On a near future Earth, alien ships appear and then moments later all the aliens die. As they die, clouds of nanites infect the area around the ships, killing many and leaving some with powers.
Some time later, Deneve is making her way to Austin from Houston. She’s had a flash of a vision, just enough to know someone is in danger. Deneve has been on the road, unwilling to stay anywhere too long since the aliens arrived. The nanites that infect her body lead her Jolie’s paper and stationary store in South Austin. Deneve doesn’t have enough information to give Jolie a good warning and Jolie is suspicious of her anyway. But a few days later, Deneve saves Jolie from a kidnapping and the two women slowly inch towards trust.
If I Were a Weapon is the start of a series that follows Deneve and Jolie. This first book is appropriately low heat and slow burn. Kilaen has established an interesting world, and I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes it. I really enjoyed the little slices of Austin that felt familiar.
One of the thing I like about Kilaen’s writing, whether she’s writing contemporary romance or scifi romance, on earth or in space, she thinks through how a normal, regular person would respond to the circumstances. Even in a world where some people now have superpowers, everything feels grounded in truth.
I received this as an advance reader copy from the author. This doesn’t impact my review.