The Stars Undying
by Emery Robin
528 pages, Hardcover
Orbit
Expected publication date: 8 November 2022
Rating: 4 stars
To win a civil war against her twin sister, Altagracia must gain the alliance of the Empire of Ceiao through its Commander, Matheus Ceirran – but their ambitions may get in their own way as their stars rise.
Obviously I snapped this book up. It’s a Cleopatra and Julius Caesar retelling – set in space! I even reshuffled my TBR to read a short biography of Cleopatra in preparation, because I’d heard that my experience The Stars Undying would be richer for it. I was not disappointed.
Robin introduces us to a lushly built world with plenty of history and politics to keep my intrigue-loving self satisfied. The theme of religion was explored in a truly fascinating way, and I found myself turning the philosophical questions over in my mind long after I finished the book. And the characters! The central trio of Gracia, Ceirran, and Anita are well-realized and deliciously morally grey. I also liked the complicated relationship between Gracia and her twin Arcelia.
However, I did have one major quibble with this book – I didn’t necessarily buy the romance between Gracia and Ceirran. I enjoyed their intellectual sparring very much, but I did not think the feelings between them were on the epic scale that the events of the book imply. (However, I did love the tension between Gracia and Anita!)
I also thought the secondary characters in Ceiao – Jonata, Otávio, Celestino, and the rest – were rather underutitlized. My main question now that I am done reading is whether or not there will be a sequel, as I think this second problem will at least partially resolved with a second book.
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Description
In this spectacular space opera inspired by the lives and loves of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, a princess finds the potential for power–and romance–after meeting the most influential military man in the galaxy.
Princess Altagracia has lost everything. After a bloody civil war, her twin sister has claimed not just the crown of their planet Szayet but the Pearl of its prophecy, a computer that contains the immortal soul of Szayet’s god. Stripped of her birthright, Gracia flees the planet–just as Matheus Ceirran, Commander of the interstellar Empire of Ceiao, arrives in deadly pursuit with his volatile lieutenant, Anita. When Gracia and Ceirran’s paths collide, Gracia sees an opportunity to win back her planet, her god, and her throne…if she can win the Commander and his right-hand officer over first.
But talking her way into Ceirran’s good graces, and his bed, is only the beginning. Dealing with the most powerful man in the galaxy is almost as dangerous as war, and Gracia is quickly torn between an alliance that fast becomes more than political and the wishes of the god–or machine–that whispers in her ear. For Szayet’s sake, and her own, Gracia will need to become more than a princess with a silver tongue. She will have to become a queen as history has never seen before–even if it breaks an empire.
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Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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