Stars Beyond

October 21, 2019
The Australian sisters writing as S.K. Dunstall follow their rip-roaring far-future Stars Uncharted with a vigorous sequel exploring the depths of space and human deceit. As the Honesty League attempts to bring order to a galaxy governed by a corrupt justice department that is in the pocket of exploitative rival trading companies, the ragtag crew of the spaceship Another Road plan their next big score. Nika Rik Terri, a “modder” specializing in dramatic physical makeovers, desperately works to keep Capt. Hammond Roystan alive as his body deteriorates and mercenaries and the justice department alike pursue their ship. When Eaglehawk Company chairman Wickmore and his mercenary captain Norris threaten the Zell colony near the dreaded galactic Vortex, only Nika can rescue them. Another Road’s colorful crew of criminals links up with honest Alistair Laughton, a disgraced justice department official trying to protect the Zell colonists and the alien Ort to save the colony. Readers unfamiliar with this universe will struggle to untangle the complex story lines, but the vivid action and lovable characters keep the pages turning. Series fans won’t be disappointed. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates.

November 15, 2019
Dunstall's follow-up to Stars Uncharted (2018) is very much a space opera in a classic swashbuckling vein, with adventure, mystery, plotting, and space battles. There are several threads, all converging on the same strange region of space. The crew of the Another Road is on the trail of a nigh-legendary lode of an incredibly rare metal, but first they have to repair their captain, Roystan. Nika Rik Terri?who is, notably, the only body modder to use this metal in her work?can do it, but only if she gets access to a custom-built Songyam modding device. They place an order for one under her apprentice's name, and make a plan to sneak onto the planet and pick it up without being spotted by the company thugs that are after them, or the justice department. Like most plans, it doesn't go precisely as they'd hoped, and the true epic adventure begins. The crew is a charming and entertaining ensemble, and the complexities of their quest make for a satisfying read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)