Warp Angel

Once a ruthless mercenary and assassin in a distant solar system, Magen discovers the ancient faith of her fathers and renounces war, until her husband is abducted by the corrupt Slaver's Guild.

When her husband, the charismatic leader of an intergalactic religious movement, falls prey to a powerful alliance of slavers, ex-assassin Magen Hirsch takes up her old profession to rescue him and break the might of the Slavers Guild. Hopen's first novel features a strong, dedicated female protagonist and a well-imagined, dystopic far-future setting. Combining elements of space opera, action-adventure, and hard sf, this tightly crafted story of revenge and redemption is a good choice for large libraries.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The setting of Hopen's riveting, action-driven first novel is in a distant future and a distant star system in which faster-than-light travel has been outlawed due to its damaging effect on the fabric of space time. In a worlds-spanning society of battle-hardened guilds, Magen is a roving mercenary desperately searching for her husband after his abduction by a sadistic slavers' guild. With the help of trained assassin Chev, a psychic named Veil, and wealthy ex-warp pilot Amelia, Magen crosses worlds, frees slaves, and tests her warrior skills to the limit in a quest that ultimately becomes spiritual, for the husband she seeks is the charismatic leader of a faith espousing nonviolence. Hopen skillfully combines elements of space opera, cleverly drawn battle scenes, and metaphysical speculations on the power of faith--all without pausing a single step in a story line of unrelenting action. Great entertainment for fans of military sf and an excellent first effort from a writer to watch. Carl Hays