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Starbound
Seven loops have passed since the Terrans attacked Phire Ambrose’s planet, leaving nothing but ash and dust…and her.
Now she is known as the fearsome commander of the Ayros Corps, an interstellar peacekeeping organization that has now become the galaxy’s only hope at defeating the humans’ oncoming darkness. The Corps’ mantra is to bring justice, but all Phire burns for is revenge. Revenge for her family, buried far beneath the rubble of her demolished home. Revenge for her people, still fighting against Terran tyranny. And revenge for herself, and the life she had lost.
When a field mission backfires and fragments of her past come back to haunt her, Phire begins to wonder if the truth about what happened seven loops ago is as simple as it seems. She finds a strange Terran crystal that triggers flashes of a memory…or maybe a vision. It seemed inconsequential at first, but the Terrans are desperate to retrieve it, threatening galactic war if she refuses. But Phire has other plans. Enlisting the help of Phoenix Alavyer, an Avani tech genius, Ethiria Moon, a Loman healer, and Roel Santherin, a figure from her past whom she thought long dead, Phire sets out to steal another crystal from the Terrans’ grasp and uncover the truth behind their invasion. She doesn’t know what the crystals are for just yet, and she’s loath to give the humans one more advantage before she figures out what’s really going on.
But knowledge comes with a heavy price, and the Terrans aren’t the only ones in the galaxy willing to do anything to stop her.
Now she is known as the fearsome commander of the Ayros Corps, an interstellar peacekeeping organization that has now become the galaxy’s only hope at defeating the humans’ oncoming darkness. The Corps’ mantra is to bring justice, but all Phire burns for is revenge. Revenge for her family, buried far beneath the rubble of her demolished home. Revenge for her people, still fighting against Terran tyranny. And revenge for herself, and the life she had lost.
When a field mission backfires and fragments of her past come back to haunt her, Phire begins to wonder if the truth about what happened seven loops ago is as simple as it seems. She finds a strange Terran crystal that triggers flashes of a memory…or maybe a vision. It seemed inconsequential at first, but the Terrans are desperate to retrieve it, threatening galactic war if she refuses. But Phire has other plans. Enlisting the help of Phoenix Alavyer, an Avani tech genius, Ethiria Moon, a Loman healer, and Roel Santherin, a figure from her past whom she thought long dead, Phire sets out to steal another crystal from the Terrans’ grasp and uncover the truth behind their invasion. She doesn’t know what the crystals are for just yet, and she’s loath to give the humans one more advantage before she figures out what’s really going on.
But knowledge comes with a heavy price, and the Terrans aren’t the only ones in the galaxy willing to do anything to stop her.
440 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2025
1 person is currently reading
955 people want to read
About the author
Maya Al-Khzaee
2 books70 followersMaya Al-Khzaee is the author of STARBOUND along with many other upcoming novels. She studies computer engineering at university, and when she isn’t writing her outlandish books, she’s coding her outlandish app ideas. You can find Maya on TikTok and Instagram under the handle @mayawritesstories, and you can follow her Substack newsletter for the latest news on her work and writerly musings.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 9, 2024
Hey guys! I’m so excited to finally have Starbound here on Goodreads, and I’m glad that you guys are as well. Thank you so much for your patience, and as exciting as that release date might seem, it’s only a theoretical one for now. I’m doing my absolute best to get Starbound out there, and by being patient and supporting me you guys are making the process a lot easier. Thank you again, and again, and again, a million times over <3
June 10, 2024
I've been lucky enough to be a beta reader and got a few words to say about this book:
Starbound is an epic sci-fi novel, that's not only incredibly compassionate, but also keeps the reader glued to it’s blue pages for the entire wild ride. It’s characters are phenomenal, different and work so well together, each of their stories are incredibly captivating. The social commentary is a league of it's own and couldn't be more relevant for our real life world, making this an absolute must read.
Starbound is an epic sci-fi novel, that's not only incredibly compassionate, but also keeps the reader glued to it’s blue pages for the entire wild ride. It’s characters are phenomenal, different and work so well together, each of their stories are incredibly captivating. The social commentary is a league of it's own and couldn't be more relevant for our real life world, making this an absolute must read.
