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The Last Gifts of the Universe
A dying universe. A search for answers. An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.
When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilisations. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last ones left – and whatever came for the others will one day come for them.
Scout is an Archivist who scours the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals – anything left behind that might be useful to Home and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.
Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.
When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilisations. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last ones left – and whatever came for the others will one day come for them.
Scout is an Archivist who scours the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals – anything left behind that might be useful to Home and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.
Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2022
257 people are currently reading
14245 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 834 reviews
August 27, 2022
Holy shit.
When I saw this book was released earlier this year, I was happy for another indie author to be published. Shared links where I could. But otherwise, I paid it very little attention.
After all, it was sci-fi.
And I like fantasy.
Give me dragons please and thank you. That’s my jam.
But after trying the superb Iron Truth, and having already bought The Last Gifts of The Universe to support a fellow author, I opened it one evening on a whim and started reading. “Unputdownable” is a word that’s often bandied around, but I’ve never meant it as much as I do with this book.
I’m deciding I rather like sci-fi. And I rather like finding new jams.
With that out of the way: My goodness me, I LOVE this book!
I love everything about this book. It is SO well-written, with an incredibly strong voice that grabbed me from the very first page. Brilliant characters, world-building, plot, pacing, mystery and intrigue. But the thing it does even better than all of those already brilliant things?
EMOTION.
Joy. Sadness. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Every single emotion was dialled up to eleven and I felt so many feelings reading this. All of the feelings. I cried literal tears and my other half was worried something terrible had happened to me and asked what was wrong.
I became legitimately upset when I had to sleep because I had to stop reading this. Legitimately upset when I realised there was no more left to read.
It’s just brilliant on all fronts.
Two siblings (and their cat!) are on a sort of archeological study, moving across space and visiting long-dead planets. Mostly they're retrieving and cataloguing data, technology, anything useful they can find. Our principle cast is: Scout (POV). Kieran (Scout’s brother). Pumpkin (Their cat).
The book takes you on a journey spanning the stars and the ages (and my god, Ovlan), and shines a light on all those deeply personal, emotional stories we have. How we’re connected (despite our differences). It's about life. Fear. Dreams. Hopes. Love.
People trying to do their best (I love that). People messing up. Consequences. Trust. Final words. All of it.
It sounds cheesy when I write it like that, but the book shows the right amount of reverence, humour, nihilism, that it all feels so meaningful. The humour lands. The tension feels real. The relief is palpable.
The Remnants, in particular, are terrifying.
Oh, and Pumpkin is the MVP!
For such a short book, it packs one incredible punch.
Although this comes across as an overall light-hearted read - and it is for the most part - the emotions are so strong, the descriptions vivid, and the feelings extremely real, that it kind of transcends that. It becomes something so much more, so meaningful. How it touches on grief and loss is so magical it might as well be fantasy.
I don’t know what precise flavour of jam - I mean sci-fi - this is. Cosy? Mystery? Whatever it is, I'm here for it, and I would love more.
I know I’m rambling and I apologise. This is a deeply emotional book that I loved from the first word until the last, and so my review is equally gushing and emotional and raw and a bit all over the place.
I highlighted a number of passages that resonated with me - either for how well they were written, the humour, the human connection, how meaningful it felt, or just because I rather liked it. Here are some of my favourites:
“You float in space, okay? You fall on planets.”
“We turn one long, lazy bend, and I swear to all that is good in the universe there is a noise ahead. A clatter. I do not like clatters on dead planets.”
“I pause. Pumpkin pauses. We get along on our suspicious spirits alone.”
“Pumpkin meows and walks right against my ankles, trailing a few centimetres behind so he has the head start on any escape rush towards the exit.”
“It’s so easy, when things don’t go as we’ve planned, to think that we’re a failure. To think that things will never get better.”
And, of course: “This is one.”
I highlighted plenty more of the book, but I don’t want to give away more, especially without context. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you read this and discover them for yourself!
When I saw this book was released earlier this year, I was happy for another indie author to be published. Shared links where I could. But otherwise, I paid it very little attention.
After all, it was sci-fi.
And I like fantasy.
Give me dragons please and thank you. That’s my jam.
But after trying the superb Iron Truth, and having already bought The Last Gifts of The Universe to support a fellow author, I opened it one evening on a whim and started reading. “Unputdownable” is a word that’s often bandied around, but I’ve never meant it as much as I do with this book.
I’m deciding I rather like sci-fi. And I rather like finding new jams.
With that out of the way: My goodness me, I LOVE this book!
I love everything about this book. It is SO well-written, with an incredibly strong voice that grabbed me from the very first page. Brilliant characters, world-building, plot, pacing, mystery and intrigue. But the thing it does even better than all of those already brilliant things?
EMOTION.
Joy. Sadness. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Every single emotion was dialled up to eleven and I felt so many feelings reading this. All of the feelings. I cried literal tears and my other half was worried something terrible had happened to me and asked what was wrong.
I became legitimately upset when I had to sleep because I had to stop reading this. Legitimately upset when I realised there was no more left to read.
It’s just brilliant on all fronts.
Two siblings (and their cat!) are on a sort of archeological study, moving across space and visiting long-dead planets. Mostly they're retrieving and cataloguing data, technology, anything useful they can find. Our principle cast is: Scout (POV). Kieran (Scout’s brother). Pumpkin (Their cat).
The book takes you on a journey spanning the stars and the ages (and my god, Ovlan), and shines a light on all those deeply personal, emotional stories we have. How we’re connected (despite our differences). It's about life. Fear. Dreams. Hopes. Love.
People trying to do their best (I love that). People messing up. Consequences. Trust. Final words. All of it.
It sounds cheesy when I write it like that, but the book shows the right amount of reverence, humour, nihilism, that it all feels so meaningful. The humour lands. The tension feels real. The relief is palpable.
The Remnants, in particular, are terrifying.
Oh, and Pumpkin is the MVP!
For such a short book, it packs one incredible punch.
Although this comes across as an overall light-hearted read - and it is for the most part - the emotions are so strong, the descriptions vivid, and the feelings extremely real, that it kind of transcends that. It becomes something so much more, so meaningful. How it touches on grief and loss is so magical it might as well be fantasy.
I don’t know what precise flavour of jam - I mean sci-fi - this is. Cosy? Mystery? Whatever it is, I'm here for it, and I would love more.
I know I’m rambling and I apologise. This is a deeply emotional book that I loved from the first word until the last, and so my review is equally gushing and emotional and raw and a bit all over the place.
I highlighted a number of passages that resonated with me - either for how well they were written, the humour, the human connection, how meaningful it felt, or just because I rather liked it. Here are some of my favourites:
“You float in space, okay? You fall on planets.”
