Harpsichord and the Wormhole Witches — Mark Bousquet

Harpsichord knew her fellow cadets didn't like her, but she never expected someone would look to bury her at the back of the universe, where a thousand alien kingdoms and civilizations live in an uneasy peace.

All thoughts of escaping the Deep and getting back to Mars are quickly brushed aside, however, as Harp finds herself embroiled in a plot to seize control of the Deep.

The Warden seeks to build an army to wrest control of the Union's Corporate Board, and then take his war to the Trident, the Sulfurians, the Av'ian, and anyone else who wants to stand in his way.

And key to his plans for conquest is a recently-arrived cadet with more power in her body than nearly any other human in history.

Harp's got zero time to navigate an entire corner of the universe. Who can she trust to help her find her way? The Warden? The criminals? The bounty hunters? The aliens who spent a half-century trying to put humanity in chains? Or the Witches of the Wormhole who introduce themselves by trying to kill her?

Or is she going to have to carve her own way in the cosmic wilderness as war threatens to plunge the Deep in violence and chaos?

Welcome to the Deep, Harpsichord. It's not a bad place to be if you can make it through the first day.