These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

 

What an amazing debut novel! These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs is one of the best books I've read all year. Described as a cat-and-mouse quest for revenge, it involves the ruling class of an empire, one of its prominent families, and a thief who holds secrets that could threaten it all. 

The characters are sharply drawn. A hacker/thief, Jun Ironway, two clerics, Chono and Esek Nightfoot, and a mysterious former student known only as Six are the main players in the cat-and-mouse game. Several other characters orbit these main players and all are compelling. Esek Nightfoot is the most fascinating character I've met since Hannibal Lecter. Esek is intelligent, ruthless, and compelling. 

Jun Ironway has gotten her hands on an item that could devastate the empire, and Esek's family in particular. Esek is tasked with tracking her down and Chono is assigned to accompany her. Chono is the cool reason to Esek's fiery passion. Esek and Chono are also trying to track down Six, though their motivations differ. Six is orbiting all three, playing a game that is known only to them. 

This story is scorching and it shows in the language Jacobs uses. Sentences like, "Her ship alighted on the tarmac with engines snarling, hot air billowing out from beneath the thrusters.", and "...the stench of the jump gate that had so recently spit her into Ma'Kess's orbit..." make you sit up and take notice from page one! While the chase moves from planet to planet, Jacobs jumps backward in time to fill in some history. What appears at first to be unrelated threads prove crucial by the end. The action moves forward, brutally and relentlessly, but it is the fascinating characters that will have you even more riveted. The pace of this novel keeps you racing forward while trying to simultaneously savor this immersive experience. 

This is a debut novel that instantly puts you on notice that Jacobs is one to watch. It is one of the year's best novels. I can't wait to see where this trilogy goes next, but I'll be first in line to find out!

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