There are quite a few books I was looking forward to this year, and this one did not disappoint. The Blighted Stars by Megan O’Keefe is the first in a new science fiction trilogy, known as The Devoured Worlds, that is shaping up to be a dark and thrilling ride.
Earth is dying, the few remnants of humanity left on it are confined to domes to protect them from the decayed landscapes. The rest are living in space, under the rule of the five corporate families of MERIT. Naira Sharp used to be an Exemplar, an elite body guard for the leader of the Mercator family. That was until she became a Conservator, a revolutionary, so that she may prove once and for all that the Mercator’s processes for mining cradle worlds for the rare relkatite kill those same worlds. But after being caught, her neural map was put on ice, never to be printed into another body again, unless at the express wishes of Acaelus Mercator. So when she wakes up on a ship headed to the sixth cradle world, inside the body of another Exemplar, she thinks she’s escaped. But Tarquin, the son of Acaelus Mercator is also there, hoping to prove that their processes are not the cause of the cradle worlds’ many deaths. So Naira must act the part in the hopes of finding the evidence, while also planning her escape to rejoin the Conservators.
After heaping praise on The Protectorate, I’ve come to expect several things from O’Keefe’s next outing. Well drawn characters, twisting plots, fun yet thematic worldbuilding, and all of these delivered at breakneck speed. The Blighted Stars delivers all of these in spades. Naira and Tarquin are incredibly fleshed out, with great chemistry. The universe of the Devoured Worlds is dark, creepy, and filled with a perverted techno-optimism that really builds on the corporate structure she imagines. The plot reveals information at just the opportune times, skirting information dumps and avoiding out of character dialogue.
The part of the book that kept me coming back for more, though, was the dynamic O’Keefe writes between Naira and Tarquin. The dueling perspectives heighten the dramatic tension for the audience, as Naira tries to steer Tarquin towards an escape plan for herself while tearing down his family’s name. Her inner thoughts convey a constantly shifting seesaw of anxiety and assurance, questioning every word and action as she tries to play her part. Tarquin on the other hand is a naive academic trying to live the Mercator name while not fully understanding the power behind it. The societal pressures both experience push up against the interpersonal pressures that arise from their dire situation. The back forth between re-establishing the hierarchical expectations, and the slow blooming romance complicates both of their objectives. I found myself biting my nails in suspense, rooting for them to admit their weird feelings for each other, while being constantly reminded of the ethical implications of such a bond. It was gripping and heartbreaking.
The perspectives for the most part are well balanced. Though the latter half favors Naira’s perspective, it didn’t detract from the compelling pull of the narrative. O’Keefe has shown herself to be a master at delivering information, anticipating when aspects of the world need to be revealed for the plot to continue its merciless charge to the end. The story of The Blighted Stars is a tense mystery, baked into a cake called survival. Not only for the characters as they traverse a dying world, but the survival of humanity. The more Naira and Tarquin discover on Sixth Cradle, the more questions are asked. Assumptions about how everything works are tossed in the bin as bits and pieces are discovered in both Naira’s and Tarquin’s, for the most part, opposing goals. It’s well balanced, and O’Keefe does a good job of making you root for both as individuals, while reminding you of their baggage.
And let’s get real, it wouldn’t be an O’Keefe novel if it didn’t dive into the baggage. One of my favorite parts of The Protectorate was just how deep characters and their fights got. Water under the bridge, even at times of great stress and possible annihilation, is a foreign concept to O’Keefe’s characters. Characters tear into each other like a worm through dirt, digging deep and unearthing a fertile soil. There are several confrontations from The Blighted Stars that stand out and make the characters shine. They go through great pains to expose each other and most of the time, the tension is never fully resolved. It stews, it rebuilds and finds another point to be released. There are ebbs and flows to these relationships and it really makes me feel like a compassionate but messy bitch who lives for the drama. It hurts so good and I can’t wait to see how O’Keefe expands on these threads in the future.
On the thematic side, it feels like O’Keefe has once again become stronger. Being the first in a trilogy, there are unresolved themes, but they are sharper and more realized. The survival of humanity is not only an open question as to whether it will happen, but who gets to define it. There are opposing forces, pushing and pulling in different directions. Each character is an individual to be sure, but their ideals are deeply rooted in their experience of the world. Individualism is also on the table, not only through the intense hierarchy of MERIT itself (I love the brick through a window subtlety), but questioned by a looming threat. What does it mean to truly work together in order to survive? What does one have to give up in order to be best suited for the tasks ahead. All unanswered, but all given a nuance that is begging to be explored in the future books.
My only complaint about the book is that it feels a little long. O’Keefe accomplishes a lot, and the speed with which it occurs compacts everything to a nice density. But it also means you have to be constantly on your toes. I wasn’t exactly exhausted by the end of the book, but I needed a breather. However, I felt the same way about Velocity Weapon and the sequels were way easier to handle after that action packed thrilling cram session.
The Blighted Stars was more than I had hoped for and sets up The Devoured Worlds Trilogy to be a rollicking good ride with deep characters. If you haven’t given O’Keefe’s work a spin yet, you can’t go wrong with her latest. It’s a dark science fiction story with humanity on the ropes at its own hands. It’s a tale of ecological woe and the lengths people will go to in order to survive. And it has some heart to counter the despair.
Rating: The Blighted Stars – 9.0/10
-Alex
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
