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A Rebel's History of Mars
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer member's striking new book of time travel and biological science fiction is a thrilling ride.
Kezza, an aerialist in the Martian circus, can never return to Earth – but she can assassinate the man she blames for her grim life on the red planet. Her murderous plans take an unexpected turn, however, when she uncovers a sinister secret.
A thousand years into the future, Azad lives a safe but controlled life on the beautiful desert planet of Nabatea. His world is upended when he joins a crew of space-traveling historians seeking to learn the true reason that their ancestors left Mars
Separated by time and space, Kezza and Azad’s stories collide in the Martian desert.
Kezza, an aerialist in the Martian circus, can never return to Earth – but she can assassinate the man she blames for her grim life on the red planet. Her murderous plans take an unexpected turn, however, when she uncovers a sinister secret.
A thousand years into the future, Azad lives a safe but controlled life on the beautiful desert planet of Nabatea. His world is upended when he joins a crew of space-traveling historians seeking to learn the true reason that their ancestors left Mars
Separated by time and space, Kezza and Azad’s stories collide in the Martian desert.
- GenresScience FictionDystopia
304 pages, Hardcover
Published July 15, 2025
9 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 19, 2025
I enjoyed following the escapades of this Martian group over two time periods. I thought some of the concepts, which I can't share because of spoilers, were a fun addition to solving a scifi mystery that happened over 1000 years before present day in the book. If you like interstellar mysteries you will enjoy this one. It kind of feels a bit like indiana jones in space, maybe because of the dusty martian landscape.
You do need to suspend some medical science disbelief and hand waving of some science. I don't want to spoil anything, but I would think that people that far into the future would have a better grasp on some concepts than they do in the book. However, the fun and the mystery of the plot still made it enjoyable. I'll be curious to see what Nadia Afifi continues to write in the future, lots of potential here!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy. All opinions are very much my own.
You do need to suspend some medical science disbelief and hand waving of some science. I don't want to spoil anything, but I would think that people that far into the future would have a better grasp on some concepts than they do in the book. However, the fun and the mystery of the plot still made it enjoyable. I'll be curious to see what Nadia Afifi continues to write in the future, lots of potential here!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy. All opinions are very much my own.
July 2, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
A Rebel's History of Mars is a smart sci-fi novel, written by Nadia Afifi, published by Flame Tree Press. A story split in two timelines that takes inspiration from the dystopian genre, establishing an interesting parallelism that also is used as a narrative device to examine themes such as the building of societies, and how history is written, playing with a well-fleshed worldbuilding.
Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian Circus; she can't return to Earth, but she plans to at least get rid of the person that she blames for it. However, the assassination plan takes an unexpected twist when that same person offers her being part of the new society he's designing; hope to break the dystopian that Mars has become under the current corporate control.
In our second timeline, Azad seems to be living an idyllic life in Nabatea; a "perfect society", however, Azad needs something more to be happy. He joins a group of space-traveling historians whose quest to rediscover what happened in the Martian exodus might also help to bring light over what happened with Azad's sister, Ledo; an opportunity to learn about Nabatea's origins and the last days of Mars.
Kezza is an excellent lead character; not only we have a determined person, but also one that is empathic with the rest. We can see how she's fighting for making things better for the rest, even if that means pain for her; she is brave to confront Juul when needed, but also being an idealist, it means collaborating with his idea of a new society, an escape for the Martians.
In comparison, it is true that Azad is a more passive character, having less weight on the narration, but still you can connect with how he's unable to find a place in this utopical society of Nabatea and his search for Ledo.
Afifi's worldbuilding is superb; the dystopic nature of both societies, but each one in their own sense. It is interesting to see how the author takes an approach to how history is written with agendas in mind, and especially, how it is rewritten by the victorious.
The pacing is relatively fast, alternating between both timelines, making this book an authentic pageturner.
A Rebel's History of Mars is a great sci-fi novel, perfect if you are looking for a thought-provoking story that, at the same time, delivers a memorable cast of characters. A really enjoyable novel by Nadia Afifi.
A Rebel's History of Mars is a smart sci-fi novel, written by Nadia Afifi, published by Flame Tree Press. A story split in two timelines that takes inspiration from the dystopian genre, establishing an interesting parallelism that also is used as a narrative device to examine themes such as the building of societies, and how history is written, playing with a well-fleshed worldbuilding.
Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian Circus; she can't return to Earth, but she plans to at least get rid of the person that she blames for it. However, the assassination plan takes an unexpected twist when that same person offers her being part of the new society he's designing; hope to break the dystopian that Mars has become under the current corporate control.
In our second timeline, Azad seems to be living an idyllic life in Nabatea; a "perfect society", however, Azad needs something more to be happy. He joins a group of space-traveling historians whose quest to rediscover what happened in the Martian exodus might also help to bring light over what happened with Azad's sister, Ledo; an opportunity to learn about Nabatea's origins and the last days of Mars.
Kezza is an excellent lead character; not only we have a determined person, but also one that is empathic with the rest. We can see how she's fighting for making things better for the rest, even if that means pain for her; she is brave to confront Juul when needed, but also being an idealist, it means collaborating with his idea of a new society, an escape for the Martians.
In comparison, it is true that Azad is a more passive character, having less weight on the narration, but still you can connect with how he's unable to find a place in this utopical society of Nabatea and his search for Ledo.
Afifi's worldbuilding is superb; the dystopic nature of both societies, but each one in their own sense. It is interesting to see how the author takes an approach to how history is written with agendas in mind, and especially, how it is rewritten by the victorious.
The pacing is relatively fast, alternating between both timelines, making this book an authentic pageturner.
A Rebel's History of Mars is a great sci-fi novel, perfect if you are looking for a thought-provoking story that, at the same time, delivers a memorable cast of characters. A really enjoyable novel by Nadia Afifi.
July 10, 2025
A Rebel’s History of Mars alternates between two POV characters living a thousand years apart. Azad, living in the space colony of Nabatea, escapes his highly controlled life when evidence of his long lost sister arises and he has the chance to join a ship of historians researching humanity’s past journey from Mars to what became Nabatea. A thousand years in the past, Kezza, a circus performer living in a corporate-operated Mars colony, gets swept up in ‘civilizationist’ Barett Juul’s plans to design and start a new society different from the exploitative ‘tiered’ model of the Martian cities. Each soon learns that more is going on than they realized.
This novel has so much of what I look for in a sci-fi novel: multiple POVs that feel distinctive, an exciting plot consistently paced, a few clever twists I did not 100% see coming, and solid worldbuilding that is simultaneously dystopian and wholly believable (with the exception of perhaps some of the scientific components); there are clear ethical and political implications to consider in the narrative and I appreciate the nuance with which they’re presented. I will definitely read more from Afifi.
