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Arc of the Universe
How do you design a system of government from scratch when you've lost faith in government itself?
Carrie Davenport, a renowned constitutional law professor, has the career opportunity of a lifetime. Project Mars, the brainchild of a billionaire tech tycoon, has ambitious plans to establish the first human settlement on Mars. And Project Mars selected her—a Black, queer, publicity-shy professor in North Carolina—to design a system of government for the colony.
Carrie eagerly researches how to craft a suitable constitution for space. But when she is stopped by the police one evening in a case of mistaken identity, the filmed encounter thrusts Carrie into a spotlight she never asked for, putting her at the center of the discourse on racial justice in the US. Suddenly, American democracy doesn’t seem like a shining beacon to carry into space. Carrie must decide whether to speak up—against the police violence she endured, the tech-bro culture of Project Mars, and an even deeper underbelly of corruption behind the mission.
Can Carrie regain faith in herself and in society to craft the “government of the future” and prevent the prejudices of Earth from tainting human life beyond?
An inventive and thought-provoking work of contemporary fiction exploring social justice, law, and moral courage.
Carrie Davenport, a renowned constitutional law professor, has the career opportunity of a lifetime. Project Mars, the brainchild of a billionaire tech tycoon, has ambitious plans to establish the first human settlement on Mars. And Project Mars selected her—a Black, queer, publicity-shy professor in North Carolina—to design a system of government for the colony.
Carrie eagerly researches how to craft a suitable constitution for space. But when she is stopped by the police one evening in a case of mistaken identity, the filmed encounter thrusts Carrie into a spotlight she never asked for, putting her at the center of the discourse on racial justice in the US. Suddenly, American democracy doesn’t seem like a shining beacon to carry into space. Carrie must decide whether to speak up—against the police violence she endured, the tech-bro culture of Project Mars, and an even deeper underbelly of corruption behind the mission.
Can Carrie regain faith in herself and in society to craft the “government of the future” and prevent the prejudices of Earth from tainting human life beyond?
An inventive and thought-provoking work of contemporary fiction exploring social justice, law, and moral courage.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
14 people are currently reading
3657 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Alexander
1 book24 followersNikki Alexander is a Harvard educated lawyer who has studied race, gender, and outer space. She strives to tell the story of successful Black women navigating difficult environments in ways that are unexpected in light of traditional narratives, at the same time exploring themes that will appeal to any reader—moral dilemmas, high expectations, and romantic relationships in the face of career and family pressures. When she’s not writing, she enjoys tap dancing and attempting to keep her temperamental houseplants alive.
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August 29, 2025Dnf @ 53% this isn't speculative science-fiction. This is politics and only politics.
September 15, 2025
Arc of the Universe is a super quick read, but it's not at all lighthearted. This is a jarring and culturally relevant depiction of the way antiBlack racism, homophobia, and sexism will exist in society the longer we continue not to prioritize righting these wrongs.
Nikki Alexander's prose is engaging and snappy and her political beliefs are clearly expressed without being heavy-handed—which can be challenging with speculative fiction. The story takes place 10 years in the future, and Dr Carrie Davenport, our MC, is a queer Black woman who is a law professor tasked with leading a group of other highly intelligent people as they create a constitution for life on a colony in Mars under the financial backing of a tech billionaire who has his own agenda. However, when Carrie experiences police brutality and it goes viral, she begins to grapple with her place in this group and in the society she lives and socializes in.
I feel like it's challenging to explain the things I liked about this book without spoilers, and I ultimately think speculative fiction is best when you know very little about it. However, though this book is devastating, there is also a huge undercurrent of hope that many Black Americans have adopted as part of our DNA.
I will say I didn't much care for a lot of the characters in this book. I know that they're intentionally infuriating, but they also became challenging to tolerate the more the book progressed.
4 ⭐️s
Nikki Alexander's prose is engaging and snappy and her political beliefs are clearly expressed without being heavy-handed—which can be challenging with speculative fiction. The story takes place 10 years in the future, and Dr Carrie Davenport, our MC, is a queer Black woman who is a law professor tasked with leading a group of other highly intelligent people as they create a constitution for life on a colony in Mars under the financial backing of a tech billionaire who has his own agenda. However, when Carrie experiences police brutality and it goes viral, she begins to grapple with her place in this group and in the society she lives and socializes in.
I feel like it's challenging to explain the things I liked about this book without spoilers, and I ultimately think speculative fiction is best when you know very little about it. However, though this book is devastating, there is also a huge undercurrent of hope that many Black Americans have adopted as part of our DNA.
I will say I didn't much care for a lot of the characters in this book. I know that they're intentionally infuriating, but they also became challenging to tolerate the more the book progressed.
4 ⭐️s
May 29, 2025
(rounded up from 4.5)
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC (heh) for this book.
While I'm not from the United States, recent political events have made me learn more than I ever wanted to know about the American Constitution and how it guides the basic rights of everyone in that country. Given this, it's quite timely that I found this book by Nikki Alexander that focuses on the idea of a constitution for a brand new planet/colony. As a thought experiment, this book is as close as you can get without going into alternative historical fiction to wonder: if the American Constitution were being written from scratch today, who should be involved in writing it, and what would they include? I appreciate that this book pulls no punches in describing that scholarly pursuit.
Dr Carrie Davenport is a divorced queer black woman and a renowned constitutional law professor who has been tasked to lead the group that will draft a constitution for the first human colony on Mars. Carrie is an interesting character because she exemplifies the damage done to a person by internalising minority exceptionalism. Carrie sits in her ivory tower of academia, preferring the drier world of constitutional law, which refers primarily to the intent and spirit of the founders of a country rather than the messier legal frameworks that are based on this initial document. Until she is suddenly thrust into her own police brutality incident, her only real experiences with racism in her professional life are a passive-aggressive colleague who believes "wokism" has gone too far and gets in his digs at her when he can. Suddenly faced with police violence, Carrie struggled with the sanitised idea of a constitution as an ideal vision that protects all under its cloak from discrimination, violence, and unjust practices, and the reality of the laws based on the constitution and their very unequal enforcement.
Adding to this are side characters that bring interesting depth to the dilemma as well, such as Carrie's three research assistants, who are fiery Gen Z folks who bring opinions about intesectionality into the mix, as well as Carrie's fellows in the committee to create the new constitution, one of whom is a racist mysogynist conservative and the other an enabling fence-sitter. Adding further to the mix of provocative opinions is Shauna, Carrie's friend with benefits, who was the cause of the major police incident, but also brings a non-academic and lower-class perspective to Carrie's sanitised world, despite being white and a sometime criminal in the past.
As always, I appreciate the nod to our times with a conservative, old-money billionaire manchild who wishes to fund the Mars expedition and establish the colony with his own company and the shadowy figures who seek enrichment for themselves and the US over humanity's interests in this new planet (and its minerals).
All of this together makes for a rich and nuanced story about a person who finally sees a way to have a lasting legacy that will help people be better than we have been in the past, but is rapidly brought back down to Earth (heh) by racism, sexism, and good old-fashioned greed. If I had to deduct some points in my final rating, it would be because the end feels a bit too neat and easy, but I can't be mad when my inner optimist is smiling hard when we conclude the tale, unrealistic as it may end up being in a real-world situation.
I would caution anyone wandering into this book expecting a hardcore sci-fi book because this has only the slightest dash of any sci-fi and is very much about social justice, being better as a society, and how we can bridge the gap from where we are now and where we want to be and what role a foundational document such as a Constitution can play in holding that line (while also not being shot down by conservative voices). I am reminded of the old days of Star Trek (The Original Series) where we have some silly buttons and screens to represent the future bu the real stars are the optimism towards the future (something we rarely see anymore, honestly) and the human efforts to get to that ideal.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC (heh) for this book.
While I'm not from the United States, recent political events have made me learn more than I ever wanted to know about the American Constitution and how it guides the basic rights of everyone in that country. Given this, it's quite timely that I found this book by Nikki Alexander that focuses on the idea of a constitution for a brand new planet/colony. As a thought experiment, this book is as close as you can get without going into alternative historical fiction to wonder: if the American Constitution were being written from scratch today, who should be involved in writing it, and what would they include? I appreciate that this book pulls no punches in describing that scholarly pursuit.
Dr Carrie Davenport is a divorced queer black woman and a renowned constitutional law professor who has been tasked to lead the group that will draft a constitution for the first human colony on Mars. Carrie is an interesting character because she exemplifies the damage done to a person by internalising minority exceptionalism. Carrie sits in her ivory tower of academia, preferring the drier world of constitutional law, which refers primarily to the intent and spirit of the founders of a country rather than the messier legal frameworks that are based on this initial document. Until she is suddenly thrust into her own police brutality incident, her only real experiences with racism in her professional life are a passive-aggressive colleague who believes "wokism" has gone too far and gets in his digs at her when he can. Suddenly faced with police violence, Carrie struggled with the sanitised idea of a constitution as an ideal vision that protects all under its cloak from discrimination, violence, and unjust practices, and the reality of the laws based on the constitution and their very unequal enforcement.
Adding to this are side characters that bring interesting depth to the dilemma as well, such as Carrie's three research assistants, who are fiery Gen Z folks who bring opinions about intesectionality into the mix, as well as Carrie's fellows in the committee to create the new constitution, one of whom is a racist mysogynist conservative and the other an enabling fence-sitter. Adding further to the mix of provocative opinions is Shauna, Carrie's friend with benefits, who was the cause of the major police incident, but also brings a non-academic and lower-class perspective to Carrie's sanitised world, despite being white and a sometime criminal in the past.
