Beyond Forsaken Worlds by J.P. McDonald (The Gemarine Chronicles #1)

This comes with a book plate sticker signed by the author.

"Contentment through unity. Protection through peace."

Welcome to Gemarine: utopian home to a select group of Aranthers, Sytheracts and Humans.

You can live a pleasant life with a meaningful job, integrate yourself within a non-judgemental community, participate in no-strings-attached copulation events and nurture your passion.

But is it all just a fickle facade of frivolity? Is something sinister lurking beneath the leadership of Madame Bleu and her Inner Circle?

After emerging from the wreckage of a crashed ship, a Human named Xan befriends a rare creature in the Wilds of Gemarine, forging a bond that sets them on a course across the far-reaching corners of the galaxy.

Lilianna is a Sytheract who doesn't always fit in with the Gemarine way of life. Working in conservation with Xan, she is a quiet achiever, with a heart of gold and eyes to match.

Juniper is a promiscuous Gemarinian with a quick wit and a quicker temper. After losing her arm in a brutal war, she commands a squad with a steely heart and a fierce determination.

After Juniper accepts a rescue mission in a dangerous part of the galaxy, she finds herself face to face with an ancient enemy.

Will Xan and his ragtag crew be able to save her? Or will they uncover a plot that unites the fate of all their former homeworlds?

"Nothing is flawless in a galaxy built from chaos."