty warrior queen, Fu Hao, I couldn’t have done it without help either. And help came my way over the years, often without my realizing it.
In 1980, when I was producing a weekly one-hour Chinese language program on Toronto’s multilingual television station CFMT-TV─now Rogers OMNI─I included, upon viewer requests, a cultural segment on the etymology of Chinese characters. Initially, I drew all my material from Shuowen Jiezi, the first Chinese dictionary authored by Xu Shen around 100 CE during the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, I found some of the book’s definitions to be unsatisfactory. As I was not a Chinese scholar, I needed help, for which I approached Professor James Hsu, who was teaching East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. By a stroke of luck, the professor was an expert on ancient China. At the time, he was working on a project categorizing a large cache of oracle bones for the Royal Ontario Museum. He introduced me to his seminal work, Ancient Chinese Society, one of my go-to references for writing the story of the Shang. Professor Hsu is mentioned in Unconquered as David Huang’s mentor, whereas his academic achievements become his protégé’s attributes in the story, a commixture of fact and fiction.
In 1989, I was introduced to Michael Pang in Toronto, presented as a mogul in the business of broadcast and television technologies. He was a Chinese Canadian from Hong Kong, similar to my status, and his Hong Kong-based company was a major player in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. During the 1990s, his company further developed a dominant position in the professional and broadcast audio sector, implementing and managing numerous high-profile projects in China.
In early 1991, I accepted the court appointment to serve as the receiver-manager of the television station I helped establish. After resuscitating the service and pulling the company back from the brink of total collapse, I realized I needed to build a new production facility to replace the old one, which was falling apart. It would also improve the company’s asset value, hopefully commanding a higher price in the eventual asset sale to repay all creditors. Michael helped by introducing me to the latest cutting-edge technologies at the time. He also intervened to settle a dispute between a mutual friend and the TV station, to which I was bound by fiduciary duty, resolving a problem inherited from before the receivership to everyone’s satisfaction. Afterwards, Michael returned to Hong Kong to focus on developing his company’s business in the vibrant Chinese market.
Following the successful auction sale of the television station and the termination of the receivership, I visited Hong Kong in 1997 to witness the handover ceremony of the city’s return to China. I dropped in on Michael. One thing led to another, and I stayed to set up a company in Guangzhou with Michael’s support. I ended up living and working in China for twenty years. It is safe to say, without his help, I would not have had enough knowledge about China to author any of the books of this trilogy.
Over the years, I became much better acquainted with Michael. He introduced me to everyone in his family, including his four brothers. His younger brother, Francis, a pioneer in education, founded the Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada. The high school is the first in China to issue dual Chinese and Canadian diplomas to its graduates, allowing them to enter Canadian universities directly. Michael was also involved in the project and helped develop an extensive network of educational establishments across China, including the Canadian International School of Beijing, which received a two-decade commemoration plaque from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his first state visit to Beijing. Two characters in the trilogy, Charlie and Viola, attend the schools. For his contribution to education and the strengthening of Canada-China relations, Francis received the Order of Canada. (The schools are now operated by Charles, Francis' son, who received the plaque from Prime Minister Carney.)
When it comes to creative writing, combining imagination with substance, such as the chapters in Unconquered recounting the life and death of the Shang Dynasty warrior queen, Fu Hao, I couldn’t have done it without help either. And help came my way over the years, often without my realizing it.
In 1980, when I was producing a weekly one-hour Chinese language program on Toronto’s multilingual television station CFMT-TV─now Rogers OMNI─I included, upon viewer requests, a cultural segment on the etymology of Chinese characters. Initially, I drew all my material from Shuowen Jiezi, the first Chinese dictionary authored by Xu Shen around 100 CE during the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, I found some of the book’s definitions to be unsatisfactory. As I was not a Chinese scholar, I needed help, for which I approached Professor James Hsu, who was teaching East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. By a stroke of luck, the professor was an expert on ancient China. At the time, he was working on a project categorizing a large cache of oracle bones for the Royal Ontario Museum. He introduced me to his seminal work, Ancient Chinese Society, one of my go-to references for writing the story of the Shang. Professor Hsu is mentioned in Unconquered as David Huang’s mentor, whereas his academic achievements become his protégé’s attributes in the story, a commixture of fact and fiction.