Thank you to Flame Tree Press, NetGalley, & the author for providing me with an ARC to review.
Content warnings: violence, murder, sexual harassment, classism, racism, gun violence, mass shooting, medical content, medical trauma, pandemic/epidemic, blood, terminal illness, cancer, forcible confinement, death, death of a parent, grief
This novel has so much of what I look for in a sci-fi novel: multiple POVs that feel distinctive, an exciting plot consistently paced, a few clever twists I did not 100% see coming, and solid worldbuilding that is simultaneously dystopian and wholly believable (with the exception of perhaps some of the scientific components); there are clear ethical and political implications to consider in the narrative and I appreciate the nuance with which they’re presented. I will definitely read more from Afifi.
Thank you to Flame Tree Press, NetGalley, & the author for providing me with an ARC to review.
Content warnings: violence, murder, sexual harassment, classism, racism, gun violence, mass shooting, medical content, medical trauma, pandemic/epidemic, blood, terminal illness, cancer, forcible confinement, death, death of a parent, grief
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September 6, 2025You’ll find my review of this fine novel in the October 2025 issue of Locus.
July 8, 2025
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a digital proof copy from Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, death, genocide/mass murder, death of parent, cancer/terminal illness, grief, sexual harassment, contagion, vomit, kidnapping/confinement, medical content/trauma
--
I absolutely loved Nadia Afifi’s short story The Generation Chip in Thyme Travellers so was really excited to read something longer from her and A Rebel’s History of Mars did not disappointed in the slightest!
It is a story two fold with a dual timeline. One taking place in a distant future following a young medic on the planet Nabatea. When an injured woman comes crashing into his work place and hints that she is familiar with his long lost twin, he sets off to find answers of where she ran off to and gets tangled up in the mission of a group of historian travellers who want to find out more about their past and the planet they migrated from, Mars. Their search has them coming across an encrypted recording of a mysterious message about Nabatea’s founder. The other timeline takes place around 1000 years before when humanity has been living on Mars and follows a young circus aerialist who wants revenge on the man behind humanity moving to the red planet and thus her lot in life. However, she ends up stumbling upon a conspiracy which changes the course of her life forever.
Afifi is a brilliant storyteller, instantly drawing you into the two imagined futures and the lives of her characters. The worldbuilding overall was really well done and while the technology side of things had its questionable aspects, how it came into play with the dual timeline was really interesting.
The societies on Mars and Nabatea couldn’t be more different but through the two leads we come to see how they equally pose dystopic civilisations that are rooted in discrimination and elitism. With one supposedly being the utopia of the other it was really interesting to see the known details of each society and then following the characters on their individual journeys as they slowly uncovered the hidden truths over the course of the book.
It’s a story of lost history and looking for answers as much as it is breaking free to make your own choices and I loved how this came about through both Azad the medic’s and Kezza the aerialist’s narratives.
Azad’s side whilst action packed and fast paced had a lighter feel to it which I think came down to there being more moments of banter and the found family aspects with the historian crew that he fell in with. Kezza’s has a much darker, thriller edge to it and I found myself more emotionally invested in her storyline of wanting better for herself and others, though both narratives were as charged with emotions as each other.
There is a little bit of repetition when the two storylines start to line up but the overall mystery is engrossing and I really enjoyed how everything came together by the end. This book is up there with my favourites of the year so far and I’m looking forward to picking up more work by Afifi in the future!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
**I received a digital proof copy from Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, death, genocide/mass murder, death of parent, cancer/terminal illness, grief, sexual harassment, contagion, vomit, kidnapping/confinement, medical content/trauma
--
I absolutely loved Nadia Afifi’s short story The Generation Chip in Thyme Travellers so was really excited to read something longer from her and A Rebel’s History of Mars did not disappointed in the slightest!
It is a story two fold with a dual timeline. One taking place in a distant future following a young medic on the planet Nabatea. When an injured woman comes crashing into his work place and hints that she is familiar with his long lost twin, he sets off to find answers of where she ran off to and gets tangled up in the mission of a group of historian travellers who want to find out more about their past and the planet they migrated from, Mars. Their search has them coming across an encrypted recording of a mysterious message about Nabatea’s founder. The other timeline takes place around 1000 years before when humanity has been living on Mars and follows a young circus aerialist who wants revenge on the man behind humanity moving to the red planet and thus her lot in life. However, she ends up stumbling upon a conspiracy which changes the course of her life forever.
Afifi is a brilliant storyteller, instantly drawing you into the two imagined futures and the lives of her characters. The worldbuilding overall was really well done and while the technology side of things had its questionable aspects, how it came into play with the dual timeline was really interesting.
The societies on Mars and Nabatea couldn’t be more different but through the two leads we come to see how they equally pose dystopic civilisations that are rooted in discrimination and elitism. With one supposedly being the utopia of the other it was really interesting to see the known details of each society and then following the characters on their individual journeys as they slowly uncovered the hidden truths over the course of the book.
It’s a story of lost history and looking for answers as much as it is breaking free to make your own choices and I loved how this came about through both Azad the medic’s and Kezza the aerialist’s narratives.
Azad’s side whilst action packed and fast paced had a lighter feel to it which I think came down to there being more moments of banter and the found family aspects with the historian crew that he fell in with. Kezza’s has a much darker, thriller edge to it and I found myself more emotionally invested in her storyline of wanting better for herself and others, though both narratives were as charged with emotions as each other.
There is a little bit of repetition when the two storylines start to line up but the overall mystery is engrossing and I really enjoyed how everything came together by the end. This book is up there with my favourites of the year so far and I’m looking forward to picking up more work by Afifi in the future!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
June 10, 2025
A Rebel’s History of Mars is told in two timelines, with the perspective alternating each chapter. The first timeline features a rebel on Mars: a circus performer with an axe to grind against the wealthy, powerful civilizationist whose rhetoric had convinced her parents to abandon Earth in the first place. The second is set on a distant planet well into the future, one that’s divided into one race of people with freedom to move and to explore and another that’s expected to perform their mundane jobs and be satisfied with a stable life of restricted choices. But when the latter starts to dig into the history of his civilization, he finds their genius founder may not have had such clean hands, and the first-timeline protagonist’s story is crucial to understanding why.
In setting up the second timeline as dystopian, A Rebel’s History of Mars signposts from the beginning that its founding is not as utopian as the characters believe. And there’s never much secret about the central figure responsible for all the good or ill involved. So any mystery about the history cannot be about the existence of scandal or the perpetrator of it; the characters may seek evidence of any scandal at all, but from the reader’s perspective, it’s purely about the details—exactly what went on, and how bad was it?
