I elected to read this because the reviews sounded amazing and it was in fact a very well paced and well written book but what I discovered is that I have definitely moved on from my sci-fi genre era. It just wasn’t my cup of tea anymore and I felt my attention wondering and longing for my new favourite genre of historical fiction.

Absolutely fabulous!
Loved the story, the characters, and the worldbuilding.
A sumptuous science fiction debut with real depth and scope for expansion.
Will definitely read the sequel.

Startling, gripping characterisations in complex tale of dystopia world. Will a younger generation warrior follow in her ancestor's maverick, vicious ways .. a brutal world laced with humour. Actually .. awfully powerfil in its style and story.

One of the best sci-fi books I’ve read in a long time - instantly bought the next book! I’m so glad I got around to reading this after hearing how amazing it was from multiple sources.

A gripping and ripping chase through the stars. Thoroughly enjoyable science fiction with showing that humankind will never really resolve its social and individual self-destructive urges. Looking forward to book 2.

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs is an exciting science fiction debut.

I was genuinely shocked when I realised this was a debut novel as the writing is fantastic and the world-building is so creative that I felt completely submerged in the story.

The politics in this book were well thought out and really kept me hooked.

I’m so glad that this is the first in the triology as I cannot wait to read the rest.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with this arc.

Set in an alternate universe ruled and controlled by Clerics, Cloaks and the Kindom, the Nightfoot company runs the mining operation of a valuable mineral used in space transportation. When the head of this family dies, a new ruler must be put in her place. A member of the Nightfoot family, Esek, is a member of the Cloaksaan who are almost like secret police, and she is hunting for a child she met years ago and has caused a lot of problems for her family since that time.

✨ Book Review 💫

Title : These Burning Stars
Author : Bethany Jacobs
Genre : Science fiction
Rate : 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to @netgalley for an arc copy of this book, however it’s well past its publication date (October 2023)

This is a dangerous game of cat and mouse in a quest of revenge. An empire to spans over star systems but built on the bones of genocide. A secret hidden that could destroy worlds, we follow 3 women who have their own secrets they don’t want to be discovered.

When I started this book I wasn’t fully sure what I was getting myself into. It is full of complex political scheming and deep rooted corruption, which did take me a while to wrap my head around.

Once I figured out who everyone was and their roles in the story, I started enjoying it so much more.

I enjoyed the fact that it was based around women in power. Yes they did act in a morally grey area and scheming but each character was fascinating and complex the more you got to understand them.

It switched from timelines of the past and present and once you understand where you were, it all weaved into each other lovely. It slowly revealed how the cat and mouse hunt began for all these characters and how it has spanned over the last few decades.
The plot twist in the later part of the book I didn’t see coming, which is always bonus in a book for me.

This is the first book in a trilogy and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next one

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3.5* rounded up cos 3* would be overly critical and unfair. I actually had this on NetGalley in October and for some reason completely missed it. So here we are.

I almost DNF’ed this, but plodded on, but then something happened towards the end that completely 180’ed my single reason for the cause of the massive criticism of the book. I will not say more for spoiler reasons.

This year, I wanted to read works from more diverse authors or novels with more diverse stories, and this one very much leans into the LGBTQIA+ category. I’m not even sure it’s right to categorise it in this manner, but that’s how I originally found it.

Essentially, the world is ruled by a mix of aristocratic families and a religious organisation (the Kingdom) split into 3 ‘kins’: cloaksaan (enforcers) secretaries (bureaucratic judiciary) and clerics (spiritual).

Esek, a member of the aristocracy and Hand of Kingdom (senior cleric) visits a school where students are being trained to join the kin. She singles out an impressive genderless trainee simply known only as number six, and wrecks their prospects and future (because of…stuff. Not going to spoil anything), setting in motion all that follows.

The plot follows a future Esek and a fellow cleric Chono (also one of those in the same class of students and a previous mentee of Esek) as they hunt Six and the aftermath of that earlier decision, while working in parallel to retrieve evidence that may prove the Kingdom responsible for genocide, culminating in one of the best twists I have read for a long, long time. I always catch onto twists very early on, but I wasn’t even close to spotting this one. Brilliant!

This was a good, if at sometimes, laborious read (took 2 weeks to read it). It is well written, but with some obvious first novel stuff that can be overlooked: various exposition dumps early on, some clunky modern dialogue (that didn’t work for me personally), etc. but for the most part the world-building is good, with enough intrigue to keep me interested enough to reach the end.

It is written from 2 timelines: past and present (in past and present tense respectively) that work brilliantly well; with each one leading into the other to move the plot forward. At no time did I groan when we went back in time to provide necessary context to further the next part of the present story. It was cleverly laid out and adds layers to the mystery of what is going on.

In summary, this is solid sci-fi with some good world building, and a belter of a twist. I hope when the next book comes out, I’m still of the frame of mind to continue the story. If it was out now, I’d definitely read it.

