This book blew my mind in the best possible way. Historical epic fantasy set in India, with two amazing sapphic leads. I was only a few pages in when I messaged a friend to yell about how much I love Priya. This was also a rare book that I started the day I received it (though it did take me a week to read it). I really hope this review doesn’t devolve in incoherent squeeing!

Massive thanks to Orbit (and also especially the friend who was kind enough to let me read her ARC), all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 08/06/2021

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne.
The other is a priestess searching for her family.
Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of powerful magic – but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one of several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to attend Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, as long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides. But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled… (from Orbit)

OPINIONS: This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. I had to take breaks because it was just so full of relatable quotes, and I needed to process the awesomeness. I am absolutely in love with this book, and Tasha, feel free to keep stomping all over my heart any time. I need the sequel as soon as possible (yes, I’m aware that The Jasmine Throne isn’t out yet and won’t be for a while). Also, I need to learn more about medieval-ish India, because I’m fascinated by the world that this is set in. It’s not a pleasant world for everyone – and especially the roles of women are heavily regulated, but it is so interesting.

And damn, those characters. Priya and Malini are both god-tier leads, but I’m partial to Priya. She is such a badass and I am completely in love with her. Their relationship with each other is a joy to read – and it makes me very happy that there is not a huge focus on smooth sailing and a HEA. While there is a romance in the book, this is not a romance book at all. There is bickering and tension, and a strong foundation in friendship below it all. The characters are all fleshed out, even very minor players in the story aren’t just two-dimensional inserts but have their own wants and goals.

I already can’t wait to reread this when I get my hands on a finished copy, that’s how good this is. Add The Jasmine Throne to your Goodreads here, and pre-order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

I might already be rereading this book and it’s not even released yet. This was one of my most anticipated YA novels on my list of 2021 releases – it’s dark, it’s queer and it’s edgy in the best possible sense. It also has mythology vibes to it which you might have noticed I’m really into. And it has one of my favourite covers of the year – which looks even better in physical than I thought! (Spot gloss for the win)

Massive thanks to Kate Keehan at Hodder for sending me a review copy. All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 18/05/2021

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: In Thanopolis, magic is rare – and closely controlled. Those blessed – or cursed – with power are kept under constant guard, assigned to undead spirits who watch their every move.

Ever since her father died to save her from this fate, Rovan has kept her magic a closely guarded secret – until an accident exposes her powers for the world to see, and her tenuous freedom comes crashing to an end.

Brought to the royal palace against her will, and thrust into a maelstrom of intrigue and deception, Rovan is drawn to two people she cannot fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling and rebellious princess struggling against her own destiny, and Ivrilos, the handsome, powerful spirit she has been bound to, who can control Rovan, body and soul.

Together, they uncover a terrible secret that could destroy everyone in Thanopolis – the living and the dead. To save them, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and the undead spirit vying for her heart – if she doesn’t betray them first . . . (from Hodder & Stoughton)

OPINIONS: I love this book. A pansexual bloodmage gets pulled into a supernatural conspiracy and fights the patriarchy? Yes please. While I was super excited for this I was a bit worried that it would be too edgy and over the top (I recently got burned that way), but this balances that fine line perfectly. There is technically a love triangle in the sense that Rovan is interested in two different people, but when it comes to love and relationships, the main sentiment in this book is acceptance. Acceptance of who the other person is, what they might want and a huge step away from what society might think right. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot of toxicity in this story, but it doesn’t come from the characters at its centre.

There is an intricate system of magic in the world of this story, with bloodmages – who carry bloodlines handed down through the generations, and death magic. There are also ghosts, introduced as protectors of the bloodmages but revealed to be far more than that. There is politics and plotting too. In short, In the Ravenous Dark contains all of the elements necessary for a strong story. And – as I was discussing books as metal bands with a friend recently – this was my suggestion for a book that matched the atmosphere of Black Sabbath. A bit classic, a bit edgy, going into goth territory but ultimately groovy and comforting.

If you too want to dive into the world of In the Ravenous Dark, you can add it to your Goodreads here and preorder a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

What can I say, Charlie Jane Anders is a badass. I fell in love with her writing when I picked up All The Birds In The Sky in a bookstore years ago, and have been a fan ever since. Besides being an awesome author, she co-runs the brilliant Our Opinions Are Correct podcast all about speculative fiction (I highly recommend you check it out if you haven’t yet). And now she’s written her first YA novel. Victories Greater Than Death is a fun queer found-family romp through space!

