Loki’s Ring

Still devastated after losing two artificial general intelligence (AGI) crew members, Captain Gita Chithra can’t ignore a distress call from Ri, the AGI she helped raise. Ri’s on a ship stationed near the mysterious alien-constructed world of Loki’s Ring, where corporate resource extraction attempts have infected the crew with a destructive virus. Gita’s rescue attempt soon endangers her own crew, drawing in her estranged former co-captain Karter as the situation escalates and reminds them both of the disaster that tore them apart. This novel is action-packed from start to finish, confronting the protagonists with armed corporate starships, high-stakes rescue missions, and the horrifying effects of an alien virus. The growing conflict brings Gita and Karter together on the surface of the Ring in a reunion that helps them revisit and move on from their past. However, the writing sometimes undercuts the plot’s impact—major events take place off-screen to be summed up afterward, and some secondary characters blend together beyond their banter.