“We turn one long, lazy bend, and I swear to all that is good in the universe there is a noise ahead. A clatter. I do not like clatters on dead planets.”
“I pause. Pumpkin pauses. We get along on our suspicious spirits alone.”
“Pumpkin meows and walks right against my ankles, trailing a few centimetres behind so he has the head start on any escape rush towards the exit.”
“It’s so easy, when things don’t go as we’ve planned, to think that we’re a failure. To think that things will never get better.”
And, of course: “This is one.”
I highlighted plenty more of the book, but I don’t want to give away more, especially without context. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you read this and discover them for yourself!
July 6, 2024
8.71 on CAWPILE
June 7, 2023
"Even at its core, even without common experience, there is something universal about loss. I can feel it, deep as heartache. Something stirs at loss. Something awakens to it, like a knowing, like an understanding, that this is how everything ends."
I did NOT want to put this book down once I started it. I read 70% in the first sitting and then finished it today. Absolutely incredible, even though it has left me an emotional wreck because of severe book hangover.
If you prefer video format for reviews, I do have a dedicated review for this book on my YouTube Channel, The Nerdy Narrative that can be found here: https://youtu.be/W3YGpQ-Tfuo
I came across this delightful book as part of SPSFC2. (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) This book as of today's date made it as 1 of 7 finalists and now that I've read it, it absolutely deserves how far its come. No matter how it shakes out in the end, this reader has become a fan of Rory August and the beauty they created with this story that is THE LAST GIFTS OF THE UNIVERSE.
I knew I was in for a treat by the time I read the first line of Chapter 1. How did I know? Because siblings Kieran and Scout are traveling the stars with a CAT. I mean, only the best kind of people will take their cat into space with them, right? My absolute most favorite character was Ovlan, a Stelhari alien who I think I might be half in love with. There was a particular story shared about Ovlan and a phrase that anytime I read it after, I would immediately start crying. All of these characters were beautifully written and developed. If you don't love at least 3 or more of them, you might need to check and see if you still have a pulse.
The entire book takes place in space. I know you might be thinking, what could be unique and interesting about the great big, black expanse of space? How about all of the dead planets our characters explore, looking for caches that might contain knowledge about why the planet is completely devoid of life? Planets devoid of life don't equate to planets devoid of danger either!
I loved the premise of this book - Scout is an Archivist who is responsible for searching space for the caches I mentioned above. She and her brother Keiran stumbled upon a cache that seemed to have the information they've been desperate to find - an alien race, the Stelhari, who may have the knowledge about what created a graveyard of dead planets and could save the remaining worlds. Unfortunately, the siblings aren't the only ones searching for these caches and it becomes a life-threatening race to follow the clues to the next cache.
I almost read this entire book in one day, in one sitting. I loved these characters and was completely caught up in their search for answers, learning more about the Stelhari aliens - I was either laughing at Pumpkin, sharing heartwarming moments with the siblings (though some were also sad), fell in love with Ovlan and subsequently had my heart broken. Oh how I cried and cried and cried - it was so pure, so beautiful - everything I could ever want from a book. I am so sad that it's over, but I have my fingers crossed Rory August makes this a series and continues with more adventures.
This book exceeded expectations.
March 13, 2022
An elegant and melancholy musing on death, loss, and how to persevere even when life seems futile and bleak, wrapped up in a far-reaching story about humanity facing possible extinction from an unknown threat. Also, there is a space cat.
Without too many spoilers, Scout and Kieran (who are basically space archaeologists) do achieve their objectives in the book but they have only scratched the surface for the larger plot, so I would imagine there are more books to come dealing directly with the revenants.
I received a free copy of this book from book siren.
Without too many spoilers, Scout and Kieran (who are basically space archaeologists) do achieve their objectives in the book but they have only scratched the surface for the larger plot, so I would imagine there are more books to come dealing directly with the revenants.
I received a free copy of this book from book siren.
August 1, 2022
The Last Gifts of the Universe // by Rory August
Update:
I reread this less than 4 months later already! It still is one of my favorite reads of 2022 so far. I decided to finish out the Indie Accords and Ready Player Read Bingo with this one. After a super busy reading month, it was a comfort to come back to it to slow down my mind.
I’m still blown away that August managed to give so much background story to not only the main character but also another character in such a short book. My biggest struggle with novellas is usually that I don’t trust characters enough after such a short time together but that is not an issue here at all. The characters are believable and lovable, especially PUNKIN.
1st Read:
I picked this book up on a whim because I saw the author post about its pub day, I really liked the cover, and it’s short enough to where I could squeeze it in before my next read. And I’m so glad I did. I loved this book and read almost the entire thing in one day. I actually fell asleep reading it because I stayed up so late and didn’t want to stop. That hasn’t happened in a long time.
I love the narrator and how she muses about things in her life, how we get to see her emotional reactions, the way she handles stress, and her passion for what she does. I also absolutely adore Pumpkin. Oh my god. Who would’ve thought that a space-adventuring cat could be so lovable and fascinating to follow? I think that August did a great job at showcasing each character and their reactions in these scenes. Despite the limited amount of time we get to spend with each of them they don’t seem one-dimensional at all.
I don’t know if there will be more books set in this universe but I sure hope so. I know for a fact that I’ll pick up August’s future books without hesitation next time!
I don’t do comparisons like this often but I think if you liked Project Hail Mary, you’ll really like this one as well.
Update:
I reread this less than 4 months later already! It still is one of my favorite reads of 2022 so far. I decided to finish out the Indie Accords and Ready Player Read Bingo with this one. After a super busy reading month, it was a comfort to come back to it to slow down my mind.
I’m still blown away that August managed to give so much background story to not only the main character but also another character in such a short book. My biggest struggle with novellas is usually that I don’t trust characters enough after such a short time together but that is not an issue here at all. The characters are believable and lovable, especially PUNKIN.
1st Read:
I picked this book up on a whim because I saw the author post about its pub day, I really liked the cover, and it’s short enough to where I could squeeze it in before my next read. And I’m so glad I did. I loved this book and read almost the entire thing in one day. I actually fell asleep reading it because I stayed up so late and didn’t want to stop. That hasn’t happened in a long time.
I love the narrator and how she muses about things in her life, how we get to see her emotional reactions, the way she handles stress, and her passion for what she does. I also absolutely adore Pumpkin. Oh my god. Who would’ve thought that a space-adventuring cat could be so lovable and fascinating to follow? I think that August did a great job at showcasing each character and their reactions in these scenes. Despite the limited amount of time we get to spend with each of them they don’t seem one-dimensional at all.
I don’t know if there will be more books set in this universe but I sure hope so. I know for a fact that I’ll pick up August’s future books without hesitation next time!
