Early Reviewers
Apryl Sallow is learning the hard way: never stake your interplanetary trade career on the whims of an abusive ex-lover.
When career-driven Apryl Sallow’s shipments of rhodium start coming back light, it doesn’t take long for the Induna, governing body of United Africa, to take notice. The rare mineral is a base requirement for global technology, and nobody provides more than partially-terraformed Mars. Apryl wants to pick up Admiral, but unless she fixes the problem she can’t even be considered. To make matters worse, Apryl’s abusive ex-fiance somehow has risen to become the new Enze, or supreme leader, of Mars — and has a weapon that controls the destructive power of gravity.
Apryl’s future hinges on her ability to convince her ex to finally give her up and to reconvene rhodium shipments to United Africa. But when she makes it to Mars to begin negotiations, she realizes the cold truth: her ex isn’t just negotiating for rhodium.
Apryl finds herself reliving familiar patterns, this time with an entire world in the balance. Will Apryl reclaim her career by re-opening the rhodium trade routes? Or will she sacrifice her freedom to save all she holds dear?
A tantalizing cocktail of deception, betrayal, and black holes, Southern Highlands follows the tradition of Ghosts of Mars by John Carpenter, with a touch of John Woo’s Broken Arrow.
- Media
- Ebook
- Genres
- General Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, LGBTQ+, Fiction and Literature
- Offered by
- andrewsweet (Author)
- Published by
- Andrew Sweet Books
- Batch
- August 2022 Starts: 2022-08-01Ended: 2022-08-25
- On Sale
- 2022-07-15
- Countries
- USA Only
- Links
- Book Information
LibraryThing Work Page - Receipt
- 1 marked received
Hey readers!
It's time for the long awaited next novel taking place in the Reality Gradient Universe. Though not numbered in the series, this book expands the Reality Gradient Universe to add trade with Mars, Ganymede, and Europa and takes place after Bodhi Rising but before Libera.
Apryl Sallow is by far my favorite character to date. She's witty, sharp, and driven to succeed. Her goal is to be Admiral one day (not a military position, but a corporate one), and she has the connections to do it. But she also has the baggage to cripple her efforts. Her ex-lover, formerly Liu Jian but now going by Liu Anoki, has risen to become the chief warlord of the Southern Highlands. Since the company she works for is the United Africa Southern Highlands Trading Company, this creates a bit of a problem for her as you might imagine. At first, at least Apryl is able to get Liu to commit and continue to deliver rhodium, a Southern Highlands primary export. When loads start coming back short, and Liu implies that she might seek a new trading partner, a trip to Mars is the only thing that Apryl thinks can save her career.
When she arrives, Apryl slowly begins to understand that she's not only not going to be able to revive her career, but that Liu had been expecting her and she might not ever be able to leave Mars again!
Like it says at the end of the blurb:
Southern Highlands: Obi of Mars offers you a tantalizing tale of deception, betrayals, and black holes!
I hope you enjoy it!
- Andrew Sweet