As always, I appreciate the nod to our times with a conservative, old-money billionaire manchild who wishes to fund the Mars expedition and establish the colony with his own company and the shadowy figures who seek enrichment for themselves and the US over humanity's interests in this new planet (and its minerals).
All of this together makes for a rich and nuanced story about a person who finally sees a way to have a lasting legacy that will help people be better than we have been in the past, but is rapidly brought back down to Earth (heh) by racism, sexism, and good old-fashioned greed. If I had to deduct some points in my final rating, it would be because the end feels a bit too neat and easy, but I can't be mad when my inner optimist is smiling hard when we conclude the tale, unrealistic as it may end up being in a real-world situation.
I would caution anyone wandering into this book expecting a hardcore sci-fi book because this has only the slightest dash of any sci-fi and is very much about social justice, being better as a society, and how we can bridge the gap from where we are now and where we want to be and what role a foundational document such as a Constitution can play in holding that line (while also not being shot down by conservative voices). I am reminded of the old days of Star Trek (The Original Series) where we have some silly buttons and screens to represent the future bu the real stars are the optimism towards the future (something we rarely see anymore, honestly) and the human efforts to get to that ideal.
June 19, 2025
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC. #arcoftheuniverse #thenerdfam
This book is so incredibly infuriating. Not because it’s badly written. It’s not because it’s treading old ground. And it’s definitely not because it’s unoriginal.
It’s infuriating because it’s so damn real. Every single set up, every interaction, every micro- and macro- aggression is right there. In living color reality right freaking now. I’m reading this very well- written book with my jaw clenched because I want to rage and scream at the society that still values white over right.
Since we are on the tour of books that aren’t what you think they are, this is not sci fi. Not even a little. It’s 10 years in the future, but this is only peripherally sci fi in that it involves the setting up of a governance body on a future colony of Mars. So if you’re expecting a sweeping space opera, this is not your book.
This would normally be where I tell you the plot. But I’m not. I went in with a little less than I’ve given you above to this book and I think it put me in the right headspace to read this. I’d recommend you do the same. It’s worth reading. It’s heavy at times and enraging at others. There’s also a thread of hope through it all. I think we could all use a little (or a lot) of that right now.
This book is so incredibly infuriating. Not because it’s badly written. It’s not because it’s treading old ground. And it’s definitely not because it’s unoriginal.
It’s infuriating because it’s so damn real. Every single set up, every interaction, every micro- and macro- aggression is right there. In living color reality right freaking now. I’m reading this very well- written book with my jaw clenched because I want to rage and scream at the society that still values white over right.
Since we are on the tour of books that aren’t what you think they are, this is not sci fi. Not even a little. It’s 10 years in the future, but this is only peripherally sci fi in that it involves the setting up of a governance body on a future colony of Mars. So if you’re expecting a sweeping space opera, this is not your book.
This would normally be where I tell you the plot. But I’m not. I went in with a little less than I’ve given you above to this book and I think it put me in the right headspace to read this. I’d recommend you do the same. It’s worth reading. It’s heavy at times and enraging at others. There’s also a thread of hope through it all. I think we could all use a little (or a lot) of that right now.
December 5, 2025
4 Stars
It’s different from any other speculative fiction I’ve read. The whole idea of starting a constitution in another planet was highly intriguing to me.
Given I have zero political training except for what I see on the news nowadays, the prose of the book showed the author’s mastery of the subject. It was highly academic, detailed and realistic based on the current political climate yet it did not alienate plebeians like me.
I enjoyed reading this book because of its realism and relatability. Well written and structured.
It’s different from any other speculative fiction I’ve read. The whole idea of starting a constitution in another planet was highly intriguing to me.
Given I have zero political training except for what I see on the news nowadays, the prose of the book showed the author’s mastery of the subject. It was highly academic, detailed and realistic based on the current political climate yet it did not alienate plebeians like me.
I enjoyed reading this book because of its realism and relatability. Well written and structured.
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August 11, 2025I feel like I’ve been reading this book for weeks and weeks. I am not sure if that’s a positive or a negative thing.
I think my expectations for this book differed too much from what the story was. I was expecting more sci-fi, more action, just more in general. The only thing I got more of, more than enough really, is the law/ constitution. I feel like it’s almost too focused on that.i gather how this book is mostly about social injustice and what a horrible place earth (and its inhabitants) can be, but it’s too much.
This book was not what I was expecting.overall the writing itself is good, but the story just doesn’t work for me.
I do really like this cover
I think my expectations for this book differed too much from what the story was. I was expecting more sci-fi, more action, just more in general. The only thing I got more of, more than enough really, is the law/ constitution. I feel like it’s almost too focused on that.i gather how this book is mostly about social injustice and what a horrible place earth (and its inhabitants) can be, but it’s too much.
This book was not what I was expecting.overall the writing itself is good, but the story just doesn’t work for me.
I do really like this cover
June 8, 2025
Arc of the Universe follows Dr. Carrie Davenport, a constitutional law professor, as she works on developing founding documents for an upcoming mission to create a settlement on Mars. She must not only grapple with the complexity of researching existing constitutions and legal regimes to craft a legal system from scratch to function in a very unique and challenging environment, but must also figure out how to navigate and challenge the racism and sexism of the project’s funder, assigned collaborators, STEM as a field, and the American legal documents she has to work with as sources.
I like so much about this book! Dr. Davenport is a multi-faceted, nuanced character. I really enjoyed how Alexander develops Carrie as well as her relationships, especially with her best friend Kim and with her father. The pacing is consistent and quite fast. The plot is engaging. As a queer reader, I appreciate the representation of Carrie as a character. I think the author effectively made discussions of political/legal concepts accessible to a readership who may not know much about those topics.
Please note that this is not sci-fi. Some reviews have noted that it doesn’t read like sci-fi – that’s because it really isn’t; it’s set in a world very very much like the present full of present-day real-world references (to places, individuals, etc) but with the technology to support starting a Mars colony. On NetGalley it is classified as General Fiction (Adult), LGBTQIAP+, and Multicultural Interest. This said, I would recommend it for fans of books like Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut series.
Thank you to the author, Strawberry Tree Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review.
Content warnings: sexism, misogyny, racism, classism, police brutality, violence
I like so much about this book! Dr. Davenport is a multi-faceted, nuanced character. I really enjoyed how Alexander develops Carrie as well as her relationships, especially with her best friend Kim and with her father. The pacing is consistent and quite fast. The plot is engaging. As a queer reader, I appreciate the representation of Carrie as a character. I think the author effectively made discussions of political/legal concepts accessible to a readership who may not know much about those topics.
Please note that this is not sci-fi. Some reviews have noted that it doesn’t read like sci-fi – that’s because it really isn’t; it’s set in a world very very much like the present full of present-day real-world references (to places, individuals, etc) but with the technology to support starting a Mars colony. On NetGalley it is classified as General Fiction (Adult), LGBTQIAP+, and Multicultural Interest. This said, I would recommend it for fans of books like Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut series.
Thank you to the author, Strawberry Tree Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review.
Content warnings: sexism, misogyny, racism, classism, police brutality, violence
June 2, 2025
This was an interesting read, quite thought-provoking. The main character, Carrie, is well-drawn and I was interested to see what she would do to about the injustice she herself had suffered in her personal life and how this might have bearing on her professional duty. She’s a law professor with the job of creating a constitution for a proposed Mars colony. But she’s also black and queer, and gets slammed in jail with a cop’s boot in her face for doing little more than being in a car with a friend. A lot of the book is about how the personal and professional Carrie interact. Will she be true to herself?
Where I have reservations about the story it is because there seems to be too little peril, somehow. Carrie seems to get a new outfit and a makeover at the beginning of every chapter, thanks to her friend Kim. She is faced with difficult choices such as whether she should sleep with a film star (male), a senator-astronaut (female) or the rough-edged but good-hearted woman she picks up in a bar. She gets unwelcome news and the story of her brush with the law goes viral, and she gets drunk for a week, doesn’t shower, and fails to change to a fresh outfit. The possibility that she might lose the job of crafting the constitution becomes quite real. She might be reprimanded for not giving lectures and meeting her students face to face. It’s not quite life or death stuff!
There is a major point to all this, though, and that is the celebration of diversity. This is handled well, and there is a pleasing denouement, with Carrie coming out on top, thanks to her friends, assistants and research students. There’s a moving Epilogue, where this success is realised and Carrie can celebrate the fruits of her labours.
As above, so below, we might feel. If Mars could have a constitution celebrating equity of all humans and admitting the mistakes of the past, perhaps Earth should have one too?
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the readers copy. This is my own honest review after a full read.
Where I have reservations about the story it is because there seems to be too little peril, somehow. Carrie seems to get a new outfit and a makeover at the beginning of every chapter, thanks to her friend Kim. She is faced with difficult choices such as whether she should sleep with a film star (male), a senator-astronaut (female) or the rough-edged but good-hearted woman she picks up in a bar. She gets unwelcome news and the story of her brush with the law goes viral, and she gets drunk for a week, doesn’t shower, and fails to change to a fresh outfit. The possibility that she might lose the job of crafting the constitution becomes quite real. She might be reprimanded for not giving lectures and meeting her students face to face. It’s not quite life or death stuff!
