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The Coaca virus is a plague that claims the lives of people throughout the Three Empires. Four-year-old Anna has contracted the virus with her parents, and while it enters its final stages in Anna’s body, her parents have already succumbed to the disease. Anna is in her final moments when a rare red-headed krait snake finds her in the snow. Injecting Anna with its poisonous venom seems to counteract the effects of the virus, but Anna must keep being bitten by the krait in order to survive. Growing up without friends or family, Anna is adopted by a Magistrate and becomes an officer with the Naval Intelligence Agency (NIA), but she still requires her krait to survive. She and her team must shut down a ring of smugglers who are looking to transport contraband—including the rare red kraits to the highest bidder.
With dangerous action, a smattering of profanity, and the presence of guns and blood, the presence of a young narrator in this book does not mean that this story is intended for young readers. Those prepared for what this story has to offer will discover fascinating science fiction, thrilling spy work, and a story about isolation and family. Anna’s character is cold and distant to most people at first as a defense mechanism, but as she matures and makes dear friends out of her adoptive mother and her co-workers, she learns to trust. While there is space travel and mysterious smugglers at work, this book shines brightest as it follows the code-breaking process as well as the NIA lifestyle and chain of command. Expertly paced and serving as an introduction for adventures to come, this story will entertain and excite readers from start to finish.