Distant Trails: Under Carico's Moons, Book One by Nan C Ballard

The planet Carico is short on technology and long on wide-open spaces. When Seth Reilly returns home to Under Rim, it isn’t the peaceful village he remembers. Trouble is in the wind, and the new girl in town, Annalee, is at the heart of it. Seth and Annalee cross Jerdix, an outlaw who tortures Seth with a device prohibited throughout the Interstellar Coalition. Unable to cope, Seth flees to a lonely camp where he becomes obsessed with taming a horse as damaged as he is. Annalee follows, determined to help him. But Jerdix is still out there. Can Seth and Annalee survive Jerdix’ threat and find the help they both need to heal?

“This thrilling sci-fi Western rides the open range of another world with complex characters caught in a web of conspiracy.”

-Karen Eisenbrey

author of the Rage Brigade duology and the Wizard Girl trilogy

“Distant Trails is a roller coaster ride of pain and despair, love and redemption. Ballard's characters embody both frailty and resilience as they redefine their lives from tragedy to hope.”

-Mikko Azul

author of the Demons of Muralia series