The Andromeda's Ghost

Book excerpt: Fifty years after humanity desperately sought and found a new home on Jurthaan IV, tension with neighboring planet Palnach necessitates a peace treaty as well as the arranged marriage of Princess Kylee Wen Dao to Palnach’s Prince Maju. Taren Platinum is the best—now banished—guard on Princess Kylee’s security team. He’s also in love with her. After crashing the royal wedding, rescuing the princess, and fleeing Jurthaan IV in a stolen spacecraft, Taren finds himself on the run with Kylee, pursued by soldiers from both Jurthaan IV and Palnach. The lovers crash-land on Cartiss, leaving them stranded on a dying planet with targets on their backs. To escape, Taren must repair the ship with the help of a select few trustworthy citizens from the downtrodden city of Hurren. Without an official governing authority, the local gangsters are running Hurren and refusing to spread the wealth. While Taren’s priority is getting off Cartiss and disappearing somewhere safe, Kylee believes he has what it takes to turn things around in Hurren. Drawing attention to himself is the last thing he wants to do, but his princess is right. If there’s one thing Taren can’t overlook, it’s those who threaten the lives of innocents, even when his own life is on the line.