El año 2023 todavía me tenía reservada una sorpresa bajo la manga en los últimos meses de lectura. These Burning Stars, la primera novela de Bethany Jacobs, es una historia de venganza y de apropiación cultural, una space opera trepidante sobre un escenario imperial que se extiende por la galaxia.


La verdad, me ha encantado These Burning Stars, sobre todo por su modo de mantener la tensión a través de los cambios tanto espaciales como temporales, reservándose ases bajo la manga para algunas revelaciones de esas que hacen tambalearse los cimientos del imperio pero sobre todo, por los personajes tan estupendos que a los que la autora ha insuflado de vida.

El libro tiene diversos puntos de vista, pero Jacobs ha conseguido equilibrar cada historia de manera muy convincente. Lo que al principio puede parecer un poco manido, con un poder dividido en tres compartimentos estancos y una disciplina casi monacal en ellos, acaba convirtiéndose en un escenario de riñas y luchas intestinas, con una sonrisa grabada en la boca. Puede parece un tanto tramposa en algunas ocasiones porque es cierto que no se nos desvela todo el escenario desde el principio, pero se lo perdono por lo entretenida que me ha tenido.

Además, el libro tiene una fuerte carga política sobre el colonialismo y la utilización de los recursos de otras culturas, rozando la esclavitud. Me gusta cómo la autora trata los temas moralmente más resbaladizos con franqueza y honestidad. Y cómo el pueblo oprimido sigue jugando como puede sus escasas bazas para conseguir la ansiada libertad.

Quizá lo que menos me haya convencido es el tratamiento de los novicios como mera moneda sexual para el divertimento de los poderosos, como un juego en el que son peones para uso y disfrute del mejor postor. Me hubiera gustado una posición más firme en contra de estas prácticas, pero también hay que admitir que sirve como medida de la perversión del poder.

Para ser una primera novela, reitero que está escrita con bastante oficio, así que no puedo dejar de recomendarla.

If you love sci-fi you must read this book. A powerful and well plotted story that kept me hooked.
Exciting, fast paced and entertaining
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It's been quite some time since a sci-fi novel has gripped me so tightly. The plotting of this book is impeccably precise, executed flawlessly, and you're immediately drawn in from page one. Although it may seem like the author thrusts us abruptly into the midst of a story within a galaxy-spanning empire, it's surprisingly easy to orient ourselves and then follow the characters on a (not so) joyous escapade from planet to station to ship and beyond, leaving us unable to predict the ultimate destination. The author skillfully provides details about the world, its governing mechanisms, the struggles and biases of its inhabitants, as well as the motivations of the characters. This information is artfully revealed in small doses through strategically placed flashback chapters, forming a puzzle that we must assemble to fully grasp the entire picture.

Wow!

First of all thank you so much to Orbit UK (as always) and Netgalley for approving me of an arc of These Burning Stars!

Objectively, this was a really a great debut. The writing is good, the plot is intricate and well executed and the characters are all fleshed out in the way sci-fi like these should be. I also thought the world building, the politics and the characters' motivations were all well written which I appreciated. I struggled a bit with the amount of new terminology and characters introduced, especially at the beginning. Usually I have no qualms with this (it annoys me sometimes but I usually am able to sit through and figure it out on my own) but I haven't read sci-fi in a while so I would've appreciated if we were given time to learn about each especially when the magic system and world is as intricate as this.

I did say the characters are all fleshed out which is great and how sci=fi should be but unfortunately, I'm someone who also needs to at least root for a character to be able to enjoy a story and I think that is also my issue with this book. I didn't really care for the characters so that's why I also didn't feel like I enjoyed the story 100%. However if you love morally grey women in your sci-fi, this one is definitely for you because there was A LOT of it.

Sorry I just couldn’t get into this book and have given up about a third of the way through. I was trying to read it while I was on holiday though so maybe didn’t give it my full attention.

What a book! What a debut! I wasn’t going to request books on NetGalley anymore and then I saw people talking about These Burning Stars and I fell into temptation. I’m so glad I did… This is storytelling at its best, with vivid worldbuilding, characters that step off the page, and intrigue aplenty. It’s hard to talk about this book without giving anything away, though. The twists and turns are brilliant and I wouldn’t want to spoil them for anyone, so I will do my best to talk about it without doing so.

