Aliette de Bodard

"This special signed edition is limited to 1500 numbered copies."

Seven of Infinities

halfmoon

Sahi K

I have enjoyed whatever short fiction I’ve come across till date by Aliette de Bodard, so I excited when I got the advance copy of this one. However, this was my first in her Xuya universe and it was such a fascinating dive into this world.

I wasn’t sure how much I would understand being thrown into this universe which already has many published stories set in it, so I decided to read up about the world itself on the author’s website, and I thought it was nice to get that background. But I was very glad that I really didn’t need to know too much of it before getting into this story, because it’s self contained and vague enough to be intriguing as well as rewarding. The writing in this is really beautiful and poetic, captivating me right from the get go. I couldn’t understand how a romance between a human and an AI mind ship would work, but the author makes it absolutely believable as well as emotional, and I was completely enchanted. Add to this a very interesting and mysterious murder plot, a lovely teacher student relationship and some very eccentric past heist crew members, and this becomes a short but very enjoyable story.

I also enjoyed the theme of filial piety, what it means to be dutiful towards the younger ones in your family and how far should one be ready to go for the sake of duty. There are also some interesting conversations about righteousness, doing the correct thing even if it goes against empire’s policy and how it’s possible to be critical of such policy and wanting to be a part of it to make it change for the better.

To conclude, this was a beautifully written murder mystery with a romantic plot, and I thoroughly enjoyed both the elements. You’ll probably love it even more if you’ve read any of the other stories set in the Xuya universe, but it should be equally compelling for anyone like me just treading into this world. My only complaint with works such as this is as usual that it’s short and I wish it was longer and we could see more of the characters. And now I’m just more excited for the author’s next work, which unfortunately doesn’t come out for quite a while.

Tomas Vadovic

From the award-winning author of The Tea Master and the Detective comes a science fictional whirlwind romance against the background of a murder mystery... On a string of orbitals called the Scattered Pearls Belt lives Sunless Woods—sentient spaceship, master of disguise, and master thief who chafes against the obscurity that comes with her retirement. There, too, lives Vân, a poor scholar with little confidence but plenty of heart, and whose income comes from tutoring a wealthy student. Their lives are turned upside down when Vân finds a corpse in her student's quarters and Sunless Woods, intrigued by Vân's sense of justice, offers her help. Scholar and spaceship must chase the mystery around the empire's forgotten edge: from rundown teahouses to ascetic havens, and even in the wreck of a spaceship—and all the while, they begin to fall for each other in earnest. But the secrets they’ve kept from each other are large and devastating—will they and their love survive the revelations? REVIEWS “With this lush, immersive sci-fi tale, de Bodard (The House of Sundering Flames) delves into a world as gritty as it is ethereal... [R]eaders will be swept away by the vivid prose, intrigue, and romance of this intricate tale. This fascinating, unusual story is sure to entrance.” -Publishers Weekly “Seven of Infinities is a novella concerned with forgiveness, deserved or not, about cages, self-made or otherwise. It concerns itself with growth, with grace, with ruthlessness and its costs and consequences. It’s a tightly written jewel of a story, intense and full of feeling, and I recommend it highly.” -Liz Bourke, Locus “A magnificent sf mystery, nuanced, intense, and romantic, with a complex, clever plot nested inside de Bodard’s rich, evocative, and vivid Xuya universe.” -Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun and Cold Magic Other stories in the Xuya Universe (stories can each be read independently) 1. On a Red Station, Drifting 2. The Citadel of Weeping Pearls 3. Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight 4. The Tea Master and the Detective 5. Seven of Infinities

Seven of Infinities

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