With the focus on discovering the suppressed history and a hand-wavy sci-fi device that allows for the reconstruction of past events, the second timeline almost becomes a frame story for the first. Make no mistake, there’s still danger to escape and character development in the second timeline, but the main goal is piecing together the story from the first. The state of society in the future gives some hints—often ominous—about the tone of that story, but in many ways, the book stands or falls on the Mars timeline.
And while the Mars timeline probably looks like a lot of other crappy dystopias, it’s well-written and pretty entertaining. The future knowledge can cut both ways at various times, with some instances in which details about the new society adds disturbing overtones to developments on Mars, but other times where knowing the identity of the ultimate betrayer leaves the reader merely waiting for the other shoe to drop.
But even in those times where the reader is merely awaiting the inevitable, an engaging writing style keeps the story from dragging, and the alternating perspectives keeps any one timeline from wearing out its welcome. And when it does come time for the final confrontation, it’s truly thrilling, delivering an emotional punch and filling in enough details to make it feel revelatory and not just matter-of-course. The “what’s to be done in light of the revelation” story gives the second timeline some time in the sun, paying off its slow development into an ending with enough progress to feel satisfying and enough ambiguity to feel real.
Ultimately, A Rebel’s History of Mars is a well-written piece of dystopian fiction that’s elevated by a high-quality ending with plenty of emotional payoff and glimpses of messy progress.
Recommended if you like: sci-fi dystopias.
15/20
In setting up the second timeline as dystopian, A Rebel’s History of Mars signposts from the beginning that its founding is not as utopian as the characters believe. And there’s never much secret about the central figure responsible for all the good or ill involved. So any mystery about the history cannot be about the existence of scandal or the perpetrator of it; the characters may seek evidence of any scandal at all, but from the reader’s perspective, it’s purely about the details—exactly what went on, and how bad was it?
With the focus on discovering the suppressed history and a hand-wavy sci-fi device that allows for the reconstruction of past events, the second timeline almost becomes a frame story for the first. Make no mistake, there’s still danger to escape and character development in the second timeline, but the main goal is piecing together the story from the first. The state of society in the future gives some hints—often ominous—about the tone of that story, but in many ways, the book stands or falls on the Mars timeline.
And while the Mars timeline probably looks like a lot of other crappy dystopias, it’s well-written and pretty entertaining. The future knowledge can cut both ways at various times, with some instances in which details about the new society adds disturbing overtones to developments on Mars, but other times where knowing the identity of the ultimate betrayer leaves the reader merely waiting for the other shoe to drop.
But even in those times where the reader is merely awaiting the inevitable, an engaging writing style keeps the story from dragging, and the alternating perspectives keeps any one timeline from wearing out its welcome. And when it does come time for the final confrontation, it’s truly thrilling, delivering an emotional punch and filling in enough details to make it feel revelatory and not just matter-of-course. The “what’s to be done in light of the revelation” story gives the second timeline some time in the sun, paying off its slow development into an ending with enough progress to feel satisfying and enough ambiguity to feel real.
Ultimately, A Rebel’s History of Mars is a well-written piece of dystopian fiction that’s elevated by a high-quality ending with plenty of emotional payoff and glimpses of messy progress.
Recommended if you like: sci-fi dystopias.
15/20
September 13, 2025
A Rebels History Of Mars by Nadia Afifi, Kesha’s Initial aim was to kill Barrett Jewell the founder of a future town called Nebatea City because she blamed him for her mother‘s death. Before Kessa knows it she not only doesn’t want to kill him but will help him carry out his future plans. Azad is a doctor in Nabatea city and the woman he will know is Nina is brought in with all her insides melting and spewing black sludge but before she dies she tells him “you look just like her!“ he knows she can only be talking about one person and that is his twin sister Ledo. Who left the city long ago and someone he thought dead. Circumstances and even stranger events will lead him to a crew under Captain Zell’ this is where he learns about Barry a machine that can take imprint of the past and run it in real time like a movie. The crew or historians because in the world Azad lives in there is no freedom and they are told to look to the future and not the past. The crew wants to find out the real story of an ancient city on Mars but Azad’s only goal is to find his sister. during their search however they will find so much more. i’m not gonna lie there were some nuances in the story I did not understand but the overall meat and bones of the book was compelling and oh so interesting. I loved Tessa and felt so bad for her throughout most of the book although when it comes to Azad there were many decisions he made I found dubious and not in his best interest but won’t say because it will give spoilers away and I am not trying to do that. If you are in to space dramas especially those involving archaeological digs both with objects and visible then you will absolutely enjoy the story it is a time travel per se type story but as the time travel is done far in the future it doesn’t feel time traveling the way most time travel stories do but it was so good you really will just let that go. this is a wonderful read and one I definitely recommend. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #FlameTreeBooks, #NadiafAifi,#ARebel’sHistoryOfMars,
July 29, 2025
3.5*
A Rebel’s History of Mars is told in two timelines: the "past", via Kezza on Mars, in 2195, and then over a thousand years later via Azad, starting on a distant planet colonized by the folks from Mars. Pretty cool, right? Kezza's story begins as she's trapped on Mars, making mere peanuts as an aerialist in the circus. Azad is just living a mundane life, but when he finds a clue that may lead him to his missing sister, he jumps at the chance to join the crew, basically upending his whole life. In his pursuit of his sister, he begins to find that quite a few aspects of his life were not exactly what they seemed.
And so our story takes us back to the place (and time) where it all began, and gives us insight into how Azad's world came to be, and what lead to the "superhuman" race of people who now occupy the "elite" class of the new world. Obviously, the themes are on point, a tale as old as time: the haves versus the have nots. I loved the secrets and mysteries that are unfurled in the dual timelines, and I really felt connected to Kezza's storyline especially. The tech was very cool too, and I loved how there were actually very cool, very futuristic gadgets involved. My only real issue with the story was that the pacing felt a bit slow at times, and then during the exciting bits perhaps a little too fast. That, and I wasn't quite as connected with Azad as I was Kezza, but I did enjoy Azad and the folks he ends up with much more as the story went on.
Bottom Line: Rich people just think they're superior, no matter what solar system you find yourself in.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
A Rebel’s History of Mars is told in two timelines: the "past", via Kezza on Mars, in 2195, and then over a thousand years later via Azad, starting on a distant planet colonized by the folks from Mars. Pretty cool, right? Kezza's story begins as she's trapped on Mars, making mere peanuts as an aerialist in the circus. Azad is just living a mundane life, but when he finds a clue that may lead him to his missing sister, he jumps at the chance to join the crew, basically upending his whole life. In his pursuit of his sister, he begins to find that quite a few aspects of his life were not exactly what they seemed.