I don’t do comparisons like this often but I think if you liked Project Hail Mary, you’ll really like this one as well.
August 2, 2022
9/10 - First posted at FFA
“Seven hundred years ago, technology gave us the keys to the cosmos, and we flew and teleported and phased out into the stars, arms spread, minds open, ready to meet the neighbors. What we found was a graveyard.”
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a fairly short sci-fi novel (203 pages) and yet it is filled with so much heart. I was immediately captivated by its great storyline. The synopsis perfectly captures what the story is about but if you’re like me and avoid reading anything beforehand, you’ll quickly find a gripping and fascinating plot. For those who adore animal companions, you’re in for a treat with Pumpkin.
One thing I loved was how it was more than simply sci-fi. It was adventure and discovery that toed the light of lightheartedness. I loved the concept of traveling the universe for answers on long dead planets, trying to outpace a greedy corporation trying to snatch up all of the usable discoveries. I loved it even more when we learn that it’s siblings on this mission with their space-cat.
“Hundreds of once-civilized systems, all absent of life. Not destroyed, not nuked, or glassed, or buried beneath volcanic residue so completely that it would justify a whole world gone dark. Just… lifeless. Dead. And we don’t know why.”
This book features one of the coolest jobs- galactic archeologists. August’s writing made me feel as if I was searching alongside Scout, their brother, and cat, picking through long abandoned ruins. There is a perfect balance between action, moments of humor and heartfelt moments.
I would recommend this to anyone looking to dip their toes into science fiction, those who love sibling bonds, animal companions, adventure type stories, and those who enjoy a story with a lot of heart.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Shown on page: Death, Grief, Loss
Thank you to Escapist Book Tours for allowing me to join in on the book tour for The Last Gifts of the Universe. I received a reading copy and this did not influence my thoughts or opinions.
“Seven hundred years ago, technology gave us the keys to the cosmos, and we flew and teleported and phased out into the stars, arms spread, minds open, ready to meet the neighbors. What we found was a graveyard.”
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a fairly short sci-fi novel (203 pages) and yet it is filled with so much heart. I was immediately captivated by its great storyline. The synopsis perfectly captures what the story is about but if you’re like me and avoid reading anything beforehand, you’ll quickly find a gripping and fascinating plot. For those who adore animal companions, you’re in for a treat with Pumpkin.
One thing I loved was how it was more than simply sci-fi. It was adventure and discovery that toed the light of lightheartedness. I loved the concept of traveling the universe for answers on long dead planets, trying to outpace a greedy corporation trying to snatch up all of the usable discoveries. I loved it even more when we learn that it’s siblings on this mission with their space-cat.
“Hundreds of once-civilized systems, all absent of life. Not destroyed, not nuked, or glassed, or buried beneath volcanic residue so completely that it would justify a whole world gone dark. Just… lifeless. Dead. And we don’t know why.”
This book features one of the coolest jobs- galactic archeologists. August’s writing made me feel as if I was searching alongside Scout, their brother, and cat, picking through long abandoned ruins. There is a perfect balance between action, moments of humor and heartfelt moments.
I would recommend this to anyone looking to dip their toes into science fiction, those who love sibling bonds, animal companions, adventure type stories, and those who enjoy a story with a lot of heart.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Shown on page: Death, Grief, Loss
Thank you to Escapist Book Tours for allowing me to join in on the book tour for The Last Gifts of the Universe. I received a reading copy and this did not influence my thoughts or opinions.
December 6, 2025
Every time Pumpkin tried to bap someone with his little space booties I nearly burst into tears.
Dying planets, archeologists in space, capitalism and a giant furry orange cat called Pumpkin were enough to grab my attention, but this story also contains a lot of love, and sorrow, making this story a truly emotional read.
Hopping from planet to planet on a treasure hunt of lost voices that might contain the answers to the dying planets, Scout and their brother find instead the story of a lost love, and the importance of enjoying every moment.
While there's some incredible action scenes, and a lot of humour from their space suited cat Pumpkin, I wasn't expecting to feel quite as emotional as I did at this end of this story, and I'm so invested in whatever the author chooses to write next.
Dying planets, archeologists in space, capitalism and a giant furry orange cat called Pumpkin were enough to grab my attention, but this story also contains a lot of love, and sorrow, making this story a truly emotional read.
Hopping from planet to planet on a treasure hunt of lost voices that might contain the answers to the dying planets, Scout and their brother find instead the story of a lost love, and the importance of enjoying every moment.
While there's some incredible action scenes, and a lot of humour from their space suited cat Pumpkin, I wasn't expecting to feel quite as emotional as I did at this end of this story, and I'm so invested in whatever the author chooses to write next.
September 14, 2024
4 stars ⭐️🪐🚀
A beautiful story, short and sweet with around 200 pages. I loved it being set in space, and all the descriptions of the universe, planets, & space equipment.
You follow Scout, her brother Kieran, and their cat Pumpkin 🐱 (how cute, a cat in a spacesuit!!) around the universe searching dead planets for answers as to how their worlds ended - so they can save their own.
There’s a deep theme of companionship here, importance of human life, and not taking things for granted. Things that we should all remember!
There’s messages to take from this book, a beautiful read. Highly recommend ✨🚀🪐👽
A beautiful story, short and sweet with around 200 pages. I loved it being set in space, and all the descriptions of the universe, planets, & space equipment.
You follow Scout, her brother Kieran, and their cat Pumpkin 🐱 (how cute, a cat in a spacesuit!!) around the universe searching dead planets for answers as to how their worlds ended - so they can save their own.
There’s a deep theme of companionship here, importance of human life, and not taking things for granted. Things that we should all remember!
There’s messages to take from this book, a beautiful read. Highly recommend ✨🚀🪐👽
November 18, 2024
Not gonna lie: the main reason I read this is because of the cat in space.
December 22, 2022
I'm a little conflicted with this novel. It's a good first outing from the author with some excellent prose exploring grief, loss, and resolution that's bound together in a sequence of superficial angsty-teenaged introspection.
I found the apparent glibness of our protagonist, Scout, to be jarring, especially compared to the gravitas of exploring the universe to discover why everybody else's home is now a grey and lifeless husk. Scout is clearly on the neurodiversity spectrum somewhere, She shows a lack of social understanding that manifests in a tendency to latch onto a role model for guidance. It's unfortunate that August didn't explore this idea in more detail; so the character inevitably comes across as self-absorbed instead of complex.
I've seen some criticism of this novel that it's simply a scavenger-hunt-in-space and I believe that criticism completely misses the point. The star of the novel is the story of Blyreena and Olvan. Everything else - the data caches, the revenants, the angsty inner monologues, everything - is just spit-and-balingwire that holds their story together and gives it a place to live. And their story is magnificent.
