The Mars House

A Novel

By: Natasha Pulley

Narrated by: Daniel de Bourg

Bloomsbury presents The Mars House by Natasha Pulley, read by Daniel de Bourg.

A pacy, unmissable queer sci-fi novel about a marriage of convenience between a Mars politician and an Earth refugee.

Named a Best Book of 2024 by The Washington Post * Amazon * Book Riot * LitHub * Paste Magazine * HuffPost

In the wake of an environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London's Royal Ballet, has become a refugee in Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. There, January’s life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger—a person whose body is not adjusted to lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January’s job choices, housing, and even transportation are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to naturalize, a process that is always disabling and sometimes deadly.

When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January’s life is thrown into chaos, but Gale’s political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January’s future without naturalization and ensure Gale’s political success. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. They're kind, compassionate, and much more difficult to hate than January would prefer. As their romantic relationship develops, the political situation worsens, and January discovers Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay—and January may be the only person standing in the way.

Un-put-downably immersive and utterly timely, Natasha Pulley’s new novel is a gripping story about privilege, strength, and life across class divisions, perfect for readers of Sarah Gailey and Tamsyn Muir.©2024 Natasha Pulley (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Grabs you from the start

I started out this audiobook from my local library. I quickly knew that I wanted my own copy. It has been a long time since a book hit all of my senses. Almost immediately upon finishing the audiobook I started again.

Engaging tale

Rich storycraft, original Sci-fi, modern themes. Wonderful voice actor. So engaging, I could restart right now and listen again.

Phenomenal!

I don’t listen to a lot of sci-fi but was intrigued by the description when it was listed as the deal of the day. What an incredible listen! Amazing world building that beautifully incorporates themes of fear, empathy, immigration, nationalism, politics, reliance on technology, class and gender. I loved the linguistic discussions, too. I raved about this book, recommending it to friends and family, even while I was in the middle of it. The narrator is perfect. He has a gorgeous, melodic voice and his English and American accents are a delight to listen to. I know I will listen to it again.

Amazing

I listen to a lot of sci-fi and fantasy and this is the best audio book I have come across in a long time. Humanistic and emotionally relatable,

A well-developed and complex piece of world building

This is my first book by this author, and I'm eager to read more! The complex social problems were fascinating and realistic, and the characters were believable and well-written. I could hardly put this one down!

Unexpectedly good!!!

I started this book without any real knowledge of what it was about and it was absolutely brilliant!! I found myself doing extra housework so that I could keep listening to it! Do recommend!!!!

Beautifully-written sci-fi adventure with a love story on the side

Pulley never fails to deliver on taking you for a whimsical, colorfully written journey through a world that’s real and unreal. The characters are meticulously developed and the story has to many twists and turns you stay engaged and on the edge of your seat throughout. And to those who may criticize any discretions with how languages or cultures or genders are represented, let me remind you it’s FICTION and if you’re into things that are 1,000% factual and accurate, perhaps you should stick to non-fiction books. 10/10 recommend this and all her other books!

Delightful characters, nuanced storytelling

It tackles all kinds of interesting ideas without ever hitting you over the head with any of them. The dialogue is witty, and the characters are complex. The Sci-Fi world-building elements are clever and thought-provoking, and pass the "sniff-test" with regards to believability. I can't wait to read more by this author.

phenomenal

as per usual, Natasha Pulley is a master of storytelling. the world building was fantastical! the characters were dynamic. i can’t wait for a reread

Truly exceptional in both the writing and narration

An absolute treasure through and through. Sigh, now I have to write more because of the minimum word rule.