And so our story takes us back to the place (and time) where it all began, and gives us insight into how Azad's world came to be, and what lead to the "superhuman" race of people who now occupy the "elite" class of the new world. Obviously, the themes are on point, a tale as old as time: the haves versus the have nots. I loved the secrets and mysteries that are unfurled in the dual timelines, and I really felt connected to Kezza's storyline especially. The tech was very cool too, and I loved how there were actually very cool, very futuristic gadgets involved. My only real issue with the story was that the pacing felt a bit slow at times, and then during the exciting bits perhaps a little too fast. That, and I wasn't quite as connected with Azad as I was Kezza, but I did enjoy Azad and the folks he ends up with much more as the story went on.
Bottom Line: Rich people just think they're superior, no matter what solar system you find yourself in.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
August 17, 2025
This is the best straight-ahead sci fi I have read in YEARS, and very firmly, from page one, the kind that is rooted in the question, "what themes, messages, and politics can I exaggerate and highlight using genre?" rather than "can I think of cool technology?" (which, to be clear, Afifi does also do!). From individual personal questions, like how to balance the restless drive for exploration with the merits of satisfaction with one's daily life, to grand questions about how apartheid would be constructed given actual, measurable differences is "ability" (vital for a cruelly ableist society to consider!), Afifi's lightning quick storytelling left me desperate to know what happens next - after each chapter, but especially now that I have to wait for the sequel! I loved so many of the characters and found myself uncertain of where the plot was going as the mystery unfolded, which is not my usual science fiction experience. How different our hellish world would be if only we had the "history projector" (love to Barry) Afifi imagines here...
Push this to the top of your list, and then text me about it so we can discuss!!
Push this to the top of your list, and then text me about it so we can discuss!!
November 25, 2025
The past sections with Kezza were infinitely better/more entertaining to me than the other (yes, it is split timeline, and yes, I feel like the entire story suffered for it... star has been removed for that) but still quite a good story about colonization and settling on Mars. My biggest complaint about it is
July 25, 2025
The term "page turner" is definitely used far too much, so I try not to use it that often, but I must say, this read certainly is a page turner of the highest order.
It's a Sci-fi tale, but not your average Sci-fi. The story also covers politics and societal issues.
The world building is sweeping and expansive, with a great dystopian feel. And the characters are well fleshed out, are believable and feel real.
The writing Is imaginative and brilliantly descriptive, and the storyline flows wonderfully.
In every aspect, just right up my street.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
It's a Sci-fi tale, but not your average Sci-fi. The story also covers politics and societal issues.
The world building is sweeping and expansive, with a great dystopian feel. And the characters are well fleshed out, are believable and feel real.
The writing Is imaginative and brilliantly descriptive, and the storyline flows wonderfully.
In every aspect, just right up my street.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
July 6, 2025
Entertaining, engaging, and enigmatic this is a fun read! I’m bummed I had to read it on my phone, but I will be purchasing a print copy ASAP as this is sci-fi at its best.
Really easy to get into, it doesn’t feel like other sci-fi I’ve read where you have to learn a whole new language to understand what’s happening in the book. You just jump right in and enjoy the ride.
While some of the science (viruses, gene splicing, medical accuracy) leave something to be desired especially if you have a biology/science background, if you suspend belief and let yourself get into it the themes it is a colorful and rich story with virtuous intent.
Speaking of themes, this story explores topics of autonomy, racism, classism, corporate control, nature vs nurture, and what it means to be human.
I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Nadia Afifi for allowing me to read an eARC of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.
Really easy to get into, it doesn’t feel like other sci-fi I’ve read where you have to learn a whole new language to understand what’s happening in the book. You just jump right in and enjoy the ride.
While some of the science (viruses, gene splicing, medical accuracy) leave something to be desired especially if you have a biology/science background, if you suspend belief and let yourself get into it the themes it is a colorful and rich story with virtuous intent.
Speaking of themes, this story explores topics of autonomy, racism, classism, corporate control, nature vs nurture, and what it means to be human.
I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Nadia Afifi for allowing me to read an eARC of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.
dnf
June 23, 2025As a sci-fi fan, I was really intrigued by the premise, the element of people separated through time finding a way to connect, which I’ve enjoyed in other stories before. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me. I found the narrative a bit confusing to follow, and despite the interesting concept, I wasn’t feeling that pull to keep picking it up. This might be a better fit for readers who enjoy a more abstract or layered storytelling style, but ultimately it just wasn’t the right match for me.
July 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the e-Arc!
A Rebel's History of Mars follows two different characters in two different timelines. In the 21st century, Kezza works as an aerialist for a meager salary on one of two Mars colonies. When she attempts to assinate the man she blames for ruining her life, she instead finds herself embroiled in his plans to found a new colony on the newly discovered planet of Nabatea. One thousand years in the future, Azad finds himself stuck in the routine controlled life of Nabatea until a chance encounter gives him hope that his long lost twin sister is still alive. He joins a ragtag group of explorers and historians in order to find her and ends up finding much more in the process.
I absolutely love reading stories with multiple timelines and Afifi makes great use of it here. Kezza and Azad both show how ordinary people can chance the course of history when forced into extraordinary circumstances. How can you not love a woman who wants to start a revolution or a man just trying to find the last of his family?
I found the character of Juul to be incredibly fascinating as he is the architect of the Nabatea colony. He asks the question of whether or not human's need heirarchies and the us vs. them mentality to succeed as a species. And he seems to think that the answer is yes to the point of wanting to introduce a new yet false means of segregation into the colony which leads to frustrating ramifications in Azad's timeline. It was fascinating look into humanity and the nature of individulaity.
That being said, the biggest flaw of this book would be the pacing. I felt that conversly plot beats were rushed and yet the story progression felt oddly slow. Due to the dual timelines, the reader has a good idea of what is going to happen to Kezza at the end and I'm not sure the set up was well done enough to compensate for that fact. Unfortunately, the ending was little anticlimactic and used some deus ex machina to resolve the future conflict. I feel the book could have been improved with an extra 50 pages to provide more detail to the ending of Kezza's story as well as giving a satisfactory conclusion to Azad's.
Overall, A Rebel's History of Mars is a solid scifi book with interesting ideas that doesn't quite live up to its potential.
A Rebel's History of Mars follows two different characters in two different timelines. In the 21st century, Kezza works as an aerialist for a meager salary on one of two Mars colonies. When she attempts to assinate the man she blames for ruining her life, she instead finds herself embroiled in his plans to found a new colony on the newly discovered planet of Nabatea. One thousand years in the future, Azad finds himself stuck in the routine controlled life of Nabatea until a chance encounter gives him hope that his long lost twin sister is still alive. He joins a ragtag group of explorers and historians in order to find her and ends up finding much more in the process.
I absolutely love reading stories with multiple timelines and Afifi makes great use of it here. Kezza and Azad both show how ordinary people can chance the course of history when forced into extraordinary circumstances. How can you not love a woman who wants to start a revolution or a man just trying to find the last of his family?