In 1989, I was introduced to Michael Pang in Toronto, presented as a mogul in the business of broadcast and television technologies. He was a Chinese Canadian from Hong Kong, similar to my status, and his Hong Kong-based company was a major player in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. During the 1990s, his company further developed a dominant position in the professional and broadcast audio sector, implementing and managing numerous high-profile projects in China.
In early 1991, I accepted the court appointment to serve as the receiver-manager of the television station I helped establish. After resuscitating the service and pulling the company back from the brink of total collapse, I realized I needed to build a new production facility to replace the old one, which was falling apart. It would also improve the company’s asset value, hopefully commanding a higher price in the eventual asset sale to repay all creditors. Michael helped by introducing me to the latest cutting-edge technologies at the time. He also intervened to settle a dispute between a mutual friend and the TV station, to which I was bound by fiduciary duty, resolving a problem inherited from before the receivership to everyone’s satisfaction. Afterwards, Michael returned to Hong Kong to focus on developing his company’s business in the vibrant Chinese market.
Following the successful auction sale of the television station and the termination of the receivership, I visited Hong Kong in 1997 to witness the handover ceremony of the city’s return to China. I dropped in on Michael. One thing led to another, and I stayed to set up a company in Guangzhou with Michael’s support. I ended up living and working in China for twenty years. It is safe to say, without his help, I would not have had enough knowledge about China to author any of the books of this trilogy.
Over the years, I became much better acquainted with Michael. He introduced me to everyone in his family, including his four brothers. His younger brother, Francis, a pioneer in education, founded the Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada. The high school is the first in China to issue dual Chinese and Canadian diplomas to its graduates, allowing them to enter Canadian universities directly. Michael was also involved in the project and helped develop an extensive network of educational establishments across China, including the Canadian International School of Beijing, which received a two-decade commemoration plaque from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his first state visit to Beijing. Two characters in the trilogy, Charlie and Viola, attend the schools. For his contribution to education and the strengthening of Canada-China relations, Francis received the Order of Canada. (The schools are now operated by Charles, Francis' son, who received the plaque from Prime Minister Carney.)
Life is a box of chocolates, but now and then, one encounters a bitter variety. Michael’s family suffered the scourge of cancer, and he was a victim of it. Nevertheless, all the good deeds he had done in life would not be in vain. This trilogy could not have existed without Michael. This book is, therefore, dedicated to his memory.
Michael’s China story started with a young, wide-eyed broadcast engineer who went to China in 1972 to support the satellite newscast of Nixon’s historic visit. He would stay to significantly impact the development of China’s television, radio and audio industries. It is a fascinating story for another time.
In 2005, while working on network coding technologies in China, I became acquainted with an elderly Chinese gentleman, whose name, when mentioned by people who recognized it, seemed to cast a spell of awe over them. Mr. Yang Qianli, the founder and chairman of the annual China Satellite Application Conference, was also a member of the Technology Committee of the Chang’e Moon-landing Project and a senior professor on the dissertation panels of China’s top universities in science and technology. At the same time, he was a three-star general and the Deputy Director of the Communications Department of the General Staff of the PLA, who had led the technology and engineering team in launching China’s first geosynchronous communications satellite. Despite his reputation for being strict and uncompromising in his demand for perfection, Director Yang only showed me his kindness and easy-going nature, and we hit it off immediately. He also introduced me to Sidney Rittenberg, an American who had lived an extraordinary life in China.
When Director Yang learned of my interest in oracle bones, he organized a visit to Anyang, where the site of Yinxu, the ruins of the last capital of the Shang Dynasty, was located. Upon our arrival, the head of the military establishment in the area, Commander Xu, who was a close friend of Director Yang and fictionalized as Uncle Xu in Unconquered, laid out the red carpet to welcome us. Thus, the story of Fu Hao and the discovery of her undisturbed tomb began to germinate in my mind. Though past retirement age, Director Yang worked tirelessly, contributing to the rejuvenation of China. He passed away in 2020 after combating cancer for years. I visited him after he was committed to the hospital, and he was holding endless meetings in his room. This trilogy, especially this book, is also dedicated to his memory.
Readers who have enjoyed Unconquered will find the sequel, Bellatrix, equally stimulating and captivating. In addition to new, surprising theories about Shang’s origin, its migration route, and the identity of Xia, Shang’s preceding dynasty, the book will reveal heretofore unexplained mysteries in the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. Readers will discover the true backgrounds of the author, his wife and two survivors of the twelve leading ladies featured in the story. A big surprise lurks within the last pages of Bellatrix, but peeking is strictly prohibited. Carpe Liber—seize the book!
