Very very interesting short story connected to the Wars of Light and Shadow series. More science-fiction than fantasy backdrop, the story follows a double agent sister initiate of the Koriani order, facing a crucial choice. Featuring the right combination of angst and intensity, I liked to read this WoLaS story set in another world and which cast light from a different angle on the motivations of the Koriani gotha in the series, at least up to where I am now, [b:Grand Conspiracy|28674|Grand Conspiracy (Wars of Light & Shadow #5; Arc 3 - Alliance of Light, #2)|Janny Wurts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288448030s/28674.jpg|29182].
Though self-contained, this tale about the Koriani order before the arrival of humankind on Athera has a lot of intriguing information, and as I've seen connections with the events of the series starting with [b:Fugitive Prince|1040472|Fugitive Prince (Wars of Light & Shadow #4; Arc 3 - Alliance of Light, #1)|Janny Wurts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388378643s/1040472.jpg|1026843], I'm pretty sure more will come around in the following books. ( )

Short story. Prequel set way back before mankind even reached Athera. The sisterhood were already around, but corporate greed reached new levels.
A talented diplomat is sent to convince the ethnic tribes to leave their homeworld before the miners take it to pieces or it falls foul of a new weapon in a rival trade war. The natives are claimed to have magic which makes the diplomat's job that much harder.

Interesting take on the universe in which Athera is set, way way before the main series starts. I wonder how much ofthis was 'known' to the author when they started writing? ( )