Actual rating: 4.25 stars

Thank You to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC

A very strong sci-fi debut, the prose and overall writing was tight. Despite being an ARC I didn’t notice any typographical errors. The characters were all interesting amd compelling in their own ways. But it seems I’m a black sheep in reviews as i HATED Esek, i get that she’s meant to be awful but gyatt dam she was grating. Lol and i was kicking my feet when Esek starts having a Bad Time.

I will say that the characters being ultra talented Badasses as teenagers was giving a bit YA lol. Like no a 16 year old is not going to be a galactic level mastermind. But other than that it was great!

Another aspect I appreciated was how religion and religious people were treated. It was good to see Chono not be denigrated by the narrative for her beliefs. While still being realistic that there are people and institutions who cynically use the veneer of religion to justify their actions or hold onto power.

I don’t normally read sci-fi, but the description of this book drew me in and I glad it did. It’s a complex and epic story in an unpredictable and dangerous world. Well written with a good balance between descriptive prose and plot. The pace is excellent and the twists well hidden. Looking forward to the next instalment. Highly recommended.

Interesting mix of science fiction and pseudo fantasy, as the main 'villain' is head of a historically powerful house, and the trappings, costumes etc feel kind of medieval. The main character, Jun, is a bit dodgy, but likeable and real enough. The secrets and machinations are par for the course. Have to admit, I didn't feel captured enough to get all the way through it, but it will probably do well in our current wave of YA/young women SFF fascination.

These Burning Stars is a complex space opera with an interstellar game of cat & mouse. It has some really great world building and tackles important topics such as colonisation, imperialism, theft of resources, and genocide. It's a story of revenge and betrayal and features some really well developed, angry, and morally ambigious characters. There's were some amazing relationships in These Burning Stars, both hateful relationships & loving relationships. A brilliant science fiction novel.

I am absolutely in love with the amount of amazing fantasy/science fiction appearing on shelves right now. For years, it seemed to be in rather a rut of similarity (in my opinion!), but now we have authors using the genre to do what it does best: explore.

I haven’t heard Burning Stars compared to anything, which is an excellent start. No references to Game of Thrones - although there is conflict and revenge. It’s certainly not cyberpunk, even if there is hacking. This is a world very much of its own.

At first, the plot seems to focus on the political. A talented young hacker has acquired some tech that places a powerful family at the heart of setting up a planetary genocide. The history that has been told of that event is certainly fabricated, and what’s the life of one thief in this giant coverup?

Meantime, there is a powerful cleric searching for a mysterious terrorist known only as Six, while avoiding her obligations to that same family.

We have a giant conspiracy coming apart, three individuals fighting for what they value and who they are… and discovering that absolutely nothing is as clear as it seems.

It’s so difficult to write this without spoilers, and impossible to convey the amazing tone of the story. Each of the main characters is distinct and memorable, with questionable morals and secrets galore. There’s also the added undercurrent of gender-play, with citizens of this universe choosing their gender at a certain age; before that, they are effectively neutral. What does this mean for relationships and identity?

I was amused to see a quote from Kate Elliott front and centre on the cover too, as it’s one of her books that taught me a wise Bookish Lesson: the first protagonist we meet may not be the hero (no spoilers!). The constant shift in tension kept me on my toes throughout, and very soon I was finding it difficult to put this book down. Even now, I want to return to the world, even if it is charged, uncomfortable and difficult in places. Just like this one.

There are obvious parallels between our own historic genocide events, but this is handled as gently as can be. Describing the reactions of an entire people who survived almost complete oblivion cannot be easy, and the sense of pain, rage and need for retribution is understandable.

Burning Stars paints with rich colours on a vivid canvas, never shying away from difficult aspects of life and delving deep to explore them on a human level. This is the best type of storytelling for me: fearless, thoughtful and forcing the reader to stop and look. Our leads fight to survive and hold on to themselves, but with humour and love as well as fear or confusion - this is life in interesting times.

Ultimately, if you were in their situation, what would you do? Complacency is not an option.

An outstanding read.

I think the book had a really good idea, but unfortunately I just could not get myself into it and enjoy it. Hopefully, I will come back to the book at some stage when I am in a better frame of mind for it and will enjoy it then.

I enjoyed this debut sci-fi novel. It was fast paced, full of action with twists and turns. I thought the characters fitted well together in their survival.

I think that this would be the perfect book for a book tag, with the question “A book in which characters are seriously in need of therapy” (and I am talking about being the apple in the therapist’s eye, the one case that can make a career, and let you buy a mansion in an exclusive place, too).
But more about the characters in a bit. Let’s start from the beginning, sort of.
When I started this book I thought that this was solid 4 stars material. No questions asked.
I was hooked from the beginning, I was fascinated by the characters, and I was amazed because this book reminded me a lot of Ann Leckie’s series, Imperial Radch, but it is easier to follow. I love Leckie’s series, I really love it, and this one has some strong similarities, in the best possible ways, but it is less demanding, and this was a thing that I appreciated a lot. Anyway, I was saying… solid 4 stars material. But then we get so immersed in the story, and we have so much action, so many plots and twists that I changed my mind. This is a 5 stars reading, and that’s it.

And now, let’s go back to the characters. They are amazing. They are complex. They are spectacular. And yet, truth be told, the characters are both great and… so bad. I mean, all of them are amazingly well characterized and developed. They are real, full of life, and bigger than life. But they are also… sick. Lately, morally grey characters are all the rage but these ones… these ones give a whole other definition of it. Mostly because they are not really grey as much as different shades of black. We have some characters that can be considered good, but even they are not white. Not at all.
And each one of these characters is unique.
Esek, Chono, Six, June, Liis, and Masar are the ones that are more predominantly on the page, we spend a lot of time with them, and they manage to surprise us all the same, time and again.
And I will say more, every each one of them is like a fascinating piece of art, especially Esek and Six.
I loved them all, even if I don’t know (and I sure as hell, I don’t want to know) what this says about me.

And I loved this story, so complex and so full of twists and turns. We have politics, we have action, we have fights. We have the whole package. And I won’t say anything about any of these things, except to say that they are good! And that I could not put this book down. But you have to see for yourself, because I don’t want to spoiler a single thing. This is a book that should be read, enjoyed, and discovered so I can only say that you should give this one an opportunity (when you are in for adventures, political intrigues, and twists, not when you are in the mood for something cozy or lighthearted, by all mean, if this is your mood at the moment, please stay away from this book. But if you are in for something a tad more unique, something that would keep you intrigued and that it does have not a single moment of peace, then… then what are you expecting?? Go, and grab this book!

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. This is a debut sci-fi novel which is fast paced, twisty and action packed and integrated plot. I liked that it was full of morally grey survivors that were fascinating together.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review. 


TW: abuse, violence, murder, genocide, injury, death


“These Burning Stars” is one of the best sci-fi debuts I’ve read and easily one of my favourite books this year. It follows three women all caught up in the politics and violence of an enormous empire and the decisions they’ve driven to in a gorgeous example of worldbuilding. Esek, a Cleric for the Kindom who operates as an assassin, isn’t expecting to be made heir to the Nightfoot family after their matriarch is murdered, especially because she’d given up her title. In the middle of a time of tension due to strikes led by slave labourers, Esek and her former pupil Chono (a likewise brilliant but brutal cleric) are forced to team up to hunt down a coin full of memories of value to the entire empire. Chono, who has been all but abandoned since murdering a fellow cleric, is unnerved to return to Esek’s side after twenty years- especially when it becomes clear that a figure from their pasts known only as Six is involved. At the same time, Jun Ironway is the one to take the coin when it hits the black market, though she finds it impossible to sell on despite her skills as a hacker, con woman and thief. This coin implicates the entire Nightfoot dynasty in an enormous genocide, one that the powerful have long suppressed and hidden while also the coin is worth enough to set Jun up for life. However, as Jun flees across the galaxy with this coin, Chono and Esek follow behind her. Somehow, the terrifying figure of Six- whom Esek remembers as a gifted, disturbing child and Chono remembers as her only friend- is manipulating everything and driving them all into circumstances where no one will survive. 


One of the absolute highlights of this book for me is that the protagonists are so morally grey and unwilling to trust, even when they’re allied. The tension of the novel’s circumstances- the hidden genocide long covered up by Esek’s family, the things Chono has done while away and the actions Jun has to take for her safety- make it incredibly addictive to read while the fast-paced and constant action meant it was never boring. Likewise, I loved the complexity of the politics woven in with the worldbuilding, which is elaborate but never overwhelming. I loved what this author did with gender, it is very much something you decide for yourself but also controlled which means people are limited by the rules of the Kindom. This is a story that reveals itself gradually, with the three women’s perspectives being used to unleash history and back story that makes you want to go back and read it again. Esek is vicious, self-involved and terrible but her point of view is also one of the most enjoyable because her family is very clearly the villain. I also loved Chono, who has committed the terrible sin of killing a fellow cleric and is paying for it by being ignored, because of the way she keeps being drawn back to the world she’d sworn she’d given up by leaving Esek behind. The ongoing story of Six, their connection to Esek and Chono, and how that leads to Jun made me want to keep reading from the first page, especially as things grew more complicated. This is an incredible debut and I loved this book, it’s so original and vibrant with characters that alternate between inhuman and painfully relatable. The sequel is definitely one I’ll be looking out for, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It took me a while to get into this but once the plot really kicks in, it does hook you. One issue for me was a bit of a lack of emotional depth, but I think that was due to the characters - Chono and Esek are both fairly emotionally restrained characters, at least until the end. I thought the big twist was clever and didn't see it coming until just before. It's also another kind of exploration of colonialism and its impacts, which I find compelling. A solid first novel in a new series.