In the end though, The Last Gifts of the Universe is a fine example of one of my pet peeves in SF writing: the "science fiction" is only window dressing. Being set in space doesn't add anything significant to the plot, it's just setting. August may as well have replaced our heros' spaceship with a Seattle Belltown apartment and data caches with journals stashed in the city. There would not be any significant impact to the message. Indeed, our heros' spaceship is almost indistinguishable from such an apartment. IMO, the underlying story suffers for this. August's story would have been better off if the author jettisoned all the trappings of SF and instead cast the novel as contemporary fiction. With less baggage there's more opportunity to explore the complexity of the themes and the characters.
I found the apparent glibness of our protagonist, Scout, to be jarring, especially compared to the gravitas of exploring the universe to discover why everybody else's home is now a grey and lifeless husk. Scout is clearly on the neurodiversity spectrum somewhere, She shows a lack of social understanding that manifests in a tendency to latch onto a role model for guidance. It's unfortunate that August didn't explore this idea in more detail; so the character inevitably comes across as self-absorbed instead of complex.
I've seen some criticism of this novel that it's simply a scavenger-hunt-in-space and I believe that criticism completely misses the point. The star of the novel is the story of Blyreena and Olvan. Everything else - the data caches, the revenants, the angsty inner monologues, everything - is just spit-and-balingwire that holds their story together and gives it a place to live. And their story is magnificent.
In the end though, The Last Gifts of the Universe is a fine example of one of my pet peeves in SF writing: the "science fiction" is only window dressing. Being set in space doesn't add anything significant to the plot, it's just setting. August may as well have replaced our heros' spaceship with a Seattle Belltown apartment and data caches with journals stashed in the city. There would not be any significant impact to the message. Indeed, our heros' spaceship is almost indistinguishable from such an apartment. IMO, the underlying story suffers for this. August's story would have been better off if the author jettisoned all the trappings of SF and instead cast the novel as contemporary fiction. With less baggage there's more opportunity to explore the complexity of the themes and the characters.
April 17, 2022
In an impossibly infinite universe of books, there are a rare few that are just under the radar, waiting to be discovered. Rory August's debut is one such galactic treasure.
I really did love everything about this book, the pacing, the characters, and the relationship between the two siblings at the heart of the story is all done so well; it is the warmth and humanity that shines through in this story. Oh, and I can't forget to mention Pumpkin, the space cat. Rory even nails animal character and behaviour as well as the humanoid characters.
One of the main characters, Scout, reminds me of their namesake character from one of my favourite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. It's not just the name - though it did trigger the thought - but it's the character's determination to find hope where there appears to be none, and their tenacity to keep fighting for what is right, is what made me think of the similarities with the other fictional Scout.
If you read this book - and I recommend that you do - then you will quickly realise it is one of those books that you didn't know you needed until you've read it.
I will definitely be looking out for more from Rory August in the future.
*Shout out to Isabelle Wagner for this book recommendation*
I really did love everything about this book, the pacing, the characters, and the relationship between the two siblings at the heart of the story is all done so well; it is the warmth and humanity that shines through in this story. Oh, and I can't forget to mention Pumpkin, the space cat. Rory even nails animal character and behaviour as well as the humanoid characters.
One of the main characters, Scout, reminds me of their namesake character from one of my favourite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. It's not just the name - though it did trigger the thought - but it's the character's determination to find hope where there appears to be none, and their tenacity to keep fighting for what is right, is what made me think of the similarities with the other fictional Scout.
If you read this book - and I recommend that you do - then you will quickly realise it is one of those books that you didn't know you needed until you've read it.
I will definitely be looking out for more from Rory August in the future.
*Shout out to Isabelle Wagner for this book recommendation*
February 13, 2025
'It's strange what hindsight does. Takes all the layers of emotions and flattens them, turns them either good or bad. It can take time to see the shadows as something beautiful.'
An exceptional piece of science fiction writing.
What I loved most about reading this was the simple fact it was an easily accessible sci-fi novel but still provided a good amount of detail and world-building. I have found that the majority of books in the genre can often get bogged down with the detail, in fact, a sheer information overload.
To add to this, it may be a story of science fiction but also does an amazing job of highlighting more human elements and how we deal with things such as loss and love.
The story follows a brother and sister duo of activists (let's not forget their cat), who are traveling the universe in a hunt for documents from fallen civilizations. Soon they discover the potential of some information that could potentially change the course of their civilisation's future.
A beautifully written and heartfelt sci-fi novel. One I'd suggest even non-fans of science fiction should check out.
Thankyou to to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy to review.
An exceptional piece of science fiction writing.
What I loved most about reading this was the simple fact it was an easily accessible sci-fi novel but still provided a good amount of detail and world-building. I have found that the majority of books in the genre can often get bogged down with the detail, in fact, a sheer information overload.
To add to this, it may be a story of science fiction but also does an amazing job of highlighting more human elements and how we deal with things such as loss and love.
The story follows a brother and sister duo of activists (let's not forget their cat), who are traveling the universe in a hunt for documents from fallen civilizations. Soon they discover the potential of some information that could potentially change the course of their civilisation's future.
A beautifully written and heartfelt sci-fi novel. One I'd suggest even non-fans of science fiction should check out.
Thankyou to to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy to review.
September 25, 2022
I really like the idea of this book. Dying universe, travelling between fallen civilisations to find clues. Nice to have a cat companion! It was tense throughout.
I thought the alien civilisation we learnt about through the book was almost identical to human life on Earth. To the point that I thought a twist would be that the archivists were aliens and they had found a destroyed Earth. Apart from looking a little different it’s all the same- university, marriage, internships, animals such as snakes are mentioned. Would have been nice to have more creative world-building for this alien race.
The ending was okay but didn’t feel very satisfying.
I thought the alien civilisation we learnt about through the book was almost identical to human life on Earth. To the point that I thought a twist would be that the archivists were aliens and they had found a destroyed Earth. Apart from looking a little different it’s all the same- university, marriage, internships, animals such as snakes are mentioned. Would have been nice to have more creative world-building for this alien race.
The ending was okay but didn’t feel very satisfying.
April 10, 2023
SPSFC2 semifinalist review:
Oh gosh I finished this book over a week ago and I’m still having trouble writing about it. My disclaimer is that I lost a parent (who unfortunately passed alone) recently enough that the ideas of “I hope they weren’t scared” and “did it hurt” and lots of other self reflection related feelings still eat at me when I start thinking too hard. I have a good enough handle on my grieving to read objectively but man, this book hit directly in the feels for me.
