scijessreads

These Burning Stars is a mix of space opera, political scheming, and mentor-student relationships (where the student quickly surpasses their mentor). Information is gleaned between barbed words and honeyed threats. The grip of an empire is maintained by tight control of information and resources (or is it?). Rebellion is licking at the edges of a planetary system rife with secrets and calculated moves.

In this entire story, the opening of what seems to be even greater upheavals to come, we follow the interconnected lives of Six, Chono, and Esek. They were all sent to learn and become one of the Hands (Cleric, Cloak, or Secretary), the ruling government of the Kindom. But as with all governments, there is tension, infighting, and backstabbing (even if not overt). Six and Chono are tied to Esek and her activities, her righteous defense of her family and matriarch. They are all pawns in a larger game, and no one seems to have the entire board in view or know all the moves. Six has information that could topple Esek’s family, the Nightfoots, and the Kindom as well. Esek and Chono are sent to find this new information and forced to work together again, after having parted ways years before.

To find Six, they track a caster with ties to both Esek and Six. All of this occurs amid the backdrop of a growing rebellion and a Kindom fraying at the edges. I loved the shift from present to past, which is how we get a deeper look at the motivations driving our characters. There are enough threads to allow you to see what may be coming, but also enough misdirection to be surprised as to what truly is going on. I love that no one is purely good or evil, and that trust is not easily gained (but suspicion is in ample supply).

Allegiances are shaky, motivations lean toward survival, and even revenge gets muddied in the light of a larger cause. I look forward to the next books in the series, as there is a lot of world left to discover.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books, for the eARC. All opinions are my own.