There is a major point to all this, though, and that is the celebration of diversity. This is handled well, and there is a pleasing denouement, with Carrie coming out on top, thanks to her friends, assistants and research students. There’s a moving Epilogue, where this success is realised and Carrie can celebrate the fruits of her labours.
As above, so below, we might feel. If Mars could have a constitution celebrating equity of all humans and admitting the mistakes of the past, perhaps Earth should have one too?
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the readers copy. This is my own honest review after a full read.
June 17, 2025
Thank you to the Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC of this book.
First things first, this is not Sci-Fi but speculative fiction. I think that is an important note before diving in if you are expecting a Sci-Fi heavy book.
This is a timely book that discusses important topics such as racial disparity, the treatment of BIPOC individuals by law enforcement, treatment of BIPOC women in professional settings, and equal protections under the law. This is a very intellectually written book. What I mean by that is that at times, it reads like a law treatise instead of fiction. As an attorney who loved constitutional law when I was in law school, I very much enjoyed it.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the exploration of being uncomfortable and putting your comfort on the line to speak up about important topics centering around racial treatment, racism in America, and the fight for true equality. This book made me reflect on my own actions and feelings - realizing the immense privilege to be comfortable that I have as a white woman.
Also, the character Adam Kilpatrick made me so livid, but I thought was an important illumination on how women, especially women of color are treated in professional environments.
Book Blurb:
How do you design a system of government from scratch when you've lost faith in government itself?
Carrie Davenport, a renowned constitutional law professor, has been given the career opportunity of a lifetime. Project Mars, the brainchild of a billionaire tech tycoon, has ambitious plans to establish the first human settlement on Mars. And Project Mars selected her—a Black, queer, publicity-shy professor in North Carolina—to design a system of government for the colony.
Carrie eagerly begins researching how to craft a suitable constitution for space. But when she is stopped by the police in a case of mistaken identity and subjected to police violence, the filmed encounter thrusts Carrie into a spotlight she never asked for, putting her at the center of the ongoing debate about race and justice in the US. Suddenly, American democracy doesn’t seem like a shining beacon to carry into space. Carrie must decide whether to speak up—against the police brutality she endured, the tech-bro culture of Project Mars, and an even deeper underbelly of corruption behind the mission.
Can Carrie regain faith in herself and in society to craft the “government of the future” and prevent the prejudices of Earth from tainting human life beyond?
First things first, this is not Sci-Fi but speculative fiction. I think that is an important note before diving in if you are expecting a Sci-Fi heavy book.
This is a timely book that discusses important topics such as racial disparity, the treatment of BIPOC individuals by law enforcement, treatment of BIPOC women in professional settings, and equal protections under the law. This is a very intellectually written book. What I mean by that is that at times, it reads like a law treatise instead of fiction. As an attorney who loved constitutional law when I was in law school, I very much enjoyed it.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the exploration of being uncomfortable and putting your comfort on the line to speak up about important topics centering around racial treatment, racism in America, and the fight for true equality. This book made me reflect on my own actions and feelings - realizing the immense privilege to be comfortable that I have as a white woman.
Also, the character Adam Kilpatrick made me so livid, but I thought was an important illumination on how women, especially women of color are treated in professional environments.
Book Blurb:
How do you design a system of government from scratch when you've lost faith in government itself?
Carrie Davenport, a renowned constitutional law professor, has been given the career opportunity of a lifetime. Project Mars, the brainchild of a billionaire tech tycoon, has ambitious plans to establish the first human settlement on Mars. And Project Mars selected her—a Black, queer, publicity-shy professor in North Carolina—to design a system of government for the colony.
Carrie eagerly begins researching how to craft a suitable constitution for space. But when she is stopped by the police in a case of mistaken identity and subjected to police violence, the filmed encounter thrusts Carrie into a spotlight she never asked for, putting her at the center of the ongoing debate about race and justice in the US. Suddenly, American democracy doesn’t seem like a shining beacon to carry into space. Carrie must decide whether to speak up—against the police brutality she endured, the tech-bro culture of Project Mars, and an even deeper underbelly of corruption behind the mission.
Can Carrie regain faith in herself and in society to craft the “government of the future” and prevent the prejudices of Earth from tainting human life beyond?
June 25, 2025
This book is definitely speculative fiction. It made me think, go hmmm, get radically mad at the pertinent real life similarities, and throw my fist in the air for diversity in all things. If you love Parable of the Sower, Hamilton, Legislature, Space Odyssey, and more things along these veins, you’re going to truly enjoy Arc of the Universe.
Dr. Cassie Davenport is one of the top law professors of her time and is granted the opportunity of a lifetime to help create the governing laws for an upcoming settlement that is to grow on Mars. As she is a lover of legislature, she and a team of other renowned law professional clash heads while coming up with the governing laws and which country to base them off of. Being a minority female in a predominantly white male field of expertise as well as what the current census of the settlement, does she create laws that are unbiased or that cater to those already in the majority?
Her personal life is thrown into a major tizzy and now she questions not only her ability to effectively help create these initial laws of government for the Mars Colony, but she questions the trust of those involved with not only her but this space adventure. There’s a cast of characters (some you love, some you hate, some you question their purpose in the story) that help propel Cassie forward to help guide her journey.
This book is another spark of feminine rage against the patriarchy that hits you right in the head and makes you ask what would you do if given her situation. It’s a quick, easy read that is enjoyable and doesn’t make you feel depleted thereafter. I would say go in blind, not with any inclination of what is to go on. It’s not a safe blind buy, so please make sure you enjoy the above listed topics associated with the book.
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for allowing me access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#TheNerdFam
Dr. Cassie Davenport is one of the top law professors of her time and is granted the opportunity of a lifetime to help create the governing laws for an upcoming settlement that is to grow on Mars. As she is a lover of legislature, she and a team of other renowned law professional clash heads while coming up with the governing laws and which country to base them off of. Being a minority female in a predominantly white male field of expertise as well as what the current census of the settlement, does she create laws that are unbiased or that cater to those already in the majority?
Her personal life is thrown into a major tizzy and now she questions not only her ability to effectively help create these initial laws of government for the Mars Colony, but she questions the trust of those involved with not only her but this space adventure. There’s a cast of characters (some you love, some you hate, some you question their purpose in the story) that help propel Cassie forward to help guide her journey.
This book is another spark of feminine rage against the patriarchy that hits you right in the head and makes you ask what would you do if given her situation. It’s a quick, easy read that is enjoyable and doesn’t make you feel depleted thereafter. I would say go in blind, not with any inclination of what is to go on. It’s not a safe blind buy, so please make sure you enjoy the above listed topics associated with the book.
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for allowing me access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#TheNerdFam
June 22, 2025
Characters: 4.00⭐️
Setting: 4.00⭐️
Plot: 4.50⭐️
Themes: 4.00⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.00⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4.00⭐️
Overall rating: 4.00⭐️
Arc of the Universe is the story of a woman who is hired to create a new government for the first colony of Mars. Carrie Davenport is a renowned law professor to lead a board of individuals in creating the first government system for the colonists of Mars. However, an incident of mistaken identity and an altercation with the police pushes Carrie into the spotlight of racial justice in the US and slowly her faith in the system that she studied for so long is becoming lost.
First off, I would not classify this a science fiction book. I would classify this as a contemporary, (loosely) speculative fiction. Though the book takes place about ten years in the future, Nikki Alexander covers heavy topics that people deal with every single day like police discrimination against people of color being one of them. Our main character Carrie is a successful, queer black woman who is constantly being questioned about her intentions. She had a colleague on the board is clearly is a specific political affiliation coded who argues with her ideas constantly. She questions the intentions of the billionaire who is facilitating the mission since most of the people on the first launch are white individuals and the possibility of other corruption.
Nikki Alexander hits heavy topics and addresses them very bluntly which I think is necessary in this kind of story. I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, and I really like Carrie as a character. She wants to do the right thing. She wants to make sure the government she creates covers ALL people who would go to Mars, trying to fix the mistakes of the government systems on Earth.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I abosolutely would.
Thank you to NerdFam for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Setting: 4.00⭐️
Plot: 4.50⭐️
Themes: 4.00⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.00⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4.00⭐️
Overall rating: 4.00⭐️
Arc of the Universe is the story of a woman who is hired to create a new government for the first colony of Mars. Carrie Davenport is a renowned law professor to lead a board of individuals in creating the first government system for the colonists of Mars. However, an incident of mistaken identity and an altercation with the police pushes Carrie into the spotlight of racial justice in the US and slowly her faith in the system that she studied for so long is becoming lost.
First off, I would not classify this a science fiction book. I would classify this as a contemporary, (loosely) speculative fiction. Though the book takes place about ten years in the future, Nikki Alexander covers heavy topics that people deal with every single day like police discrimination against people of color being one of them. Our main character Carrie is a successful, queer black woman who is constantly being questioned about her intentions. She had a colleague on the board is clearly is a specific political affiliation coded who argues with her ideas constantly. She questions the intentions of the billionaire who is facilitating the mission since most of the people on the first launch are white individuals and the possibility of other corruption.
Nikki Alexander hits heavy topics and addresses them very bluntly which I think is necessary in this kind of story. I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, and I really like Carrie as a character. She wants to do the right thing. She wants to make sure the government she creates covers ALL people who would go to Mars, trying to fix the mistakes of the government systems on Earth.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I abosolutely would.
