Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle

From the freeby table. My sister says she has read Mary Gentle, but I don't think I ever have. Actually, the main reason I picked it up was that I recognized the cover. It is by Michael Whelan. Gentle may not be a big name in the SF game, but she could afford the best when it came to cover art.

Frankly, the book was not particularly memorable. It was good enough that I kept reading all the way to the end, but I feel no compelling need to go hunt down the sequel. In fact, I have been considering returning it to the table.

The heroine is sent as envoy to the planet, the natives of which are unmistakeably not human, but she has an affair with one of them. Then she is taken for a member of a hated formerly dominant group and is first condemned to death, then hounded across the world after escaping. Serious plausibility issues. If the golden witch breed has been wiped out, why are they everywhere? and since she is obviously not a native of the world, why is she mistaken for a native? Maybe I'm just missing something.