THE STARS UNDYING

Love, politics, and immortality set against a backdrop of interstellar empire.

Altagracia Caviro Patramata is out to take her sister’s throne. Of course, Gracia believes the throne is hers, or ought to be—her twin sister, Arcelia, has never been pious or political enough to appear interested in becoming the Oracle of Alekso and bearing the Pearl, the supercomputer that grants the ability to hear the voice of their planet's God. But Arcelia seized the throne after their father’s death, and now Gracia has no choice but to throw herself on the mercy of Matheus Ceirran, a military commander from the powerful Ceian empire who’s arrived on her planet chasing a rival from the empire’s civil war. When the would-be queen meets the commander, the attraction is immediate, and their affair begins just as quickly. But for Gracia, the aspiring leader of a religion, to become involved with the commander of a staunchly anti-religious empire is no simple matter, and their relationship will ultimately change the fates of both their worlds. There’s a grand, bloody, romantic, complicated story here, but the reader is often missing information that would elucidate the characters' goals and motivations. Gracia in particular is an interestingly tricky narrator, confessing to lies and withholding information. When the shape of the story does become clear, it’s epic, posing interesting philosophical questions and including many well-drawn, complex characters. Clearer stakes from the start could have made the opening more engaging, but ultimately, the story pays off for the patient reader.

This dense and subtle political drama will reward attentive readers with an epic tale of love and conquest.