Splintegrate

Deborah Teramis Christian returns to science fiction 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. There, at a palatial house of domination called Tryst, professional dominatrix Kes has become a celebrity attraction whose fame and exclusivity draws a rarified clientele.

Her most devoted client is Janus, a major crime boss on Lyndir and elsewhere. But when a high-powered imperial authority decides she wants Janus out of the way, she identifies Kes as his greatest vulnerability. The seductive domina would never betray a client's trust, but a mortal threat to her Between-World sisters forces her cooperation with Janus's enemy.

Altered against her will, she is turned into a brutal weapon by Splintegrate cloning technology. It will take help from some unlikely avenues and an enormous triumph of will for Kes to survive the government's machinations... and pursue the independence she's craved her entire life.