These Burning Stars

The Kindom Trilogy, Book 1

By: Bethany Jacobs

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

**WINNER OF THE PHILIP K. DICK AWARD**
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL**
Jun Ironway, hacker, con artist, and only occasional thief, has got her hands on a piece of contraband that could set her up for life: evidence that implicates the powerful Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide seventy-five years ago. The Nightfoots control the precious sevite that fuels interplanetary travel through three star systems. And someone is sure to pay handsomely for anything that could break their hold.

Of course, anything valuable is also dangerous. The Kindom, the ruling power of the three star systems, is inextricably tied up in the Nightfoots' monopoly - and they can't afford to let Jun expose the truth. They task two of their most brutal clerics with hunting her down: preternaturally stoic Chono, and brilliant hothead Esek, who also happens to be the heir to the Nightfoot empire.

But Chono and Esek are haunted in turn by a figure from their shared past, known only as Six. What Six truly wants is anyone's guess. And the closer they get to finding Jun, the surer Chono is that Six is manipulating them all - and that they are heading for a bloody confrontation that no one will survive unscathed.

'One of the best SF books I've read. Period' Michael Mammay, author of Planetside

'These Burning Stars pulls off one of the most brazen, gasp-inducing reveals I've experienced in an age' Esquire

'Vivid, violent and visceral: an impressive debut' Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun

'Intricately plotted and tightly paced . . . Space opera fans will eat this up' Publishers Weekly
©2023 Bethany Jacobs (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK

Dynasty or Falcon Crest - the SciFi version

This was unbearable to listen to. Only despicable characters that you will feel no passion for. It felt like the author got her inspiration from the old TV-shows Dynasty or Falcon Crest, where everyone is fighting or backstabbing everyone, and any actual action or progression is of less value.
I even tried skipping forward a few chapters, just to check if it got any better but soon realized it was just more of the same crap.
I'm returning this one.

Too long, boring, badly written

bad, sadistic, whiny characters going on and on about the same thing for 15 hours. I just wanted to set ALL of them on fire, protagonists, antagonists, side characters, all of them.

And also, I am personally what the worst corners of the internet call "woke". but even for me, the obsession of this book with gender was a bit much. we get it, its post gender society, stop hitting me over the head with it.