Nemesis has been born and bred for one purpose: to be a living weapon. She is told that she is not truly human; she is a machine. She is dangerous to everyone in the galaxy, except one person: Sidonia. Nemesis’s duty will be to protect her ward, even if that involves killing – and killing, it turns out, is often the first choice of action – or dying in her place.

When Sidonia is summoned to the galactic court, her family know that she is actually a hostage; she may even be killed by the Senate to punish her rebellious father. The decision is made to send Nemesis in her place. Then things become complicated. Nemesis hasn’t been trained to deal with the subtleties of politics. She has to rely on more than her physical strength. Is it possible, despite of what her creators have told her, that she could be truly human?

S J Kincaid has created a fascinating world set in the distant future, in which the wealthy live protected lives on space stations while the poor live on planets often short of resources and are left to languish as they deal with climatic extremes and disease. The Diabolic is a thrilling adventure with plenty of twists and turns, and Nemesis is an intriguing character who, in spite of her assassin’s training, evokes our sympathy and admiration.

Reviewed by Wendy Noble