The Dragonfly Gambit by A.D. Sui. Neon Hemlock, 2024. 9781952086793. 134pp.
Inez should have been the greatest pilot of the Rule. But she was severely injured and discharged from service; her co-pilot (and now former lover) Kaya became the empire’s top pilot and poster child.
The book opens with Inez being taken into custody for crimes against the Rule. She’s soon working to find a way to help the Rule quickly end the ongoing rebellion against it. Strangely, if Inez succeeds, she will die.
This is a sexy, satisfying story of revenge that involves technology, two officers from Inez’s destroyed home star system, and the Rule’s leader, the Third Daughter herself.
Worth noting: This won a 2025 Nebula Award for Best Novella. And as soon as I finished it, I knew three friends I had to buy it for.