DuBoff (Scions of Change) begins the Mindspace saga, set after her Cadicle series in the galaxy-spanning Taran Empire, with spunky characters, a conventional plot, and planetary politics. Tararian Guard Captain Kira Elsar and her specially trained team are sent to her home planet, Valta, to infiltrate the MTech laboratory, which is suspected of using alien nanotech to conduct experiments on unwilling subjects with telekinetic abilities. Valta’s unique properties have allowed natural telepaths to evolve. Kira, who’s able to read minds and compel people to do her bidding, tussles with Dr. Monica Waylon, the cartoonishly devilish director of MTech, who has powers of her own. Meanwhile, tension is building among neutral Valta, Empire-loving Elusia, and warlike and independent Mysar. Adding urgency to Kira’s mission is her knowledge that someone is planning to assassinate the Elusian president. Numerous overlapping plot threads clutter the story and make it hard for readers to immerse in the setting, but the battle mechs and political machinations will appeal to fans of epic space opera. This breezy but passable series launch holds some promise for future works. (BookLife)