June 8, 2024
I currently need starbound on my shelf with a passion. Need, not want 🤞Then inevitably what comes after as well
Want to read
June 9, 2024honored to be the 3rd person who added this book on GR 🤭
Maya is a true force of nature and Starbound is going to break the internet.
Maya is a true force of nature and Starbound is going to break the internet.
June 9, 2024
I had the privilege of being selected as a beta reader for Starbound, and it was absolutely wonderful! The characters are all so complex, and each one stands out distinctly from one another in their own ways. If you’re big on metaphors, symbolism, social commentary, found family, space fantasy, and no clunky descriptions, definitely check this out!! Some good comp titles would be Six of Crows, Aurora Rising, and Guardians of the Galaxy. 🌌✨🪩
June 10, 2024
appartement i must state that I am a beta reader (you don't understand how badly I wanted to read it after getting lil sneak hints for the past 4 years, so thank god I got to)
I actually love all the characters with my heart (but Pheonix and phire for life ❤️❤️❤️) and their character playlists on Spotify are ON POINT so to torture yourselves further, give that a listen too because 😍
I don't want to spoil it too much so trust me when I say you will love these character like your own babies. it features plot twists, betrayal, comedy, found family, balls, wars, and of course a splash of drama with a side course of romance (maybe heartbreak 😒).
the world building is actually insane, the ideas and thoughts put into the terminology and stuff was so well thought out and like ugh I love it. you will not be disappointed when buying this because you will not be able to put it down at all (may or may not have procrastinated at revising in favour of reading starbound 🤭)
so all in all if I haven't made it clear already, just buy the damn book and some popcorn then be prepared to be amazed. I know I'll be rushing to buy a copy the second it hits bookstores. I'm honoured to have been chosen to be one of the first to read it, and I just know it's going to break this world (in the best way possible)
I actually love all the characters with my heart (but Pheonix and phire for life ❤️❤️❤️) and their character playlists on Spotify are ON POINT so to torture yourselves further, give that a listen too because 😍
I don't want to spoil it too much so trust me when I say you will love these character like your own babies. it features plot twists, betrayal, comedy, found family, balls, wars, and of course a splash of drama with a side course of romance (maybe heartbreak 😒).
the world building is actually insane, the ideas and thoughts put into the terminology and stuff was so well thought out and like ugh I love it. you will not be disappointed when buying this because you will not be able to put it down at all (may or may not have procrastinated at revising in favour of reading starbound 🤭)
so all in all if I haven't made it clear already, just buy the damn book and some popcorn then be prepared to be amazed. I know I'll be rushing to buy a copy the second it hits bookstores. I'm honoured to have been chosen to be one of the first to read it, and I just know it's going to break this world (in the best way possible)
June 10, 2024
I was a beta reader for Starbound and I gotta tell y'all, you are not ready. Especially not for part 3.
Oh and Ethiria is mine <3
Starbound is such a fun story full of real stakes and interesting characters that make amazing foils for each other and the PARALLELS drive me crazy like I cannot share my comments but just know I screamed several times I was hooked.
Oh and Ethiria is mine <3
Starbound is such a fun story full of real stakes and interesting characters that make amazing foils for each other and the PARALLELS drive me crazy like I cannot share my comments but just know I screamed several times I was hooked.
June 8, 2024
Masterpiece. Couldn’t give spoilers though!
June 9, 2024
The way I just know this is going to be an instant bestseller. Can't wait to read itttt
June 10, 2024
WOWOWOWOWOOWOWOWOW
June 17, 2024
i know absolutely nothing about this book but the insta post i just stumbled upon and already it NEEDS to be at the top of my list
July 4, 2024
Humor, Action, Friendship and an indirect way to shed light on humanities issues regarding propaganda and colonization!! This will probably be my favorite sci-fi
July 26, 2024
Starbound? More like 5starsbound (sorry idk what I'm doing)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews