An Exile Amid Stars

by M.C.A. Hogarth

For nearly ten years, Surela “Rel” Silin Eddings has been plying the galactic waters on the merchant vessel Earthrise, picking up sundries for the home system from which she remains exiled… and enjoying herself despite it. How else, with a congenial crew, dozens of worlds to explore, and so many things to learn? Most days, she can even forget she’s a criminal to her own people, and that’s the way she likes it. The last thing Surela wants is a new mission... particularly one that involves haring off into the unknown reaches of space in search of an Eldritch from a House predisposed to hate her for her misdeeds. But the Empress has decided one of the Eldritch’s waywards needs to come home, and Surela’s the woman to fetch her.As usual, nothing goes as planned…

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2024

About the author

Daughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.

Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.

Reviews

[Melissa McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be my last read of 2024, and it did not disappoint. I loved the Eldritch Surela's first story and was captivated by the premise: exiled traitor, her life bought by the wife of the man she wanted to marry, sent into space where everyone expected her to pout and waste her life. And she proved everyone wrong.

In this second book in the series, ten years after An Exile Aboard Ship, Rel and the crew of the Earthrise have been going about the Empress's business quietly, until new instructions come; they are to escort another Eldritch back to the homeworld. Add to this Rel's exuberant Chatcaavan daughter and the fact that the one they're meant to escort doesn't want to go, mix in a mysterious tear in space, and the story really takes off. Lots of action, lots of drama, and a satisfying ending made this one of my top reads of the year.

I remain thrilled by the fact that Surela takes even the most unexpected things in stride. There aren't enough characters who bluff their way through the impossible in literature, and it's easy to read her as the several-centuries-old political animal she is by how quick she is to adapt and, yes, bluff like her life, and that of others, depends on it. Which she does, with ease.

I also enjoy the setup to the next book, which is going to be great. For those who have not made their way through Hogarth's entire Peltedverse canon, which is vast, all I can say is that if you're able to figure out background from context and don't try to work too hard keeping every little detail in mind, this makes a good entry point. (Though I still recommend starting with Earthrise, which is the four-book series preceding this one.)

(And I'm in the acknowledgements! Yay, I participated!)

[D.F. Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first book in this series a bit more than this one, but I enjoyed both.

This one again offers attractive characters, well fleshed out. This stands us in good stead for a conflict that seems perhaps a hundred pages too long. We don't want the story to end despite the major themes mostly resolved well before the final pages. I mean, these characters are nice! It's fun sharing the ride, and seeing the implications of the plot play out. (Hopefully setting us up for a sequel with the Shieldmatron.)

Two threads within this story elevate this novel for me. I particularly enjoyed and admired the author's portrayal of the Dragon general who makes ultimate sacrifices of his honor to create a fiction that will benefit the future race of Dragons.. Also intriguing is the new alien enemy feeding off the life forces of species who traverse a malevolent wormhole. Provocative, but also a bit worrisome as an awkward element in a universe that's already been built out around fuzzy cute characters and leveraging emotional interactions between major protagonists.

A couple story elements did not work so well for me. I'm not so sure about the casual genocide of the snake-lizards uplifted to sentience by the evil wormhole dwellers. Is the Goldilocks world doomed forever? And as a dad who has seen transformations that occur with teenage years, maybe our heroine's daughter is a little TOO CUTE. What happens when her evil twin inevitably emerges?

[Alayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC and found it to be very well done. Surela's story continues, and the changes in her since the events of the coup 10 years prior to this book have been amazing and great to see. Very highly recommended.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It got much darker than I expected, but it all turned out well, and there were plenty of lighter moments before and after the dark part to make the story a pleasure to read. I am really enjoying the expanding group of characters.

[Zeta Syanthis · Rating 5 out of 5]

That... was an amazing book. I was creeped out by the snakes and their religion hardcore, but the resolution in the end, and the complexities of even traitors one me over. Instant favorite. Read the book.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weaves the threads together very well.