Winterstrike

Winterstrike and Caud are hostile, ice-bound cities on the terraformed red planet ruled by the Matriarch, a political regime that has rid the world of men, who exist now as little more than animals in the hinterlands. Hestia Mar is a Winterstrike spy in the city of Caud, attempting to uncover evidence that will defuse the imminent war, while Essegui Harn, her cousin in Winterstrike, becomes ever more embroiled in her disgraced sister's involvement with the devolved male of the species. What they discover unveils ancient secrets and transforms the planet's destiny for ever.