The Hidden Worlds
After the Earth was destroyed by ruthless machine intelligences known as the Cold Minds, the remnants of the human race sought refuge on far-flung planets. Humanity was saved by a hereditary guild of jump pilots who now control all travel and communication among the Hidden Worlds.…
Nineteen-year-old Linnea Kiaho lives on a backwater hostile planet, one of the poorest of the Hidden Worlds. To save her family, Linnea does the unspeakable: She accepts an indenture on the decadent home world of the Pilot Masters, hoping that she will be able to barter an old family secret into a future for her loved ones—and perhaps her planet as well.
Linnea's unwilling master, the pilot Iain sen Paolo, knows nothing about her secret. But to spite his father, he joins her in uncovering a truth that could throw the Pilot masters into chaos at a time when they can least afford weakness. For after six centuries, the Cold Minds have discovered the Hidden Worlds.…
Reviews
"[A] promising debut novel.… From the coarse sand that grinds underfoot, to the burned boot that signifies the death of a village, to the insults hurled by a desperate survivor, the author makes the struggling, subsistence-level world of Santandru seem so real that readers might swear Landon grew up fighting for survival in some cold, poverty-stricken fishing town in her native Pacific Northwest.… "Landon … develops human characters with human strengths and weaknesses—kindnesses and cruelties, selfless sacrifices and selfish acts—in all their ugliness and glory."
Cynthia Ward, SCI FI WEEKLY
"… conceptually fascinating … a true original.… The overlay of a Singularity scenario on sexy space opera is just really wild; or rather, perhaps the endpoint of fictional evolution. The Singularity is ready to spawn. Whatever the case, the book itself is a cut above, offering some hardish science fiction and softish romance.… And pretty damn exciting on a spaceship zooming about level."
Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column
"Excellently crafted and lyrically penned, Kristin Landon's The Hidden Worlds explores loyalty, politics, intrigue, and desire as two protagonists from divergent worlds find themselves pawns in a game much larger—and much more deadly—than either realizes. Landon's sharp characterization and deft twists-and-turns of plot keep you hooked. A riveting read. I highly recommend it."
Linnea Sinclair, author of Games of Command and Gabriel's Ghost
"The Hidden Worlds is a thing of beauty. A science fiction story set in a far future, but with clear and familiar footholds in the past. Linnea is a wonderful character.… The story has great pacing.… The pages practically turn themselves. I hope that this is only the first of many novels from this extremely talented author." Rating: 9 [of 10].
Deborah Hern, CA Reviews
"… a fantastic science fiction yarn. … plenty of intrigue and action … accessible for readers new to the genre. There are layers of complexity here, both moral and political, that are sure to give readers plenty to think about." A four-star review.
Natalie A. Luhrs, Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine, July 2007
"… a riveting fast-paced romantic adventure … with a lot of surprising and unexpected twists that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat."
Char, Romance Junkies
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Or ask for it at your local independent bookstore (search by zip code).
Photo from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
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