Thank you to NerdFam for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2025
First, I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC of Arc (Nice stuff) of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Arc of the Universe is such a good read. Carrie's story is one of self-realization, triumph, and truly remarkable. What started off as a story of a brilliant professor's shining moments as the project lead for the Project Mars constitution team leads into an encounter with the police that would change her for the rest of the book. Arc is a story of identity, standing up for your beliefs, and change.
I really enjoyed the characters of the story. Shauna, Carrie's father, Anna, & Kim might be my favorites. They watch out for Carrie and are her support system. Shauna & Carrie's relationship is amazing and I was pulling for them to work things out and be together. Kim, the ever loyal best friend, was a lot of the comic relief and never backed down. If only we should all be so lucky to have a Kim in our lives!
Seeing Carrie's growth throughout the book was truly inspiring. It was unfortunate that she endured injustice on that path but it ultimately propelled her to standing up to others and helping to pioneer change. She is a brilliant woman with an impressive resume, a well respected professor, and an important leader on Project Mars. To see the struggles of our main character and all of those amazing people to helped her along the way is what I hope to see in our country today. Working together so that ALL can live a better life free of the shackles of the past and are given an equal opportunity at life.
Arc of the Universe is such a good read. Carrie's story is one of self-realization, triumph, and truly remarkable. What started off as a story of a brilliant professor's shining moments as the project lead for the Project Mars constitution team leads into an encounter with the police that would change her for the rest of the book. Arc is a story of identity, standing up for your beliefs, and change.
I really enjoyed the characters of the story. Shauna, Carrie's father, Anna, & Kim might be my favorites. They watch out for Carrie and are her support system. Shauna & Carrie's relationship is amazing and I was pulling for them to work things out and be together. Kim, the ever loyal best friend, was a lot of the comic relief and never backed down. If only we should all be so lucky to have a Kim in our lives!
Seeing Carrie's growth throughout the book was truly inspiring. It was unfortunate that she endured injustice on that path but it ultimately propelled her to standing up to others and helping to pioneer change. She is a brilliant woman with an impressive resume, a well respected professor, and an important leader on Project Mars. To see the struggles of our main character and all of those amazing people to helped her along the way is what I hope to see in our country today. Working together so that ALL can live a better life free of the shackles of the past and are given an equal opportunity at life.
June 18, 2025
Thank you to the Nerd Fam and the author for an advanced reader copy of this novel.
3.5⭐️ I fear that the marketing for this book is going to cause more harm than good. This is not science fiction, I would say it is very loosely Specualtive Fiction. This novel takes place in the very near future and is really close to the current state of things. We are following a queer black academic women as she attempts to draft a constitution for the first experimental habitation of Mars being attempted by a company owned by a t-shirt wearing white immature billionaire (sounds suspiciously close to reality right).
This novel is very well written and extremely thought-provoking. It asks the very real question of "If we could re-write the constitution, could racial, sexual and socioeconomic injustices be prevented." The author does a great job of depicting both the inner and outer turmoil the main character experiences while pondering this question. She will pull you through a full range of emotions from rage and dispair over the blatant racism and sexism displayed by some of the characters to hope for our future through the ambitions of her college students.
The novel was pretty well paced, keeping my interest the entire way through. However, they are writing a constitution, so there is a lot of law talk, and you can tell the author has a background in the subject.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book.
3.5⭐️ I fear that the marketing for this book is going to cause more harm than good. This is not science fiction, I would say it is very loosely Specualtive Fiction. This novel takes place in the very near future and is really close to the current state of things. We are following a queer black academic women as she attempts to draft a constitution for the first experimental habitation of Mars being attempted by a company owned by a t-shirt wearing white immature billionaire (sounds suspiciously close to reality right).
This novel is very well written and extremely thought-provoking. It asks the very real question of "If we could re-write the constitution, could racial, sexual and socioeconomic injustices be prevented." The author does a great job of depicting both the inner and outer turmoil the main character experiences while pondering this question. She will pull you through a full range of emotions from rage and dispair over the blatant racism and sexism displayed by some of the characters to hope for our future through the ambitions of her college students.
The novel was pretty well paced, keeping my interest the entire way through. However, they are writing a constitution, so there is a lot of law talk, and you can tell the author has a background in the subject.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book.
Read
June 20, 2025To be published June 24, 2025, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Dr. Carrie Davenport, a queer black woman and constitutional law professor has the opportunity of a lifetime- to draft the governing document for the first colony of people set to live on Mars. Carrie and a crew of secondary characters are to draft their version of a constitution, to guide the principles on which these people will live. In researching existing legal regimes to craft this document from scratch, Carrie finds herself also struggling with how to address the lack of diversity and racism of the projects funder, some of her collaborators, and the legal documents that she must base her work on.
While Carrie is navigating this, she deals with her side characters; Shauna, a hookup in a bar who can't help but bring trouble and a loud mouth; her best friend Kim who is the voice of reason and also Carries sounding board, and her ailing father, who she is desperate to make proud.
I was hesitant to apply for this because I thought it would be a sci-fi novel but it's a Shonda Rhimes dream with political savvy and a slight jump in time to support the settlement on Mars idea. I'd be really interested in a second book to let us know what happens next.
Dr. Carrie Davenport, a queer black woman and constitutional law professor has the opportunity of a lifetime- to draft the governing document for the first colony of people set to live on Mars. Carrie and a crew of secondary characters are to draft their version of a constitution, to guide the principles on which these people will live. In researching existing legal regimes to craft this document from scratch, Carrie finds herself also struggling with how to address the lack of diversity and racism of the projects funder, some of her collaborators, and the legal documents that she must base her work on.
While Carrie is navigating this, she deals with her side characters; Shauna, a hookup in a bar who can't help but bring trouble and a loud mouth; her best friend Kim who is the voice of reason and also Carries sounding board, and her ailing father, who she is desperate to make proud.
I was hesitant to apply for this because I thought it would be a sci-fi novel but it's a Shonda Rhimes dream with political savvy and a slight jump in time to support the settlement on Mars idea. I'd be really interested in a second book to let us know what happens next.
June 19, 2025
A huge shout out to The Nerd Fam for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Arc of the Universe.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” -Martin Luther King Jr. via Theodore Parker
Nikki Alexander has created a world where humans are ready to establish a colony on Mars. A colony that will need a constitution, laws, and policies. And with this, we have a unique lens in which to examine human rights, equality, and just how broken our current system is.
It is one thing to think about these issues in an abstract way; it’s another thing entirely when you are confronted with them in a plausible story with characters who are well-developed, complex, and relatable. When you see how these issues impact people you care about, even if you feel removed from it all, the issues become more relevant and pressing. This is the power of Arc of the Universe. On the surface it is a story about space exploration and the expansion of human kind. But the more you read, you realize the most compelling themes ask you to confront your own preconceived notions and biases.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” -Martin Luther King Jr. via Theodore Parker
Nikki Alexander has created a world where humans are ready to establish a colony on Mars. A colony that will need a constitution, laws, and policies. And with this, we have a unique lens in which to examine human rights, equality, and just how broken our current system is.
It is one thing to think about these issues in an abstract way; it’s another thing entirely when you are confronted with them in a plausible story with characters who are well-developed, complex, and relatable. When you see how these issues impact people you care about, even if you feel removed from it all, the issues become more relevant and pressing. This is the power of Arc of the Universe. On the surface it is a story about space exploration and the expansion of human kind. But the more you read, you realize the most compelling themes ask you to confront your own preconceived notions and biases.
June 22, 2025
Thank you Nerd Fam and Nikki for an ARC of this book!
Y’all I LOVED this. I’m a space nerd—always have been, always will be. But one thing I’ve never really thought about is what DOES government look like on a new planet colony? And who’s responsible for deciding how that works?
This book seeks to address that along side the question—If we had the chance to start over, could we make a constitution that was more equitable? Can we fix the mistakes of our past and create a more even playing field from the beginning?
Carrie is a FANTASTIC reluctant hero. She’s a Queer Black woman who doesn’t have any interest in politics or leading a movement. She wants to lead her team, write this document, and go back to teaching. But life comes at you fast, and suddenly she sees a place she can make a difference. She can be an activist in her own way.
If you’ve ever worked in academia or been subjected to discrimination based on your race or sexual identity, you’re going to be angry. Like, really angry. (Adam can KICK ROCKS!!!) But you’re also going to be inspired, and hopefully rejuvenated in the never ending fight for equality.
This is a book we need now more than ever, and applies to SO many things—not just the current billionaire fight to get out of Earth as quickly as possible. I loved Carrie, Kim, and Shauna SO much, and I cannot recommend this enough!!
Y’all I LOVED this. I’m a space nerd—always have been, always will be. But one thing I’ve never really thought about is what DOES government look like on a new planet colony? And who’s responsible for deciding how that works?
This book seeks to address that along side the question—If we had the chance to start over, could we make a constitution that was more equitable? Can we fix the mistakes of our past and create a more even playing field from the beginning?
Carrie is a FANTASTIC reluctant hero. She’s a Queer Black woman who doesn’t have any interest in politics or leading a movement. She wants to lead her team, write this document, and go back to teaching. But life comes at you fast, and suddenly she sees a place she can make a difference. She can be an activist in her own way.
If you’ve ever worked in academia or been subjected to discrimination based on your race or sexual identity, you’re going to be angry. Like, really angry. (Adam can KICK ROCKS!!!) But you’re also going to be inspired, and hopefully rejuvenated in the never ending fight for equality.
This is a book we need now more than ever, and applies to SO many things—not just the current billionaire fight to get out of Earth as quickly as possible. I loved Carrie, Kim, and Shauna SO much, and I cannot recommend this enough!!
June 24, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!!
So I thought that this book was going to be more about the space travel but was pleasantly surprised that it was so much more. I loved how the author showcased the struggle that the FMC was having with how far to go with seeking justice vs. stating more focused on her career goals. Do you listen to people who want to fight the good fight or do you protect your peace and move on. She was also dealing with issues within her career that overlapped the personal issues she was having. Loved this book!! 4 stars!!
So I thought that this book was going to be more about the space travel but was pleasantly surprised that it was so much more. I loved how the author showcased the struggle that the FMC was having with how far to go with seeking justice vs. stating more focused on her career goals. Do you listen to people who want to fight the good fight or do you protect your peace and move on. She was also dealing with issues within her career that overlapped the personal issues she was having. Loved this book!! 4 stars!!
June 24, 2025
First off, thank you to The Nerd Fam and Nikki Alexander for sending this ARC over to me! Secondly, this was such a well written book! A definite 5 star read for me! I could not put it down. I’d sneak in a few chapters during my breaks at work because it was that good. And thirdly, without giving too much away, I will say a few things. This book really just hit home. It had me feeling all sorts of emotions. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s what we see happening today. The micro and macro aggressions had me heated! There were many times I wanted to roundhouse kick some characters! Carrie is one badass, brilliant, woman! I’ll definitely be reading more from Nikki Alexander in the future!
July 16, 2025
2.5 stars and DNF at 80% - a shame really because this started out strong
June 20, 2025
This was a hard review to write. I struggled with the rating a lot, as this is an intense book, written so well, with such a colorful and cool cover. I also did not feel like this book was quite science fiction, as it felt very realistic for modern day. I did however still enjoy all the space references. 3.5 rounding up to 4. Coming back to make this a 5 star review because I can’t stop thinking about it and this is nit categorized in sci fi or fantasy anyways.
What I loved:
-The heavy mentions of space, Project Mars, and the progress on the charter
-The writing style kept me intrigued, I definitely plan to read more from this author in the future
-It was a good length
-The small art in between chapters added elegance to the book formatting itself
-Formatted really well (easy to read the ARC)
Content and trigger warnings:
-Death of a parent (mentioned)
-Car accident
-Police brutality
-Racism
-Alcohol consumption
Would I recommend this read?
Absolutely. Firstly I love colorful books, but I think this book tells a really important story and brings space into it. I will say this book is incredibly intense and had me crying and very stressed, so be aware of that going into this one.
Thank you to Net Galley for the free eARC! I am leaving my honest feedback voluntarily.
What I loved:
-The heavy mentions of space, Project Mars, and the progress on the charter
-The writing style kept me intrigued, I definitely plan to read more from this author in the future
-It was a good length
-The small art in between chapters added elegance to the book formatting itself
-Formatted really well (easy to read the ARC)
Content and trigger warnings:
-Death of a parent (mentioned)
-Car accident
-Police brutality
-Racism
-Alcohol consumption
Would I recommend this read?
Absolutely. Firstly I love colorful books, but I think this book tells a really important story and brings space into it. I will say this book is incredibly intense and had me crying and very stressed, so be aware of that going into this one.
Thank you to Net Galley for the free eARC! I am leaving my honest feedback voluntarily.
June 6, 2025
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for making this Arc available to read!
The premise of this book was really interesting, and that's what initially drew me in - it doesn't hurt that the cover also really stands out from the crowd!
So a billionaire has decided that he is going to fund the first settlement on Mars (sound familiar?) , and in the process of doing this, it's decided that a constitution will be needed for the settlement, because Earth's constitution wouldn't necessarily. be applicable on another planet. Enter our main character Dr Carrie Davenport, a brilliant law professor, who just so happens to specialise in constitutional law! Carrie is a black, queer, American woman, who is divorced from her ex-husband. Carrie is going to be leading the constitution team, which will not be straightforward, and then there is a harrowing incident with the police which shakes Carrie, as she confronts the affects of this incident and as she is further exposed to the project she begins to question many things about herself, the constitution and the Mars project itself!
I enjoyed this book, Carrie is an interesting character, she has kept herself almost hidden away in her comfortable academic bubble up to this point, trying to live a peaceful life avoiding confrontation. Which given her family have all been involved in activism, is a bit of a departure from what is expected of her by them, Carrie is reluctant at first to involve herself in activities taking her out of her academic sphere, but we watch Carrie grow and use her voice throughout the book which was an engaging journey to read.
I as a sci-fi fan was particularly intrigued in the concepts around making a constitution for humans who were going to be off planet so to speak! There are so many quandaries I thought to consider, not everyone is necessarily going to be American, there might be issues that could crop up on Mars that are not covered within the constitution as it stands. What rights would they have there for instance compared to on Earth, and what could they and couldn't they do, because I think international law restricts one sovereign nation from trying to claim ownership of another planet- but they're ultimately moving there with the hopes of having a permanent settlement one day? The list of questions goes on in my mind! I was really keen to see how this was going to be explored.
However, it was this element of the book, which was lacking for me personally, and is why I didn't score the book higher . Principles and concepts to be included within the constitution are mentioned and there are discussions between characters, but to me it read as though, those characters had done the reading and the research and they were merely commenting to one another on whether or not they agreed on a principle - just without explaining it to us. It just felt a little vague and peripheral at times to me, and that was disappointing, but then again the ins and outs of the constitution isn't what the novel is about as such - I can just go Google the questions that I might have about those concepts! I'm a sucker for detail though, so maybe I went in with my expectations too high on that front, this as I've said was not really the overall intended purpose or message of the book!
My only other quibble as such was the pacing, I was quite surprised at how quickly everything seemed to reach a conclusion. I wouldn't say that the story suffered because of it, I just felt that the ending seemed to be a little bit rushed.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I would definitely recommend it, as i said Carrie is an interesting character, and it is an engaging read with an interesting premise, it just maybe wasn't quite the book that I thought I was going to be reading on the science and space travel front- which is my own issue not the books!
The premise of this book was really interesting, and that's what initially drew me in - it doesn't hurt that the cover also really stands out from the crowd!
So a billionaire has decided that he is going to fund the first settlement on Mars (sound familiar?) , and in the process of doing this, it's decided that a constitution will be needed for the settlement, because Earth's constitution wouldn't necessarily. be applicable on another planet. Enter our main character Dr Carrie Davenport, a brilliant law professor, who just so happens to specialise in constitutional law! Carrie is a black, queer, American woman, who is divorced from her ex-husband. Carrie is going to be leading the constitution team, which will not be straightforward, and then there is a harrowing incident with the police which shakes Carrie, as she confronts the affects of this incident and as she is further exposed to the project she begins to question many things about herself, the constitution and the Mars project itself!
I enjoyed this book, Carrie is an interesting character, she has kept herself almost hidden away in her comfortable academic bubble up to this point, trying to live a peaceful life avoiding confrontation. Which given her family have all been involved in activism, is a bit of a departure from what is expected of her by them, Carrie is reluctant at first to involve herself in activities taking her out of her academic sphere, but we watch Carrie grow and use her voice throughout the book which was an engaging journey to read.
I as a sci-fi fan was particularly intrigued in the concepts around making a constitution for humans who were going to be off planet so to speak! There are so many quandaries I thought to consider, not everyone is necessarily going to be American, there might be issues that could crop up on Mars that are not covered within the constitution as it stands. What rights would they have there for instance compared to on Earth, and what could they and couldn't they do, because I think international law restricts one sovereign nation from trying to claim ownership of another planet- but they're ultimately moving there with the hopes of having a permanent settlement one day? The list of questions goes on in my mind! I was really keen to see how this was going to be explored.
However, it was this element of the book, which was lacking for me personally, and is why I didn't score the book higher . Principles and concepts to be included within the constitution are mentioned and there are discussions between characters, but to me it read as though, those characters had done the reading and the research and they were merely commenting to one another on whether or not they agreed on a principle - just without explaining it to us. It just felt a little vague and peripheral at times to me, and that was disappointing, but then again the ins and outs of the constitution isn't what the novel is about as such - I can just go Google the questions that I might have about those concepts! I'm a sucker for detail though, so maybe I went in with my expectations too high on that front, this as I've said was not really the overall intended purpose or message of the book!
My only other quibble as such was the pacing, I was quite surprised at how quickly everything seemed to reach a conclusion. I wouldn't say that the story suffered because of it, I just felt that the ending seemed to be a little bit rushed.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I would definitely recommend it, as i said Carrie is an interesting character, and it is an engaging read with an interesting premise, it just maybe wasn't quite the book that I thought I was going to be reading on the science and space travel front- which is my own issue not the books!
