LEGACY OF STARS

A starship captain navigates a mysterious cosmic void while staying ahead of bounty hunters in Bowman’s SF novel.

Humanity in the distant future has explored outer space and found signs of life among the exoplanets and stars. However, all they’ve found are signs of extinct alien civilizations. Scientists on a planet in the Nocturne Galaxy, however, spot an anomaly in the uncharted Void—perhaps a living entity. The Nocturians hire Joxy, the captain of The Legacy, to investigate with her crew, who typically take on humanitarian jobs. It’s a monthslong commitment, and just getting to the Void may be a problem, as bounty hunters are hot on their tail. Joxy had previously made a deal with Veruna, who runs a huge organization and offered to save her husband who was dying from an apparent contagion. That agreement didn’t end well, and the captain has been dodging Veruna and her fleet of warships ever since. However, what the Legacy crew discovers in the Void may necessitate a trip back into enemy territory: specifically, Veruna’s science labs. Chapters ping back and forth between this universe’s present day and five years before, when Joxy first connected with Veruna. This narrative strategy provides plenty of exposition while maintaining a consistent pace. The author’s smart, simple plot mostly sticks within a mere two galaxies, despite a dense intergalactic backstory, and gleefully dishes out SF tech: For example, there’s de facto first mate Raygo, a Biological Artificial Intelligence derived partly from residual alien matter, as well as mechs—heavily armed mechanical bodies with human consciousnesses. (Those who are mechanics are humorously called “mechy mechs.”) Although action scenes abound, the resilient Joxy quietly outwits her foes just as often. The book’s ending practically demands a sequel.

A nimble outer-space tale with an exemplary protagonist.