Reviews for The stars now unclaimed

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*Starred Review* A dazzling debut blends the best of small- and large- screen sf: the strong characterizations of Firefly, the space battles of The Expanse, and a tip of the motion scanner to Aliens. Jane Kamali rescues gifted teens from worlds devastated by the pulse, which passes through the universe in a wave, moving each world's technological advances varying steps backward. Unfortunately, one of the worlds less affected by the pulse is the Pax, whose inhabitants live by the simple, brutal ideology of survival of the fittest. Just as Jane picks up 14-year-old Esa, with the begrudging help of the Preacher, a member of the machine-based Barious species, a massive force from the Pax attacks. Jane and company manage a desperate escape in Scheherazade, her delightfully snarky spacecraft. From there it is a race to Sanctum, where Jane is supposed to deliver Esa. Along the way, they encounter pirates, smugglers, soldiers, spies, and exploding spaceships in ever-increasing size and number. This cast of memorable characters, particularly Jane, who wears her heart on her sleeve, and the sacrifices they make to save the universe is not to be missed.--Don Vicha Copyright 2018 Booklist


Library Journal
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DEBUT After the pulse-a weapon that destroyed all weapons-most of the planets lost technology and were knocked back to darker times. The Justified, a group of people who search out gifted children, want to guarantee this will not happen again. Jane Kamali, an agent for the Justified, is tasked to find a telekinetic girl named Esa. Unfortunately, also on the hunt is the Pax, a hardened clan of fanatics, unaffected by the pulse, who believe they should rule the galaxy. Children like Esa are important, if they wish to use their strength to support the Pax domination. Otherwise Esa, along with Jane and her allies, are just cannon fodder for the battles ahead. Even with long expositional internal narratives from Jane, the story is fast paced and filled with action sequences both on- and off-planet. VERDICT This expansive debut for space opera enthusiasts is full of high-flying battles that readers of Becky Chambers and fans of the show Firefly will relish.-Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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