Deviana Morris, hero of Rachel Bach's Paradox trilogy (Fortune's Pawn; Honor's Knight), can take on nearly any adversary with her space-marine combat suit, pistol and energy sword. She also carries with her what may be the only hope for the universe: a highly volatile virus activated by her anger. It's the only thing that has a chance against the ultra-dimensional beings that only Devi can see.
Unfortunately, it's incredibly dangerous to both herself and the universe as a whole, so she'd like to rid herself of this virus on her own terms, but two warring races--the Terrans and the Lelgis--have other plans. They both want to use her as a weapon, to different ends. This final volume neatly concludes Devi's story, bringing resolution to her relationship with special agent Rupert Charkov, a powerful human with alien DNA that makes him even more capable than Devi herself. Devi's winding path to the novel's end is riveting, and even if readers haven't read the first two books in the series, the ending is satisfying.
There is quite a bit of romance in this science-fiction novel, but it plays out as a mirror to classic Heinlein motifs: here, it's an incredibly tough woman who still finds time to connect emotionally to her man, even as she wonders whether or not it's wise to place him in such danger by becoming attached. Bach manages to balance the scales of space opera and romance, making Heaven's Queen a captivating read for fans of both genres. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor