The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz

The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz is as if Doctor Who showed up on Top Chef. The Sol Majestic is a fabulously expensive and elite restaurant located on a space station in a remote part of space catering to the uber-wealthy and powerful who pay enormous sums of money and wait years to dine there. Its creator and head chef Paulius also reserves one table each night for the unfortunate who manages to convince him in a video that they are worthy of dining at his restaurant.


Young Kenna, fresh off the transport ship and near starving, makes his pitch for a seat in the restaurant even though he has no realistic expectation that he will be chosen. Kenna is a prince of sorts, a prince very much down-on-his-luck. Kenna and his parents are Inevitable Philosophers. Their religion is to develop a simple philosophy each their own but one so powerful it becomes inevitable and can move Kings and influential people to their way of thinking. The Inevitable Philosophies have been on the wane for years, which has left Kenna and his family in their current sorry state.

When Kenna is selected to dine at the Sol Majestic he is so unsuited for a meal of that class that the date for his meal is set 6 weeks in the future. This is to allow Kenna enough time to develop a palate that can appreciate the feast he is to receive and Paulius enough time to develop a menu fit for a Prince. As Kenna is introduced to the kitchen and the world of the Sol Majestic he's exposed to people and a way of life that is wholly foreign to the life he has grown up with. A life mostly made up of cramped transport ships, poverty and contemplating philosophy. The feast that Paulis is planning for Kenna could bankrupt the Sol Majestic. Kenna feels responsible and feels pressured to help both his new benefactor as well as the new friends he has made in the kitchen. In order to do so, Kenna has to face some harsh truths about himself and his religion. He must make some decisions that he fears may permanently compromise his integrity.

Steinmetz has created a fascinating world filled with eccentric and sympathetic characters. The story is really about Kenna learning to find himself and his own Inevitable Philosophy which he despairs of ever finding. He has experiences, feelings and pressures he has never before encountered in his young life. Seeing the world through Kenna’s eyes lets you experience his fascination and befuddlement. He has stumbled onto a place that caters to the very wealthy yet is dependent on the work of the poor.

The story drags slightly in the middle as Kenna becomes more isolated and spends a lot of time inside his own mind without very many other characters to react with. This is especially noticeable in the audio version of the book.

Steinmetz does an admirable job of bringing the story to a satisfying, if somewhat bittersweet, conclusion. The audio version is read by James Fouhey who does a good job of distinguishing between the multiple characters involved in the story especially with the voice of its protagonist Kenna and the larger-than-life Paulius. This is a fun story especially for foodies and a very interesting setting for a space tale.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

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