June 15, 2025
Professor Carrie Davenport, a renowned expert in constitutional law, has been selected to lead the team that will develop the constitution for the future Martian colony, as a private enterprise, Project Mars, is about to launch the first group of colonists into space. Carrie has always believed that her way of introducing change is not through the barricades but by becoming a successful example herself, a role model of what a Black woman can achieve. But a brutal clash with local police, when they misidentify her based on racial stereotypes — where none of her regalia matters anymore — makes her doubt the foundations of American democracy more than ever, let alone the possibility of developing a framework for an equitable coexistence of space-goers on its basis. It seems like the Mars colony is going to be a rich white men's playground anyway, so why bother?
It's a very interesting case of allegedly sci-fi: a setting in the near future not to make conjectures but to develop a what-if situation to explore a very real and contemporary thing. It's the 2030s, to allow for the idea that the tech has developed enough to make that feasible, but otherwise this is a direct commentary on very recognizable aspects of U.S. society, with police brutality, racialized violence, and inequality.
As someone interested in what creates the subjective perception of a genre, I also appreciated this read a lot because it made me think about the following. I would say there is some YA-ish feel despite the novel not having any of the usual components of the category: not the teenage protagonists, not the themes that are usual in YA fiction, such as those associated with first independent decisions about one's life or defining one's identity. What then? I do not want to say this novel is not nuanced, so "simplifying everything like an adolescent read." To the contrary: it is very nuanced in exploring the topic, but all nuance is very thoroughly spelled out, like it often happens in YA fiction. It is a novel of ideas, clearly, and it invites the reader to think through these themes (democracy, equality, justice) together with the characters by sharing with the reader the input that they are basing their thought process on.
And the desire to show some ways toward hope rather than just reiterate the reasons for despair — which is characteristic of many texts for younger people — might also add to the feel. (But that's exactly why there are many 30+-aged people with degrees like me who prefer genre fiction, isn't it? This one is a piece meeting our demand that is often satisfied by YA titles, without being about teenagers.)
But in no way do I want to suggest that this story is only a discussion of legal-ish ideas: the plot is quite gripping, with several wild turns on the way. I happened to make a pause for a couple of days (because of work events) in the reading process that accidentally exactly coincided with one of those wild turns, and I was then: WHA-AT? Are we in a spy novel now?
Highly recommended, 4.5 stars.
Publication date June 24, 2025.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with the eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is entirely my own.
It's a very interesting case of allegedly sci-fi: a setting in the near future not to make conjectures but to develop a what-if situation to explore a very real and contemporary thing. It's the 2030s, to allow for the idea that the tech has developed enough to make that feasible, but otherwise this is a direct commentary on very recognizable aspects of U.S. society, with police brutality, racialized violence, and inequality.
As someone interested in what creates the subjective perception of a genre, I also appreciated this read a lot because it made me think about the following. I would say there is some YA-ish feel despite the novel not having any of the usual components of the category: not the teenage protagonists, not the themes that are usual in YA fiction, such as those associated with first independent decisions about one's life or defining one's identity. What then? I do not want to say this novel is not nuanced, so "simplifying everything like an adolescent read." To the contrary: it is very nuanced in exploring the topic, but all nuance is very thoroughly spelled out, like it often happens in YA fiction. It is a novel of ideas, clearly, and it invites the reader to think through these themes (democracy, equality, justice) together with the characters by sharing with the reader the input that they are basing their thought process on.
And the desire to show some ways toward hope rather than just reiterate the reasons for despair — which is characteristic of many texts for younger people — might also add to the feel. (But that's exactly why there are many 30+-aged people with degrees like me who prefer genre fiction, isn't it? This one is a piece meeting our demand that is often satisfied by YA titles, without being about teenagers.)
But in no way do I want to suggest that this story is only a discussion of legal-ish ideas: the plot is quite gripping, with several wild turns on the way. I happened to make a pause for a couple of days (because of work events) in the reading process that accidentally exactly coincided with one of those wild turns, and I was then: WHA-AT? Are we in a spy novel now?
Highly recommended, 4.5 stars.
Publication date June 24, 2025.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with the eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is entirely my own.
July 25, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Arc of the Universe in exchange for an honest review.
For the most part I have enjoyed the book and the characters. There were several frustrating moments, not at the writer, but at the microaggressions and prejudices Carrie had to endure throughout the book (and this is just a small portion of her life, I couldn't imagine living an entire life like that).
About roughly 100 pages in, I realised that this wasn't going to be the sci-fi book I expected. I'm not going to mark it down for that, although the marketing team should rethink some things if they want the book to reach the best audiences. I carried on reading with a subjective mind. It's not often I step out of my fantasy and scifi comfort zone, and occasionally I find gold.
I really liked the layers of Carrie's character. She has grown up with activist parents who fought to get her the best life possible, and to a degree she has. Up until the inciting moment of the narrative, she lived in her ivory tower as a tenured Professor at a prestigious conservative university. The worst she ever had to deal with were micro aggressions. After her experience of police brutality, everything changes and she wrestles with the thought of trying to forget it all and sweeping it under a rug. Why? To keep the safe bubble she has built herself from bursting. It's through different challenges, and perspectives that Carrie grows and learns that she is in a unique position to help make sure these things don't happen, not just to her, but to many others.
There are a couple of reasons I didn't give it more than three stars. Although the stakes were high for achieving success in social justice, I felt that Carrie herself didn't have any stakes. What she was doing never left her in risk of losing her job, or making things worse. There was always an outside force helping her along, whether it was a celebrity, her assistants, or her best friend. It shows us that we can achieve a lot with the support of friends and community, but we didn't get to see her strength until towards the end of the book. Another reason is that, yes it's an American space mission to Mars, however, with all the talk of equality and unity, there wasn't much thought given to how law on international land (because I would assume Mars would be international, right?) would effect citizens from other cultures and countries. There is talk of equality, but it never goes into detail when characters discuss it. Like we get the tail end of a conversation as they agree with points that we didn't get to hear.
There could have been a lot of potential here to expand, and maybe if there is a follow up book with different characters on the Mars colony, it could address that?
Thank you for the opportunity to read Arc of the Universe.
For the most part I have enjoyed the book and the characters. There were several frustrating moments, not at the writer, but at the microaggressions and prejudices Carrie had to endure throughout the book (and this is just a small portion of her life, I couldn't imagine living an entire life like that).
About roughly 100 pages in, I realised that this wasn't going to be the sci-fi book I expected. I'm not going to mark it down for that, although the marketing team should rethink some things if they want the book to reach the best audiences. I carried on reading with a subjective mind. It's not often I step out of my fantasy and scifi comfort zone, and occasionally I find gold.
I really liked the layers of Carrie's character. She has grown up with activist parents who fought to get her the best life possible, and to a degree she has. Up until the inciting moment of the narrative, she lived in her ivory tower as a tenured Professor at a prestigious conservative university. The worst she ever had to deal with were micro aggressions. After her experience of police brutality, everything changes and she wrestles with the thought of trying to forget it all and sweeping it under a rug. Why? To keep the safe bubble she has built herself from bursting. It's through different challenges, and perspectives that Carrie grows and learns that she is in a unique position to help make sure these things don't happen, not just to her, but to many others.
There are a couple of reasons I didn't give it more than three stars. Although the stakes were high for achieving success in social justice, I felt that Carrie herself didn't have any stakes. What she was doing never left her in risk of losing her job, or making things worse. There was always an outside force helping her along, whether it was a celebrity, her assistants, or her best friend. It shows us that we can achieve a lot with the support of friends and community, but we didn't get to see her strength until towards the end of the book. Another reason is that, yes it's an American space mission to Mars, however, with all the talk of equality and unity, there wasn't much thought given to how law on international land (because I would assume Mars would be international, right?) would effect citizens from other cultures and countries. There is talk of equality, but it never goes into detail when characters discuss it. Like we get the tail end of a conversation as they agree with points that we didn't get to hear.
There could have been a lot of potential here to expand, and maybe if there is a follow up book with different characters on the Mars colony, it could address that?
Thank you for the opportunity to read Arc of the Universe.
June 24, 2025
A Bold, Brilliant, and Unflinchingly Honest Look at the World We Live In
The Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander is one of those rare books that grabs hold of your mind and refuses to let go. From the very first page, I found myself completely immersed in a story that, while rooted in science fiction, feels hauntingly and heartbreakingly real.
Told from the perspective of Carrie, our fierce and intelligent main character, the novel begins with what seems like a dream come true, she lands the job she’s worked tirelessly for. But what follows isn’t just a story of ambition and success. It’s a deep dive into the cracks in our society, a reimagining of power, justice, and what could happen if someone dared to challenge the foundations of an unjust system.
Alexander crafts a compelling narrative that dares to ask the impossible: What if you could rewrite the Constitution? Through Carrie’s eyes, we explore this provocative idea, how systemic racism, sexism, and corruption might be dismantled and rebuilt in a way that truly serves everyone. It’s a chillingly realistic thought experiment cloaked in science fiction, and it forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the world we live in.
What sets this book apart is not only the originality of its premise but the emotional depth of its characters. Carrie isn’t a one-dimensional heroine; she’s layered, flawed, and deeply human. The supporting cast is just as richly drawn, with every interaction adding to the complexity of the story and its themes. You don’t just read about these characters, you feel with them.
The writing itself is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s lyrical, powerful, and razor-sharp, pulling no punches as it explores oppression, resilience, and the fight for a better future. There were moments that felt like punches to the gut, passages that made me pause and sit with what I’d just read. This isn’t a light or easy read, but it is an essential one.
By the time I turned the final page, I wasn’t the same person I was when I started. The Arc of the Universe made me question everything I thought I understood about justice, equality, and the systems that claim to protect us. It’s a deeply thought-provoking book that doesn’t just entertain, it challenges, educates, and inspires.
If you’ve ever asked yourself what real change could look like, or if you’ve ever felt crushed beneath the weight of a system that was never built with you in mind, this book will speak to your soul. And even if you haven’t, especially if you haven’t, it’s a story you need to read.
Final thoughts: This is more than just a sci-fi novel. It’s a call to awareness, a spark for conversation, and maybe even a blueprint for hope. Don’t miss it.
The Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander is one of those rare books that grabs hold of your mind and refuses to let go. From the very first page, I found myself completely immersed in a story that, while rooted in science fiction, feels hauntingly and heartbreakingly real.
Told from the perspective of Carrie, our fierce and intelligent main character, the novel begins with what seems like a dream come true, she lands the job she’s worked tirelessly for. But what follows isn’t just a story of ambition and success. It’s a deep dive into the cracks in our society, a reimagining of power, justice, and what could happen if someone dared to challenge the foundations of an unjust system.
Alexander crafts a compelling narrative that dares to ask the impossible: What if you could rewrite the Constitution? Through Carrie’s eyes, we explore this provocative idea, how systemic racism, sexism, and corruption might be dismantled and rebuilt in a way that truly serves everyone. It’s a chillingly realistic thought experiment cloaked in science fiction, and it forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the world we live in.
What sets this book apart is not only the originality of its premise but the emotional depth of its characters. Carrie isn’t a one-dimensional heroine; she’s layered, flawed, and deeply human. The supporting cast is just as richly drawn, with every interaction adding to the complexity of the story and its themes. You don’t just read about these characters, you feel with them.
The writing itself is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s lyrical, powerful, and razor-sharp, pulling no punches as it explores oppression, resilience, and the fight for a better future. There were moments that felt like punches to the gut, passages that made me pause and sit with what I’d just read. This isn’t a light or easy read, but it is an essential one.
By the time I turned the final page, I wasn’t the same person I was when I started. The Arc of the Universe made me question everything I thought I understood about justice, equality, and the systems that claim to protect us. It’s a deeply thought-provoking book that doesn’t just entertain, it challenges, educates, and inspires.
If you’ve ever asked yourself what real change could look like, or if you’ve ever felt crushed beneath the weight of a system that was never built with you in mind, this book will speak to your soul. And even if you haven’t, especially if you haven’t, it’s a story you need to read.
Final thoughts: This is more than just a sci-fi novel. It’s a call to awareness, a spark for conversation, and maybe even a blueprint for hope. Don’t miss it.
July 20, 2025
Dr Carrie Davenport has been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to design a system of government for the first colony in Mars. Complications quickly arise - a date with a girl she met at the bar leads to a racially-profiled arrest, the violent encounter goes viral, and team member Adam Kirkpatrick tries to take over her spot.
Set in the near future (about 2035?), Nikki Alexander crafts an alternate future that seems plausible - assuming Trump hadn't won the US elections in 2024. Somewhere in the timeline, America has had its first (half?) Latina president, and things seem to have changed for the better - none of this present lunacy. However, under the surface, things remain the same. Adam Kirkpatrick parrots many talking points against DEI and "woke" (and is a thoroughly dislikeable character). Beauregard Ball and his company that's sponsoring Project Mars appear to be progressive, but the first batch of colonists are 95% white and no one is batting an eye. It's the same old, same old, and Davenport manages to overlook a lot of things because of her position of educated privilege, until the violent arrest and the subsequent backlash takes the spotlight.
Whilst tagged as Science Fiction, Arc of the Universe is focused more on the journey leading to Mars - and the legal side of things, rather than the science getting them there. The latter only appears as milestones - a successful probe launch puts the pressure on Carrie's team to finish drafting their proposal, the ensuing celebration offers her an opportunity to scope out the people involved. Instead, there's a lot of focus on governance, democracy, constitutions and legal speak.
The overarching question that runs through the book is "What are we doing to make the future better?" Carrie has to wrestle with whether what she's doing - lecturing about law and drafting a constitution for Mars - is good enough, or if she has to follow in the footsteps of her activist mother and protest on the streets for change. There's pressure on her to do all the big things, like protest and sue and fall into the whole "activism rabbit hole". But is that the best use of her time and position? Especially when it goes against her nature?
Overall, Arc of the Universe is a thoughtful look at how to address different issues with nuance. It's also a reminder that everyone has a different role to play - and that even if someone is not out on the streets yelling for change, the things they do quietly in the background can have the same - or even greater - impact.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Strawberry Tree Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Set in the near future (about 2035?), Nikki Alexander crafts an alternate future that seems plausible - assuming Trump hadn't won the US elections in 2024. Somewhere in the timeline, America has had its first (half?) Latina president, and things seem to have changed for the better - none of this present lunacy. However, under the surface, things remain the same. Adam Kirkpatrick parrots many talking points against DEI and "woke" (and is a thoroughly dislikeable character). Beauregard Ball and his company that's sponsoring Project Mars appear to be progressive, but the first batch of colonists are 95% white and no one is batting an eye. It's the same old, same old, and Davenport manages to overlook a lot of things because of her position of educated privilege, until the violent arrest and the subsequent backlash takes the spotlight.
Whilst tagged as Science Fiction, Arc of the Universe is focused more on the journey leading to Mars - and the legal side of things, rather than the science getting them there. The latter only appears as milestones - a successful probe launch puts the pressure on Carrie's team to finish drafting their proposal, the ensuing celebration offers her an opportunity to scope out the people involved. Instead, there's a lot of focus on governance, democracy, constitutions and legal speak.
The overarching question that runs through the book is "What are we doing to make the future better?" Carrie has to wrestle with whether what she's doing - lecturing about law and drafting a constitution for Mars - is good enough, or if she has to follow in the footsteps of her activist mother and protest on the streets for change. There's pressure on her to do all the big things, like protest and sue and fall into the whole "activism rabbit hole". But is that the best use of her time and position? Especially when it goes against her nature?
Overall, Arc of the Universe is a thoughtful look at how to address different issues with nuance. It's also a reminder that everyone has a different role to play - and that even if someone is not out on the streets yelling for change, the things they do quietly in the background can have the same - or even greater - impact.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Strawberry Tree Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
July 3, 2025
Was I suckered into reading Arc Of The Universe by its use of the word Universe and its spacey book cover? Did a skim read of the blurb mention "first colony on Mars" and make me think I was in my sci-fi comfort zone. Of course it did, but luckily what Arc Of The Universe is actually about is something that perhaps interests me as much as the derring-do of colonising other planets. In the Weinersmith's debunker A City On Mars, which explains the many reasons why it is unlikely we will ever colonise Mars, a full third of the book is taken up by legal issues. And that is exactly what Arc Of The Universe is nominally about (that is what the plot is about, what the book is actually about is even more universal...)
Carrie Davenport is an academic, a constitutional scholar, a black Professor working in an Southern US university who has been asked to front the working group on writing a Constitution for the first colony on Mars. She sees this both as a huge honour and repudiation of her safe career, coming from a working class background to a place of considerable power. Of course she rubs against issues, one of her working group is an originalist who cannot see outside the governance outlined in the US constitution, and she is well aware that the diversity of the first group of colonists is woeful, it is 95% white. Things come to a head when she gets pulled over by the police and she is arrested and abused by them. The book does a good jobn at contrasting her desire to retreat back into a place of safety, against a political reality that her work can and should mean something in the greater scheme of things.
What I really appreciated about Alexander's book was that she is not afraid to make Carrie a bit of a mess. Divorced and bisexual, the crisis point occurs due to a fling with a very different kind of woman, and yet whilst the decisions made are ill-judged, they are also justified emotionally, and Alexander never caricatures the protagonists. Indeed as well as race there is sex and gender politics on display, not to mention that of class in the US. I'm not sure I was all that convinced by the details of the actual constitution they draw up (which even they admit for 100 people all working for a company is more of a charter, and having some experience in drawing up constitutions for small autonomous organisations), but the stakes are properly balanced between Carrie's own personal drama, and the very real hypothetical stakes for space colonisation. Alexander is interested in her messy, professional woman first, and giving her a learning journey into activism using her own skills, above that of the universe, and I think she got the mix just right.
Carrie Davenport is an academic, a constitutional scholar, a black Professor working in an Southern US university who has been asked to front the working group on writing a Constitution for the first colony on Mars. She sees this both as a huge honour and repudiation of her safe career, coming from a working class background to a place of considerable power. Of course she rubs against issues, one of her working group is an originalist who cannot see outside the governance outlined in the US constitution, and she is well aware that the diversity of the first group of colonists is woeful, it is 95% white. Things come to a head when she gets pulled over by the police and she is arrested and abused by them. The book does a good jobn at contrasting her desire to retreat back into a place of safety, against a political reality that her work can and should mean something in the greater scheme of things.
What I really appreciated about Alexander's book was that she is not afraid to make Carrie a bit of a mess. Divorced and bisexual, the crisis point occurs due to a fling with a very different kind of woman, and yet whilst the decisions made are ill-judged, they are also justified emotionally, and Alexander never caricatures the protagonists. Indeed as well as race there is sex and gender politics on display, not to mention that of class in the US. I'm not sure I was all that convinced by the details of the actual constitution they draw up (which even they admit for 100 people all working for a company is more of a charter, and having some experience in drawing up constitutions for small autonomous organisations), but the stakes are properly balanced between Carrie's own personal drama, and the very real hypothetical stakes for space colonisation. Alexander is interested in her messy, professional woman first, and giving her a learning journey into activism using her own skills, above that of the universe, and I think she got the mix just right.
