NAVVIES' FLIGHT

Murray’s SF sequel follows a hyperspace pilot on a perilous mission with companions who are deceiving her.

Following a near-fatal accident, Polla Ottrava winds up on the same spaceship as the nearly dead Ledas Starfire. Ledas, a powerful Kamen (one who wields a telekinetic ability), once created a supernova out of binary suns, destroying three planets and effectively ending a war. She apparently dies on the ship, but Polla lives on. She reluctantly joins a mission to kill Illcord Natoth, Ledas’ widower, who’s unleashed “krov,” a shape-shifting biophage that causes entire planets to lose all technology and mutates their inhabitants. The mission is spearheaded by Davad, brother of Kamen lords Mureen and Ledas. They haven’t exactly been forthcoming with Polla, who eventually learns that a part of her post-accident body once belonged to Ledas—the replacement was made to allow Polla to pilot Ledas’ living ship, Bedalia, for the mission. Polla has some loyal allies, including Second, her navigational symbiote (or “navvy,” a symbiote that’s like an AI assistant that she hears in her head), and co-pilot Lt. Rathe Sai, whom she may be falling for. The group travels to assorted star systems and trading stations, getting caught in the midst of a krov invasion on the way. Someone tries to assassinate Polla; when she starts to suspect that even Rathe is lying to her, or at least withholding pertinent information, Polla despairs that there’s no one she can trust. As sightings of both Ledas and Natoth pop up around the galaxy, Polla wonders what her companions might have in store for her.

Murray’s follow-up to Navvy Dreams (2024) opens with a concise recap that accommodates new and returning readers and picks up on the mysteries introduced in the preceding installment, including the presence of a second Polla Ottrava, located on the planet Feldelroy, who’s married and later arrested for alleged terrorism. Like the previous book, this sequel is primarily devoted to building its massive world as the author details interplanetary colonization, the militaristic Unity Fleet, and the Kamen, whose abilities were spawned from the tech of a completely unknown alien species. As such, the mission to take out Natoth feels rather unhurried. Still, Polla has a lot to contend with: Everyone seems to be spying for someone else, her “kiss” (a feeding shunt) appears to be infected, and she’s surrounded by people who’ll likely betray her. The gathering of so many dubious figures makes for a terrific cast: Mureen and Davad aren’t blatantly villainous, and perhaps there’s no malevolence behind their deceit. Second is a welcome reprieve from the humans—its exchanges with Polla somehow exhibit both snarkiness (“Your thoughts are too many”) and naïveté (“What is a lie?”). It’s often—but not always—reliable; it can interact with Rathe’s navvy, as well as “Lia” (the living ship), and relay their messages to Polla. The mystery in this novel becomes progressively clearer (Murray drops enough clues to let observant readers work it out for themselves) and culminates in a gratifying final act that paves the way for the planned third installment.

Lively, remarkable characters invigorate this measured story set among the stars.