Parting Shadows by Kate Sheeran Swed

Raised by a heartsick AI, she's programmed to kill. And desperate to flee. After growing up on an isolated space station, Astra dreams of solid ground. But with an AI guardian plugged into her head--and her nervous system--it's not like she's flush with choices. In fact, she's got just one: use her training to carry out the rogue AI's revenge. Her first mission? Assassination. When her target flashes a jamming device that would guarantee her escape from the AI's grasp, Astra sets out to steal it. But the AI's plans are more dangerous than she suspected. Corrupted by heartbreak, the wayward computer is determined to infect the star system with a new order of digital tyranny. Astra's been raised to care for no one but herself. Now she'll have to decide if she's willing to trade the star system's freedom for her own. Parting Shadows is a far-future take on Estella Havisham's journey in Great Expectations, and the first installment in Kate Sheeran Swed's Toccata System novella trilogy.

Adult • Science Fiction/Space Opera • Science Fiction