Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander

By: Christian Hurst

Narrated by: Aryn Mello Pryor

Revised Second Edition – Award-Winning YA Sci-Fi Adventure

Lily Starling wakes up in a city she barely recognizes, with no memory of her past—only a metal tag bearing her name and an instinct for survival. When a Union starship crew claims she belongs with them, she's pulled centuries beyond her own time and into a desperate mission against the psionic Krythar.

Aboard the starship Salamander, Lily is drawn into a found family of misfit officers, warriors, and exiles. Together, they uncover mysteries hidden among the stars: an ancient memory seed carrying the voices of the dead, and a weapon capable of unraveling time itself.

But when Lily faces her greatest fear, she must choose—confront the demons of her past, or risk losing everything.

Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander is an award-winning, bestselling YA space opera about identity, connection, and courage at the edge of what's known. Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers, N.K. Jemisin, and Mass Effect, with the heart of found-family adventures like Firefly and Red Rising.

If you love found family, queer identity, time travel twists, and lyrical, fast-paced sci-fi adventures, you'll love joining Lily on her voyage.

©2025 Christian Hurst (P)2026 Christian Hurst

Identity, Memory, and the Edge of the Galaxy

This is a story that balances galactic stakes with a deeply personal journey of self-discovery. The plot centers around a protagonist searching for her forgotten identity alongside a tight knit crew of misfits. It cinematic and seamlessly blend high concept ideas with a heartfelt exploration of what it truly means to belong.

Quite the adventure

A great pick for anyone who enjoys space adventures with emotion and suspense. Highly recommend

Constant flow

I enjoyed the consistent plot, It wasn’t slow or dry. There was always something happening. I really liked the narrators voice. There’s action, growth and a bit of a crush? Which wasn’t the main plot. I feel like it rarely came up, so the whole story isn’t just a long love story. It’s definitely worth a listen even with its length.

Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander

A heartfelt sci-fi adventure with great characters and immersive narration

This audiobook was a really enjoyable surprise. Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander combines action, mystery, found-family dynamics, and emotional depth into a story that feels both exciting and personal. The world-building is detailed without becoming overwhelming, and the pacing kept me interested the entire time. The mix of space opera adventure, identity struggles, and time-travel elements worked really well together.

What stood out most for me was the character development. Lily is easy to root for, and the crew aboard the Salamander genuinely feels like a found family instead of just random side characters. There’s humor, tension, emotional moments, and enough mystery to keep you wanting to know what happens next.

The narration also added a lot to the experience. The performance helped bring the personalities and emotions of the characters to life, making it easy to stay immersed in the story during longer listening sessions.

If you enjoy your sci-fi with strong characters, emotional stakes, and adventurous space-travel vibes similar to Firefly or Mass Effect, this audiobook is definitely worth checking out.

Sailing Into Adventure with Lily Starling

In a nutshell Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander by Christian Hurst was a fun and imaginative adventure filled with mystery, danger, friendship, and plenty of exciting twists along the journey. The story created a vivid world that felt adventurous and magical while keeping the you curious about what would happen next.
Narrator Aryn Mello Pryor brought strong energy and personality to the audiobook. The narration helped the characters feel lively and distinct, especially during the more emotional and action-filled scenes. The performance added charm and momentum to the long runtime, making the adventure feel immersive from start to finish.
One thing that kept me engaged in this audiobook was its world building. From the voyage itself to the unique characters Lily encounters along the way, the story carried a sense of exploration and wonder that made it easy to get swept up in the adventure. There were moments of suspense, humor, and heartfelt connection balanced throughout the story.
Lily made for an engaging lead character, and her growth during the journey gave the story emotional depth alongside all the action and fantasy elements. The audiobook had the feel of a classic adventure tale mixed with modern pacing and imaginative storytelling.
Despite being over twelve hours long, the story maintained enough mystery and movement to keep things entertaining without dragging. Fans of fantasy adventures and character-driven journeys will likely enjoy getting lost in this world.
Overall this audiobook was a fun, adventurous, and imaginative listen packed with exciting voyages, memorable characters, and a strong narration performance that kept the story engaging all the way through.