There’s a beautiful story about two siblings and their cat in space, trying to discover the key to saving Earth from whatever is turning the rest of the Universe into a graveyard. They find dead world after dead world and finally there is a potential lead. The thing is the crew has to race against two employees from a selfish corporation for those answers and … well, it’s an ongoing morality play.
While they wait, Scout learns the story of Blyreena and Ovram, two aliens who meant the world to each other. It’s a sweet interlude to the rest of the action and while I admit that at first I didn’t care about their story so much, I was hooked by the final Last Stand.
Sigh… There’s plenty of action in the book, lots of danger and high tension moments. I was never bored. There is a fluffy orange cat with plenty of opinions and LITTLE BOOTIE FEET. Was I bawling at 4am because Pumpkin’s life means everything or because I was in a useless knot for the past 100 pages anyway? I don’t know.
I really don’t know. Last Gifts is about the journey, not the destination, so don’t go in expecting a showdown against the planetary life eating aliens. The point is that life is worth fighting for. It’s so much more than I expected going in.
I waited a bit to make sure I was being objective but I loved the book. I can’t find a darn thing to dock a point for. It’s flawlessly edited and a wonderful reading experience. I’m throwing all ten stars here 🤷♀️
Oh gosh I finished this book over a week ago and I’m still having trouble writing about it. My disclaimer is that I lost a parent (who unfortunately passed alone) recently enough that the ideas of “I hope they weren’t scared” and “did it hurt” and lots of other self reflection related feelings still eat at me when I start thinking too hard. I have a good enough handle on my grieving to read objectively but man, this book hit directly in the feels for me.
There’s a beautiful story about two siblings and their cat in space, trying to discover the key to saving Earth from whatever is turning the rest of the Universe into a graveyard. They find dead world after dead world and finally there is a potential lead. The thing is the crew has to race against two employees from a selfish corporation for those answers and … well, it’s an ongoing morality play.
While they wait, Scout learns the story of Blyreena and Ovram, two aliens who meant the world to each other. It’s a sweet interlude to the rest of the action and while I admit that at first I didn’t care about their story so much, I was hooked by the final Last Stand.
Sigh… There’s plenty of action in the book, lots of danger and high tension moments. I was never bored. There is a fluffy orange cat with plenty of opinions and LITTLE BOOTIE FEET. Was I bawling at 4am because Pumpkin’s life means everything or because I was in a useless knot for the past 100 pages anyway? I don’t know.
I really don’t know. Last Gifts is about the journey, not the destination, so don’t go in expecting a showdown against the planetary life eating aliens. The point is that life is worth fighting for. It’s so much more than I expected going in.
I waited a bit to make sure I was being objective but I loved the book. I can’t find a darn thing to dock a point for. It’s flawlessly edited and a wonderful reading experience. I’m throwing all ten stars here 🤷♀️
August 1, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up
You know those stories that are just everything you didn’t know you needed until you come across them? That just click with you from the very first sentence and immediately resonate with you? Yeah, well, that was The Last Gifts of the Universe for me.
Even though this is a fairly short sci-fi novel that you can easily breeze through in a day, it is chock-full of heart and will undoubtedly stick with you after reading the final sentence.
This is the story of two Archivist siblings, Scout and Kieran, who (together with their space-cat Pumpkin) are travelling the dying universe for answers about the mysterious threat that has wiped out hundreds of civilizations.
Now, this might sound like the perfect set-up for an action-packed sci-fi adventure, but this story managed to be that and so much more.
This story beautifully and delicately explores themes of loss, grief, what makes a well-lived life and the lengths you are willing to go to save the ones you love.
And though that might sound bleak, I would actually describe this book as quite light-hearted and hopeful.
I think this book worked so well for me because of the characters. The sibling relationship is just delightful to read about and I loved exploring these various different alien worlds along with these characters. And who would’ve thought I could get so attached to a cat in a space suit in such a short amount of time?
While the plot is definitely engaging and has some compelling action sequences and a good dose of humour, I would ultimately describe this as more of a character-driven story with lots of philosophical musings. And that happens to just be right up my alley.
The writing was also just so soothing for some reason. Our main storyline is broken up with pieces of a recording that Scout has found on one of the dead planets they landed on, and by the end I was really doing all I could not to tear up over the heartfelt and touching message that those recordings contained. It just all really resonated with me.
So yeah, if you want a quick and easy sci-fi read that still really packs a punch, I would highly recommend this one. I absolutely adored it.
You know those stories that are just everything you didn’t know you needed until you come across them? That just click with you from the very first sentence and immediately resonate with you? Yeah, well, that was The Last Gifts of the Universe for me.
Even though this is a fairly short sci-fi novel that you can easily breeze through in a day, it is chock-full of heart and will undoubtedly stick with you after reading the final sentence.
This is the story of two Archivist siblings, Scout and Kieran, who (together with their space-cat Pumpkin) are travelling the dying universe for answers about the mysterious threat that has wiped out hundreds of civilizations.
Now, this might sound like the perfect set-up for an action-packed sci-fi adventure, but this story managed to be that and so much more.
This story beautifully and delicately explores themes of loss, grief, what makes a well-lived life and the lengths you are willing to go to save the ones you love.
And though that might sound bleak, I would actually describe this book as quite light-hearted and hopeful.
I think this book worked so well for me because of the characters. The sibling relationship is just delightful to read about and I loved exploring these various different alien worlds along with these characters. And who would’ve thought I could get so attached to a cat in a space suit in such a short amount of time?
While the plot is definitely engaging and has some compelling action sequences and a good dose of humour, I would ultimately describe this as more of a character-driven story with lots of philosophical musings. And that happens to just be right up my alley.
The writing was also just so soothing for some reason. Our main storyline is broken up with pieces of a recording that Scout has found on one of the dead planets they landed on, and by the end I was really doing all I could not to tear up over the heartfelt and touching message that those recordings contained. It just all really resonated with me.
So yeah, if you want a quick and easy sci-fi read that still really packs a punch, I would highly recommend this one. I absolutely adored it.
November 15, 2022
I enjoyed this one, although I feel I didn’t quite get everything out of it that I wanted to. It’s a nice, light-feeling story, although there are some darker moments in there as well. I feel that it could be a good chunk longer, and if it had another hundred or so pages detailing what happened next, I think I would have enjoyed it more. It was an interesting story and concept, so I would definitely recommend it, even if I personally wanted more from it.
March 31, 2025
A cosy Science Fiction exploring grief, resilience and our connections to one another. If you know me you'll know I'm not a fan of cosy anything, but as cosy goes I'm not mad at this! That is a compliment.
📖 During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago. Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.
✨ Reviews ✨
I know I said I wasn't mad at this, but what I will say is I like what this book was trying to do more than the execution of it. This took me a minute to get into and for the first 40% I was kind of bored. It was that mystery of what happened that kept me going. Once those themes of grief and learning to live to the fullest started to come together my interest perked.
This really is about living in the moments and treasuring them to the very last. It's about cherishing every moment because life is a gift. To never settle for anything that doesn't make you happy and to never stop fighting for something better even when the world is ending.
While I really do like the themes and the message it never hit on an emotional level. I think this mainly comes down to the characters. There is a sidekick cat called Pumpkin who is a great edition but I wanted more from everyone else. The emotional hits didn't hit for me, but again overall I'm not mad at this book.
📖 During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago. Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.
✨ Reviews ✨
I know I said I wasn't mad at this, but what I will say is I like what this book was trying to do more than the execution of it. This took me a minute to get into and for the first 40% I was kind of bored. It was that mystery of what happened that kept me going. Once those themes of grief and learning to live to the fullest started to come together my interest perked.
This really is about living in the moments and treasuring them to the very last. It's about cherishing every moment because life is a gift. To never settle for anything that doesn't make you happy and to never stop fighting for something better even when the world is ending.
While I really do like the themes and the message it never hit on an emotional level. I think this mainly comes down to the characters. There is a sidekick cat called Pumpkin who is a great edition but I wanted more from everyone else. The emotional hits didn't hit for me, but again overall I'm not mad at this book.
July 4, 2023
The Last Gifts of the Universe is not what I was expecting and to be honest, I have no idea what I was expecting. We are following the perspective of Scout who is an Archivist for what is now 'Earth' and is travelling space with her brother Kieran and their cat, Pumpkin in search of new discoveries to take home. When they stumble across a signal for a cache that claims to know what has been devouring the universe, we are thrown into a race between Scout and the evil corporation 'Verity Co.' to see who can collect the remaining cashes that are spread out across worlds. Whoever wins means either the information will be shared with the world or locked behind a paywall. I loved this book and the characters. I really enjoyed the humanness of this book. We watch Scout race to collect the information to save the world while another organisation is striving to just own all of the knowledge they can. A great short sci-fi read that kept me hooked and left me with a few questions, exactly how I like to finish a book. One I highly recommend.
June 12, 2024
The Last Gifts of the Universe reads like The Outer Wilds by way of Becky Chambers, featuring a trans protagonist. I love the idea of this book: the small family, grappling with recent grief, adrift among the stars. The shells of civilizations that came before, the terrible melancholy of searching for life and finding nothing. The race against capitalism to preserve information as a public good.
Unfortunately, though, I found the themes of this book to be so exhaustingly overstated that I really struggled to enjoy this at all. It takes the wind out of its own sails through long-winded over-explanations, paragraphs and paragraphs reiterating how every moment is precious. I'm sorry but you can write a story with thematic subtext without stating your theme, textually, repeatedly.
I had some other, more minor issues with this: it felt intensely uncreative that the alien civilization they were exploring was literally just exactly like human civilization, featuring college and marriage and bureaucracy and video calls and takeout. Long sequences of this book are devoted to learning about this former, alien race, along with exploring the ruins of their cities, and I think those sequences would have been more interesting if they actually felt alien from us.
Also, by the third life-threatening experience I wanted to strangle these characters for continuing to bring their cat on space walks. STOP BRINGING THE CAT. You guys are the literal worst cat owners of all time. You should lose custody of this cat. Why the hell would you keep bringing him, other than narrative convenience to hit the final story beat.
Altogether, this was really conceptually interesting and earnestly delivered, but ended up falling flat for me personally.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, though, I found the themes of this book to be so exhaustingly overstated that I really struggled to enjoy this at all. It takes the wind out of its own sails through long-winded over-explanations, paragraphs and paragraphs reiterating how every moment is precious. I'm sorry but you can write a story with thematic subtext without stating your theme, textually, repeatedly.
I had some other, more minor issues with this: it felt intensely uncreative that the alien civilization they were exploring was literally just exactly like human civilization, featuring college and marriage and bureaucracy and video calls and takeout. Long sequences of this book are devoted to learning about this former, alien race, along with exploring the ruins of their cities, and I think those sequences would have been more interesting if they actually felt alien from us.
Also, by the third life-threatening experience I wanted to strangle these characters for continuing to bring their cat on space walks. STOP BRINGING THE CAT. You guys are the literal worst cat owners of all time. You should lose custody of this cat. Why the hell would you keep bringing him, other than narrative convenience to hit the final story beat.
Altogether, this was really conceptually interesting and earnestly delivered, but ended up falling flat for me personally.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 5, 2022I think this has been my favorite SF book of the year so far. Well imagined, cool world building without being overwhelming, and a lot of tension without feeling rushed. Just a really enjoyable story. Has some Becky Chambers vibes to it, if you're into that.
Can't wait to see what the author does next.
Can't wait to see what the author does next.
January 20, 2025
This was a wonderful short novel that I'm really glad I picked up. Yay for me reading sci-fi again!! It felt really timely considering the mounting oppression so many people are facing. It's all about doing what you can and fighting for the good moments. fighting for everyone to live. There is some action but it is definitely more focused on character journeys, and how people connect to one another. Oh, and there is a cat named Pumpkin that wears a spacesuit and goes planetside with the main characters. Well, really Pumpkin is one of the three main characters, and quite the star.
TWs // CWs (not comprehensive): death of a romantic partner; death of a parent
REP: nonbinary main character, side m/m relationship mentioned
QUOTES:
TWs // CWs (not comprehensive): death of a romantic partner; death of a parent
REP: nonbinary main character, side m/m relationship mentioned
QUOTES:
"Life ...is what we have the most in common with every other creature. We all want to live and we become scared when living is threatened. All of us just want to be survive and be comfortable, be happy."
September 18, 2024
This sci-fi space adventure is well worth a read. You’ll fall in love with Scout, their brother Kieran and their feisty cat, Pumpkin. Riley August has written a story that is at turns both hilarious and poignant. Join the crew of three as they race to find data on long-dead worlds that can perhaps save humanity from certain death.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
September 10, 2024
A super cute, bittersweet & adventurous slice of (SciFi) life - no real beginning and no real end, but hey, that’s the point.
Ovlan ❤️
Ovlan ❤️
Read
July 3, 2022Smart, fun, sweet, profound, delightful, lovely, strong
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a lovely and well-rounded science fiction novel. Rory August has a delightful way of balancing the darkness of a mysterious phenomenon destroying all life in the universe, a soft love story, the very human feeling of loss, and the hope to save us all. It is exciting, dark, and light all at once, making it such a wonderful cozy read. Speculative fiction is strongest when it is used to enhance universal human emotions or experiences. The Last Gifts of the Universe manages to make deep space, multiple worlds, and alien species feel like home.
