These predate a lot of the Andrews’ later work, so you can see the genesis of some ideas that are refined in later work, like the concept of the kinsmen families which become the houses in Hidden Legacy, or the Reigh who are similar to the vampire society from Innkeeper. These stories are tropetastic, ocasionally ridiculous, and utterly amazing, plus the art by Luisa J. This is a set of two novellas and a short story all in the Kinsmen universe. and the negotiation of terms becomes anything but formal! When the new heir to the Reigh throne, Lord Nagrad, demands restitution, the phrase ''a life for a life' turns the intergalactic calamity into an arranged marriage contract between Lord Nagrad and sharply intelligent diplomatic analyst Deirdre Lebed. The leader of the fierce Reigh people expires during an intergalactic summit, putting 30 million colonists' lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. She thought she had left war behind, but now she must hide her skills and her growing feelings from Venturo.and this battle might just cost her everything. She finds a job as personal assistant to Venturo Escana, a premiere kinsman one of Rada's most wealthy entrepreneurs-and most powerful psychers.

By so-deeply burying her ability that she avoids detection, Claire is instead deported to Rada as a refugee, where she must find work to remain. When Claire's faction loses the war, she barely escapes extermination from both sides, as her talent brands her as too dangerous to society. Now she's ready to quit but she has one more assignment.Ĭlaire Shannon is a killer.and her weapon is her mind.īorn on a planet torn by war for over 300 years, Claire is a soldier: a psycher, with the ability to read, control, and destroy the minds of enemy psychers and to infiltrate the biological network where they battle to death. So she 'leaves' her family and trains to become one of the best and most lethal of assassins, all the while covertly guarding her family's interests. As a melder of energy, she's capable of severing anything in her path. When he abruptly breaks their engagement, he ruins her family and guarantees that Meli will never marry, as no suitor will oppose the rich and influential Carvannas.īut Meli has a rare, secret, lethal-and valuable-talent. On the planet Rada, Meli Galdes' family is of minor rank, and were relying on her marriage to Celino, the razor-smart, ruthless leader of the powerful Carvanna empire. The struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport: in business, on the battlefield.and sometimes in the bedroom. They are their own country, their own rulers, and their only limits are other Kinsmen. In a distant, future world Kinsmen-small powerful groups of genetically and technologically advanced families-control vast financial empires. This is an anthology edition of the Kinsmen Universe, which includes SILENT BLADE, SILVER SHARK, plus a new short story, and three original illustrations.**įamily is everything.

Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews