Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
LGBTQ+ Category: Bi, Gay, Lesbian, Non-Binary
Reviewer: SI
About The Book
It appears out of nowhere—one moment the sky is empty, the next, there’s a rent in the fabric of space itself. And nothing in the system will ever be the same.
In the far reaches of the Rim Mountains, itinerant field-scientist Aran Romeu is searching desperately for the cure to an incurable disease—one that’s slowly killing his best friend. He’s sworn to do whatever it takes to find it. But when the portal opens, and something comes through, he realizes that ‘whatever it takes’ will involve travelling into the uncharted space beyond the portal. And he’s not the only one after the cure, and willing to do whatever it takes to get to it first …
In the weighty halls of government, Chief Justice Alba Espina is preparing a political gamble that could change the shape of the system itself. The appearance of the portal shatters her carefully-laid plans and hands her political rival a weapon he could use destroy her—unless she can delay him with the promise of a diplomatic mission through the portal. But the stakes of the mission are higher than just her personal ambition. If her diplomatic mission doesn’t succeed, it might just spell the end of humanity itself.
In a remote spaceport, Savina Moya, the system’s most talented assassin-for-hire, is on the run again after her latest murder. But when a deadly government agent is sent after her, with instructions to bring her back dead or alive, the diplomatic mission heading into the portal may hold the key to Savina’s survival—if she’s brave enough, or desperate enough, to take it.
No one knows what’s beyond the portal. And as the three of them are drawn inexorably together in uncharted space, with no idea who is an ally and who is an enemy—it’s an open question if any of them will live long enough to find out.
The Review
Aran is a rockstar scientist who struggles with debilitating anxiety – and who’s in love with his best friend. Alba is a senior government minister with controversial plans for peace. Savina is an assassin caring for her two siblings. What do they have in common? Not much – until a portal of unknown origin opens in the sky above them.
This is an immersive page-turner of a novel with a fresh and compelling plot. The characters are flawed, believable, and wonderful to read. The casual diversity and inclusivity is a joy.
On the con side… The cliffhanger. I don’t mind a book that answers its own questions but raises new ones or one that answers the immediate questions, leaving over-arching ones for later in the series, but this book answered virtually none of the questions it raised. And because I got an ARC of this one and it’s actually in Kindle Unlimited, I may not have the opportunity to read the next one.
Still, all in all, it really is good.
Five Stars.
The Reviewer
SI CLARKE is a misanthrope who lives in Deptford, sarf ees London. She shares her home with her partner and an assortment of waifs and strays. As someone who’s neurodivergent, an immigrant, and the proud owner of an invisible disability, she strives to present a diverse array of characters in her stories. And she loves reading about diverse characters too.