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Dungeons & Dragons: Spelljammer: Memory's Wake
Set sail for the stars in this official Dungeons & Dragons novel set in the worlds of Spelljammer: Adventures in Space!
In the colossal void of Shatterspace, besieged by bloodthirsty marauders and brimming with monstrous aberrations, the only constant is power: The deft will escape the slow. The clever will outwit the naïve. The strong will take from the weak.
Axia wishes she could be grateful to have spent her life—or what little she remembers of it—on an asteroid so far from anything of interest that even the greediest spacers see fit to pass it by. Her days may not be as exciting as the swashbuckling stories of her favorite books or as dramatic as the pasts she’s imagined for herself, but they’re as safe as Shatterspace can manage. So why does something inside her long for the stars every time she sees a spacefaring spelljammer vessel?
When Axia survives a sudden assassination attempt, she is cornered by Kori and Nia, a pair of pirates who offer her two options: flee with them to Wildspace, where they can keep her hidden among their crew, or die. It’s an easy choice with death at her doorstep. But even in the vastness of the Astral Sea, Axia quickly realizes that her new friends haven’t been entirely honest about their motivations.
It turns out, Axia is the spitting image of Blacktongue, the long-disappeared captain of one of the deadliest pirate crews in Shatterspace. And Kori and Nia have a plan to claim the mysterious treasure that the pirate queen vanished while pursuing. To survive, Axia will have to fill Blacktongue’s bloodstained boots and embark on a more perilous and thrilling adventure than any she’s dared to dream.
In the colossal void of Shatterspace, besieged by bloodthirsty marauders and brimming with monstrous aberrations, the only constant is power: The deft will escape the slow. The clever will outwit the naïve. The strong will take from the weak.
Axia wishes she could be grateful to have spent her life—or what little she remembers of it—on an asteroid so far from anything of interest that even the greediest spacers see fit to pass it by. Her days may not be as exciting as the swashbuckling stories of her favorite books or as dramatic as the pasts she’s imagined for herself, but they’re as safe as Shatterspace can manage. So why does something inside her long for the stars every time she sees a spacefaring spelljammer vessel?
When Axia survives a sudden assassination attempt, she is cornered by Kori and Nia, a pair of pirates who offer her two options: flee with them to Wildspace, where they can keep her hidden among their crew, or die. It’s an easy choice with death at her doorstep. But even in the vastness of the Astral Sea, Axia quickly realizes that her new friends haven’t been entirely honest about their motivations.
It turns out, Axia is the spitting image of Blacktongue, the long-disappeared captain of one of the deadliest pirate crews in Shatterspace. And Kori and Nia have a plan to claim the mysterious treasure that the pirate queen vanished while pursuing. To survive, Axia will have to fill Blacktongue’s bloodstained boots and embark on a more perilous and thrilling adventure than any she’s dared to dream.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2024
80 people are currently reading
626 people want to read
About the author
Django Wexler
52 books3,713 followersDjango Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not planning Shadow Campaigns, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 14, 2024
The worst part about this adventure is that it ends. Hopefully I will get to meet these space pirates again.
July 4, 2024
The new Spelljammer book was an enjoyable read. A “real page turner,” if you would. Not only was the plot well done, but the author explains the physical dynamics of how this setting works by mixing descriptions in as the story naturally progresses. Anyone unfamiliar to the Spelljammer setting could enjoy this tale and walk away understanding how them durn ships be flying up there. There better be a sequel, as I would read it without hesitation.
December 1, 2024
This book started out very strong: good wolrd building, very intriguing plot premise, fun and fast pace to the story. And then it just lost that spark. It could have definitely benefited from more of everything - more depth, more descriptions, more details and lore of the world.
August 5, 2024
This novel is a fun romp with entertaining characters through a very unique fantasy world. Spelljammer is weird and alien, and Django Wexler captures it well.
The plot is good, especially the character moments with Axia struggling with her memory loss, and at the end when she actually gets answers and gets to talk to Blacktongue.The actual pirating action was fine, but largely uninteresting in my opinion.
The other characters were alright, but I didn’t feel like they were fleshed out enough. I loved the prominent queer relationship of Kori and Nia, but the other characters all fell very short for me.
The writing style was also not anything special. The only other book by Wexler that I’ve read was his novel for Magic the Gathering’s Ikoria set back in 2020; it was good for what it was, but the actual writing didn’t impress me at all. Wexler steps it up with this novel, but it’s still just okay. It’s serviceable, but not impressive.
