Era of the Eclipse: A Starfinder Novel

by Tim Pratt

Everything has a beginning, even the death of history.When two novice Starfinders, the energetic Dae and somber Chk Chk, make a startling discovery, they unlock a link to one of the galaxy’s most momentous the Gap, and the disappearance of the now lost world of Golarion. Shrouded in mystery, the Gap ended with mortals across the cosmos suddenly finding themselves with memories stripped from their minds without warning or explanation. The android Tyrcell wakes up on Absalom Station, the core of the Starfinder setting, on the day after the Gap. With their memories wiped, they contend with chaos on the station while surviving and building a coalition of memory-addled allies. All the while, other forces begin to wake after the cosmic event and enact plans of their own. From the undead media mogul, Zo!, who seeks to capitalize on the event, to the fiendish servants known as Hellknights, there’s no shortage of opportunists as the galaxy reels! Both stories collide as the Starfinder agents and Tyrcell, separated by centuries, uncover a gift left to mortals by Yaraesa, goddess of knowledge and science. This secret could unravel the truth of the Gap, but in the days following the event, the nascent Hellknight Order of the Eclipse will stop at nothing to control exactly what that message is. Meanwhile, in the modern age, a mysterious figure trails the Starfinders as they follow in Tyrcell’s footsteps…

From Hugo Award-winning author Tim Pratt (City of the Fallen Sky, Reign of Stars, Liar’s Blade) comes the definitive starting point to the science-fantasy galaxy of the award-winning setting of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. Experience firsthand the days after the Gap when history disappeared and follow in the footsteps of Starfinder’s newest iconic heroes as they rush to uncover the truth of Starfinder’s greatest mystery!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

284 pages, Hardcover

Published August 19, 2025

About the author

Also writes as T.A. Pratt and T. Aaron Payton

Reviews

[Stijn Bun · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty fun science-fantasy adventure novel without much else to offer. It has good pacing and some fun ideas though, which'll give it 3 stars instead of 2, but never explored these ideas deeply enough to move me or really get me thinking.

[Michael Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I think this book was great simply for the words that ended it, and for the account it gives of the literal earliest days of the Starfinder universe. The problem is, of course, that it's a licensed product and the writing quality suffers for it.

[Daniel W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being overly familiar with the Starfinder setting I began this book with cautious optimism. Right at the beginning a reader is introduced to new and strange beings and a personality that is at once obviously from a futuristic existence but delightfully modern. A Sci-Fi TV star joining the Starfinder Society? Brilliant! I’ll leave the explanation as to what exactly the Starfinder Society is to the book pages.

After a few chapters of bringing the reader into this strange world it charges into a completely new set of characters, using a journal trope to transition fairly smoothly between the two. I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t the biggest fan of swapping back and forth, but the smooth transitions helped me get invested fairly quickly.

An understanding of the Starfinder setting is certainly helpful and would help a reader pick up on a variety of things faster, especially the visuals, but it’s certainly not a requirement!

Overall, I think it’s a good book and I look forward to the next Starfinder novel!

[Adam Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start this review by stating I had no prior knowledge of the starfinder universe prior to this book. That said it's not really needed as the premise of the Gap allows for understandable logical reasons to have things readily explained to you with the chosen delivery method. The delivery method is probably my biggest critique, as reading a found memoir leads to some rather dull sequences early on in the "present" timeline and removes some of the suspense from the "past" timeline (the rather heavy and blatant foreshadowing doesn't help either, but at least it provides chuckles). Overall, it's a rather enjoyable experience. I'm very captivated and intrigued to learn more of the universe going forward.

[Jeremy Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun read! The tongue in cheek tone, the shenanigans that feel very much like playing a session of a Tabletop Roleplaying game...all combine to make a fun engaging read. I note that some might be concerned that it casually depicts a homosexual relationship and nonbinary gender identities, though not explicit at all. Though most likely, if you're interested in this book, you already realize that's a strong possibility.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been playing Starfinder since the beginning, and now into 2e, so I was familiar with the lore. While the beginning of the book was a bit bogged down with the result of the Gap, that straightened out to a good adventure book by the end.

[Nicholas G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read for anyone who likes science fantasy or traditional sci fi. The first chapter is a little clunky with the exposition, but after that it takes off and is a nonstop ride.

[Chris Hartigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Docked a full mark for the unremarkable and unsatisfying ending.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entertaining story. While a background of Starfinder is not required (I was unfamiliar until ready this), it might be helpful to catch some easter eggs dispersed throughout the novel. I would have liked to have a glossary that defined species/places/etc to look at when it was mentioned.