Triangulus

They made Sa-Kolis an ambassador to get her out of the way. Her first assignment puts her at the centre of a royal assassination.

Once an infamous Rit-Phyr general, Sa-Kolis has been promoted sideways into a position she neither wanted nor respects: roving ambassador. Her political rivals expect diplomacy to keep her harmless and far from home.

Instead, Sa-Kolis enters the territories of the Artisans, an alien society where status is a weapon, every favour carries a hidden price, and rivals manoeuvre beneath layers of ritual courtesy. While bargaining for a better ship under the patronage of an Artisan Queen, she attends a grand gala that ends in murder.

With the Queen dead and a diplomatic crisis unfolding, Sa-Kolis must find unlikely allies and tear across an alien city in search of answers before the night is over. Surrounded by manipulators and enemies she cannot yet identify, the former general will need every instinct that once made her infamous.

A standalone illustrated Z-Verse novel, Triangulus combines xenofiction, political intrigue, assassination mystery, and fast-paced science-fiction adventure.

Triangulus is the second novel in the Z-Verse, an interconnected series of xenofiction and science-fantasy stories told through alien perspectives.

Its protagonist is Sa-Kolis, a harsh and cynical member of the Rit-Phyr species. The Rit-Phyr are a combinant species: during adulthood, a Rit takes a Phyr as a symbiote, forming a biological union that profoundly shapes the rest of their life. Sa-Kolis is one of the very rare—and very unlucky—individuals incapable of forming that bond.

Without the advantages conferred by a successful symbiotic union, Sa-Kolis has had to fight twice as hard to secure her place within the ruthlessly militaristic culture of the Rit-Phyr. Through sheer determination, political instinct and no small amount of ruthlessness of her own, she eventually rises to the rank of General.

Triangulus begins on what should be the eve of Sa-Kolis’s ascension to Voivode, securing her place among the highest echelons of her government. Instead, her difficult temperament and relentless climb to power have earned her too many enemies. Rather than being promoted upward, she is promoted sideways, given the role of Ambassador and promptly dispatched far from home.

Her first assignment takes her into the territory of the Artisans, an enigmatic and eccentric species that once ruled much of the Z-Verse and now presides over an empire in decline. Soon after Sa-Kolis arrives, an Artisan queen is assassinated. The newly appointed ambassador finds herself caught in the middle of a dangerous political struggle, becoming an unexpected wildcard in a society built on intrigue, ambition and manipulation.

A new kind of hero. What a refreshing change. Most heroes are larger-than-life physically, mentally, socially, and morally. Sa-Kolis is a strong, intimidating figure but has no tactical eloquence. She says exactly what she means…every time.

Amazon Reviewer

The political tension is well-crafted, and the fast pacing keeps the central assassination investigation engaging from start to finish.

Amazon Reviewer

I really loved the world building in this book. It’s clear that the author has a pretty expansive story world living inside her head. Images are included throughout so you can actually see what the characters look like.

Amazon Reviewer

Delve into the rest of Z-Verse, and explore what comes next in the thrilling saga.