Overall, it’s a fine addition to the D&D literary world. It is slightly concerning that there were only two non-Drizzt D&D novels that came out in 2024 and both were mediocre, but here’s to next year at least!
The plot is good, especially the character moments with Axia struggling with her memory loss, and at the end when she actually gets answers and gets to talk to Blacktongue.The actual pirating action was fine, but largely uninteresting in my opinion.
The other characters were alright, but I didn’t feel like they were fleshed out enough. I loved the prominent queer relationship of Kori and Nia, but the other characters all fell very short for me.
The writing style was also not anything special. The only other book by Wexler that I’ve read was his novel for Magic the Gathering’s Ikoria set back in 2020; it was good for what it was, but the actual writing didn’t impress me at all. Wexler steps it up with this novel, but it’s still just okay. It’s serviceable, but not impressive.
Overall, it’s a fine addition to the D&D literary world. It is slightly concerning that there were only two non-Drizzt D&D novels that came out in 2024 and both were mediocre, but here’s to next year at least!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, although it left a lot of loose ends. Perhaps there will be a sequel? Regardless, space pirates, amnesia, and giant hamsters can hardly fail to entice, even if you don't know a whole lot about D&D (or at least, it worked for me). I love how almost anything can happen in space. Science fiction has always been a space for the marginalized, the queer, the nonconforming, and just the outright strange. For that reason and many others, I have always loved SciFi. Another perk of this book is our MC does not really have a romance. It's a story about identity, found family, and learning your own values. Nia and Kori are a super cute couple though.
Favorite quotes:
Her panicked screams had gotten Tsorik's attention, and her first sight in the world had been Flotsam's fuzzy face as he pushed the wood aside. Tsorik's significantly less comforting face had followed, frowning as though discovering screaming girls in his rubble pile were an everyday annoyance.
It looked for all the world like approaching the edge of a cliff, blue sky extending out ahead while the rock fell away in a gentle slope. Humans might be willing to walk off cliffs, but hamsters had better sense.
"Can I go into town? I promised Flotsam I'd take him to the hamster groomer."
Tsorik made a face. "You spoil that bloody hamster, I swear. Look at him, he's fat."
"He's a hamster, he's supposed to be fat."
"We'll climb that rope when we come to it," Kori said.
“Is it normal to be able to feel my heartbeat in my toenails?"
"If a tree falls in a forest and only one person is there to hear, and that person gets crushed by the falling tree, then can it really be said to—“
Favorite character: Flotsam. Who doesn’t love an adorable giant hamster? I also really liked the spectator Morel and wished it had a bigger part in the story.
If you liked this book, I would recommend Honor Among Thieves, Grimspace, Pathfinder, Skyward, and The Disasters.
Favorite quotes:
Her panicked screams had gotten Tsorik's attention, and her first sight in the world had been Flotsam's fuzzy face as he pushed the wood aside. Tsorik's significantly less comforting face had followed, frowning as though discovering screaming girls in his rubble pile were an everyday annoyance.
It looked for all the world like approaching the edge of a cliff, blue sky extending out ahead while the rock fell away in a gentle slope. Humans might be willing to walk off cliffs, but hamsters had better sense.
"Can I go into town? I promised Flotsam I'd take him to the hamster groomer."
Tsorik made a face. "You spoil that bloody hamster, I swear. Look at him, he's fat."
"He's a hamster, he's supposed to be fat."
"We'll climb that rope when we come to it," Kori said.
“Is it normal to be able to feel my heartbeat in my toenails?"
"If a tree falls in a forest and only one person is there to hear, and that person gets crushed by the falling tree, then can it really be said to—“
Favorite character: Flotsam. Who doesn’t love an adorable giant hamster? I also really liked the spectator Morel and wished it had a bigger part in the story.
If you liked this book, I would recommend Honor Among Thieves, Grimspace, Pathfinder, Skyward, and The Disasters.
January 30, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. I had never heard of Spelljammer before but checked it out due to the awesome wrap around cover art.
I adored the setting. It’s a wonderful blend of fantasy and “science fiction” elements. More in the vein of classic Planetary Romance or Sword and Planet. Everything is imaginative and wonderful, with no concern for realism, its sole purpose being awe. I love that kind of setting.
The characters and plot might be seen as two-dimensional but I found them archetypal and elemental in the best way. If you love pirate stories you’ll love everything about this.
It was just so much fun. Everything about it captures that capital A adventure feel. The characters are larger than life, the setting is a constant feeling of unadulterated childhood wonder and uninhibited by realism or cynicism, and the action is pure swashbuckling fun.
I do have a few complaints. Modern sounding dialogue in fantastical settings is a pet peeve of mine. It just feels out of place. I also think a few things could have been kept more strictly fantasy feeling. A couple of the magic effects felt like stand in for sci-fi tropes and I wish the author would have found another way to execute those idea. The word homunculus could have been used instead of clone. Just little tweaks to keep the tone consistent but none of these nit-picks impacted the sheer joy I felt reading this.
This might be a guilty pleasure 5 star, as I am a sucker for Planetary Romance and pirate stories, but it doesn’t really matter. This book was a joy to read. It’s fun with no apologies about it and if you’re looking for swashbuckling escape with all the trappings of the genre you enjoy, plus a slightly more modernized inclusive cast, then this is your one stop shop for adventure.
I adored the setting. It’s a wonderful blend of fantasy and “science fiction” elements. More in the vein of classic Planetary Romance or Sword and Planet. Everything is imaginative and wonderful, with no concern for realism, its sole purpose being awe. I love that kind of setting.
The characters and plot might be seen as two-dimensional but I found them archetypal and elemental in the best way. If you love pirate stories you’ll love everything about this.
It was just so much fun. Everything about it captures that capital A adventure feel. The characters are larger than life, the setting is a constant feeling of unadulterated childhood wonder and uninhibited by realism or cynicism, and the action is pure swashbuckling fun.
I do have a few complaints. Modern sounding dialogue in fantastical settings is a pet peeve of mine. It just feels out of place. I also think a few things could have been kept more strictly fantasy feeling. A couple of the magic effects felt like stand in for sci-fi tropes and I wish the author would have found another way to execute those idea. The word homunculus could have been used instead of clone. Just little tweaks to keep the tone consistent but none of these nit-picks impacted the sheer joy I felt reading this.
This might be a guilty pleasure 5 star, as I am a sucker for Planetary Romance and pirate stories, but it doesn’t really matter. This book was a joy to read. It’s fun with no apologies about it and if you’re looking for swashbuckling escape with all the trappings of the genre you enjoy, plus a slightly more modernized inclusive cast, then this is your one stop shop for adventure.
November 13, 2025
More accurate: 3.5 stars
I liked it! It felt like a D&D version of Treasure Planet. But it also didn't explain certain things and moved very, very quickly.
The plot was interesting. That kept me going. I was curious to discover Axia's background and it did not disappoint! One of the more interesting twists of the story. As for the rest of the plot, I was interested. It's a classic pirate treasure chase with the fun of being in space. But it didn't do much more than that. I liked seeing Axia become a Robin Hood type of pirate but her crew (minus the ones who stood with her in the end really) felt one dimensional and very just stereotypical.
I felt like there could have been more meat to it. The Ball was over quickly, the end was over fairly quickly, and I didn't necessarily want more plot point, just more to what was there. Especially since it was implied to be the start of a new adventure at the end.
Overall, a solid modern D&D novel! It was fun as long as you don't expect too much from it.
I liked it! It felt like a D&D version of Treasure Planet. But it also didn't explain certain things and moved very, very quickly.
The plot was interesting. That kept me going. I was curious to discover Axia's background and it did not disappoint! One of the more interesting twists of the story. As for the rest of the plot, I was interested. It's a classic pirate treasure chase with the fun of being in space. But it didn't do much more than that. I liked seeing Axia become a Robin Hood type of pirate but her crew (minus the ones who stood with her in the end really) felt one dimensional and very just stereotypical.
I felt like there could have been more meat to it. The Ball was over quickly, the end was over fairly quickly, and I didn't necessarily want more plot point, just more to what was there. Especially since it was implied to be the start of a new adventure at the end.
Overall, a solid modern D&D novel! It was fun as long as you don't expect too much from it.
June 4, 2025
4.5
Se hit alla som älskar pirater, sci-fi och dnd!!
LÖJLIGT bra worldbuilding! Alla monster och karaktärer had me kicking my feet, och huvudpersonerna var välutvecklade och kändes nyanserade.
Jag är ju aldrig nöjd med slutet på ett mysterium, men historien byggdes verkligen upp mästerligt, och slutet var bra, om än inte perfekt. Jag hoppas innerligt att det kommer en fortsättning!!
Se hit alla som älskar pirater, sci-fi och dnd!!
LÖJLIGT bra worldbuilding! Alla monster och karaktärer had me kicking my feet, och huvudpersonerna var välutvecklade och kändes nyanserade.
Jag är ju aldrig nöjd med slutet på ett mysterium, men historien byggdes verkligen upp mästerligt, och slutet var bra, om än inte perfekt. Jag hoppas innerligt att det kommer en fortsättning!!
October 14, 2024
Full of plot twists unbridled heroics, humour, pulso punding adventure adventure and relentless action! :D
December 7, 2024
Fantastic Spelljammer story that the author explores expertly, as well as staying true to the D&D rules, without using out of contect terminology. High marks!
February 21, 2025
Lovely! Like being inside a dnd campaign- and it gave me ideas for my character ☺️
June 25, 2024
Better than the recent FR novel, a very good introduction to a fairly lore light setting. Characters range from fun to extremely meh, only a single mystery was surprising, good use of 5e and 2e lore, and the nautical lingo was good. I'd read a sequel.
November 1, 2024
I love characters with amnesia. Solid plot structure. Plenty of potential still
December 19, 2024
Maybe I’m a little biased since I adore DnD books but this was an insanely enjoyable read!! Fun, dynamic, packed to the gills with Spelljamming details and fun characters that I’m so excited to spend more time with!!
March 21, 2024
I got an advance copy of this one free from the Penguin Random House Bookworld booth at Emerald City Comic Con.
I’ve read several of Django Wexler’s book (notably the Well of Souls trilogy) and I’ve always liked his writing style and the way he can turn books that may otherwise be sort of predictable and characters that could be stereotypes into something more than that. He accomplishes both those things in this book. It’s a good fantasy adventure, fast moving and well plotted. The action scenes are well written and principal characters are three people I got attached to quickly and was rooting for the whole way. The story is relatively predictable (although I found the answer to the question “who is Axia, really?” To be a real surprise, but maybe that’s because I don’t play enough DnD).
Most of my DnD knowledge comes from playing 500+ hours of Baldur’s Gate 3. I’m still well into my BG3 phase so I enjoyed the DnD setting and the various creatures and references that I recognized from DnD (I’ve had some experience with DnD in general prior to BG3, but am not a fully immersed player of the game outside of that). People who might be much more into might be able to poke holes in the world building or the way some of the races and spells work, but I know just enough to like the setting but not enough for possible errors to annoy me.
Axia was found three years prior to the start of the story in the wreck of a ship on an asteroid in Shatterspace. Although she isn’t a complete blank slate (she can read, write, speak, etc and has an inherent kindness and moral code), she has no memories of anything prior to being found. She works for the junk trader who found her on a backwater asteroid until one day she’s visited by a pair of women who tell her she looks almost exactly like a notorious pirate queen and that they need her impersonate the pirate queen in order to get a map to her treasure.
This kicks off the usual action movie/DnD campaign adventure with plenty of chases, fights, encounters with weird people, places and things, exotic locations and what usually happens when your heroes have to follow a set of vague clues to a treasure that may or may not be what they think it is. All of this is, as mentioned, not exactly new territory, but it’s well told and Axia and the two pirates who recruit her (Nia, a tiefling warlock and Kori a half-elf cleric) are great, likable and easy to root for. When we do find out who Axia really is it does have some weight to it.
The supporting characters all fill their roles admirably and as mentioned, the action scenes and encounters are well executed and fun. The book does exactly what it sets out to do and I really enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind the sequel that they hint at in the last chapter.
This is one I wasn’t expecting and hadn’t even heard of but I’m glad I got a chance to read it.
I’ve read several of Django Wexler’s book (notably the Well of Souls trilogy) and I’ve always liked his writing style and the way he can turn books that may otherwise be sort of predictable and characters that could be stereotypes into something more than that. He accomplishes both those things in this book. It’s a good fantasy adventure, fast moving and well plotted. The action scenes are well written and principal characters are three people I got attached to quickly and was rooting for the whole way. The story is relatively predictable (although I found the answer to the question “who is Axia, really?” To be a real surprise, but maybe that’s because I don’t play enough DnD).
Most of my DnD knowledge comes from playing 500+ hours of Baldur’s Gate 3. I’m still well into my BG3 phase so I enjoyed the DnD setting and the various creatures and references that I recognized from DnD (I’ve had some experience with DnD in general prior to BG3, but am not a fully immersed player of the game outside of that). People who might be much more into might be able to poke holes in the world building or the way some of the races and spells work, but I know just enough to like the setting but not enough for possible errors to annoy me.
Axia was found three years prior to the start of the story in the wreck of a ship on an asteroid in Shatterspace. Although she isn’t a complete blank slate (she can read, write, speak, etc and has an inherent kindness and moral code), she has no memories of anything prior to being found. She works for the junk trader who found her on a backwater asteroid until one day she’s visited by a pair of women who tell her she looks almost exactly like a notorious pirate queen and that they need her impersonate the pirate queen in order to get a map to her treasure.
This kicks off the usual action movie/DnD campaign adventure with plenty of chases, fights, encounters with weird people, places and things, exotic locations and what usually happens when your heroes have to follow a set of vague clues to a treasure that may or may not be what they think it is. All of this is, as mentioned, not exactly new territory, but it’s well told and Axia and the two pirates who recruit her (Nia, a tiefling warlock and Kori a half-elf cleric) are great, likable and easy to root for. When we do find out who Axia really is it does have some weight to it.
The supporting characters all fill their roles admirably and as mentioned, the action scenes and encounters are well executed and fun. The book does exactly what it sets out to do and I really enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind the sequel that they hint at in the last chapter.
This is one I wasn’t expecting and hadn’t even heard of but I’m glad I got a chance to read it.
August 1, 2025
I enjoyed this short foray, returning to the world of Spelljammer, with it's vast settings and innumerable citizens. The actual story, while talking about the worlds, is not a travelogue. It does take the reader around to multiple touch points, and gives enough information to make it feel new, but not too strange.
Our main character is new to the world, in that she no memory past 3 years ago. She is a teen, worker for a trash-picker, and helping sell the debris for money. She's somewhat beholden to him. as he took her in, but at the same time she knows he does less than ethical trades, and she wants to leave. While traveling, she hopes to discover who she really is, out among the stars.
She gets the chance sooner than expected, as she is attacked by an assassin, tracked by various bully-boys and exposed by the efforts of a couple of spell casters. Apparently she closely resembles a pirate captain, and the spell casters want to use her.
She's in with the idea, and goes along with most of the ideas of the crew of the ship they end on, but hesitates at killing innocents.
The tale moves along quickly, coming to a fitting end for most of the protagonists.
I loved the dragon. Not so much the undead or the other DnD characters.
The only quibble I had with the story was the occasional jarring reminder that the phraseology is critical for a tale to make sense. The errors that were most obvious were when the subject of a statement changed in mid-phrase, without the apparent need to state the change. Something along the line of "jane was charging the dragon, who was preparing to blast, when he threw his magic sword into the scaly hide". Who did what to whom?
Anyway, that's my major issue. Otherwise pretty good read.
Our main character is new to the world, in that she no memory past 3 years ago. She is a teen, worker for a trash-picker, and helping sell the debris for money. She's somewhat beholden to him. as he took her in, but at the same time she knows he does less than ethical trades, and she wants to leave. While traveling, she hopes to discover who she really is, out among the stars.
She gets the chance sooner than expected, as she is attacked by an assassin, tracked by various bully-boys and exposed by the efforts of a couple of spell casters. Apparently she closely resembles a pirate captain, and the spell casters want to use her.
She's in with the idea, and goes along with most of the ideas of the crew of the ship they end on, but hesitates at killing innocents.
The tale moves along quickly, coming to a fitting end for most of the protagonists.
I loved the dragon. Not so much the undead or the other DnD characters.
The only quibble I had with the story was the occasional jarring reminder that the phraseology is critical for a tale to make sense. The errors that were most obvious were when the subject of a statement changed in mid-phrase, without the apparent need to state the change. Something along the line of "jane was charging the dragon, who was preparing to blast, when he threw his magic sword into the scaly hide". Who did what to whom?
Anyway, that's my major issue. Otherwise pretty good read.
February 25, 2025
Summary
The story is about Axia, a girl with amnesia and a nebulas past, living the slow and boring life of a workhand, when an assassin shows up to kill her, and pirates bail her out to use her as part of their plan for a treasure heist. Turns out Axia, looks a lot like their former and infamous Captain Blacktongue, like a lot like her, like her whole mysterious past may have been as this pirate Captain. But as "memories wake" and revelations unfold Axia become part of a plot larger than her identity crisis.
Spoiler-Free Review and Recommendation
The story was giving "Tress of the Emerald Sea" vibes with the whole, girl getting abducted by a pirate crew but without the whole romance subplot. The tone of the story is innocent and playful, it felt like reading a Disney movie and I don't mean this in any negative way. The author (Django Wexler) has a successful middle-grade fantasy series and that's exactly the audience this feels more so tailored to. And I cant really recommend it to anyone over the age of 16. I'm 31, and while I enjoyed it well enough, I enjoyed it in the same way that I may enjoy Toy Story or Monster's Inc. I can recognize that they are good, maybe even laugh a few times, but I wouldn't spend a Friday night watching them by myself, and I think I honestly wouldn't have picked up this book if I had known that it played more to a middle-grade audience.
I think this is a great book to give to a kid with an interest in Sci-fi Fantasy and D&D. Spelljammer's setting is brimming with imagination and creativity that they will no doubt love, and this book does an great job of really capturing as much of Spelljammer as it can.
The story is about Axia, a girl with amnesia and a nebulas past, living the slow and boring life of a workhand, when an assassin shows up to kill her, and pirates bail her out to use her as part of their plan for a treasure heist. Turns out Axia, looks a lot like their former and infamous Captain Blacktongue, like a lot like her, like her whole mysterious past may have been as this pirate Captain. But as "memories wake" and revelations unfold Axia become part of a plot larger than her identity crisis.
Spoiler-Free Review and Recommendation
The story was giving "Tress of the Emerald Sea" vibes with the whole, girl getting abducted by a pirate crew but without the whole romance subplot. The tone of the story is innocent and playful, it felt like reading a Disney movie and I don't mean this in any negative way. The author (Django Wexler) has a successful middle-grade fantasy series and that's exactly the audience this feels more so tailored to. And I cant really recommend it to anyone over the age of 16. I'm 31, and while I enjoyed it well enough, I enjoyed it in the same way that I may enjoy Toy Story or Monster's Inc. I can recognize that they are good, maybe even laugh a few times, but I wouldn't spend a Friday night watching them by myself, and I think I honestly wouldn't have picked up this book if I had known that it played more to a middle-grade audience.
I think this is a great book to give to a kid with an interest in Sci-fi Fantasy and D&D. Spelljammer's setting is brimming with imagination and creativity that they will no doubt love, and this book does an great job of really capturing as much of Spelljammer as it can.
August 27, 2024
Fake it till you make it in Wildspace…
Dungeons & Dragons: Spelljammer: Memory's Wake by Django Wexler is the first novel set in the new Spelljammer setting…and thankfully new readers won’t be completely lost…
Axia is a young woman without any memory living on an asteroid colony when someone she doesn’t know tries to kill her. Then two other people she doesn’t know arrive to try and hire her for a job…
This begins a fun little story about trying to be bloodthirsty pirate when maybe you want to be better than that…as axia is tossed into a role solely because she looks remarkably like a long absent pirate queen (one whose disappearance matches up perfectly with Axia’s own memory loss).
Working with her colorful “crew”, Axia will clash with spiderfolk marauders, attend a pirate ball, seek answers on a botanical colony of philosophers, try not to upset a solar dragon scholar, and eventually get answers to the questions she’s wanted for three years.
This is a fine introduction to Spelljammer as it’s set in a new area called Shatterspace and hints at some of the setting information that may pop up if this book series continues.
Also, the character banter is highly entertaining especially the cleric based ones (god botherer, Sky Daddy, etc).
Highly recommend for those interested in Spelljammer, pirate stories, or just quirky space mysteries…
Dungeons & Dragons: Spelljammer: Memory's Wake by Django Wexler is the first novel set in the new Spelljammer setting…and thankfully new readers won’t be completely lost…
Axia is a young woman without any memory living on an asteroid colony when someone she doesn’t know tries to kill her. Then two other people she doesn’t know arrive to try and hire her for a job…
This begins a fun little story about trying to be bloodthirsty pirate when maybe you want to be better than that…as axia is tossed into a role solely because she looks remarkably like a long absent pirate queen (one whose disappearance matches up perfectly with Axia’s own memory loss).
Working with her colorful “crew”, Axia will clash with spiderfolk marauders, attend a pirate ball, seek answers on a botanical colony of philosophers, try not to upset a solar dragon scholar, and eventually get answers to the questions she’s wanted for three years.
This is a fine introduction to Spelljammer as it’s set in a new area called Shatterspace and hints at some of the setting information that may pop up if this book series continues.
Also, the character banter is highly entertaining especially the cleric based ones (god botherer, Sky Daddy, etc).
Highly recommend for those interested in Spelljammer, pirate stories, or just quirky space mysteries…
August 19, 2024
Very fun call to adventure novel.
Spelljammer hits a modern tone akin to that of Baldur's Gate 3 or at least a more modern and fast paced take on some of the slower and drawn out DnD novels of previous years. The Spelljammer world is far from what most DnD fans are familiar in terms of setting but offers many familiar set pieces and lore bits to grab onto. Characters were exciting to have on the journey but beyond a few, were somewhat forgettable. The action and mystery kept my attention as the book raced through it's various locations and characters. I think the large contrasting scene changes helped capture the feel of a treasuring hunting adventure while introducing Spelljammer lore and locations that can be built upon if other books in these series or location come out.
