C. A. Hartman

The Refugee (The Korvali Chronicles) (Volume 1) C. A. Hartman

"Hartman shows us great character development, solid plotting, and a good grasp of science. An unusually strong first novel."  -K. L. Roberts

"Great science fiction with intriguing characters. Excited for the next book in the series!" -N. Stasnopolis


The Korvali allow no outsider to visit Korvalis. They forbid their citizens to leave. They're brilliant geneticists, but they refuse to share their genetic secrets with outsiders. Their xenophobia excludes them from the Orion Interplanetary Alliance, and the other planets don't like or trust them. However, everyone tolerates the status quo... 

Until a Korvali geneticist escapes his planet and takes refuge among humans on a starship. 

The Refugee--the first of the Korvali Chronicles series--tells the story of Eshel, the Korvali refugee, and Dr. Catherine Finnegan, the human geneticist who befriends him, as they face the political, scientific, and interpersonal ramifications of Eshel's living among outsiders. From censoring of their scientific work to intolerance for Eshel's cold arrogance, struggles abound... until an alarming incident sets things in motion that will alter the course of the future for all.