I found the character of Juul to be incredibly fascinating as he is the architect of the Nabatea colony. He asks the question of whether or not human's need heirarchies and the us vs. them mentality to succeed as a species. And he seems to think that the answer is yes to the point of wanting to introduce a new yet false means of segregation into the colony which leads to frustrating ramifications in Azad's timeline. It was fascinating look into humanity and the nature of individulaity.
That being said, the biggest flaw of this book would be the pacing. I felt that conversly plot beats were rushed and yet the story progression felt oddly slow. Due to the dual timelines, the reader has a good idea of what is going to happen to Kezza at the end and I'm not sure the set up was well done enough to compensate for that fact. Unfortunately, the ending was little anticlimactic and used some deus ex machina to resolve the future conflict. I feel the book could have been improved with an extra 50 pages to provide more detail to the ending of Kezza's story as well as giving a satisfactory conclusion to Azad's.
Overall, A Rebel's History of Mars is a solid scifi book with interesting ideas that doesn't quite live up to its potential.
July 23, 2025
Space-traveling historians, now there’s a career I could get behind. History is almost always written by the victors and in non-fictional case the chisel, quill, pen is often swung by those who lived or live in the comfort of our patriarchal systems. The truth becomes a rare commodity, perhaps because truth is never quite objective. What if you were able to follow the path of any beginning or change in the course in history and determine which event, person or sequence of decisions led to a particular crossroads?
Afifi has a particular knack for creating an intricate map of societal complexities, the flaws of humankind and the way the shape and reshape with similar consequences and results over and over again. Would knowing the unfiltered facts of our past that led us to this filtered and confined space in time change us and our choices in any way or would it be the spark of an awakening and rebellion.
I loved the flawless and smooth flow of this story. Sci-fi can sometimes create it’s own collisions and jagged bumps in the narrative, mainly because the genre has a beyond fictional aspect to it as it wanders firmly into domains of a futuristic and speculative nature. There are no guidelines, although I would certainly suggest there is an element suggested speculation garnered through our present existence.
The story also weaves the essence of humanity, it whatever construct or evolved shape that may look like, into the fabric. With a pinch of sarcasm and cynical wit which defines the interactions between the memorable characters, the combination of history meets sci-fi as the decay of society caused by control and the assumed piety of sanctimonious leaders regurgitates itself in a different version ad infinitum with similar results, is a jolly good read.
Keep an eye on this author, definitely one to watch.
Afifi has a particular knack for creating an intricate map of societal complexities, the flaws of humankind and the way the shape and reshape with similar consequences and results over and over again. Would knowing the unfiltered facts of our past that led us to this filtered and confined space in time change us and our choices in any way or would it be the spark of an awakening and rebellion.
I loved the flawless and smooth flow of this story. Sci-fi can sometimes create it’s own collisions and jagged bumps in the narrative, mainly because the genre has a beyond fictional aspect to it as it wanders firmly into domains of a futuristic and speculative nature. There are no guidelines, although I would certainly suggest there is an element suggested speculation garnered through our present existence.
The story also weaves the essence of humanity, it whatever construct or evolved shape that may look like, into the fabric. With a pinch of sarcasm and cynical wit which defines the interactions between the memorable characters, the combination of history meets sci-fi as the decay of society caused by control and the assumed piety of sanctimonious leaders regurgitates itself in a different version ad infinitum with similar results, is a jolly good read.
Keep an eye on this author, definitely one to watch.
August 20, 2025
Review for Concatenation:
A Rebel’s History of Mars is a fresh take on some old science fictional ideas.
The story runs along two timelines. The first involves Azad, a doctor on the planet of Nabatea in approximately the year 4612. There humans like Azad and Vitruvians live a peaceful coexistence on the whole, although there is a strict societal hierarchy and a degree of racism between the Nabateans and the Vitruvians.. Their environment seems somewhat Arabian or Saharan to me – all desert dust, sandstorms and tents. (The name Nabatea was inspired by the city of Petra in Jordan.)
The second plotline is set in 2195, 1209 years before Nabatea was settled. Kezza Sayer is an aerialist who works in the Circus in the Calypso Corporate Campus on Mars. Her agility and muscles mean that she is capable of impressive feats of display, and has developed a reputation as a skilled performer.
Unbeknown to most, Kezza hates the conditions she works in, but is fuelled by revenge and sticks with it in the hope of killing Barrett Juul, the corporate businessman who killed her parents. He is charming, erudite and popular: a civilisationist, seemingly determined to improve the Martian’s lot.
There’s a bit of timey-wimey technological magic through the use of ‘Barry’, a machine created by the archaeologists to look at observed events through time. This allows them to follow what happens to Kezza when she meets Juul, and the resultant consequences. What they discover impacts them in the future as well as rewrites some of the legends of the past.
These apparently different timelines find themselves increasingly intertwined. Azad finds himself leaving Nabatea in the company of a group of historians, determined to work out how the Nabateans got to where they are and what happened to the colonies on Mars as a result.
It’s an unusual, if intriguing mix. The circus athlete element was a little unnecessary but gave us the idea that the city of Calypso is like in the science fiction of the old days, a corporate frontier town, a place where people are living basic lives, in an atmosphere with less atmosphere and a less gravity than on Earth - elements which Kezza finds useful in the plot. There are parts where the story touched upon old-school stories of planetary discovery and knowledge, whilst giving them a contemporary spin. I was in turns reminded a little of the James Bond film Octopussy, Charles G. Finney’s The Circus of Dr Lao, C L Moore’s Shambleau and Greg Bear’s Moving Mars, not to mention a few others.
If you stop to think about it, all those elements suggest that the plot shouldn’t work, that there are too many unusual elements mixed together to form a consistent story. And yet it does. Add to this two very different, yet equally likeable characters, in the form of Kezza and Azad, and these seemingly disparate elements do come together by the end.
Things take unexpected turns in the narrative, and whilst they were often unexpected, the main key notes were not. The story is focussed on character, so you do not get too many background details of Mars or Nabatea, although there are enough to give you the gist without spoiling the flow of the story. There’s a lot of plates being spun here but this debut author manages to keep all things turning nicely.
A Rebel’s History of Mars was an engaging read from a promising new author (to me, anyway.) I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – I try not to know too much about things before I start a review book – but I was pleasantly surprised.
A Rebel’s History of Mars is a fresh take on some old science fictional ideas.
The story runs along two timelines. The first involves Azad, a doctor on the planet of Nabatea in approximately the year 4612. There humans like Azad and Vitruvians live a peaceful coexistence on the whole, although there is a strict societal hierarchy and a degree of racism between the Nabateans and the Vitruvians.. Their environment seems somewhat Arabian or Saharan to me – all desert dust, sandstorms and tents. (The name Nabatea was inspired by the city of Petra in Jordan.)
The second plotline is set in 2195, 1209 years before Nabatea was settled. Kezza Sayer is an aerialist who works in the Circus in the Calypso Corporate Campus on Mars. Her agility and muscles mean that she is capable of impressive feats of display, and has developed a reputation as a skilled performer.
Unbeknown to most, Kezza hates the conditions she works in, but is fuelled by revenge and sticks with it in the hope of killing Barrett Juul, the corporate businessman who killed her parents. He is charming, erudite and popular: a civilisationist, seemingly determined to improve the Martian’s lot.
There’s a bit of timey-wimey technological magic through the use of ‘Barry’, a machine created by the archaeologists to look at observed events through time. This allows them to follow what happens to Kezza when she meets Juul, and the resultant consequences. What they discover impacts them in the future as well as rewrites some of the legends of the past.
These apparently different timelines find themselves increasingly intertwined. Azad finds himself leaving Nabatea in the company of a group of historians, determined to work out how the Nabateans got to where they are and what happened to the colonies on Mars as a result.
It’s an unusual, if intriguing mix. The circus athlete element was a little unnecessary but gave us the idea that the city of Calypso is like in the science fiction of the old days, a corporate frontier town, a place where people are living basic lives, in an atmosphere with less atmosphere and a less gravity than on Earth - elements which Kezza finds useful in the plot. There are parts where the story touched upon old-school stories of planetary discovery and knowledge, whilst giving them a contemporary spin. I was in turns reminded a little of the James Bond film Octopussy, Charles G. Finney’s The Circus of Dr Lao, C L Moore’s Shambleau and Greg Bear’s Moving Mars, not to mention a few others.
If you stop to think about it, all those elements suggest that the plot shouldn’t work, that there are too many unusual elements mixed together to form a consistent story. And yet it does. Add to this two very different, yet equally likeable characters, in the form of Kezza and Azad, and these seemingly disparate elements do come together by the end.
Things take unexpected turns in the narrative, and whilst they were often unexpected, the main key notes were not. The story is focussed on character, so you do not get too many background details of Mars or Nabatea, although there are enough to give you the gist without spoiling the flow of the story. There’s a lot of plates being spun here but this debut author manages to keep all things turning nicely.
A Rebel’s History of Mars was an engaging read from a promising new author (to me, anyway.) I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – I try not to know too much about things before I start a review book – but I was pleasantly surprised.
June 1, 2025
Sometimes when I’m reading science fiction I don’t understand what is going on. I find the best strategy is to continue reading until my brain adjusts to the concepts being presented. Sometimes I give up. The Rebel’s History of Mars kept me going, even though I kept getting mightily confused with the change of timeline. I’m not sure what might be confusing about Kezza on Mars in 2195 or thereabouts (date and location at each chapter heading), and Azad from Nabatean in 1200 (founding years).
Except… Kezza is very like Ledo, who Azad is searching for, and a whole load of people that Azad falls in with are searching the historical record for Kezza, and using a very interesting time projector to see what actually went on at various points in the past (but without sound). These leads to some repetition of events or significant features, that have different interpretations in one timeline and the other. I think.
The world-building is superb, save only for the confusion of names and similarities of symptoms, which make the reader think they’ve misunderstood. In fact, it’s only on reflection that I realise I wasn’t being stupid, there really were differences in the two strands which were down to different points of view and misinterpretation of available data. But it all comes well at the end. Exceptionally well, in one final respect.
Nadia Afifi has wrought an excellent unreliable narrator into her engrossing tale of the founding of Mars colonies by rich oligarchs who want to build a world of their own design. I’m only just beginning to realise just how good this book is, and I think I’ll go and read it again.
Except… Kezza is very like Ledo, who Azad is searching for, and a whole load of people that Azad falls in with are searching the historical record for Kezza, and using a very interesting time projector to see what actually went on at various points in the past (but without sound). These leads to some repetition of events or significant features, that have different interpretations in one timeline and the other. I think.
The world-building is superb, save only for the confusion of names and similarities of symptoms, which make the reader think they’ve misunderstood. In fact, it’s only on reflection that I realise I wasn’t being stupid, there really were differences in the two strands which were down to different points of view and misinterpretation of available data. But it all comes well at the end. Exceptionally well, in one final respect.
Nadia Afifi has wrought an excellent unreliable narrator into her engrossing tale of the founding of Mars colonies by rich oligarchs who want to build a world of their own design. I’m only just beginning to realise just how good this book is, and I think I’ll go and read it again.
July 20, 2025
BOOK REVIEW | BOOK TOUR
Sci fi | hardback
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I first read the blurb to this book I thought it sounded a bit bonkers; space travelling historians, an air acrobatic on mars, alien disease, time travel and dystopian thriller. However I was looking for something different and I was hooked from the first page. I have really enjoyed the world building and characters we meet in various time zones and planets.
Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian circus who plans to assassinate a powerful figure from Earth but things go wrong when she is infected with an alien virus. A thousand years in the future Azad, a doctor lives who lives a quiet life on the desert planet Nabatea decides to leave with some space travelling historians to find out what really happened to cause people from Mars to flee for his planet. Everything he thought he knew is challenged and where is his long lost twin?
Two stories separated by time and space collide in the Martian desert.
Very entertaining and thought provoking.
Thank you to @randomthingstours for including me on the book tour and for sending me this arc. @nadiawritesscifi @flametreepress
#booktour #arebelshistoryofmars #nadiaafifi #scifibooks #hardbackbook #bookreview #bookrecommendations #sciencefiction
Sci fi | hardback
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I first read the blurb to this book I thought it sounded a bit bonkers; space travelling historians, an air acrobatic on mars, alien disease, time travel and dystopian thriller. However I was looking for something different and I was hooked from the first page. I have really enjoyed the world building and characters we meet in various time zones and planets.
Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian circus who plans to assassinate a powerful figure from Earth but things go wrong when she is infected with an alien virus. A thousand years in the future Azad, a doctor lives who lives a quiet life on the desert planet Nabatea decides to leave with some space travelling historians to find out what really happened to cause people from Mars to flee for his planet. Everything he thought he knew is challenged and where is his long lost twin?
Two stories separated by time and space collide in the Martian desert.
Very entertaining and thought provoking.
Thank you to @randomthingstours for including me on the book tour and for sending me this arc. @nadiawritesscifi @flametreepress
#booktour #arebelshistoryofmars #nadiaafifi #scifibooks #hardbackbook #bookreview #bookrecommendations #sciencefiction
November 2, 2025
Interesting but light scifi adventure
—
In this entertaining but overly complicated science fantasy yarn, Afifi narrates the beginning and the end of a Martian colony, the novel set centuries in the future. Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian Circus, a job that is poorly paid but about as free and creative as she can A chance encounter with a sick stranger turns Kezza’s life around and when the architect of her misfortunes arrives at the colony, Kezza sets about her long gestating revenge.