The book is a bit paint by numbers in terms of a fantasy novel but instead of feeling played out or full of tropes, it more feels like reading a book from when I was a kid that I'd forgotten about, very warm and cozy story to get lost in.
Spelljammer hits a modern tone akin to that of Baldur's Gate 3 or at least a more modern and fast paced take on some of the slower and drawn out DnD novels of previous years. The Spelljammer world is far from what most DnD fans are familiar in terms of setting but offers many familiar set pieces and lore bits to grab onto. Characters were exciting to have on the journey but beyond a few, were somewhat forgettable. The action and mystery kept my attention as the book raced through it's various locations and characters. I think the large contrasting scene changes helped capture the feel of a treasuring hunting adventure while introducing Spelljammer lore and locations that can be built upon if other books in these series or location come out.
The book is a bit paint by numbers in terms of a fantasy novel but instead of feeling played out or full of tropes, it more feels like reading a book from when I was a kid that I'd forgotten about, very warm and cozy story to get lost in.
June 17, 2024
Are you a fan of Baldur's Gate 3?
Does Treasure Planet have a special place in your heart?
Well, you found the best combination of the two!
I love this novel. Thank you Django Wexle for giving the Spelljammer setting some much needed good official content. The characters by themselves were good, but together all of them had great synergy. The scenes were dynamic, but also detailed enough for me to dive deep in the amazing world of Shatterspace. There were some small and some big plot twists. And even though the book is targeted mainly toward teenagers, I as an adult also enjoyed it a lot. Five stars are not enough to reflect my appreciation for this novel. It deserves every single star, that shines around a spelljammer!
And yes, please, please, please give us a second part (or maybe even a whole series)!
Does Treasure Planet have a special place in your heart?
Well, you found the best combination of the two!
I love this novel. Thank you Django Wexle for giving the Spelljammer setting some much needed good official content. The characters by themselves were good, but together all of them had great synergy. The scenes were dynamic, but also detailed enough for me to dive deep in the amazing world of Shatterspace. There were some small and some big plot twists. And even though the book is targeted mainly toward teenagers, I as an adult also enjoyed it a lot. Five stars are not enough to reflect my appreciation for this novel. It deserves every single star, that shines around a spelljammer!
And yes, please, please, please give us a second part (or maybe even a whole series)!
June 26, 2024
I listened to the audiobook of this excellent example of a modern dungeons and dragons novel. It captures the possibilities of dungeons and dragons and makes one of the more unique settings come alive with possibilities for stories and adventures. It’s a tale of pirates in space with magic and fantasy and fun, diverse characters. Highly recommended. I especially like that while if you are a long time dungeons and dragons player or game master you will enjoy the many details this book gets right about the game and settings - but if you aren’t it is a compelling adventure tale. And it shows the potential for many types of adventures.
It is also clearly a novel not just a retelling of a game at a table. But it is good inspiration for your own adventures and for game masters how to make the creatures and settings come alive.
It is also clearly a novel not just a retelling of a game at a table. But it is good inspiration for your own adventures and for game masters how to make the creatures and settings come alive.
July 1, 2024
I found this in a used book shop in mid June. The book hadn’t been out more than a couple of weeks at this point so I grabbed it. Read the whole thing in a weekend. It was rollicking fun—a great example of the potential inherent in DnD. I was unfamiliar with the spelljammer setting though I have played DnD for years. The setting was captivating and the characters were likable. The fast pace kept me turning pages. It was a pretty enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys sci-fi/fantasy, and especially for those passionate about TTRPGs. Also, I could be wrong, but I think it could be a great book for children of a certain age, to expand their vocabulary and imagination while exposing them to the world’s greatest role playing game.
September 6, 2024
Rating 3.5
This was more enjoyable than I expected tbh.
A large part of that is probably down to the author DW. I have only read one other novel by them and I really enjoyed that, not sure why I haven’t got around to continuing with that series.
This was a fast paced plot, yes predictable in places if you have read more than a couple of fantasy novels but still kept me interested.
The main character/s again were nothing new or genre breaking but were drawn well and definitely have room to grow in any future novels they feature in. Hopefully the same author will be involved.
Overall a solid read that I found, surprisingly, a better than average read.
This was more enjoyable than I expected tbh.
A large part of that is probably down to the author DW. I have only read one other novel by them and I really enjoyed that, not sure why I haven’t got around to continuing with that series.
This was a fast paced plot, yes predictable in places if you have read more than a couple of fantasy novels but still kept me interested.