Quick Summary: The universe is dying. When the Home planets achieve the technology to explore the stars, they find nothing but bones and ashes of a dead universe. The people of Home don’t know what happened, but they do know that they must be the last ones left and whatever came for the other civilizations is coming for them. Scout is an Archivist sent on a mission to find answers. To find salvation. Tasked with scouring dead planets for the last gifts: technology, information, cultural rituals; Scout miraculously finds a surviving message from someone who witnessed the world-eating entity. This could be what Scout needs to save everyone.
Full review on my blog Bookish Brews
Bookish Brews | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a lovely and well-rounded science fiction novel. Rory August has a delightful way of balancing the darkness of a mysterious phenomenon destroying all life in the universe, a soft love story, the very human feeling of loss, and the hope to save us all. It is exciting, dark, and light all at once, making it such a wonderful cozy read. Speculative fiction is strongest when it is used to enhance universal human emotions or experiences. The Last Gifts of the Universe manages to make deep space, multiple worlds, and alien species feel like home.
Quick Summary: The universe is dying. When the Home planets achieve the technology to explore the stars, they find nothing but bones and ashes of a dead universe. The people of Home don’t know what happened, but they do know that they must be the last ones left and whatever came for the other civilizations is coming for them. Scout is an Archivist sent on a mission to find answers. To find salvation. Tasked with scouring dead planets for the last gifts: technology, information, cultural rituals; Scout miraculously finds a surviving message from someone who witnessed the world-eating entity. This could be what Scout needs to save everyone.
Full review on my blog Bookish Brews
Bookish Brews | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook
October 21, 2024
….disappointing.
1. committed the cardinal sin of referencing modern colloquialisms (cringe).
2. scout was lowkey useless and highkey unlikeable.
3. if you are being consistently threatened by your gun wielding enemies over the cache, why would you not consider getting one of your own and matching that energy? surely if you’re willing to die for something that important you’d also be willing to kill for it?
4. bringing a sword as your space mission weapon when other people have guns is just stupid.
5. bringing a cat out on dangerous space missions is also stupid…like why would you do that. i understand this is fiction and it’s supposed to be a little silly but it just took me out of the story lol.
6. gets an extra star because the alien video diaries were good. not great, but good, and by far the best part of the book.
7. the plot was very repetitive.
1. committed the cardinal sin of referencing modern colloquialisms (cringe).
2. scout was lowkey useless and highkey unlikeable.
3. if you are being consistently threatened by your gun wielding enemies over the cache, why would you not consider getting one of your own and matching that energy? surely if you’re willing to die for something that important you’d also be willing to kill for it?
4. bringing a sword as your space mission weapon when other people have guns is just stupid.
5. bringing a cat out on dangerous space missions is also stupid…like why would you do that. i understand this is fiction and it’s supposed to be a little silly but it just took me out of the story lol.
6. gets an extra star because the alien video diaries were good. not great, but good, and by far the best part of the book.
7. the plot was very repetitive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2022
I heard there is cat in space so I picked up this book and loved it!
Highly recommend.
It deals with grief and has really lovable characters.
Highly recommend.
It deals with grief and has really lovable characters.
August 5, 2023
....
The Last Gifts of the Universe starts out simply enough. Two brothers, archivists working for a low-budget non-profit, along with their space cat, are searching the universe for remnant caches of data from lost civilizations. And all civilizations across millions of light years have been lost, completely deadened by a mysterious force that seems on the hunt for all forms of life. The hope is that the data caches will give some answers about this devastation that could help humans prepare when this terrible unknown thing comes to our solar system.
In a series of brief, well-constructed chapters, the narrator, Scout, talks to us in present tense, always adding tension as he and Kieran and their cat land on a series of devastated planets. But the group of idealistic archivists they represent, who want only to provide information to humanity for new technologies and survival, is in a race with Verity Co. That’s the for-profit corporation that puts its stamp of ownership on everything it finds and only offers it to others for sale. They have deep pockets, the best tech and the most ruthless approach to the search for data. It isn’t long before Kieran and Scout run into a Verity team, which steals a prize from their grasp by threat of deadly force. But not before Kieran has made a partial copy of the cache, which seems to promise a further trove of information gathered by the best scientists of the Stelhari civilization on another planet.
.....
So far, it seems like we’re in for a fairly routine adventure story, but then, as Scout listens to the partial copy of the Stelhari cache, a whole new dimension opens up. This is a story within the main narrative, one of love and loss, that stirs Scout’s memories of a loss within his own family. While this could so easily have veered to the sentimental, the interweaving of adventure, which is compelling in it own right, blends beautifully with the more profound story of grief and some deeply moving reflections on life and loss.
....
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a short and compelling reading experience about people facing the end of everything and somehow learning to live with terrible uncertainty. The adventure aspect of the story could lead to sequels, but the human story of family and love needs no follow-on. It’s perfect as it is.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
The Last Gifts of the Universe starts out simply enough. Two brothers, archivists working for a low-budget non-profit, along with their space cat, are searching the universe for remnant caches of data from lost civilizations. And all civilizations across millions of light years have been lost, completely deadened by a mysterious force that seems on the hunt for all forms of life. The hope is that the data caches will give some answers about this devastation that could help humans prepare when this terrible unknown thing comes to our solar system.
In a series of brief, well-constructed chapters, the narrator, Scout, talks to us in present tense, always adding tension as he and Kieran and their cat land on a series of devastated planets. But the group of idealistic archivists they represent, who want only to provide information to humanity for new technologies and survival, is in a race with Verity Co. That’s the for-profit corporation that puts its stamp of ownership on everything it finds and only offers it to others for sale. They have deep pockets, the best tech and the most ruthless approach to the search for data. It isn’t long before Kieran and Scout run into a Verity team, which steals a prize from their grasp by threat of deadly force. But not before Kieran has made a partial copy of the cache, which seems to promise a further trove of information gathered by the best scientists of the Stelhari civilization on another planet.
.....
So far, it seems like we’re in for a fairly routine adventure story, but then, as Scout listens to the partial copy of the Stelhari cache, a whole new dimension opens up. This is a story within the main narrative, one of love and loss, that stirs Scout’s memories of a loss within his own family. While this could so easily have veered to the sentimental, the interweaving of adventure, which is compelling in it own right, blends beautifully with the more profound story of grief and some deeply moving reflections on life and loss.
....
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a short and compelling reading experience about people facing the end of everything and somehow learning to live with terrible uncertainty. The adventure aspect of the story could lead to sequels, but the human story of family and love needs no follow-on. It’s perfect as it is.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
February 12, 2025
I'll admit this book was added to my TBR purely based on the beautifully illustrated cover. Although I will add that I thought this was going to be a cosy space sci-fi and I certainly would not describe this as cosy now having read it.
