Ten Low by Stark Holborn

Ten Low is eking out a living at the universe’s edge. An ex-medic, ex-con, desperate to escape her memories of the war, she still hasn’t learnt that no good deed goes unpunished.

Attempting to atone for her sins, she pulls a teenage girl from a crashed lifecraft. But Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary girl – she is a genetically-engineered super soldier and decorated General, part of the army that kept Ten prisoner. Worse, Ten realises the crash was an assassination attempt, and that someone wants Ortiz dead...

To get the General off-world, they must cross the moon’s lawless wastes, face military hit squads, savage bandits, organ sharks and good old-fashioned treachery. But as they race to safety, something else waits in the darkness. Something ancient and patient. Something that knows exactly who she is, and what she is really running from.

4.5 Stars! I was engaged from the get go. Fun action packed story and great sinister undertones. Plays a lot with the ???hidden past??? slowly unveiling through the story which was really kept me glued in as well

I was given an ebook review copy by the publisher.

Factus is bleak, desert moon, out on the edges of human exploration.
It provides the setting for this rollercoaster paced space opera that has shades of Mad Max crossed with a Western style Dune.

Ten Low (aka Doc) is a medic with a mysterious past who wanders the lawless, barren wastes of this moon helping the sick and injured in the desolate communities .

Low comes across the wreck site of a military space ship and she helps the only survivor - an injured teenage girl. However, Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary teenage girl. She is a genetically modified warrior, a General in the army of the Accord, winners of a recent bloody war, in which Low was on the opposing side.

Low decides to forget the past and help Ortiz, but it soon becomes apparent that the crash was an assassination attempt by the Accord against one of their own. They must flee across the lawless wastes to find safety for Ortiz, avoiding military hit squads, smugglers, robbers, black market organ dealers, and a strange alien presence. She enlists the help of crime boss Malady Falco and her all female gang of G'hals, and between them they fight their way across the moon.

A terrific cast of characters of which Malady Falco and her G'hals deserve their own book.

One of the most fun books I've read this year - can't wait for the next installment

Stark succeeded in building the barren world of Factus filled with unique characters and entertaining relationships. For a sci-fi book, it's short. Was a great filler read between lengthy series. Kept wanting to continue reading.