This world is not yours

This claustrophobic queer sci-fi horror hybrid from Ashing-Giwa (The Splinter in the Sky) focuses on the toxic love triangle between three characters--Amara, Vinh, and Jesse--as they come to terms with a terrible entity that haunts the planet they've been tasked with colonizing. After a rival colony destroys their resources, the company sponsoring their expedition takes a more active role, forcing them to restructure their relationship to at least appear traditional and heterosexual. Meanwhile, a mysterious substance called the Gray advances upon their colony. To survive, the strained triad must figure out how to stop this threat while making peace with the space each of them holds in the others' lives. Ashing-Giwa does an excellent job of bringing to life the labyrinthine intricacies of human relationships that can drive people to horrific extremes, and the worldbuilding provides a rich, fascinating background against which these dynamics play out. The ambitious plot doesn't have quite enough room to breathe, but the novel's haunting ending is likely to stick with readers for a long time. Tense and immersive, this is a nail-biter. (Sept.)

The planet will choose violence to protect itself when it falls out of balance--and the colonists are poised to do the same for their hearts. Recent arrivals to the colony of New Belaforme, Vinh, Amara, and Jesse excel at miscommunication and powerful, tamped-down feelings. They are tasked with boosting the colony's numbers and discovering how to coexist with the planet's deadly self-cleaning ooze, dubbed the Gray. Between the larger domestic thriller sections, Ashing-Giwa (The Splinter in the Sky) uses the Gray to horrific effect. Catherine Ho's narration balances Vinh's molten anger with Amara's precision, clearly defining their approach to a problematic, all-consuming love. She demonstrates why they care so much for each other, even as her performance sends the shrapnel of their arguments into listeners. The tension may also rise for listeners who notice that the chapter numbers are counting down to something big. Fans of Lisa Unger, Paula Hawkins, and Jeneva Rose shouldn't let the horror and sci-fi elements scare them off, as there are myriad hidden secrets, toxic layers, and immoral decisions to keep them riveted. VERDICT A potent blend of sci-fi, horror, and thriller, where the planetary danger is but a garnish for a love so strong it hurts.--Matthew Galloway