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  • Crossover

Crossover

The Cassandra Kresnov Series #1 / 6
by Joel Shepherd
Crossover (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #1) by Joel Shepherd
★ 8.00 / 1
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Crossover is the first novel in a series which follows the adventures of Cassandra Kresnov, an artificial person, or android, created by the League, one side of an interstellar war against the more powerful, conservative Federation. Cassandra is an experimental design—more intelligent, more creative, and far more dangerous than any that have preceded her. But with her intellect come questions, and a moral awakening. She deserts the League and heads incognito into the space of her former enemy, the Federation, in search of a new life. Her chosen world is Callay, and its enormous, decadent capital metropolis of Tanusha, where the concerns of the war are literally and figuratively so many light years away. But the war between the League and the Federation was ideological as much as political, with much of that ideological dispute regarding the very existence of artificial sentience and the rules that govern its creation. Cassandra discovers that even in Tanusha, the powerful entities of this bloody conflict have wound their tentacles. Many in the League and the Federation have cause to want her dead, and Cassandra’s history, inevitably, catches up with her. Cassandra finds herself at the mercy of a society whose values preclude her own right even to exist. But her presence in Tanusha reveals other fault lines, and when Federal agents attempt to assassinate the Callayan president, she finds herself thrust into the service of her former enemies, using her lethal skills to attempt to protect her former enemies from forces beyond their ability to control. As she struggles for her place and survival in a new world, Cassandra must forge new friendships with old enemies, while attempting to confront the most disturbing and deadly realities of her own existence.
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Science Fiction
Release date: 2001

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Joel Shepherd

Joel Shepherd

Joel Shepherd is an Australian author whose imagination bridges the vast expanse of science fiction and the intricate depth of fantasy. Born in Adelaide in 1974 and raised in Perth, he discovered an early fascination with storytelling through science fiction films and speculative tales that stretched beyond everyday life. This curiosity eventually led him to study film and television arts at Curtin University, a foundation that shaped his cinematic approach to narrative and world-building.

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Shepherd’s literary journey began with his debut novel Crossover, which was shortlisted for the George Turner Prize and later nominated for an Aurealis Award, signaling the emergence of a distinctive voice in Australian speculative fiction. His Cassandra Kresnov series, featuring an AI super-soldier navigating questions of identity, autonomy, and morality, brought him international attention, while A Trial of Blood and Steel explored political intrigue and rebellion in a richly imagined fantasy realm. More recently, The Spiral Wars series demonstrates his skill at combining military space opera with complex character arcs and high-stakes tension.

Beyond his books, Shepherd’s life is a tapestry of diverse experiences. He travels extensively, cycles through the landscapes of Australia, and serves with the South Australian Country Fire Service, all of which inform the authenticity and scope of his storytelling. His work resonates with readers who appreciate tightly woven plots, morally complex characters, and worlds that feel both vast and lived-in.

With a career spanning decades and multiple international publications, Joel Shepherd continues to captivate fans of science fiction, fantasy, and military speculative fiction, crafting stories that challenge the imagination while probing the human condition.

 

The Cassandra Kresnov Series

The adventures of Cassandra "Sandy" Kresnov, the ultimate synthetic soldier who was made by the League, but defected to her former enemy, the Federation. Explosive action sequences and a focus on character make the Cassandra Kresnov novels unique in SF.

The Cassandra Kresnov Series consists of six books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Crossover (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #1)
★ 8.00 / 1
Breakaway (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #2)
★ 8.00 / 1
Killswitch (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #3)
★ 8.00 / 1
23 Years on Fire (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #4)
Unrated
Operation Shield (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #5)
Unrated
Originator (The Cassandra Kresnov Series #6)
Unrated


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