First published 2016
Nemesis is a Diabolic, engineered to kill anyone who threatens her assigned person. That person is Sidonia, heir to a galactic Senate seat. The two have lived together since childhood, with Nemesis ready to eliminate any danger to Sidonia's safety. When the Emperor calls Sidonia to the Imperial Court as a political hostage, Nemesis faces an impossible situation. She cannot protect Sidonia from a distance. Her solution is radical: take Sidonia's place at court while the real Sidonia hides in safety. Now Nemesis must navigate a treacherous world of scheming politicians and duplicitous nobles' children. She was built to be a weapon, programmed without emotions or empathy. But surviving at court requires her to discover something her creators insisted she lacks: human feeling. As the Empire shows signs of collapse and rebellion threatens the established order, Nemesis realizes that learning to be human might save not just herself and Sidonia, but the entire galactic civilization.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, action, young-adult
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Imperial Court
Period: Galactic Civilization
416 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers