The Maker's Mask (The Books Of Requite Book 1)

Tzenni Boccamera wasn't a soldier or a diplomat. She was an engineer. But when Tzenni's sister Catha was captured by soldiers from a rival Spire, there was no one else to go to Catha's rescue. Tzenni didn't expect the rescue to involve a sarcastic bodyguard, a plot to bring down the Spire, or an alien species. And she certainly hadn't meant to fall in love...

'If you like your SF full of adventure and social drama – think Georgette Heyer meets Louis McMaster Bujold with a hefty dose of wit and slightly reminiscent of the early Dune books – then this is the book for you.'

'The plot twists and turns with plenty of action and excitement, but for me the real joy was in the characters. Wells’ heroine, Tzenni Boccamera, is an engaging and loveable geek; a brilliant engineer, happier working with machines than dealing with people, but loyal and determined enough to face the many challenges she encounters bravely, ably assisted by her bodyguard, the cynical, witty and hard-as-nails Innes Liang'

'If you’re looking for a SF adventure novel of manners or a vividly realised science-fictional secondary world, [The Books of Requite are] heartily recommended'