Wandering Soul — Steven Anderson

A young woman seeks the truth about her family on a distant world, uncovering secrets that will lead the Interstellar Union into civil war and risk the lives of all who love her.


Sometimes, doing nothing and waiting for the right time takes more courage than doing the wrong thing right away.

But I can't do nothing. My parents lied to me. About everything. Now is my time. I'm going to Bodens Gate where all of it started, and I'm going to find the truth. About everything.

I am brave. That's the lie I tell myself when the shaking starts deep inside and my body and mind curl inward from the terror that's waiting for me. My friends Winona and Sam hold me together. They're the only ones that can.

I will fight the Tarakana that hide in the shadows, shifting shapes and feeding on us. No one believes the Tarakana exist, but they do. The one inside my mind is good. I call him Merrimac. The bad ones are tearing the Interstellar Union apart to feed on our pain. I'll stop them, even if they tear me apart while I'm doing it.