The two lies of Faven Sythe

Review by Booklist Review

Faven Sythe has a problem that only an outer space pirate captain named Bitter Amandine can solve. Faven's mentor has been sent to an area of space called the Clutch; everyone, even pirate captains, tries to avoid the region. But Faven has noticed that other cryst-born individuals, not just her mentor, have been sent to this area of space and are never heard from again. Cryst-born individuals are humanoid beings that start off as the glass-like cryst, a substance that runs the world. Faven, in her desire to figure out what is going on with those sent to the Clutch, goes against orders and tries to hire Amandine to help her. The partnership is a bit bumpy at first, but the resulting dynamic between the two is dynamite and hilarious. Both characters are endearing, tough, and funny rebels, and together the pair will solve a mystery that has plagued the universe. It is charming to see two of society's outcasts fight to win the day and find each other. Readers will enjoy this high-stakes outer-space adventure with a touch of a queer love story.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

O'Keefe (the Devoured Worlds trilogy) flexes her worldbuilding chops in this superior space opera, set in a future in which shards of "sacred cryst," grown under women's skins, are "plucked free to be nurtured into a woman, or something like a woman" who serve as spaceship navigators using their special ability to chart paths between stars. Cryst-born navigator Faven Sythe is suspicious when her mentor, Ulana Valset, who was unusually tense at their last meeting, disappears. She breaks several rules to trace the route of Ulana's spaceship, finding that it traveled into the Clutch, a "dark fist of a dyson sphere seized around a whimpering star," the home of the abandoned Black Celeste, a legendary ghost ship, where many navigators before Ulana have also vanished. Now Faven partners with "Bitter" Amandine, a pirate with knowledge of the Clutch, to find Ulana--and ascertain whether a conspiracy targeting navigators is at work. Nuanced characterization and a clever mystery keep the pages flying. It's a thrilling standalone adventure that James S.A. Corey fans will relish. (June)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

Faven is a human-like crystalline alien with the ability to chart courses through spacetime. After her mentor vanishes into a mysterious patch of space called the Clutch, Faven leaves the comfort of her life as a navigator to seek answers. The pirate Bitter Amandine has the knowledge Faven needs to retrace her mentor's steps, but Amandine is concealing her own history with the Clutch. Faven's plight convinces Amandine to reopen old wounds, but the women soon learn that the Clutch hides a much bigger secret than they expected. Faven fits the trope of a sheltered elite shown the world by a rugged pirate with a heart of gold. Her naivete gets her into trouble as she enters political situations she doesn't understand, while Amandine's sense of honor brings her to the rescue, despite her better judgment. Their romantic tension adds a will-they-or-won't-they heat to the story as the two dig deeper into the Clutch's alien conspiracies and the secret at its heart. VERDICT O'Keefe's (The Bound Worlds) new space opera will appeal to readers who enjoy sci-fi that focuses on the protagonists' growth and self-discovery.--Erin Niederberger

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