Kris Longknife is a Navy lieutenant, the Princess of Wardhaven, and a favorite target of assassins. Being so in demand can really wear a girl out so Kris decides to visit New Eden in hopes of getting some quality relaxation time. Kris should know by now that she'll never really get time

away from it all, no matter what plans she tries to put in place. The first attempt on Kris' life is almost immediately after she lands on New Eden. As frustrated as she is by her inability to evade trouble, she's grateful for the chance to find the truth hiding behind the political hocus-pocus. If a discontented faction hadn't come after her, she would not have known to investigate the rampant crime and oppression. It's after the second attempt that she and her guard find the cache of weapons. Now what? This cannot be good. Where did all this weapons come from, who is planning to use them, who else knows about the weapons, who are the intended targets, and what can Kris really do about it? The deeper the investigation goes, the more confusing and tangled the explanations become. Soon it becomes a race against the unknown with Kris pitting her smarts and her team against the bad guys -whoever they are.

A smart blend of science fiction and spy novel, it is easy to understand why there are four books preceding this one and easier to guess there will be more to come. The witty dialogue and the complex relationships between the characters help make the fantastic world and situations more relatable. The world Mike Shepard has created is chockful of stunning technological gadgets and visionary inter-planetary politics. It is even more remarkable that while juggling all these elements, the author created a fast-paced, compelling story that readers will be unable to put down.