A standalone, thirty-years later sequel to the Whorl Chronicles' The Star-Crossed Empire: a political space opera on a galactic scale, perfect for fans of Lois McMaster Bujold, KB Wagers, and David Weber.
Naval Commander Hattie Kurestin is deployed on a starship in the far-away Frian Cluster when she finds out her father has resigned and she's the new Queen of Valhar. She looks forward to taking over...and then tearing down the monarchy.
Before she can return, her regent-brother is arrested and the throne is stolen by usurpers. Hattie wonders if she should let the throne pass to the populist revolt. But when she realizes the danger and violence of the new regime, she has to amass a force to take it back and save her people.
As Hattie consolidates her power in the Cluster, creating a plan to deal with the sure-to-come invasion, she discovers her reputation as a woman of the people isn't as well-earned as she thought. Hattie is put to the test when the usurpers are more dangerous and crafty than expected, and must figure out how to survive their ensuing invasion without becoming the imperialist persona she'd been avoiding her whole life.
But it's either take the drastic measures necessary to win this fight-or leave her subjects in the hands of murderers.