by Meg LaTorre
Cyborg Prohibition Law: A law created by Emperor Titus Valerius and the Union Council, which made the creation of new cyborgs, the use of surgical implants, and robotic surgery illegal. Current cyborgs are allowed to remain as they are, but the creation of new cyborgs is strictly prohibited. New cyborgs and those assisting them are subject to execution or a lifetime sentence in prison.
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Federates (“feds”): The local police force in the Union.
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The Forgetting: A memory loss experienced by new cyborgs.
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Governor/Governess: Rulers of the thirteen planets within the Crescent Star System after the Union was founded.
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Grandstand: One of thirteen planets within the Crescent Star System. It is the home of Cirque du Borge and also where undesirables are often transported, including dragons.
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Jinx: A moon outside of the Crescent Star System known for harboring pirates, thieves, and others who evade the law.
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Marks: Paper money in the Union.
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Obedient: The ship of Cirque du Borge.
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Orthodocks: One of thirteen planets within the Crescent Star System.
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Redwood Conservatory: An elite all-girls boarding school through college that specializes in performing arts.
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Rift: A city on the planet Harvest that is ruled over by the Kabir family.
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The Smoke Ring: A neighboring solar system of the Crescent Star System.
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Union: An alliance between the thirteen planets of the Crescent Star System, with a leadership comprised of an emperor and an intergalactic council called the Union Council.
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Union Council: The council consisting of twelve governors and governesses. They assist the emperor in ruling over the Crescent Star System.
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Watchmen: Hired mercenaries at Cirque du Borge.
Acknowledgments
To my husband, confidant, and partner in all things nerdy, Kevin. Thank you for encouraging me not to wait to pursue my dreams, for the endless hours you willingly gave as I blubbered over things big and small in the journey to prepare this book for publication, and for your love and support. None of this would be possible without you.
To my son, Kylan, thank you for helping me be brave enough to take chances. You have opened my eyes in so many ways. I look forward—with slight trepidation—to the day when you are old enough to read this book.
To my family of origin, thank you for encouraging me to chase my dreams with abandon.
To my grandparents, Gloria and Don, thank you for investing in my dreams and for your faith in me. I wish you were here to scold me about the contents of this book.
To my in-laws, thank you for all the times you watched Kylan so I could play pretend with my characters. This book would have taken a lot longer without you.
To my nerd squad and to Pat, thank you for always endorsing my nerdy eccentricities. Renaissance faires are a stomping ground for inspiration, and found families even more so.
To my friends, Sathya Achia Abraham and Elena McPhillips, thank you both for your friendship and for reading many of my terrible manuscripts before this one. You guys are the real heroes.
To my critique partners, Briston Brooks, Claire Winn, and Cortney Radocaj, without you this book wouldn’t be what it is. Thank you for pushing me to be a better writer.
To my alpha reader and friend, M. L. Tishner, thank you for weeding through the earlier versions of this manuscript and sharing in my excitement throughout this process.
To my other beta readers, Angela Teal and Kevin, thank you for sharing your time and eyes with me.
To Jenna Moreci, Courtney (Lyra Parish/Kennedy Fox), Sacha Black, the Wander Writers group, and so many others, thank you for answering my self-publishing questions. I would be floundering without you.
To my editors, Kaitlyn Johnson (developmental editing), Jenny Sims (copyediting), and Judy Zweifel (proofreading), thank you for your hard work and diligence in editing my work and preparing it for the eyes of readers.
To Kylie Stewart, thank you for sharing your voice with me. It has been amazing to hear how you depict Gwen, Bastian, and Rora.
To Tara Spruit, thank you for bringing my characters to life in your character art.
To David Gardiner, thank you for making me feel like a steampunk goddess in your photoshoot and for the most epic author headshot.
To the fans of iWriterly, thank you for your unending support. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
To all those not specifically listed in this acknowledgment, thank you for your impact on my life and this story. This was a journey I couldn’t have done without the help of so many.
About the Author
Photo Credit: David Gardiner
Meg LaTorre is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author, YouTube darling and founder of iWriterly, creator of the free query critique platform, Query Hack, co-host of the Publishable show, and blogger (Writer’s Digest, Savvy Authors, Writers Helping Writers, et al.). Formerly, she worked at a literary agency, and she has a background in magazine publishing, medical/technical writing, and journalism.
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In her free time, Meg enjoys spending time with her husband and son, running, going to Renaissance faires and comic cons, and napping.
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To learn more about Meg, subscribe to her YouTube channel (iWriterly) and newsletter, follow her on Twitter (@MegLaTorre) and Instagram (@Meg_LaTorre), support iWriterly on Patreon for insiders on upcoming books and the latest YouTube videos, or visit www.iWriterly.com.