A thousand years later, Azad is a drone citizen in the rigid society of Nabatea, whose life is disrupted when a sick stranger hands him a clue to the whereabouts of his missing twin sister. Following the breadcrumbs, Azad takes up with a piratical crew whose quest leads back to the abandoned Martian colony, where the answers, if any, might be found.
With dual timelines bridged by a handwavey bit of tech, Afifi’s tale explores human motivations that appear to be universal in whichever time they’re set: power and avarice, idealism and family, but ultimately is a thinly described future that relies on coincidences and supremely fuzzy science fiction terms to connect the dots.
Three and a half stars
—
In this entertaining but overly complicated science fantasy yarn, Afifi narrates the beginning and the end of a Martian colony, the novel set centuries in the future. Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian Circus, a job that is poorly paid but about as free and creative as she can A chance encounter with a sick stranger turns Kezza’s life around and when the architect of her misfortunes arrives at the colony, Kezza sets about her long gestating revenge.
A thousand years later, Azad is a drone citizen in the rigid society of Nabatea, whose life is disrupted when a sick stranger hands him a clue to the whereabouts of his missing twin sister. Following the breadcrumbs, Azad takes up with a piratical crew whose quest leads back to the abandoned Martian colony, where the answers, if any, might be found.
With dual timelines bridged by a handwavey bit of tech, Afifi’s tale explores human motivations that appear to be universal in whichever time they’re set: power and avarice, idealism and family, but ultimately is a thinly described future that relies on coincidences and supremely fuzzy science fiction terms to connect the dots.
Three and a half stars
July 17, 2025
This was such an unexpected read! I was ready for a sci-fi on Mars, but this is so much more and I can’t wait to read other books by this author! How the author managed to mix together science fiction, societal and political concerns, all wrapped up in a mystery with a dual timeline is very clever and I couldn’t get enough of it!
I fell in love with Kezza’s character, but also all the rest of the main characters to be fair as they’re so authentic and well written. The story itself is also very fascinating as the author lures the reader in with a mystery and various quests across time and space. On one side Azad suddenly leaves everything behind to find his twin sister, whilst at the same time a crew of historians is trying to find out the truth about the abandonment of Mars so many years ago and the consequent birth of Nabatea.
Needless to say, as humans are humans no matter the timeline we’re in, hidden truths are revealed and history repeats itself. This theme I found to be food for thought and there are a lot of parallelisms with events currently happening, which is always scary.
This story definitely draws you in and traps you with the beautiful writing, world building and the intriguing plot, with the added bonus of a bunch of great characters to side with!
I highly recommend it for those wanting a stimulating plot with underlying socio-political threads.
Thanks Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I fell in love with Kezza’s character, but also all the rest of the main characters to be fair as they’re so authentic and well written. The story itself is also very fascinating as the author lures the reader in with a mystery and various quests across time and space. On one side Azad suddenly leaves everything behind to find his twin sister, whilst at the same time a crew of historians is trying to find out the truth about the abandonment of Mars so many years ago and the consequent birth of Nabatea.
Needless to say, as humans are humans no matter the timeline we’re in, hidden truths are revealed and history repeats itself. This theme I found to be food for thought and there are a lot of parallelisms with events currently happening, which is always scary.
This story definitely draws you in and traps you with the beautiful writing, world building and the intriguing plot, with the added bonus of a bunch of great characters to side with!
I highly recommend it for those wanting a stimulating plot with underlying socio-political threads.
Thanks Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
July 15, 2025
This is a journey through time and space that is not for the faint of heart.
In a future where Mars is a graveyard and Earth a wasteland, a Vitruvian woman stumbles into the Emergency Room where Azad works on the desert planet Nabatea.
🔹️
"Same face."
"Same, eyes."
🔹️
In parallel of sorts, we follow Kezza, an aerialist on Mars Set on killing Barrett Juul.
Oh yes, the very man responsible for her less than perfect life on Mars.
She is plotting. She is planning... and wait, what? Twists? Awesome!
As plans change for both our main characters, I pop into those halls and tunnels while chasing simple thieves on the red planet. What a rush!
I swooshed onboard a ship with Azad far, far away from his safe environment. Was it really a good idea to start digging, Azad?
I enjoyed how invested I got with both Kazza and Azad as sinister things downed on me, the humble reader.
🔹️
"He'd done it - seduced the crowd!"
🔹️
I see that Nadia has written several books, I really need to check them out, too.😊
In a future where Mars is a graveyard and Earth a wasteland, a Vitruvian woman stumbles into the Emergency Room where Azad works on the desert planet Nabatea.
🔹️
"Same face."
"Same, eyes."
🔹️
In parallel of sorts, we follow Kezza, an aerialist on Mars Set on killing Barrett Juul.
Oh yes, the very man responsible for her less than perfect life on Mars.
She is plotting. She is planning... and wait, what? Twists? Awesome!
As plans change for both our main characters, I pop into those halls and tunnels while chasing simple thieves on the red planet. What a rush!
I swooshed onboard a ship with Azad far, far away from his safe environment. Was it really a good idea to start digging, Azad?
I enjoyed how invested I got with both Kazza and Azad as sinister things downed on me, the humble reader.
🔹️
"He'd done it - seduced the crowd!"
🔹️
I see that Nadia has written several books, I really need to check them out, too.😊
July 17, 2025
This amazing book follows an aerialist in a circus on a mars settlement. When she gets infected with an alien virus she jumps at the chance to travel to a new world to get away from the failings on mars. And 1000 years into the future on that new world a man rebels against authority to find his twin sister and uncovers the truth about what happened back then.
I could not put this book down! I absolutely adored Kezza and her take no 💩 personality. She went through so so much and I was very sad that she didn’t receive the peace she so badly wanted.
I also really enjoyed Azads character progression! From a sheep that couldn’t function without being told what to do to some who fights for who they love and what they believe in. It was satisfying to feel how much he wanted to get Kezzas story out there and hopefully in a future sequel we will get to see the outcome!
The culture inclusion and political struggles were a great way to tackle some of the issues people face in today’s world too and I loved how the author did that.
I could not put this book down! I absolutely adored Kezza and her take no 💩 personality. She went through so so much and I was very sad that she didn’t receive the peace she so badly wanted.
I also really enjoyed Azads character progression! From a sheep that couldn’t function without being told what to do to some who fights for who they love and what they believe in. It was satisfying to feel how much he wanted to get Kezzas story out there and hopefully in a future sequel we will get to see the outcome!