As the blurb says, These Burning Stars follows three characters: Esek, Chono, and Jun and the narrative jumps between past and present in a way that slowly and precisely develops their arcs and reveals their secrets. Before I talk more about those three – and the rest of the supporting cast – I want to mention the worldbuilding, because it’s brilliant. Unlike a lot of SF I’ve read that is set on other planets, there is no reference to Earth and a past connected to our own world, and somehow this made the setting feel even more real. There are mentions of the generation ships that brought the original population to the system of planets they colonised, but that event is so far in the past that it no longer affects daily life. And the planets we get to see are varied and wonderful; they each have defining characteristics (eg an ocean-dominated world, one known for its dusty landscape, etc) but they don’t suffer from the Star Wars effect of a planet having only one ecosystem.

The history is also very artfully crafted and contributed to the world of These Burning Stars feeling real and lived-in. There is one religion with six gods, and each planet prioritises the worship of one of them, and the system is ruled by the Kindom, an entity both religious and political with three factions: the clerics (somewhat like priests, and the ones most involved with communities), the cloaksaan (assassins and enforcers of law), and the secretaries (archivists and administrators). The Kindom is as corrupt as any large organisation can be, but it keeps the peace between the influential Families that, if unchecked, would wage constant war over resources and land. The Nightfoot Family is one of the most powerful due to their control of sevite, which powers the Gates that allow for fast space travel.

Esek is a cleric of the Kindom, but she is also a member of the Nightfoot Family and has always kept her ties to the family despite the kin being neutral. Esek does not play by the rules, though, and she is the most compelling character I’ve ever read. She is not a good person, and has very few redeemable qualities, but I could not stop looking away. There is such magnetism to her, and it’s not surprising that most of the events of the book are precipitated by Esek making selfish, cruel decisions. Chono has a quiet presence that is just as compelling: she was once Esek’s novitiate and is now a cleric herself. Though she is a good and selfless person, she has a history with Esek and been drawn into the older woman’s cruelties. Their dynamic was really interesting to read, especially because we get to see it both in the past and the present.

The main thing that binds Esek and Chono is their connection to Six, once Chono’s fellow student and the best in their year, but now a ghost who haunts and taunts Esek ever since she refused to take them on as novitiate. For someone who does not appear on page for the majority of the book, Six has quite the presence. They fill the thoughts of both clerics as they track down a memory coin containing information that could condemn the Nightfoots and divide the Kindom. As the past is slowly revealed, it seems impossible that it could be anyone other than Six orchestrating all that threatens the Kindom and Esek in particular, but there are still so many elements at play that are revealed piece by piece. Jacobs really knows how to build the tension, and how to reward a patient reader.

There is still so much I could say about what makes These Burning Stars such a good book, from the prose to the details of worldbuilding, but then this review would get too long. All I can say it that this is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year, and one of the best sci-fi books I’ve ever read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Space Opera is often much more like high fantasy than actual science fiction. These Burning Stars is very much a case in point. Its protagonists are warrior monks and hackers, operating much more like clerics, ninjas and wizards once their actual roles are identified. There is a gigantic evil empire, and we follow those who are tracking down the shadowy figure who is trying to bring it all down. So while These Burning Stars operates largely as very enjoyable science fantasy, the shady figure in the centre who is always a step ahead of their pursuers, breaking laws to bring down the corrupt system, more resembles Arsene Lupin.

This is all quite tough to pull off. Complicated worlds building might be a given in Space Opera, but here Jacobs also tries a triple viewpoint narrative, in some cases significantly chronologically shifted. Throw in at least one unreliable narrator whose arrogance makes them rather unpleasant to read, the technical difficulty has been raised high. So I'm pleased to say that it pretty much all works, the complexities of its labyrinthine plot tick into place when needed, and the reader intuits (is led to intuit) some of the bigger twists and mysteries about five pages before they happen delivering a glorious sense of satisfaction.

There is a lot going on in These Burning Stars, and whilst it is self-contained with a satisfying ending, I can also see how it sets up a much larger story with these lead characters and universe. If there is a criticism it is perhaps sometimes a little too invested in its narrative to give its characters room to breathe, but that's a minor quibble when a book is quite this much fun.

This was very different from books I normally read but I really enjoyed it. Set on different planets with a cast of engaging and downright nasty characters, Bethany has created an amazing sci fi world that I recommend you read! Can’t wait for the next instalment!

Bit too bloodthirsty at times for this reader but a proper page turning SF novel. I can see why it has been gaining rave reviews as the author has a knack for penning ant-heroines and packing a lot of background into the ongoing plot.

Just when you think there cannot be another visceral, engaging, page-turning new voice in space opera, along comes These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs. Set a couple of thousand years post generation ships arriving, somewhere, These Burning Stars takes some familiar elements, mixes them up, tells its story through some flawed but fascinating POV characters, and fleshes out a fascinating universe that readers are likely to want to come back to for the sequels.
The opening chapter of These Burning Stars feels somewhat familiar. Esek Nightfoot, the graduate of some form of intense academy returns at the request of one of the masters to view one his students. That student, known only as Six, turns out to be the descendant of a man who committed genocide and rather than taking her on, Esek spurns her and says she will only see her in the future when she can do something impressive. But this is not an “academy” novel – Jacobs then does something completely different by jumping the action forward twenty years. The main action surrounds the pursuit of a valuable McGuffin (a memory coin), which could bring down the Nightfoot family. Esek and her old offsider Chono are hunting down a con artist called Sunstep who is also after the coin, but both believe that Six, who has been tormenting Esek for years, is behind the scenes. As this plot plays out, Jacobs continually jumps back in time to chart Esek’s fruitless pursuit of Six over the previous twenty years.
Talking any more about the plot would give away some of the more delicious surprises and reveals. But suffice to say, Jacobs has a great handle on characters and the action that they often find themselves in. She also, slowly but deliberately builds a vibrant, diverse and corrupt universe in which to set that action. While this is essentially “science fiction”, there is a bit of hand waving around the science but no more so than many other recent space operas. Readers just have to accept memory coin technology or jump gates between solar systems that require a particular type of mineral (or its substitute) or artificial limbs.
It feels like we are in a new golden age of this type of character driven, fast paced but grand space opera. Led by authors like Ann Leckie, James SA Corey and John Scalzi and more recently including authors like Yoon Ha Lee, Megan O’Keefe and Arkady Martine. With These Burning Stars Bethany Jacobs stakes a strong claim for a seat at this table. In These Burning Stars Jacobs delivers a whole story but has created a big enough universe, laid plenty of breadcrumbs and created fascinating characters and left a dangling cliffhanger that readers will be more than willing to go in whatever direction this series goes next.

4.5 stars - Exciting debut with great world-building and even better characters!

Debuts can be a bit of a gamble and I have read plenty of debuts with rather wonky writing, pacing or characters. But just to be clear: Bethany Jacobs has delivered a truly impressive first installment in a trilogy with great writing, a fully realized world and a cast of characters that will stay with you.

And the characters really are the heart and soul of the story. In the center of it all is Esek: charismatic, cruel, ambitious and inadvertently setting off events that might end up being her and her family's downfall. Then there is Chono: kind, pious, strong-willed and the polar opposite of Esek. And Jun: young, fiercely determined and haunted. And of course we really cannot forget Six, a character who is connected to the story and the other characters in a way that was full of surprises and just so well-written!

The plot is not easy to summarize as we slowly put together what exactly is going on and which character is motivated for which reason to do what they are doing. There is an empire that is ruled by few families - and one of them has built its fortune on the aftermath of a genocide for which they have been happy to blame someone else. But of course there is so much more to everything than we first learn and the beauty really lies in how Jacobs has constructed and paced the reveals.

There are some twists I truly have not seen coming and I was basically just happy to come along for the ride. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys their space-opera well written, a bit unconventional and with plenty of imagination!

I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley from the publisher and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

This is a stunning debut and a great beginning to a series!
From plot to character work this book engaged me completely, with every chapter if got stronger and I was flying through that last 100 pages.

