Author: Tirzah Price

In Solomon’s debut novel, a generation ship full of thousands of people is hurtling through space, destined for a planet that can sustain life. They’re only in the middle of their journey, and passengers can’t quite remember how many generations have been born on the ship. Aster lives on the lower decks of the HSS Matilda, where the people are pressed into backbreaking and cruel labor for the comfort of those who reside on the upper decks. Aster is an unusual person, preoccupied with the journal her mother left behind before she disappeared years ago, and while most people are content to let Aster be, when she attracts the unwelcome attention of a cruel overseer, life becomes even harder than it already is. Aster is swept up in the politics of the upper decks while trying to survive and decode the mysteries of her mother’s journal. When she finally cracks a piece of it, it could change her fate—and that of everyone on the Matilda—forever.

This is an intense and harrowing book that looks at how cruel people can be to one another when sealed in a vacuum, hurtling through space without any accountability. Aster’s life is beyond rough, and is at times difficult to read about, and it’s not difficult to see the parallels between how she and her people are treated to the ways of the Antebellum South. But at the same time, Solomon provides such a rich and interesting culture to Aster’s life on the lower decks, and the world-building is always fascinating, especially when it becomes apparent there is a darker history on the ship that has been deliberately obscured. While there is lots of violence, I was sustained through this book by Aster’s mission to find out what her mother knew, how she documented it, and where exactly she ended up before she disappeared. It’s a fascinating puzzle that is cleverly put together, and left me wanting to re-read it just to see how Solomon pulled it off! It’s part social commentary, part space exploration, and part mystery as Aster navigates a brutal life with hope she barely allows herself to feel. I highly recommend it if you love sci-fi and you like futuristic books that speak to the very real social issues we face here and now.

Nora is the daughter of a con woman, and she’s been living a lie her entire life. The latest lie is that she lives with her big sister in a small town, and that nothing about her is unusual in any way. The truth? Nora isn’t her real name, her mom is in prison, and Nora put her there. She’s mostly happy, until the day that she and her new girlfriend Iris and ex-boyfriend Wes have to go to the bank together to deposit money from a fundraiser. What should just be an awkward ten minutes turns into a nightmare when the bank is held up by two gunmen, and Nora, Iris, and Wes are all taken hostage. Nora has a sense that this whole thing could go very, very wrong, so she pulls upon all of the tricks she learned in a lifetime of subterfuge in order to get out alive with the two people she cares about, but doing so also means directly confronting a traumatic past.

I love books that (mostly) take place over the course of a single day or event, because I think it really heightens tension and it takes a talented writer to pull it off. Sharpe does this brilliantly here, alternating between present action scenes and flashbacks from all the different girls that Nora has had to become over the years to survive. This demonstrates her struggles with being genuine, and her inability to know who she even is after all of the identities she’s impersonated. I loved that Sharpe really explores what it is to have morals and be ethical when you’ve lived a life of deception, and Sharpe illuminates how Nora makes sense of her experiences and decides what she’s going to stand up for. This rich emotional landscape is contrasted against a really thrilling plot of Nora outwitting the bank robbers at every turn, balancing her many secrets, and also maintaining her platonic and romantic relationships—which force her to be brutally honest in a way she’s always avoided before. It’s a story that requires a deft hand in its telling and lots of balancing between the emotional moments and high-powered action, but Sharpe absolutely nails it!

When Hwani and her sister Maewol were children, they went missing in the forest only to be found hours later yards away from a grisly murder scene. Hwani remembers nothing of that day, and shortly after her family was torn apart. But years later their father, Detective Min, hears that thirteen other girls have gone missing in that same forest and decides to investigate…only to vanish without a trace himself. Hwani decides that if anyone is going to figure out the forest’s secrets and discover where her father went, she must face the past…and her estranged sister, Maewol.

This novel is set in the early 15th century, on Jeju Island, and it provides a fascinating history of the island and the politics of the time, alongside a riveting family story. The tension between the sisters provides plenty of drama, as Maewol hasn’t forgiven Hwani for leaving, and Hwani has her own conflicted feelings about their shared dark history and separation. As much as Hwani wants to solve the disappearance of her father and unravel the island’s secrets, she must come to terms with the fact that she needs her sister, and that in order for them to solve the (many!) mysteries of the island, they need to work together. This adds some challenges to Hwani’s mission, and the plot is a tightly wound mystery that will keep you turning the pages.

I also really enjoyed the complex community that Hur depicts, and how even though Hwani spent her childhood there, she comes to it as an outsider, searching for clues. Maewol stayed behind and has expert insight, but in many ways she’s too close to the community to see the full picture. The greater politics of the region also play a close role in the mystery, even if it isn’t obvious the girls at the very beginning. The climactic scene had me literally holding my breath—it was that tense! If you love historical fiction, want something that gives you a glimpse into a non-European region, and provides an excellent mystery, June Hur really delivers!

Prince Kiem is the most disappointing of the emperor’s grandchildren, so when he finds himself summoned to her presence, he’s not quite sure why he’s in trouble. Turns out, he’s not…but there is something the emperor wants, or rather, demands: for Kiem to marry Count Jainan, the representative of his tiny planet to the Galactic Empire. Kiem knows a publicity stunt when he sees one, but there’s no way wiggling out of it, so he goes along with the ploy. But it turns out that Count Jainan is quiet, withdrawn, and grieving the death of his first husband…whom he is suspected of murdering in an “accident.” As the political intrigue heightens, Kiem and Jainan must figure out a way to work together and solve a few mysteries in order to save the empire.

This book ticks a lot of my boxes: Space opera, queer couple, banter, marriage of convenience, murder mystery, political intrigue, and (I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say!) romance! One thing I really loved about this book is that queer characters are the norm and aren’t persecuted in any way, and gender expression is very intentional—i.e. people don’t just assume gender based on biology, it is an intentional expression that varies across cultures, and even still can be confusing and nonbinary. I love books that reimagine cool ways of personal expression that are open, accepting, and nuanced.

The world building is exciting, but of course it’s not all progressive paradise. The empire rules all, and the smaller planets aren’t always happy about this. Political alliances are complicated, and the future of everyone in the empire hangs in the balance. That all provides an interesting backdrop for the story of Kiem and Jainan, two seemingly opposites who are thrown together rather awkwardly at first, but quickly learn that they care for one another. It’s not always clear if they’re just doing their duties, or if there’s something more brewing, which is another great source of tension. Communication is a big barrier for them, but I appreciate that Maxwell always does a great job at showing the legitimate reasons why they struggle to connect at times rather than making it a convenient excuse. Kiem is self-deprecating, personable, funny, and a bit of a goofball. Jainan is focused and intelligent, but reserved and not always very self-confident. Their personalities don’t seem like a perfect match, but when they’re together they just work, and it was a joy to read about them connecting. The romance is a bit of a slow burn, but always an enjoyable one, and their dynamic had me laughing and swooning in equal measure!

The other perk to this book? It’s a standalone novel, so if you have series fatigue this is the perfect book for you! (Although, be warned that it’s so delightful you’ll want more of Kiem and Jainan! Lucky for us, Maxwell is working on another book set in the same universe!)