The Vela: A Novel
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3.9 • 23 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In the fading light of a dying star, a soldier for hire searches for a missing refugee ship and uncovers a universe-shattering secret.
Orphan, refugee, and soldier-for-hire Asala Sikou doesn't think too much about the end of civilization. Her system's star is dying, and the only person she can afford to look out for is herself.
When a ship called The Vela vanishes during what was supposed to be a flashy rescue mission, a reluctant Asala is hired to team up with Niko, the child of a wealthy inner planet's president, to find it and the outer system refugees on board.
But this is no ordinary rescue mission; The Vela holds a secret that places the fate of the universe in the balance, and forces Asala to decide—in a dying world where good and evil are far from black and white, who deserves to survive?
From award-winning science fiction authors Becky Chambers (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, A Closed and Common Orbit, and Record of a Spaceborn Few), Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, Revenant Gun, Dragon Pearl), Rivers Solomon (An Unkindness of Ghosts), SL Huang (Zero Sum Game.)
Don't miss the sequel to the Vela, coming in 2020 from Serial Box (serialbox.com)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Taking place during the slow but impending doom of future civilization, this compiled SF adventure serial demonstrates the limits of its format while still delivering an action-packed punch. Planetary refugee and mercenary for hire Asala Sikou has hardened herself to the harshness of life in a dying solar system. When the starship Vela goes missing, Asala is hired by inner-planet President Ekrem to find it on her home planet, Hypatia. Ekrem strains Asala's patience by insisting that his privileged, computer-savvy child, Niko, accompany her. Not everything about the mission is as it seems, however, as Asala and Niko soon discover that the Vela holds a secret that swings the future of the galaxy like a pendulum. Each individual episode combines complex characters with action and emotional tension, and they're best read with pauses in between; an attempt to consume the entire "season" as though it were a novel makes its flaws very apparent. The story is somewhat drawn out and hampered by unnecessary detail, and Asala is a stereotype of the tough, emotionless action hero. This interplanetary voyage is diverting but ultimately forgettable.
Customer Reviews
First Half of an Exciting Space Opera
“The Vela” is a production of Serial Box, which was written by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, SL Huang, and Rivers Solomon. This was my first experience with Serial Box, which delivers audio-books and e-books in a serialized format, typically via electronic devices. Yoon Ha Lee was the lead author, or showrunner, who created the "show bible" which outlined the plot for each season. Then Serial Box brought together the team of writers who reportedly contributed ideas in a manner similar to a television writers' room. The writing team subsequently wrote the individual episodes in the story. I consumed the “The Vela the Complete First Season” as an e-book so I missed out on the serial aspect.
The four authors definitely put together an exciting story, that draws the reader right into the action. The story centers around a solar system where there are a number of inhabited planets. Mining of the sun for hydrogen has caused it to put out less heat over time, causing the outer planets to become colder. The outermost have become completely uninhabitable. This has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, and a incredible refugee problem for the inner planets. The sun is expected to fail altogether at some point, so the entire system is facing eventual extinction. Into this crisis, a hardened soldier and a rulers young offspring are sent on a covert mission to find out what happened to a missing refugee ship, the titular Vela.
While the team of authors are certainly first rate, the nature of this publication style is a little different than what I’m used to. The overall story arc seems well planned. However, the seams between the various episodes were sometimes noticeable. None of this was so jarring that a little suspension of disbelief couldn’t resolve them. The Vela consists of two seasons, with the conclusion to be included in the upcoming “The Vela: Salvation.”