Splintegrate — Deborah Christian

Promising science fiction and fantasy writer Deborah Teramis Christian published several successful novels in the late 1990s, then took a hiatus from writing to focus on other pursuits. Now she's back with a rousing stand-alone sequel to fan favorite Mainline.

One of the many charms of planet Lyndir is the Between-World, home to the licensed entertainers of the Sa'adani empire. The most famous is Kes, a professional dominatrix who has become a celebrity attraction at a palatial dungeon called Tryst.

One of Kes's most devoted clients is the infamous interplanetary political operative Janus, a major cog in Lyndir's political machine. When a high-powered imperial authority decides she wants Janus out of the way, the seductive domna Kes is the most logical avenue. She'd never betray a client's trust, but the threat to her and her Sa'adani sisters is so great that she has no choice but to assist.

Imprisoned, altered against her will, and turned into a brutal weapon by the highly experimental Splintegrate cloning technology, Kes is at war with herself as everything she holds dear falls apart around her. It will take an enormous triumph of will and help from some unlikely avenues for Kes to survive the government's machinations and pursue the independence she's craved her entire life.