Well written, interesting plot, protagonist well developed. Humanity has met an alien race and the start of a kind of melding of the two species has begun through a process of 'augmentation'. However some missteps have taken place and the process is not generally known by the public. Who is augmented is also not easily identifiable.
The book plays off of multiple themes of intrigue which plays well in today's atmosphere where numerous conspiracy theories are held by a significant number of people. Smith was somewhat prescient as she wrote/published this in 2015...well before the latest onslaught of conspiracies which have flowered in the days of covid, vaccine mandates, and the shut down of society. (Of course the Trumpian era was on the verge of exploding, so there was that.)
I did not find the story to my taste and thus have only given 3 stars...others may well think far more highly of it as it is really very well written. ( )

Tougher than nails Jani Kilian is hardly herself, being cyborg and disguised and caught in a political/personal situation of utmost complexity without the alien idomeni, and their priest who sees her as his successor. The only standout here is the flavor of the alien connection, and really Jani isn't all that. ( )

Didn't quite work for, but was engaging throughout.

Jani, is currently living in disguise having fled from one of huamn's rare battles with the aliens. Up until that point she'd been one of the privileged few who understood their viewpoint. But after her transport was bombed she was repaired in secret, and escaped to make peace with the universe. Hence she's more than a little disquieted when her former boss's son /lover turns up at her hideaway, asking her to investigate his late wife's past.

Essentially there's too much thrown together without quite enough explanation or leavening. Jani is supposed ot be an augmented kick-ass independent heroine. Which would probably be enough for a story on it's own. Instead we get an alien species in some detail - and plenty of hints at other species but no details, some weird document based technology, the implications of which are not described but merely used as plot devices, all sorts of human politicking - again more than enough for a story of it's own - and a few other loose ends thrown in as well. None of it quite gels together. Jani stutters a bit as well, form being kick-ass, to just not managing to cope.

The series continues but doesn't interest me to pursue it. ( )

Jani Kilian is a former military officer, now in hiding because she killed her commanding officer when he ordered her to kill a bunch of innocents; she was presumed dead in an explosion from which she was rescued by scientists who gave her augmentations that improved her strength but left her unable to feel with the reconstructed limbs and vulnerable to hallucinations and other problems if she doesn’t get regular “takedowns.” Also, she used to be the protegee of an alien ambassador who still thinks she’ll be useful to his plans. And that’s all backstory; her former lover finds her in hiding and brings her back to Earth to investigate the suspicious death of his wife, which is about to be used to depose him in classic palace politics style. There’s a lot of worldbuilding, though much about the alien idomeni remains to be explained. I ended up not engaged with any of the characters enough to want to continue, but those who like elaborate political sf might well differ. ( )

Wow. This is what science fiction is all about. New worlds, new cultures, action, drama, and a totally kick-ass heroine. Love the whole series. ( )