When We Were Real — William Barton

Acclaimed for combining grand galactic concepts with realistic characters and penetrating insights, William Barton's award-nominated novels include When Heaven Fell, Acts of Conscience, and The Transmigration of Souls. Now William Barton creates an astonishing empire of mutant humans, forlorn cyborgs, and genetic hybrids struggling for freedom in an unforgiving, endless future.

ORPHANS OF UNCREATED TIME

Violet is an optimod space-pilot -- a beautiful, purple-furred human-fox hybrid. Darius Murphy has escaped an oppressive religious matriarchy for a new life in the stars. Mercenaries crewing ships for the corporation that rules the galaxy from the Glow-Ice Worlds to Centauri Jet, Darius and Violet share a love that transcends wars, centuries...even death.

But in the face of a ruthless power that annihilates inhabited worlds for profit, is love enough? And can even immortals dare to seek happiness in a galaxy without peace, a universe with no freedom?