by Paul Preuss
First published 2021
Sparta appears human, but advanced biotech engineering created her superhuman abilities. Her beauty masks a past she cannot fully remember. When a research team becomes stranded in the crushing, toxic atmosphere of Venus, Sparta must descend into the gaseous inferno to extract them. The rescue mission pushes her enhanced capabilities to their limits as she battles the planet's hellish conditions. During the operation, the team recovers an artifact that will change everything: concrete proof that life exists beyond Earth. Sparta succeeds in saving the scientists, but the discovery sets larger forces in motion. She must navigate the dangerous politics surrounding this evidence while confronting questions about her own engineered nature. The artifact represents hope for humanity's future among the stars, yet it also threatens to expose secrets that powerful people want buried.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, mystery, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets, superhuman-abilities
Setting: Venus
Period: Future
308 pages · Paperback · iBooks