"spectacular sci-fi thriller"

The Cold Minds, predatory machine intelligences, rose up and killed most humans and earth itself. Thanks to the jump pilots who work for the guild known as the Line, the only ones who can enter jump space, sent many humans to various planets in the galaxy where they stay hidden from the machines that would kill them if they knew where they were located. The line controls communication and travel between The Hidden Worlds.

On one of the poorest world Santandru Linnea destroys her reputation by accepting a bond servant contract with a male of Nexus, home of the Line pilots. She hopes to exchange information her family has on the family Iain in exchange for the Line to sign a contract renewing their services to her planet and taking care of her and the family. Iain knows nothing of this and his father refuses to tell her what he knows. Iain's uncle, the head of the Line makes it appear that Iain, Linnea and his father are engaging in a conspiracy and he wants them killed. Iain believes the Line should rise above their petty squabbles because the Cold Minds have infected one planet. With the knowledge Iain has learned from his father he has the means of guarding the Hidden Worlds if he could avoid getting killed by his family and elude, with Linnea's help, planet politics and enemies.

This is the first science fiction thriller in what looks to be a great new space opera series. Iain was kept in the dark about certain truths but he has to put the message out to the governments of the Hidden Worlds if they are to avoid a slaughter by the sentient machines. The heroine has the strength and wisdom to survive against overwhelming odds and as she learns to trust Iain, her fear of men begins to evaporate. She will go to extraordinary lengths to save him and travel with him to other words to deliver their message. Kristin Landon has written a spectacular sci-fi thriller that takes place in the distant future.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted June 19, 2007

Summary

After the Earth was destroyed by ruthless machine intelligences, humanity was saved by a hereditary guild of jump pilots, who now control all travel and communication among the Hidden Worlds—and whose power nineteen-year-old Linnea may topple.