The stars undying

There is a civil war in the Ceian Empire; there is a battle over succession in a small client state, Szayet. The capitol of Szayet is Alectelo, named for a king who conquered planets in the name of glory, and who died of a fever in the city named for him; his soul still rules from the Pearl of the Dead worn by the Oracle. Altagracia, called Patramata, is determined to take the Pearl from her sister, even if it requires working with the commander of the Ceian army. Gracia is an unreliable narrator, admitting that she is lying as she tells the story--and saving the truth for the most dramatic moment--but she is also undeniably fun to read. Commander Cierran's narrative is less unreliable and allows for details of the workings of the empire to be unobtrusively woven into the tale. The outline of the story will be familiar--it is built on the lines of the saga of Cleopatra, Caesar, and Mark Antony, reworked into an ambitious space opera that successfully takes plenty of liberties with the source material.

Robin's epic and extensively detailed debut and Empire Without End series launch puts a space opera spin on the love triangle between Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Anthony. Altagracia "Gracia" Caviro Patramata is the true queen and prophet of Szayet, but her more militaristic sister, Arcelia, stages a coup and seizes the Pearl of the Dead, a quicksilver computer containing an AI version of Szayet's founder, Alekso. Gracia's only chance at reclaiming the throne is rolling herself up in a carpet, smuggling herself into the quarters of Matheus Ceirran, admiral of the Empire of Ceiao, and seducing him to her side. Though Gracia regains her throne, inviting foreign military to intervene in the Szayeti government soon backfires: the Alekso AI is furious with Gracia, Ceirran's hotheaded assistant captain causes trouble, and Ceirran himself faces deadly opposition from the Merchants' Council of Ceiao. Robin's worldbuilding relies so heavily on classical history that it feels subsumed by it, and readers unfamiliar with the intricacies of Cleopatra or Julius Caesar's lives may struggle to keep track of the shifting politics and extensive cast. Still, for fans of plot-heavy space opera--and particularly classicists who enjoy SFF--there's much that will appeal in this galaxy of clever, casually queer characters scheming and double-dealing through the stars. Agent: Isabel Kaufman, Fox Literary. (Nov.)

Gracia is the rightful ruler of Szayet, but she is now fleeing the planet after her twin sister usurped both the crown and the Pearl of the Dead, the vessel said to house the immortal soul of her planet's god. Exiled and in hiding, the deposed princess makes a desperate bid to reclaim her birthright by throwing herself on the mercy of the galaxy's most powerful man, Matheus Ceirran, Commander of the Empire of Ceiao. In addition to the commander's bed, Gracia's gamble forces her to navigate a world of dangerous politics while also contending with her god, who speaks to her through the recovered Pearl. Inspired by the lives of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, Robin's space opera is a little light on action, and its language tends toward being long-winded and vague, often to the detriment of the pacing. This debut possesses a satisfying philosophical depth, however, and Esther Wane and Tim Campbell provide exemplary narration with an emotional intensity and exactness of speech befitting their respective characters. VERDICT An epic space opera perfect for listeners craving interstellar flare and political conflict interwoven with themes of immortality, personhood, and artificial intelligence.--Andy Myers

Love, politics, and immortality set against a backdrop of interstellar empire. Altagracia Caviro Patramata is out to take her sister's throne. Of course, Gracia believes the throne is hers, or ought to be--her twin sister, Arcelia, has never been pious or political enough to appear interested in becoming the Oracle of Alekso and bearing the Pearl, the supercomputer that grants the ability to hear the voice of their planet's God. But Arcelia seized the throne after their father's death, and now Gracia has no choice but to throw herself on the mercy of Matheus Ceirran, a military commander from the powerful Ceian empire who's arrived on her planet chasing a rival from the empire's civil war. When the would-be queen meets the commander, the attraction is immediate, and their affair begins just as quickly. But for Gracia, the aspiring leader of a religion, to become involved with the commander of a staunchly anti-religious empire is no simple matter, and their relationship will ultimately change the fates of both their worlds. There's a grand, bloody, romantic, complicated story here, but the reader is often missing information that would elucidate the characters' goals and motivations. Gracia in particular is an interestingly tricky narrator, confessing to lies and withholding information. When the shape of the story does become clear, it's epic, posing interesting philosophical questions and including many well-drawn, complex characters. Clearer stakes from the start could have made the opening more engaging, but ultimately, the story pays off for the patient reader. This dense and subtle political drama will reward attentive readers with an epic tale of love and conquest. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

There is a civil war in the Ceian Empire; there is a battle over succession in a small client state, Szayet. The capitol of Szayet is Alectelo, named for a king who conquered planets in the name of glory, and who died of a fever in the city named for him; his soul still rules from the Pearl of the Dead worn by the Oracle. Altagracia, called Patramata, is determined to take the Pearl from her sister, even if it requires working with the commander of the Ceian army. Gracia is an unreliable narrator, admitting that she is lying as she tells the story—and saving the truth for the most dramatic moment—but she is also undeniably fun to read. Commander Cierran's narrative is less unreliable and allows for details of the workings of the empire to be unobtrusively woven into the tale. The outline of the story will be familiar—it is built on the lines of the saga of Cleopatra, Caesar, and Mark Antony, reworked into an ambitious space opera that successfully takes plenty of liberties with the source material. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

DEBUT In Robin's debut space opera, Princess Altagracia knows that she is the true ruler of her planet Szayet, but her twin sister has usurped both her throne and the Pearl, a computer that's prophesied to contain the immortal soul of Szayet's god. To escape the wrath of her sister the queen, Gracia flees the planet and meets up with Matheus Ceirran, the Commander of the Empire of Ceiao. Gracia knows that with Ceirran and his lieutenant Anita on her side, she can claim her rightful crown. But as their political alliance grows personal, Gracia must also deal with the intelligence, immortal or mechanical, in her ear and mind that looks for the path to power. Gracia has been able to talk her way to where she is now, but it will take actions, not words, to make her mark. Inspired by the histories of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, the intricate political and personal machinations of Gracia and Ceirran are dynamic and sympathetic. VERDICT In Robin's debut, fans of immersive space opera will find all the wide interstellar and on-planet action they desire, along with intimate emotional journeys for the characters.—Kristi Chadwick

Robin's epic and extensively detailed debut and Empire Without End series launch puts a space opera spin on the love triangle between Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Anthony. Altagracia "Gracia" Caviro Patramata is the true queen and prophet of Szayet, but her more militaristic sister, Arcelia, stages a coup and seizes the Pearl of the Dead, a quicksilver computer containing an AI version of Szayet's founder, Alekso. Gracia's only chance at reclaiming the throne is rolling herself up in a carpet, smuggling herself into the quarters of Matheus Ceirran, admiral of the Empire of Ceiao, and seducing him to her side. Though Gracia regains her throne, inviting foreign military to intervene in the Szayeti government soon backfires: the Alekso AI is furious with Gracia, Ceirran's hotheaded assistant captain causes trouble, and Ceirran himself faces deadly opposition from the Merchants' Council of Ceiao. Robin's worldbuilding relies so heavily on classical history that it feels subsumed by it, and readers unfamiliar with the intricacies of Cleopatra or Julius Caesar's lives may struggle to keep track of the shifting politics and extensive cast. Still, for fans of plot-heavy space opera—and particularly classicists who enjoy SFF—there's much that will appeal in this galaxy of clever, casually queer characters scheming and double-dealing through the stars. Agent: Isabel Kaufman, Fox Literary. (Nov.)