Massive thanks to Titan and Netgalley for an eARC of this brilliant novel. All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 13/04/2021

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Tina never worries about being ‘ordinary’–she doesn’t have to, since she’s known practically forever that she’s not just Tina Mains, average teenager and beloved daughter. She’s also the keeper of an interplanetary rescue beacon, and one day soon, it’s going to activate, and then her dreams of saving all the worlds and adventuring among the stars will finally be possible. Tina’s legacy, after all, is intergalactic–she is the hidden clone of a famed alien hero, left on Earth disguised as a human to give the universe another chance to defeat a terrible evil.

But when the beacon activates, it turns out that Tina’s destiny isn’t quite what she expected. Things are far more dangerous than she ever assumed–and everyone in the galaxy is expecting her to actually be the brilliant tactician and legendary savior Captain Thaoh Argentian, but Tina….is just Tina. And the Royal Fleet is losing the war, badly–the starship that found her is on the run and they barely manage to escape Earth with the planet still intact.

Luckily, Tina is surrounded by a crew she can trust, and her best friend Rachel, and she is still determined to save all the worlds. But first she’ll have to save herself. (from Titan Books)

OPINIONS: This was such an incredibly fun book to read. Take Charlie Jane Anders’ smart science fiction for adults, cross it with the ridiculousness of Doctor Who and add a good pinch of queer found family. I loved the cast of human teen misfits being drafted aboard a space ship to try and save the galaxy, led by Tina, a legendary general reborn. It’s hard to pick favourites – Tina, slowly getting memory back from her past life and turning into a huge purple alien, Rachael, the ‘ordinary friend’ who has to deal with anxiety on top of being in space, or Elza, Brazilian badass with bonding issues, among others. I just want to hug them all and reassure them.

This book is full of diversity, both on surface level, but also deeper down. Rachael’s issues with anxiety are described with nuance and resonated a lot with me. Most characters introduce themselves with their pronouns immediately, and many choose to use neopronouns. Victories Greater Than Death has queerness in its bones, and I love it. I also really appreciated how, in her acknowledgements, Charlie Jane mentions multiple sensitivity readers for different aspects of the book. It shows the care and effort that she put into this.

All of this is packaged in a big-scale space adventure, both thrilling and fun. And yes, the teens are more skilled and powerful than they have any right to be, but it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story. The enemy operates with a weapon that changes the perception of its victims in the eyes of their friends and allies, and if that’s not scary I don’t know what is. It’s brilliant escapism, think Firefly-style shenanigans but with a misfit gang of teens. Read it.

Join Tina and her friends by adding Victories Greater Than Death to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

So. I’m a huge nerd. And one of the things I’m super nerdy about is mythology. I’m a sucker for any story that has survived the centuries, and I have adored Ariadne for being a badass to defy her father for years. I’ve also loved Madeline Miller’s retellings of Greek myths, and actually used an anthology of classical mythology inspired stories I conceived of for a project in my MA. You bet I was all over Ariadne by Jennifer Saint as soon as I heard about it. And, damn, if you like Circe, you need this one too.

Massive thanks to Wildfire and Netgalley for the eARC (though I’m very sad that the physical ARC never arrived… Oh well, excuses to get a finished copy). All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 29/04/2021

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition? (from Wildfire Books)

OPINIONS: I have been terrible at reading recently. I keep getting distracted and struggle to focus and switch books every 50 pages or so. But Ariadne was exactly what I needed and only sleep got me to put it down. It is brilliant, and perfect for all of you who adored Circe. This is similarly themed around a woman whose life was driven by gods and heroes and tries to reassert control about her own destiny. The titular Ariadne is a wonderful character, going from sheltered and naive princess to figuring out who she is after being abandoned by Theseus (sorry if that’s a spoiler, but that much was given from the source material), to finding herself in a sort of confined social space again and breaking free again.

The original story of Ariadne is a starting off point for this reinterpretation, not its full basis. Ariadne goes far beyond the known myth and makes it into a story driven by its heroine. Apart from Ariadne, it also focuses on Phaedra, her lesser-known sister, and I found her storyline very relatable too. They are both complex characters, far from perfect but trying to make the best of their situations. Ariadne is full of heartbreaking moments, but also beautifully written episodes of unbridled joy.

