THE CELESTIAL SEAS

A ship captain will stop at nothing to destroy a mysterious whale that’s traversing deep space and to avenge her dead crewmates.

Eighteen-year-old Ishara Ming is the only survivor of the Essex, a ship she swears was attacked by a strange Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft that’s still roaming the skies. While Ishara’s time on the Essex is a hazy blur, thanks to her head injury, she’s sure the Ballena is real and has vowed to destroy it. With the help of first mate Quinn Martinez, Ishara acquires the old whaling ship the Dorado and a motley crew—including Augustus, who has some odd skills and a secretive air. He helps Ishara track the whale, forcing her to contend with the consequences of her choices—even those she can’t remember. Based on Moby Dick but charting new territory, this is a story of facing mistakes and finding the good (and bad) in oneself and others. Ishara is queer and comes from the Tian Tan System, which is part of the Asian Islands Alliance Federation. The characters’ speech is peppered with words resembling an alternate Spanish. As a character, Ishara breathes new life into the story of a driven captain with a singular quest. While some aspects of the MOBIS are left underexplored, Ishara’s humanity shines through in her attempts to grapple with her past traumas and her relationships with the ones she loves.

A worthy debut offering a cosmic tale of found family and space ventures.