“While so many have pondered the future of pro football, none have rendered it quite like this. Thrives as both a sports work and as a work of sci-fi.” — L. Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated senior writerThe sequel to THE ROOKIE, THE STARTER is a star-spanning coming-of-age space opera combined with the gritty world of organized crime, all set against a backdrop of a far-future professional football league. Nineteen-year-old second-year quarterback Quentin Barnes has overcome racism and unified his team. He led the Ionath Krakens to a lower-tier championship, a championship that earned them promotion into the meat grinder known as "Tier One."Now, Quentin and his teammates have to compete against the greatest football teams ever assembled, and do far more than just survive each game. As he rebuilds the team in his own image, Quentin's true quest for a Tier One championship begins.