Michael’s China story started with a young, wide-eyed broadcast engineer who went to China in 1972 to support the satellite newscast of Nixon’s historic visit. He would stay to significantly impact the development of China’s television, radio and audio industries. It is a fascinating story for another time.
In 2005, while working on network coding technologies in China, I became acquainted with an elderly Chinese gentleman, whose name, when mentioned by people who recognized it, seemed to cast a spell of awe over them. Mr. Yang Qianli, the founder and chairman of the annual China Satellite Application Conference, was also a member of the Technology Committee of the Chang’e Moon-landing Project and a senior professor on the dissertation panels of China’s top universities in science and technology. At the same time, he was a three-star general and the Deputy Director of the Communications Department of the General Staff of the PLA, who had led the technology and engineering team in launching China’s first geosynchronous communications satellite. Despite his reputation for being strict and uncompromising in his demand for perfection, Director Yang only showed me his kindness and easy-going nature, and we hit it off immediately. He also introduced me to Sidney Rittenberg, an American who had lived an extraordinary life in China.
When Director Yang learned of my interest in oracle bones, he organized a visit to Anyang, where the site of Yinxu, the ruins of the last capital of the Shang Dynasty, was located. Upon our arrival, the head of the military establishment in the area, Commander Xu, who was a close friend of Director Yang and fictionalized as Uncle Xu in Unconquered, laid out the red carpet to welcome us. Thus, the story of Fu Hao and the discovery of her undisturbed tomb began to germinate in my mind. Though past retirement age, Director Yang worked tirelessly, contributing to the rejuvenation of China. He passed away in 2020 after combating cancer for years. I visited him after he was committed to the hospital, and he was holding endless meetings in his room. This trilogy, especially this book, is also dedicated to his memory.
Readers who have enjoyed Unconquered will find the sequel, Bellatrix, equally stimulating and captivating. In addition to new, surprising theories about Shang’s origin, its migration route, and the identity of Xia, Shang’s preceding dynasty, the book will reveal heretofore unexplained mysteries in the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. Readers will discover the true backgrounds of the author, his wife and two survivors of the twelve leading ladies featured in the story. A big surprise lurks within the last pages of Bellatrix, but peeking is strictly prohibited. Carpe Liber—seize the book!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Ultima Thule
Chapter 2: Long Ago and Far Away
Chapter 3: Antebellum
Chapter 4: The Mahashangria
Chapter 5: The Day the Music Died
Chapter 6: Brave New World
Chapter 7: Beer is a Beer is a Beer is a Beer
Chapter 8: We'll Always Have Dundas
Chapter 9: The Twirligig
Chapter 10: Goodbye, Mr. Stane
Chapter 11: Massacre at Sabrus Valley
Chapter 12: Scorpius
Chapter 13: Foxy Lady
Chapter 14: The Gathering Storm
Chapter 15: Through a Glass Darkly
Chapter 16: the Vision
Chapter 17: The Female Warriors
Chapter 18: Battle of Regna Rock
Chapter 19: Metamorphosis
Chapter 20: Vincero
Chapter 21: The Prince and the Pauper
Chapter 22: The One-eyed Warrior
Chapter 23: Stranger in Paradise
Chapter 24: Peregrination of the Half-Keys
Chapter 25: Convergence
Chapter 26: Immortal Zugzwang
Chapter 27: The Hellian March
Chapter 28: Enter the Nine Dragons
Chapter 29: Portal of Truth
Chapter 30: From Petra to Black Rock
Chapter 31: The Animorta
Chapter 32: Banquet at the Wild Goose Gate
Chapter 33: The Amortal Foe
Chapter 34: Enter the Qaanaaq
Chapter 35: Project Gomoira
Chapter 36: Plan B
Chapter 37: Dungeon of the Heart
Chapter 38: Dies Irae
Chapter 39: Story of the Stone
Chapter 40: The Grand Canal Cruise
Chapter 41: The Nuns' Story
Chapter 42: Dream of the Red Chamber
Chapter 43: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
Chapter 44: The Unsinkable Freemans
Chapter 45: Battle of the Blind
Chapter 46: Death by the Danube
Chapter 47: Omnia Vincit Amor
Chapter 48: In Extremis
