Synopses & Reviews
Captain Jani Killian had been Evan Van Reuter's lover eighteen years ago, when a Commonwealth diplomatic corps, sent to establish peaceful relations with the alien idomeni, took sides in a civil war. Jani was presumed killed in the ensuing bloodbath, and Evan went on to become the Commonwealth's Interior Minister. But Jani survived as well more or less. Doctors gave her a new face and patched her broken body together with illegally obtained idomeni genetic materials. They healed her of everything but her memory of the desperate actions she had taken -- sure to result in summary execution should Commonwealth authorities discover her existence.
Which makes it unwise to refuse Evan's request for help in solving the mystery of his wife's death. There is no shortage of suspects, and the trail draws Jani back into the trauma of Rauta Shiraa and secrets long buried there, secrets someone has killed to protect. If she isn't careful, she'll wind up the next victim -- assuming her own body doesn't kill her first. For after eighteen years, her rebuilt body is failing. Jani is dying. Or is she being reborn?
Synopsis
A bold new voice in sci-fi places a strong female hero in a web of military intrigue and governmental conspiracy. Once an elite diplomatic liaison to the alien idomni, Jani is persuaded to investigate high-level secrets that threaten her ex-lover's family and the government. Jani is forced to confront the traumas of her past and the effects of cybernetic augmentation.
About the Author
Kristine Smith is the author of Rules of Conflict and Code of Conduct. She works as a process development scientist for a large pharmaceutical manufacturer and lives in northern Illinois.