by Kage Baker
First published 2006
Mendoza the botanist works for Dr. Zeus, a company from the 24th century that sends immortal agents into the past to preserve art and extinct species. Centuries have passed since her lover died, leaving her with endless heartbreak. The Company stations her in early twentieth century Hollywood during D.W. Griffith's filmmaking era, then reassigns her to the Civil War period. There she meets a man whose face mirrors her lost love with disturbing precision. The encounter awakens feelings she thought buried forever. As Mendoza wrestles with the possibility of love returning to her life, she faces consequences that threaten everything she has built during her long service to the Company. Her heart pulls her toward this mysterious figure while her duties as an operative demand loyalty to Dr. Zeus. The collision between past grief and present hope sets Mendoza on a path toward both redemption and catastrophe.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Hollywood, Civil War
Period: 20th Century, 24th Century
352 pages · Paperback · Tor Books