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Title: These Burning Stars (The Kindom Trilogy, #1)
Author: Bethany Jacobs
Pages: 465
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: 17th October 2023
Blurb from Goodreads:
A
dangerous cat-and-mouse quest for revenge. An empire that spans star
systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret
that could collapse worlds, hunted by three women with secrets of
their own. All collide in this twisty, explosive space opera debut,
perfect for readers of Arkady Martine and Kameron Hurley.
Jun
Ironway—hacker, con artist, and occasional thief—has gotten her
hands on a piece of contraband that could set her up for proof that
implicates the powerful Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide
seventy-five years ago. The Nightfoots control the precious sevite
that fuels interplanetary travel through three star systems. And
someone is sure to pay handsomely for anything that could break their
hold.
Of
course, anything valuable is also dangerous. The Kindom, the ruling
power of the star systems, is inextricably tied up in the Nightfoots’
monopoly—and they can’t afford to let Jun expose the truth. They
task two of their most brutal clerics with hunting her
preternaturally stoic Chono, and brilliant hothead Esek, who also
happens to be the heir to the Nightfoot empire.
But
Chono and Esek are haunted in turn by a figure from their shared
past, known only as Six. What Six truly wants is anyone’s guess.
And the closer they get to finding Jun, the surer Chono is that Six
is manipulating them all.
It's
a game that could destroy their lives and devastate the stars. And
they have no choice but to see it through to the end.
Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop
My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book
in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Little,
Brown Book Group UK*
In
an empire that stretches across the stars, there is a deadly secret
that could bring everything tumbling down.
Esek
Nightfoot is dangerous and bends the rules to her liking. She is the
heir to the family that owns possibly the most important resource
there is - sevite, which allows interplanetary travel.
Cleric
Chono was trained by Esek and has a complicated history with Esek,
and her obsession with finding an illusive person called Six.
A
hacker called Jun Ironway obtains information that threatens the
Nightfoot family, and is on the run from Esek.
Will
Jun evade her hunters?
Can
Esek prevent her family's reputation being ruined?
I
love a good sci-fi novel, and I liked that this one sounded
political.
There
were three protagonists - Esek, who was often unlikeable but a
complex character; Chono, who was probably my favourite, but I did
like Jun, and I felt sorry for the her and Chono.
The
setting and world-building were interesting, and very detailed. There
was a lot of information at the beginning of the story, and it felt a
little like I'd been thrown into the deep-end.
The
plot took a while to get going, and once it did things did get more
interesting. However, I was never gripped, and the book felt a lot
longer than it actually was. I did lose interest a few times
throughout, but there were events that did make me re-engage with the
story, and want to find out what happened next.
I
probably won't read the sequels as I didn't feel that invested in
what was happening. However, I would be interested in seeing what
else the author writes next.
I'm
disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but, unfortunately, it
felt a bit messy to me.
Overall,
this was a mixed read.
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