The flashback chapters are so perfectly timed and fhe pacing was near perfect for me, I loved what this had to say about revenge and obsession.

The set up for the series has me hooked, book 2 is officially one of my most anticipated releases. Chono is probably the character I loved reading from the most in this and my only critique would be that there were 1 or 2 characters i feel could have gotten a little more rounding out and more significantly casting and what casters do is made a little nebulous. In some ways I think approaching it as "magic" makes sense and didn't harm my enjoyment too much but I did think to myself a couple times that I wasn't completely connected to what it means to be a caster and how it works.

Also the action scenes felt so visual to me, cinematic almost! The writing really stood out because of this, I found myself marking quotes throughout which isn't very common for me.

I would recommend this to literally all SFF enjoyers but something about the attention to developing the complex relationships between certain characters make me think this is a must read for he who drowned the world enjoyers.

Thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Started off well, I wanted to strangle the anti-heroine within the first few pages! Time and the pages marched on with some interesting happenings and then it became a bit like a train though the Channel Tunnel.

The approach was as above and then, to me at least, into the tunnel. Not much detail or light and no accurate idea as to when one would reappear in the light. Too much time, too many pages pass and then hurrah the train is back in the light and all sorts of things become interesting and we rattle on to the terminus.

Too long by a third and I shall not bother with the sequel.

These Burning Stars is very much the exact kind of sci-fi I love. That is to say, it’s space opera, and it’s space opera done really, really well.

Esek Nightfoot is part of the Kindom, the ruling power of the star systems. She is a cleric, and she is brutal, enacting the Kindom’s – and her own – will however she sees fit. She also happens to be Chono’s former mentor, but now the two are joined again, hunting for a hacker who holds a memory coin implicating the Nightfoots in a genocide that took place 75 years ago. In their attempts to track down Jun Ironway, Esek and Chono are haunted by a figure from their past; Chono was at school with Six when Esek issued a challenge that sees Six and Esek caught in a never-ending cat and mouse chase that has already cost lives. But the question remains, what is Six’s link to Jun, and is Six actually manipulating them all?

The political intrigue throughout this kind of reminded me of Star Wars crossed with Game of Thrones, and the overlying religious aspect added an extra dimension to the interactions throughout. It’s clear early on that Esek is in it for the power, contrasting with Chono’s devoutness and desire to do good. The worldbuilding is really well thought out, from the different ways people live, to the control by both ruling families and the ‘Hands’ like Esek.

Alongside that, we have a really intriguing storyline that keeps the reader guessing. The three POVs allow us to really see different aspects and how they all play out. I adored Jun – she’s stubborn and determined, driven by the desire to have her family back in one place. But Esek and Chono were fascinating in a completely different way. It’s clear Chono often disagrees with Esek, but keeps her thoughts to herself. She sees the worst sides of her mentor, but finds herself trapped in trying to please her and love her, contrasting with her own nature. It’s an absolutely toxic mentor – mentee relationship, but it’s incredibly understandable with Chono’s past.

It’s worth mentioning too that gender is fluid in this world, with children able to choose their gender when they come of age, an idea I loved. This is a fairly long book with a lot going on, but it really does fly by when you’re reading it.

These Burning Stars is a fantastic, packed space opera with formidable, morally grey characters trying to do their best in a universe that sets them up to fail, and I loved every moment. I can’t wait to read the second book in the trilogy.

this is short because im sick, but i dont even know what to say except i loved it. i loved the intrigue, the crime, the twists, the violence, the corrupt religion of the setting, the characters, the writing style - it was all just so good. read it.

thanks to netgalley for the arc.

Urban fantasy at its best, These Burning Stars is a thrilling read. You won’t be disappointed with this book!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 REVIEW !!!!

These Burning Stars - @dr.bethanygjacobs (out now!!)