Honestly, I didn't totally love the plot, especially at the beginning, I found myself a bit lost a few times on the complicated space sci-fi aspect and the technical language used. However, what sold me on this book was the characters. I truly came to love them, which I think is particularly special in a less than 200 page novella.
I would certainly recommend this book but I'd also recommend checking TWs as there is a focus on grief and loss. This of course had me emotional and hit me several times throughout the book. I loved Riley August's writing style when navigating these topics and would definitely be interested to read from them again.
4 stars
Honestly, I didn't totally love the plot, especially at the beginning, I found myself a bit lost a few times on the complicated space sci-fi aspect and the technical language used. However, what sold me on this book was the characters. I truly came to love them, which I think is particularly special in a less than 200 page novella.
I would certainly recommend this book but I'd also recommend checking TWs as there is a focus on grief and loss. This of course had me emotional and hit me several times throughout the book. I loved Riley August's writing style when navigating these topics and would definitely be interested to read from them again.
4 stars
September 20, 2025
3.25⭐️
May 27, 2022
There are stories that are pure escapism, popcorn fueled jaunts through a fantasy world designed to entertain above all else. I love those kind of stories. Hell, I named my company after those types of stories. But, I’ll be damned if it doesn’t feel good to be completely and utterly destroyed by a book every once in a while. I’m talking reaching inside and scooping out all my feelings, scraping me until I’m hollow, leaving me sobbing in the dark with an empty can of Pringles in my lap. :smiley face:
That’s why we’re here: To find out what happened to not only this civilization but every dead civilization we’ve ever found in the universe. Because as far as we know, ours is the last one left.
Scout, along with their brother Kieran and space cat Pumpkin, are Archivists, a type of explorer intent on journeying into unknown space to try to find things, lost alien technology or clues to the death of virtually all life in the universe except their own. See, humans journeyed out into the stars to find they were the only things left alive. Millenia dead planets and their alien inhabitants are all that greeted them and Scout is determined to find some clue as to what happened so humanity can avoid the same fate. It’s a wonderful premise and it’s what initially sold me on the book. However, what I found in between the covers was something much more.
The beginning of the novel sees Scout and crew well into their mission into the stars, several light-years from their home, and already veteran Archivists. While the majority of their findings can be boiled down to the two words used to designate the files, “Hello World”, recordings and other things sent out into space or left behind on long-dead planets meant to serve as an introduction to their civilization, the crew of the Waning Crescent find their first cache containing something more. In fact, it promises knowledge of whatever it is that has caused untold civilizations to perish. The cache contains a holographic projection of Blyreena, the leader of an ancient alien civilization now extinct.
The story is told through the dueling narratives of Scout and Blyreena, or rather the ghost of Blyreena. Her recording slowly unfolds over the course of the novel, racing to a final message of hope for the universe, just as Scout races to unravel the location of additional messages from the Stelhari and keep them from the greedy hands of the corporation determined to reach it first and keep the knowledge to themselves. We get to learn of Blyreena and her life, her hopes and dreams, her failures and successes, her losses and it’s striking to me just how intimately close I was able to get to this character that wasn’t even a truly active participant in the story.
What kind of universe is that, where islands are brought back to life, but people aren’t?
There’s so much I could say about this book and what I loved about it, but I know my words will never do it justice. There’s a few more things I would kick myself for not mentioning, so I had better do that here. The queer rep is fantastic in this book. Our main character is non-binary, another character has two fathers, etc. and none of this is given a second look in the story, as it should be. It’s entirely queer-normative and exactly what I love to see. Also, it would be hard to dislike any book that has a catstronaut in it and Pumpkin is the perfect animal friend to Scout and Kieran, loyal, fierce, and absolutely adorable.
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a stunningly beautiful meditation on loss, the grief that comes with it, and what it means to live with the knowledge that life is finite. It’s a story that I think will stick with me for a long time and imparts wisdom that, while painful to hear, was exactly what I needed. If you read one book I recommend, let it be this one.
I know it’s cliche, my dear, but all dark nights break to dawn.
That’s why we’re here: To find out what happened to not only this civilization but every dead civilization we’ve ever found in the universe. Because as far as we know, ours is the last one left.
Scout, along with their brother Kieran and space cat Pumpkin, are Archivists, a type of explorer intent on journeying into unknown space to try to find things, lost alien technology or clues to the death of virtually all life in the universe except their own. See, humans journeyed out into the stars to find they were the only things left alive. Millenia dead planets and their alien inhabitants are all that greeted them and Scout is determined to find some clue as to what happened so humanity can avoid the same fate. It’s a wonderful premise and it’s what initially sold me on the book. However, what I found in between the covers was something much more.
The beginning of the novel sees Scout and crew well into their mission into the stars, several light-years from their home, and already veteran Archivists. While the majority of their findings can be boiled down to the two words used to designate the files, “Hello World”, recordings and other things sent out into space or left behind on long-dead planets meant to serve as an introduction to their civilization, the crew of the Waning Crescent find their first cache containing something more. In fact, it promises knowledge of whatever it is that has caused untold civilizations to perish. The cache contains a holographic projection of Blyreena, the leader of an ancient alien civilization now extinct.
The story is told through the dueling narratives of Scout and Blyreena, or rather the ghost of Blyreena. Her recording slowly unfolds over the course of the novel, racing to a final message of hope for the universe, just as Scout races to unravel the location of additional messages from the Stelhari and keep them from the greedy hands of the corporation determined to reach it first and keep the knowledge to themselves. We get to learn of Blyreena and her life, her hopes and dreams, her failures and successes, her losses and it’s striking to me just how intimately close I was able to get to this character that wasn’t even a truly active participant in the story.
What kind of universe is that, where islands are brought back to life, but people aren’t?
There’s so much I could say about this book and what I loved about it, but I know my words will never do it justice. There’s a few more things I would kick myself for not mentioning, so I had better do that here. The queer rep is fantastic in this book. Our main character is non-binary, another character has two fathers, etc. and none of this is given a second look in the story, as it should be. It’s entirely queer-normative and exactly what I love to see. Also, it would be hard to dislike any book that has a catstronaut in it and Pumpkin is the perfect animal friend to Scout and Kieran, loyal, fierce, and absolutely adorable.
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a stunningly beautiful meditation on loss, the grief that comes with it, and what it means to live with the knowledge that life is finite. It’s a story that I think will stick with me for a long time and imparts wisdom that, while painful to hear, was exactly what I needed. If you read one book I recommend, let it be this one.
I know it’s cliche, my dear, but all dark nights break to dawn.
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