Fire born of exile. Aliette de Bodard. 2023.

The Scattered Pearls Belt is a string of habitats under tight military rule…..where the powerful have become all too comfortable in their positions, and their corruption. But change is coming, with the arrival of Quinn: the mysterious and enigmatic Alchemist of Streams and Hills.

To Minh, daughter of the ruling prefect of the Belt, Quynh represents a chance for escape. To Hoa, a destitute engineer, Quynh has a mysterious link to her own past……and holds a deeper, more sensual appeal. But Quynh has her own secret history, and a plan for the ruling class of the Belt. A plan that will tear open old wounds, shake the heavens and may well consume her.