Folks, we love a strong science fiction debut, and I’m here to tell you These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs is that very thing. It’s a dark space opera filled with intrigue, deception, villainy, violence, and good old-fashioned chase scenes. It also takes its subject matter seriously and digs into its own world with an infectious hunger.
After a recent pirate raid on the Nightfoot’s domain, a disc containing a secret history of the Nightfoot’s control over the fuel industry is on the market. Esek Nightfoot, a cleric of the Kindom, and heir apparent to the Nightfoot name, is on a quest for vengeance in finding the disc. But despite pulling in her close confidant, Chono, no one knows Esek’s plan after retrieving the information. But there are other interesting parties, be they part of the Kindom or not. And one in particular may be pulling more of the strings than Esek or Chono care to like. And as a system-wide strike in the fuel industry cripples travel between the three system of the Kindom, the race to find and maybe bury the secrets is on. Who will be the one to reveal them, and why?
The novel is a solid tale of revenge that spans decades, featuring a devilishly good cast of protagonists and a world full of various factions vying for power within an ossified space empire. The story is evenly paced, with chapters that flip back and forth between the present “Year of the Crux,” and years leading up to the events of the present. Jacobs used this storytelling to not only reveal some pretty interesting plot developments but give herself room to expose the reader to her world. Sharp and easy-to-understand elements line up in the front of the book, while the nuances and cracks are allowed to be exposed and ruminated upon by the reader before Jacobs pulls the trigger on her scattered guns. It can get a little confusing in the beginning if you aren’t paying close attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter, but once you start following the timeline, the world and characters come into a sharper focus.
The world is a particularly brutal one, ruled by the Kindom, and maintained by its three hands, The Clerisy, The Cloaksaan, and The Secretaries. Each hand has its particular role to play within the management of the empire and prides itself on particular skill sets. Jacobs adds a lot of flavor to the branches that clue the reader in on how weird the protagonists are within their own occupations. While the settings are not fanciful, the world is vivid because its characters so delightfully inhabit it. Esek, despite her penchant for cruelty and arrogance, is a joy to follow. She is hotheaded and dares everyone to pick a fight with her because she knows she will win. Chono, a previous novitiate of Esek’s, is the opposite. Stoic and deliberate, she moves through her scenes with righteous care even as she second-guesses herself. And Ironway feels like someone on the run, manifesting her next big score. Their interactions with the world give the Kindom a very lived-in feeling. It immediately comes off as a dystopia, but these characters highlight the cracks in its veneer. Yes, it is a large and overbearing structure, but its foundations are rotting from within.
The plot is ferocious, with its back-and-forth narrative forcing you to pull yourself into the story. While I enjoyed my time reading it in the first half, it wasn’t until the second half of the story that I began thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. It’s a cat-and-mouse story, set amongst a worker’s strike, and a shifting of power within a major family. Secrets are being revealed, and factions are making their moves. I think my favorite bit that fully invested me was how Jacobs handled the characters and the plot that they get thrust into. The rebellion isn’t something waiting for a new face. Instead, it’s a slow-rolling maelstrom that pulls the characters into it. It has its own agency, making the protagonists a part of a larger whole, instead of the main leaders who showed up at the right time. This also plays into so many other twists and turns through the story, most of which have a cinematic air to them, it’s hard not to appreciate them.
These Burning Stars is a stellar debut. Jacobs has introduced truly compelling characters, in an exciting and dark world. They bounce off each other and the world in a complicated ballet of ideals and practicalities. The plot moves fast but forces you to take your time to take it all in. I had a fun time reading Jacob’s debut, and I eagerly await the sequel.
Rating: These Burning Stars – Seek out the light, and pick up this debut
-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.