🌟💫✨🌟💫🌟✨⭐️🌟✨💫

These Burning Stars is a monumental work by Bethany Jacobs who has taken world building to another level in my eyes… I can’t even begin to understand how long crafting every inch of this novel to ensure the worlds were cohesive must have taken. I would say my most thought word when reading this book was ‘wow’ followed closely by ‘wait what’ when I didn’t quite realise we’d headed into the past/future 😅

I’m the first to admit that I’m a BIG mood reader, and to keep reading, and I am often flicking between 2-3 books at a time. This book felt like 3 different intertwining novellas in itself, meaning I didn’t feel the need to do that. This actually felt like a nice change of pace (although i’m sure I’ll be back to old habits in no time lol).

This is definitely the kind of book you want to be able to sink your teeth into - and I will definitely be re-reading this one and I loved the characters, the world, and the concept of space pirates that Jacobs slipped into the narrative.

I’m so glad this is a series as I’ve definitely finished the book with a fair few questions that I hope will be answered throughout the next books!

💫 Thank you to @orbitbooks_uk and @netgalley for providing this ARC 💫

#reveiw #netgalley #theseburningstars #bethanyjacobs #read #reading #bookstagram #books #bookreview #arcreader #arc #scifi #sciencefiction #spaceopera #catandmouse #orbitbooks

This was SO fun! I love a good space opera and this ticked all the boxes for me.

I loved the writing, it was so lyrical and worked so well for the story, the worldbuilding was interesting and the characters were all complex and intriguing. I also really enjoyed seeing the relationships between the characters play out, and especially Esek as a character was just amazing. The political intrigue was also very well done and I really enjoyed how it was paired with some of the more action-packed scenes.

I think this could have done without some of the infodumping in the beginning and the first half was a bit slow, however I personally didn't mind because Esek was so fascinating as a character. The story also became a lot stronger after the halfway mark and definitely really picked up pacing-wise. I loved the showdown at the end although I am a bit sceptical about how it played out, but I'll read the next book to see if I'm right.

Book review - These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs
4/5 🌟

These Burning Stars is a sci-fi space opera by debut author Bethany Jacobs. This impressive debut creates a world where a religious-like government has held sway over a cluster of solar systems for several hundred years. This government is threatened when a piece of information hits the market that might be damaging to their reputation. They sent Cleric's Esek and her on time protégée Chono to retrieve this piece of information and find out who is behind this insidious plot.

Jacobs creates an interesting world where power has been divided between three religious governmental branches. The righteous Clerics, who normally handle spiritual matters, The Secretaries who handle the bureaucracy and the Cloaks who handle policing. The interaction between these branches and the internal strife is very interesting. I also love how she takes the story of the disenfranchised Jeve in interesting directions. They truly feel like real people in the way she describes their culture and beliefs.

When it comes to character writing Jacobs takes the cake for creating the most unlikeable character of the year in the form of Cleric Esek. Rarely do I hate a fictional character with as much fervor as I did this one. The main cast of characters feels really well rounded and the way Esek has impacted the lives of many and what this did for their character development is extraordinarily well done. I also truly loved the balance between Esek the despicable and Chono the righteous. How far will you stray off your moral compass to support your mentor?

The plot is where there could be some improvement. It is clear this book takes something from series like the Expanse in the form of a mystery that needs solving and shadowy factions trying to influence space politics. It is true and tried, but well done. What did surprise me is the plot twist near the end of the book that puts everything you know upside down.

I'm truly excited to see where this author takes this story and the great cast of characters

Recommended if you: love female leads, space opera's, noire-ish and underdog stories.

Trigger warning: very toxic relationships

I've been searching for my space-themed equivalent of Game of Thrones for a while, and I believe I've finally found a strong contender for the title. "These Burning Stars" is a remarkable science fiction debut, replete with political intricacies, and some unlikable yet incredibly memorable characters.

It took me a while to become fully immersed in the story, but around the 30% mark, I found myself completely engrossed, eagerly yearning to unravel all the secrets hinted at by the plot. The writing flows smoothly, although it occasionally veers into lots of descriptions. Nevertheless, this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story in the slightest.

"These Burning Stars" is the debut many fans of "Game of Thrones" and "A Memory Called Empire" have longed for. It's an extraordinary journey alongside a cast of ruthless characters, a web of political intrigue, and plot twists that will undoubtedly leave you astounded.