The Stars Undying

This book has the most unreliable narrator I’ve read and I’m here for it. There’s something about a narrator telling you she’s lying but you still end up shocked at certain turns of events. Now that’s some storytelling!

The Stars Undying is a queer space opera inspired by the lives of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Their similarities, their differences, and ultimately their relationship and how it affects Szayet and Ceiao are central to the story. Princeds Altagracia must get back her throne with the help of Ceiao’s great Commander, Ceirran. How that plays out and what happens after is like reading a historical piece that’s never been written before. It’s a rich novel packed with layers of nuances and motives and while it may feel slow at times, what seems mundane has a tendency to surface later.

This is my first experience with a space opera and it did not disappoint! The characters will keep you guessing and even when you want your suspicions explicitly confirmed you won’t get it. Normally this would frustrate me, but it was so well done it just WORKED.

Emery Robin masterfully crafts a world so tangible it feels real, characters who are grey, imperfect, and selfish, and the story of a woman on a mission and all she’s willing to do to achieve it.

Thank you to Orbit Books for sending me a copy to review! All opinions my own.