The Half-Life Empire 2

Hacker Kita Yamasaki is a survivor, a fighter, and the granddaughter of Dr. Benjamin Yamasaki. Once the sole human ambassador seeking peace with the alien Teth, now the doctor is long dead—and only Kita holds the knowledge that can save humanity.

Though she's already foiled one effort to destroy Earth and forged an alliance with the violent, power-armored Judge Gascoigne, new threats arise. Namely, the Iron-Blooded cultists, who wish to ally themselves with the aliens in exchange for their own lives. As they bray for her blood, Kita takes off— along with Bishop, junk hunter and trusted ally—through the blasted post-apocalyptic world that remains after humankind's betrayal to the murderous alien Vay.

But all is not lost . . . Kita's growing stronger, romance is blooming between her and Bishop, and most importantly, she has experienced a vision of a new Earth, in which aliens and humans work together to build an inhabitable planet out of the wasteland. Can she bring an end to the fighting before mutual hatred destroys them all?

"A fantastic read . . . Kita is so much more than a hacker, and the world she moves through isn't just lethal—it feels uncomfortably familiar, and incredibly close." —Terry Maggert, coauthor of the Backyard Starship series