The culture inclusion and political struggles were a great way to tackle some of the issues people face in today’s world too and I loved how the author did that.
November 22, 2025
A dueling narrative about colonization, lies, and seeking the truth hidden from us on the red planet…
A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi is the story of why the Mars colony failed and what happened to them…
Two dual stories…seperated by over a thousand years and intergalactic wormhole travel…
The past follows a young circus aerialist turned and wannabe assassin…though this isn’t important as she doesn’t do much circus related and doesn’t do much to accomplish assassination stuff…
Meanwhile in the future, a scientist with quantum temporal whatever devices to see what happened in the past…and when they discover something linked to the “great migration” from Mars to a distant galaxy via wormhole, he and his companions chase down breadcrumbs of history…
What follows are revelations for both timelines…as the past deals with rival corporations and planned coups…and the future tries to figure out how their colony became a second class society ruled by evolved Vitruvians (advanced humanoids dating back to the colonization)…
It’s fine…and better than the mars trilogy…
A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi is the story of why the Mars colony failed and what happened to them…
Two dual stories…seperated by over a thousand years and intergalactic wormhole travel…
The past follows a young circus aerialist turned and wannabe assassin…though this isn’t important as she doesn’t do much circus related and doesn’t do much to accomplish assassination stuff…
Meanwhile in the future, a scientist with quantum temporal whatever devices to see what happened in the past…and when they discover something linked to the “great migration” from Mars to a distant galaxy via wormhole, he and his companions chase down breadcrumbs of history…
What follows are revelations for both timelines…as the past deals with rival corporations and planned coups…and the future tries to figure out how their colony became a second class society ruled by evolved Vitruvians (advanced humanoids dating back to the colonization)…
It’s fine…and better than the mars trilogy…
August 21, 2025
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
Solving the same mystery in different times is an interesting way to frame a book. And it accomplishes this feat in a somewhat interesting manner but...
In order for the book to make sense, there are two issues that you just have to accept. The first, is that these people in the future have no clue how biology or viruses work. Spaceships and wormholes? Yes. But not basic medical knowledge.
The second is the device that allows the future people to see what is happened in the past. You could basically call it "technological remote viewing". It's a bit cheesy but it does allow the future/past stories to intermingle.
It's a decent read, but nothing too different than other sci-fi books. If you enjoy books about colonizing Mars and other planets, you might enjoy this one.
Your call!
Solving the same mystery in different times is an interesting way to frame a book. And it accomplishes this feat in a somewhat interesting manner but...
In order for the book to make sense, there are two issues that you just have to accept. The first, is that these people in the future have no clue how biology or viruses work. Spaceships and wormholes? Yes. But not basic medical knowledge.
The second is the device that allows the future people to see what is happened in the past. You could basically call it "technological remote viewing". It's a bit cheesy but it does allow the future/past stories to intermingle.
It's a decent read, but nothing too different than other sci-fi books. If you enjoy books about colonizing Mars and other planets, you might enjoy this one.
Your call!
July 23, 2025
Did not care for this one. It's already been overwritten in my brain by Joe Mungo Reed's Terrestrial History in the "time travel-inflected parallel stories involving Mars and interplanetary colonization" space, which I didn't even like THAT much but is still better. This book asks you to care about some mystery about the origins of the beyond-Mars colonization project that I never found all that mysterious or worth caring about, which unfortunately fatally undermines the whole project of the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the ARC.
July 17, 2025
An entertaining and intriguing space adventure! I loved the action-packed beginning and the worldbuilding with the different dystopian societies. Sadly, I found the story dragged a little in the middle and most of the characters failed to catch my interest.
The plot nonetheless took a direction that surprised me. The ending was satisfying, even though a little rushed. I wished a certain element had been introduced earlier, because here it was just a Deus ex Machina. The message about not trusting charismatic leaders is still an important one.
Overall, it was still a good book, so if you want an entertaining SF story with some twists, here you go!
The plot nonetheless took a direction that surprised me. The ending was satisfying, even though a little rushed. I wished a certain element had been introduced earlier, because here it was just a Deus ex Machina. The message about not trusting charismatic leaders is still an important one.
Overall, it was still a good book, so if you want an entertaining SF story with some twists, here you go!
July 21, 2025
Past and present collide as historians from the future investigate the formation of their planet and the new species of human that was created along the way there.
There are some interesting ideas and plot moments however there is a lot of redundancy when one part of the story is watching what the past did with new technology that lets them see what anyone has witnessed via quantum mechanics. I don't know it would have helped to have had parts in the past and then in the future versus alternating chapters. There is also less drama in the past actions if you know certain things had to have happened for the future to turn out the way it did.
There are some interesting ideas and plot moments however there is a lot of redundancy when one part of the story is watching what the past did with new technology that lets them see what anyone has witnessed via quantum mechanics. I don't know it would have helped to have had parts in the past and then in the future versus alternating chapters. There is also less drama in the past actions if you know certain things had to have happened for the future to turn out the way it did.
July 21, 2025
This is a cleverly done dystopian sci fi told through two POVs both are from different times too. I liked that we had the past timeline about Mars and what happened to make these people go to a different planet. That was probably my fav timeline but the future one of the archaeologists was really interesting too. I thought that worldbuilding was superb, I could really picture these planets. Some of the science felt a bit unrealistic but that never really bothers me in a sci fi. I loved the characters they felt distinct and you knew what their goal was. Some of the twists in this book really took me by surprise and I had a really great time reading it.
January 6, 2026
I always round up.
What an enjoyable space opera, yet with deeper meaning. Think of how American history is generally taught, all triumph to triumph with a little unpleasantness here and there. That ain't the truth by a long shot, but that's how I learned it. And it was all bullshit. Now there is a political movement trying to bowdlerize US history once again. There is also a segment of American society who feel they have the right to be separate and above the masses. Above the law. The warning is here in the wonderful piece of science fiction. And that's what sci-fi is for.
What an enjoyable space opera, yet with deeper meaning. Think of how American history is generally taught, all triumph to triumph with a little unpleasantness here and there. That ain't the truth by a long shot, but that's how I learned it. And it was all bullshit. Now there is a political movement trying to bowdlerize US history once again. There is also a segment of American society who feel they have the right to be separate and above the masses. Above the law. The warning is here in the wonderful piece of science fiction. And that's what sci-fi is for.
July 10, 2025
That was an interesting read. I went into this one blind, and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. It's a story told from alternating viewpoints a thousand years apart, and was thoroughly readable.
I'll be back with a longer review soon, but long story short, I definitely recommend this one if you like political SF mysteries and character-based storytelling.
I'll be back with a longer review soon, but long story short, I definitely recommend this one if you like political SF mysteries and character-based storytelling.
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