Stars and Bones
A Continuance Novel
-
-
3.7 • 37 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Shortlisted for the BSFA Award, a stunningly inventive action-packed science-fiction epic adventure for fans of Becky Chambers and Ann Leckie from the multi BSFA award-winner, Gareth L. Powell.
Seventy-five years from today, the human race has been cast from a dying Earth to wander the stars in a vast fleet of arks—each shaped by its inhabitants into a diverse and fascinating new environment, with its own rules and eccentricities.
When her sister disappears while responding to a mysterious alien distress call, Eryn insists on being part of the crew sent to look for her. What she discovers on Candidate-623 is both terrifying and deadly. When the threat follows her back to the fleet and people start dying, she is tasked with seeking out a legendary recluse who may just hold the key to humanity’s survival.
Gareth L. Powell’s Embers of War won 2018 BSFA Award for Best Novel and was shortlisted for the 2019 Locus Awards and the 2021 Seiun Awards in Japan. Its sequels, Fleet of Knives and Light of Impossible Stars, were both shortlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Novel, and Fleet of Knives was also shortlisted for the 2020 Locus Awards.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Powell (the Embers of War trilogy) burnishes his reputation as a creative and literate space opera author in his Continuance series kickoff. A politician's offhand joke triggers the launch of nuclear missiles, but, miraculously, none of them detonate. That's thanks to an extraterrestrial being dubbed an angel, who has been monitoring life on Earth and who deactivates all weaponry after concluding that humanity's recent scientific breakthrough in substrate space travel merits the survival of homo sapiens. But the angel also decides to spare the planet from humanity's ravages, and exiles them to a massive fleet of giant spaceships. Seventy-five years later, the survivors are imperiled after the scout ship Couch Surfer explores a possible new home planet, awakening an invisible force that rips them to shreds. After the crew falls silent, a rescue mission, piloted by Eryn King, whose sister had been on Couch Surfer, investigates, only increasing the risk to the flotilla. Powell balances plot, action, and character development perfectly. This promising start will especially appeal to James S.A. Corey fans.
Customer Reviews
Stars and Bones
Not at all up to the authors previous works. Best suited for a young adult audience that needs all the woke boxes ticked.