Marque of Caine

It's been two years since Caine Riordan was relieved of his command for following both his orders and his conscience. Now he's finally received the message he's been waiting for: a summons to visit the ancient and enigmatic Dornaani. And this time, making direct contact is not just professional, but personal: the Dornaani still have his mortally-wounded love, Elena Corcoran, in their unthinkably advanced medical facilities. But instead of arranging a swift reunion, Riordan's new Dornaani hosts are not only disinterested in human affairs, but are in such social disarray that they have lost track of Elena's surgical cryocell. Riordan must blaze his own trail through dying and dangerous worlds to find the mother of his child, her fate as uncertain as the true agenda of the Dornaani leaders. However, as new clues and new threats push Caine's quest beyond the edge of known space, he discovers that the Dornaani empire is not merely decaying; there are subtle signs that its decline is being accelerated from without. Which means that rescuing Elena is just half the mission: Riordan must report that the Dornaani collapse is not only being engineered, but that it is the prelude to a far more malign scheme: To clear a path for a foe bent on destroying Earth. AboutCaine's Mutiny: "This is military Science Fiction the way it's supposed to be written.. . .All in all, a highly satisfying tale of the Terran Republic that moves the story forward and setting us up for the next chapter, which promises to be interesting at worst and explosive at best."-SFcrowsnest AboutRaising Caine: "Raising Caineunveils a lot of thought-provoking ideas, but ultimately this is a space opera adventure. There are space battles, daring emergency landings, desperate quests, hand-to-hand combat, and double-and-triple crosses. It's an engrossing read. You owe it to yourself to read the two previous books in order. Then enjoyRaising Caine. It's an intergalactic thrill-ride."-Fantasy and Science Ficton Book and Audiobook Reviews "This is science-fiction adventure on a grand scale."-Kirkus "Gannon's harrowing . . . military space opera (followingTrial by Fire) builds well on his established setting. . . Gannon's signature attention to developing realistic alien worlds makes this installment satisfying."-Publishers Weekly "[A]n incredibly active book . . . asour protagonists are confronted by the beautiful, terrible, and sometimes lethal variety of the universe and its inhabitants. . . . Awhole mess of fun. . . that manages to be scientifically accurate while refraining from excessivewonkiness. Those who value meticulous worldbuilding . . . will certainly have their needs met."-BN Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog About Nebula-nominated second entryTrial by Fire: "I seriously enjoyedTrial by Fire.This one's a tidal wave-can't put it down. An excellent book." -Jack McDevitt "Gannon's whiz-bang second Tales of the Terran Republic interstellar adventure delivers on the promise of the first (Fire with Fire). . . The charm of Caine's harrowing adventure lies in Gannon's attention to detail, which keeps the layers of political intrigue and military action from getting too dense. The dozens of key characters, multiple theaters of operations, and various alien cultures all receive the appropriate amount of attention. The satisfying resolution is enhanced by the promise of more excitement to come in this fascinating far-future universe."-Publishers WeeklyStarred Review "[D]efinitely one to appeal to the adventure fans. Riordan is a smart hero, up against enormous obstacles and surrounded by enemies. Author Gannon does a good job of managing action and tension to keep the story moving, and the details of the worlds Riordan visits are interesting in their own right."-Analog " [O]ffers the type of hard science-fiction those familiar with the John Campbell era ofAnalogScience Fictionwill remember. Gannon throws his readers into an action-packed adventur...