The main character/s again were nothing new or genre breaking but were drawn well and definitely have room to grow in any future novels they feature in. Hopefully the same author will be involved.
Overall a solid read that I found, surprisingly, a better than average read.
May 20, 2025
Story was relatively well written but the use of LBGT pronouns drive me crazy. Calling an individual "they" or "them" which are pleural pronouns is simply improper use of English and thus shouldn't even make it past a proper editor. Makes me think the they person must have multiple personality disorder or demonic possession.
Another reviewer mentioned that he felt this story was meant for a LGBT teenage girl which I tend to agree so I am not the target audience. When I purchased the book, I wanted to really get into Spelljammer story without having to put up with the teenage romance feel to it.
Another reviewer mentioned that he felt this story was meant for a LGBT teenage girl which I tend to agree so I am not the target audience. When I purchased the book, I wanted to really get into Spelljammer story without having to put up with the teenage romance feel to it.
July 6, 2024
I'm a sucker for a good fantasy story that involves a treasure hunt and a mysterious pirate plot. Memory's Wake delivered all of that and more, leaving me hopeful of getting to read more of Axia's adventures in the future. It keeps things lighthearted and fun, but also explores concept of memory and how choices shape who we become. I really, really enjoyed my time in Wild Space and hope that Wexler will get a chance to show us more of it at some point.
Read for a fun adventure, pirates, and plots!
Look out for falling in trouble with a whole crew of lovable rascals!
Read for a fun adventure, pirates, and plots!
Look out for falling in trouble with a whole crew of lovable rascals!
July 16, 2024
Probably the finest Dungeons & Dragons book I’ve ever read, and a great fantasy novel in its own right. A lot of times these books feel forced into the D&D setting, and the overall story suffers for it. Not this one… for the first time, the setting (Spelljammer in this case) adds SO much, the ship mechanics, the different races, all the separate ingredients come together to make a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. I want sequels! Not only that, I want this to become a playground for other authors, like Dragonlance used to be, that’s how good a job Wexler did with this. MORE!!!
October 8, 2024
I enjoyed the plot, but overall found that too much was left unresolved too deeply into the book. The ending felt a little rushed because of it, and the book’s main mystery felt a little unsatisfying.
I would be a little less disgruntled if there was already a sequel, or an announced sequel, but at the current moment it just feels like a hanging story. There’s just enough elements for a sequel to be plausible, but also just enough stuff wrapped up for them to leave it as is.
I’m glad it has been added to the body of D&D lore and it did feel like a refreshing story within that context
I would be a little less disgruntled if there was already a sequel, or an announced sequel, but at the current moment it just feels like a hanging story. There’s just enough elements for a sequel to be plausible, but also just enough stuff wrapped up for them to leave it as is.
I’m glad it has been added to the body of D&D lore and it did feel like a refreshing story within that context
December 9, 2024
This was my first dive into Wexler's writing (though I have Dark Lord on my shelf waiting) and also my first dip into Spelljammer even though I've been an avid D&D player for years now.
I have to say, I was very impressed. I was engaged from the get go.
This felt like the perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy; a space pirate heist story with just a smattering of queer friendly tropes that made it feel *very* modern day D&D.
Very enjoyable. I'd definitely like to see more from Axia and her crew in the future.
I have to say, I was very impressed. I was engaged from the get go.
This felt like the perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy; a space pirate heist story with just a smattering of queer friendly tropes that made it feel *very* modern day D&D.
Very enjoyable. I'd definitely like to see more from Axia and her crew in the future.
November 17, 2024
Many years ago I ran a Spelljammer campaign. I have also read all the previous Spelljamer books published by TSR, so I was excited to see that another had come out and was written by an author I was familiar with from reading The Forbidden Library series to my kids years ago. Without giving away any spoilers I will say that I was hooked on page 1 with a giant space hamster and thoroughly enjoyed the read. I hope TSR asks him to write a sequel.
November 3, 2025
This swashbuckling tale of pirates has pretty much exactly the plot you'd expect it to have, but it's well done and Axia's a likable main character.
A little knowledge of D&D's Spelljammer setting probably doesn't hurt, but isn't necessary. Wexler does a good job of introducing the setting and the magic that makes it work without bogging down the plot.
If you're in the mood for a fun fantasy pirate adventure, it's worth a read.
A little knowledge of D&D's Spelljammer setting probably doesn't hurt, but isn't necessary. Wexler does a good job of introducing the setting and the magic that makes it work without bogging down the plot.
If you're in the mood for a fun fantasy pirate adventure, it's worth a read.
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