I loved this book, even though I thought it started to drag a little bit in the second half. I was all set to award it five stars, but in the last third or so I noticed myself wandering more and more, and felt that it could have closed off tighter (it might also be that I was more distracted, so could also be just me!). But for the most part, I found Ariadne incredibly compelling and really enjoyed the voice of the titular character. She is far from a chosen one, and doesn’t have any special abilities, but she is a survivor. And that might be the most important quality a heroine in Greek mythology can have.

I highly encourage you to pick up Ariadne. You can add it on Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

A Memory Called Empire was probably one of the most innovative science fiction novels of recent memory. And now, the follow-up and conclusion to the duology, A Desolation Called Peace was just released. So you can bet I was excited to dive back into the world of the Teixcalaanitzlim! It was an interesting experience reading book two in text after audiobooking the first one – so many things are spelled very differently to how I expected them to be!

Massive thanks to Black Crow PR and UK Tor for sending me a review copy! All opinions are my own

RELEASE DATE: 04/03/2021

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.

In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.

Their failure will guarantee millions of deaths in an endless war. Their success might prevent Teixcalaan’s destruction—and allow the empire to continue its rapacious expansion.

Or it might create something far stranger . . . (from Tor)

OPINIONS: On one hand, I absolutely loved returning to Arkady Martine’s rich and detailed world. While A Memory Called Empire focused on the inside workings and small-scale politicking, A Desolation Called Peace opened up to the wider world around Teixcalaan, war and diplomacy. But, I felt that in the grander scale of things, individual relationships and characters got a bit lost. I got so excited when Three Seagrass rejoined the story, but sadly the relationship between her and Mahit Dzmare was not explored as much as I would have liked. In that respect, I found the sequel a bit unsatisfying, as their relationship and banter was one of my favourite aspects of the first book.

What I really liked is that A Desolation Called Peace explored the Imago line further. Mahit and Yskandr – you bet I was taken aback reading their names spelled out very differently than I imagined from the audio – slowly meld together more, and become a sort of new person incorporating aspects of both their personalities. This exploration of what makes one oneself was very interesting to me.

While I felt like A Desolation of Peace didn’t quite live up to the expectations A Memory Called Empire set, that is likely down to personal preference. I’m not a huge fan of grand scale science fiction and war in space in general, and much preferred the more personal intriguing of the first book. This second book is very different in feeling to the first, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It is still an excellent book, and I think many people will love it, even if it didn’t hit the spot for me personally.

If you, too, would like to dive back into Teixcalaan, add A Desolation Called Peace to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

Can you tell I’ve been on a bit of a historical kick lately? I read a few of Karen Maitland’s previous books based in medieval England – her Company of Liars remains one of the best medieval-set books I’ve ever read, based on the Canterbury Tales. Her newest novel, The Drowned City is set in Jacobean England, in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot. The first under the new penname K.J. Maitland, this introduces Daniel Pursglove as the hero of this series. As expected, I really enjoyed The Drowned City. Massive thanks to Headline and Caitlin Raynor for sending me a copy for review – all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 01/04/2021

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: 1606. A year to the day that men were executed for conspiring to blow up Parliament, a towering wave devastates the Bristol Channel. Some proclaim God’s vengeance. Others seek to take advantage.

In London, Daniel Pursglove lies in prison waiting to die. But Charles FitzAlan, close adviser to King James I, has a job in mind that will free a man of Daniel’s skill from the horrors of Newgate. If he succeeds.

For Bristol is a hotbed of Catholic spies, and where better for the lone conspirator who evaded arrest, one Spero Pettingar, to gather allies than in the chaos of a drowned city? Daniel journeys there to investigate FitzAlan’s lead, but soon finds himself at the heart of a dark Jesuit conspiracy – and in pursuit of a killer. (from Headline Review)

OPINIONS: I love me a book that starts in a hopeless situation, it reminds me of one of my favourite D&D campaigns that I got to play. When the story sets out, Daniel Pursglove thinks he’s about to be executed. But instead he is sent on a mission. Bristol has just been overrun by a tsunami-like flood (which actually happened!) and there are suspicions of Catholics. When Daniel gets to Bristol, he comes across a series of murders where the victims were branded as Jesuits. And damn, not many books manage to have the resolution of the mystery come out of left field like The Drowning City did. I had NO IDEA what was going on until the reveal, and I loved it.

At its heart, The Drowning City is a character book. That is one of Maitland’s great strengths. While some of her earlier books struggled a bit with slow pacing, at least as far as I remember them, but that is not an issue with this one. It is consistently keeping up tension and manages to toe the line between character work and pacing. Daniel is a wonderful lead character, and Rachael, the love interest and tavern maid is just as compelling a character. She is sassy, smart and driven, and doesn’t let Daniel live down his behaviour. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop alongside the main plot.

So give Daniel and Rachael a shot, and add The Drowning City to your Goodreads here, or order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

There’s a new genre in town and it’s fast becoming my favourite: Queer Epic Historical Fantasy. A few months ago, I got to read and review Sistersong by Lucy Holland, which I love to bits (see my review on Grimdark Magazine here), and now UK Tor/Mantle Books were kind enough to send me an ARC of She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. As usual all opinions are entirely my own.

Since I was a kid, I tend to pick up historical based novels in order to learn more about the feel of an era. And as I know basically nothing about Chinese history and legends, I couldn’t wait to read this queer retelling. Shelley Parker-Chan does for Chinese legend what Madeline Miller does for Greek mythology. This book is brilliant, and you all need to read it. (And isn’t the black and gold of the ARC stunning? I think I might also have to get both the UK and US finished copies, because both covers are gorgeous)

RELEASE DATE: 22/07/2021

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: In a famine-stricken village on a dusty plain, a seer shows two children their fates. For a family’s eighth-born son, there’s greatness. For the second daughter, nothing.

In 1345, China lies restless under harsh Mongol rule. And when a bandit raid wipes out their home, the two children must somehow survive. Zhu Chongba despairs and gives in. But the girl resolves to overcome her destiny. So she takes her dead brother’s identity and begins her journey. Can Zhu escape what’s written in the stars, as rebellion sweeps the land? Or can she claim her brother’s greatness – and rise as high as she can dream? (from Mantle Books)

OPINIONS: So I finished She Who Became The Sun, and immediately wanted to read it again. It is a brilliant book, both in terms of content and writing. I really am falling for this new trend of queer historical epic fantasy, it is everything I want in a book. If you loved Disney’s Mulan as a kid and now you want to recapture what you loved about it, this is the book for you – the grown up version based on history. Zhu Chongba is the Mulan equivalent, but they are ambitious, ruthless and smart.

Zhu takes her brother’s name after his death, and becomes a monk, and a politically important person over time, thanks to their tactical prowess. They are the kind of character that, as a reader, you don’t know whether to love or hate. Ma, the wife, the only person who knows that Zhu was born a woman, is probably the only “good” character in the story. She is a cinnamon roll and I just wanted to hug and protect her. Together, they make a brilliant power couple, challenging each other and becoming powerful.

There are few books that I had such visceral emotional reactions to. Shelley Parker-Chan is definitely a writer to watch out for – her debut is brilliant, and I can’t wait to read more of their writing. Plot: compelling. Characters: strong and evoking emotional reactions. Writing: beautiful and poetic. She Who Became The Sun is a must read.

Add She Who Became The Sun to your Goodreads here, and pre-order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

The Unbroken. Or the arms book, thanks to Tommy Arnold‘s fantastic cover art. And, damn, if that cover doesn’t make you want to pick up the book without even knowing what it’s about.

Massive thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 23/03/2021

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

SYNOPSIS: Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. 

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne. 

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale. (from Orbit)

OPINIONS: So, this is in no way an easy book. It took me ages to read, and I kept forgetting that it was still unfinished. But ultimately, once I finally finished it, there was no other rating than the full 5 ✶. It is brilliant, it is tough, and it confronts us with a part of Europe’s imperial past that we often like to gloss over. The Unbroken is set in a fantasy world, but with strong parallels to the real world history of France and the colonialisation of Africa. It packages these tensions in a personal story of love, betrayal and politics. While I am not the right person to go into this in depth, it certainly made me think.

The story is led by two main characters, Luca and Touraine. Luca is a princess, symbolising the colonial force, while Touraine is a soldier, taken from her family and culture as a child. They are fantastic characters to build a story around. Luca is a polarising figure, at least in my community – many people hate her due to what she symbolises, while I think she is trying to make the best out of a terrible situation, and actively working towards change, which makes me like her. But then, there are no good people in this story. Both Luca and Touraine have vested interests in the political game, and do whatever it takes to get there. And that is exactly what makes me like them so much, and what got me invested.

And, have I mentioned that the book is sapphic? It’s not a romance or a love story in any way, but there are queer elements and many shippable couples. I really appreciated the mostly queernorm world. The one gripe I had with the book – and this might entirely be down to me missing things because I read in chunks – is that there is magic, but I didn’t get much of a sense of how it worked or what it can do. But that’s a tiny point of criticism, and might well have been fixed in the finished copies even.

All in all, I highly recommend The Unbroken. You can add it to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

I have been on a bit of a mystery/thriller binge recently, so I was very excited when this science fiction thriller arrived on my doorstep. It is just as addictive as the blurb made it sound and I’m looking forward to continuing the story!

Many thanks to Will O’Mullane and Gollancz for sending me a review copy, all opinions are my own as usual.

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

RELEASE DATE: 21/01/21

SUMMARY: Tanta has trained all her young life for this. Her very first mission is a code red: to take her team into the unaffiliated zone just outside InTech’s borders and retrieve a stolen hard drive. It should have been quick and simple, but a surprise attack kills two of her colleagues and Tanta barely makes it home alive.

Determined to prove herself and partnered with a colleague whose past is a mystery even to himself, Tanta’s investigation uncovers a sinister conspiracy that makes her question her own loyalties and the motives of everyone she used to trust. (from Gollancz)

OPINIONS: This is a well-written and gripping thriller, drawing you into the world of Inscape from the first page. I am usually much more of a fantasy reader than a science fiction one, but this hit the sweet spot for my current obsession with fast-paced mysteries. The story starts with Tanta’s mission going very very wrong – but instead of being reprimanded, she ends up promoted. Tanta is a wonderful main character, flawed, young and inexperienced, but determined and ambitious. Half the time I wanted to hug her, the rest of the time punch her. But most importantly, I was never ambivalent towards her.

There is a sapphic relationship woven throughout the story. But Inscape isn’t a romantic book or one that focuses on a romantic subplot. It is merely there. This is a thriller first and foremost, with a strong focus on the resolution of the mystery. Cole, the second main character, doesn’t remember much. He is smart, but he has a massive gap in his memories. Together with Tanta, he sets out to figure out why his memory was wiped, who they are, and what is going on around them.

The story addresses themes of belonging, human programming and surveillance. It is a great escapist book, and if you’re looking to leave this messed up world for a few hours, it’s a good choice to pick up Inscape. Add it on Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

This book surprised me in all the best ways. I got the audiobook off NetGalley (massive thanks to PRH Audio!) and I raced through it in like three days. And I was working for most of those days, so you can imagine how obsessive I was about listening! This is a supernatural alternative history of the Space Race and it hit all my sweet spots.

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

RELEASE DATE: 04/03/21

SUMMARY: Germany, 1945.

Mia, a nineteen-year-old girl, is sent by the OSS to find Wernher von Braun: Germany’s – and the world’s – foremost rocket scientist. Her mission: stop the Russians getting hold of him.

But von Braun is suspicious. And so he should be.

For Mia is no ordinary girl. She only looks human. And helping the Allies win the Second World War is just one part of her plan . . .

Because there’s an even darker conflict on Earth. A secret struggle thousands of years old. One that has taken generations of Mia’s people.

But can the firing of rockets finally bring about its end?

Can Mia, as the last of her kind, bring the stars down to earth?

And if she succeeds, what will happen to us? (from Penguin Michael Joseph)

OPINIONS: Ok, so this is SO GOOD and you need to get your hands on this. It is an alternative history of the Space Race in the 20th century intertwined with the story of the Kibsu, a sort of anomaly where generations of mothers and daughters appear like clones and possess superior brains for science. We meet them at the point where they’re the 99 – the 99th generation, with Sarah as the mother and Mia the daughter. At the start of the story, Mia is nineteen, and on a mission to extract Wernher von Braun for the Americans at the end of World War 2. The story continues until Mia has her own daughter and they become the 100.

One of my favourite aspects of this was the extensive historical notes at the end of the book, explaining about the sources, further reading and historical figures. Can you tell that I’m a nerd? I also really enjoyed the interludes of earlier generations of the Kibsu, visiting eras such as the Dutch witch trials or the medieval Rus’. A History of What Comes Next is meticulously researched, and in addition to being a wonderful novel and story of its own, teaches the reader much about cultural history.

I loved Mia from the start – she is a young woman, headstrong and determined to find her own path. The narration adds to that, portraying her as she is, with nuance and detail – it sounds as if it’s Mia directly speaking to the reader. The interplay of text and delivery is astounding and adds to the enjoyment of the story. The book is narrated by 5 or 6 different narrators, giving each point of view a distinct character.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you are fascinated by space at all or love science fiction, you have to make sure to give this a shot. You can add it on Goodreads here, get the audiobook from Audible here and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).