June 26, 2025
[ARC REVIEW]
Did you like Chain-Gang All-Stars? Did you like Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents? Do you think about what a Mars colony could look like and wonder if it would be more of the same or if maybe, just maybe, things could be different?
And finally, are you looking at the current world and thinking “what are we doing?” and “we can do so much better than this?”
Babes. Have I got a book for you.
I had the utmost pleasure of receiving an ARC of Arc of the Universe from The Nerd Fam. In Arc of the Universe we follow Dr. Carrie Davenport, a black, queer, and renowned constitutional law professor at Briar University, who is tasked with designing a constitution for Project Mars (backed by a tech-bro multi-billionaire who goes by B-Ball UGH). Talk about an opportunity of a lifetime. But she’s not alone in this task, she’s on a small team of three. One being an ex-pro football player turned politician, with practical knowledge of politics and the other being, well, everyone’s awful relative that you dread seeing at the holidays, especially on an election year (y’all know what I mean, we’ve all got one). To be completely fair, he is also a constitutional law professor, he’s just stuck in the past and y’know, wants everything to be the American WayTM.
Anyway.
So you can see the challenges Dr. Davenport has to face already. Our girl digs deep into research but then has a terrible and traumatizing interaction with the police and finds herself in the center of more than she could ever imagine when this project started.
If it wasn’t obvious, I loved this book. I loved walking with Carrie (I feel like we’re on a first name basis post this book) as she unravels her trauma, deals with common microaggressions from crusty people, and finds allies in unlikely people. I felt it deeply when she finds herself being pulled in various ways and ultimately realizes she’s just not [black, queer, quiet, smart, ect] enough. And I loved seeing her realize her power, how she can stand up and challenge the system HER way.
Carrie is flawed and often fumbles, but that’s what makes her so relatable and I connected with her on multiple levels.
So again. Thank you TNF for this ARC. I won’t be forgetting this one any time soon.
P.S. I have to mention, I’m thrilled that in 2032 the Seattle SuperSonics are finally back. Even if they’re owned by a tech-bro who goes by B-Ball.
Did you like Chain-Gang All-Stars? Did you like Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents? Do you think about what a Mars colony could look like and wonder if it would be more of the same or if maybe, just maybe, things could be different?
And finally, are you looking at the current world and thinking “what are we doing?” and “we can do so much better than this?”
Babes. Have I got a book for you.
I had the utmost pleasure of receiving an ARC of Arc of the Universe from The Nerd Fam. In Arc of the Universe we follow Dr. Carrie Davenport, a black, queer, and renowned constitutional law professor at Briar University, who is tasked with designing a constitution for Project Mars (backed by a tech-bro multi-billionaire who goes by B-Ball UGH). Talk about an opportunity of a lifetime. But she’s not alone in this task, she’s on a small team of three. One being an ex-pro football player turned politician, with practical knowledge of politics and the other being, well, everyone’s awful relative that you dread seeing at the holidays, especially on an election year (y’all know what I mean, we’ve all got one). To be completely fair, he is also a constitutional law professor, he’s just stuck in the past and y’know, wants everything to be the American WayTM.
Anyway.
So you can see the challenges Dr. Davenport has to face already. Our girl digs deep into research but then has a terrible and traumatizing interaction with the police and finds herself in the center of more than she could ever imagine when this project started.
If it wasn’t obvious, I loved this book. I loved walking with Carrie (I feel like we’re on a first name basis post this book) as she unravels her trauma, deals with common microaggressions from crusty people, and finds allies in unlikely people. I felt it deeply when she finds herself being pulled in various ways and ultimately realizes she’s just not [black, queer, quiet, smart, ect] enough. And I loved seeing her realize her power, how she can stand up and challenge the system HER way.
Carrie is flawed and often fumbles, but that’s what makes her so relatable and I connected with her on multiple levels.
So again. Thank you TNF for this ARC. I won’t be forgetting this one any time soon.
P.S. I have to mention, I’m thrilled that in 2032 the Seattle SuperSonics are finally back. Even if they’re owned by a tech-bro who goes by B-Ball.
June 26, 2025
🌎 Arc Of The Universe 🌎
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The enormity of the country’s race problem both astounded and terrified her. It was a toxic, raging fire so hot and untamable that even just poking the idea with a fingertip would leave her singed. It called for advocacy.”
“And yet, her country had clearly learned nothing at all. Because nearly two hundred years after her ancestors had been freed from slavery, after the country had waxed poetic again and again after the Civil Rights Movement that all men were created equal (and we really mean it this time), her government still treated her as less than.”
I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this and this book released June 24th.
This is a political dystopian speculative fiction novel set in the near future, that follows Dr. Carrie Davenport, a queer Black constitutional law professor, who is invited to help draft a constitution for the first human colony on Mars. At first, Carrie is inspired by the opportunity to shape a new, just society. But her idealism is tested both by clashes with conservative colleagues and a traumatic incident of police brutality towards her on Earth. These events force her to confront the limits of law in addressing systemic injustice and to question whether a truly fair society can be built using the same frameworks that have failed in the past. The novel explores themes of race, social justice, identity, and the tension between utopian dreams and harsh realities.
Wow. This is such a rare gem of a book with a unique perspective and delves into really interesting questions around if the American Constitution were to be rewritten now, what would it include, who would it protect, who would get a say in writing it? There was a mix of characters from all backgrounds, some likeable, some divisive and it made for such a rich read. I feel like this is such a hard book to sum up in a short review but would encourage everyone to read, for a book exploring such complex themes it was joyously easy to read and impossible to put down, it’s truly such a thought provoking and interesting novel - I found myself pausing to have animated debates and discussions with my husband who is now desperate to read this also. I loved the blend of speculative fiction and real world critique and just was so much more than I expected, definitely a top book of the year for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The enormity of the country’s race problem both astounded and terrified her. It was a toxic, raging fire so hot and untamable that even just poking the idea with a fingertip would leave her singed. It called for advocacy.”
“And yet, her country had clearly learned nothing at all. Because nearly two hundred years after her ancestors had been freed from slavery, after the country had waxed poetic again and again after the Civil Rights Movement that all men were created equal (and we really mean it this time), her government still treated her as less than.”
I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this and this book released June 24th.
This is a political dystopian speculative fiction novel set in the near future, that follows Dr. Carrie Davenport, a queer Black constitutional law professor, who is invited to help draft a constitution for the first human colony on Mars. At first, Carrie is inspired by the opportunity to shape a new, just society. But her idealism is tested both by clashes with conservative colleagues and a traumatic incident of police brutality towards her on Earth. These events force her to confront the limits of law in addressing systemic injustice and to question whether a truly fair society can be built using the same frameworks that have failed in the past. The novel explores themes of race, social justice, identity, and the tension between utopian dreams and harsh realities.
Wow. This is such a rare gem of a book with a unique perspective and delves into really interesting questions around if the American Constitution were to be rewritten now, what would it include, who would it protect, who would get a say in writing it? There was a mix of characters from all backgrounds, some likeable, some divisive and it made for such a rich read. I feel like this is such a hard book to sum up in a short review but would encourage everyone to read, for a book exploring such complex themes it was joyously easy to read and impossible to put down, it’s truly such a thought provoking and interesting novel - I found myself pausing to have animated debates and discussions with my husband who is now desperate to read this also. I loved the blend of speculative fiction and real world critique and just was so much more than I expected, definitely a top book of the year for me.
June 28, 2025
It’s 2032, and Dr. Carrie Davenport has been tasked with creating the constitution for Project Mars, where 100 people will be sent to make the first colony on Mars. Carrie, a queer black political law professor at Briar University, has been working harder to get to where she is than those around her for her whole life. But she’s been tasked with maybe one of the hardest things she will ever have to do. How will this constitution change the lives of those going to Mars? Or will they just be stuck dealing with the same problems we do on earth- capitalism, lack of diverse representation, and political strife?
I enjoyed this book. It is not my usual genre by any means, but this book had this Romantasy girlie feeling ALL THE FEELS. I was happy, scared, angry, sad, angry again, worried, proud. Carrie is bad ass, educated, sometimes shy, and struggles with balancing her responsibilities sometimes. She is very relatable. She likes take out and vodka, and wants to change the world for the better. And the Hamilton musical mentions? Amazing. Oh yeah, and the Seattle Sonics are a thing again in this time frame. Love that! There’s tons of fun little Easter eggs that really help to lighten the heavy commentary of this book.
The “villain” (for lack of a better word) is a white man that just can’t grasp that the US constitution isn’t perfect, and he thinks diversity is “radical”. It’s almost too close to home in this climate. He’s a total jerk. And he may not be the only “villain”.
There is a big twist of “who can you really trust” in this book that shocked me for sure.
This book is the antithesis of “I don’t like to think when I read” in a good way. The “lessons” aren’t cringey or insanely obvious like they can be in some books with political commentary. This is a story of using your own strengths to change things, not letting people put you in a box they’ve created for you, and accepting the help of those that around you that love you. You are not alone, and we all have the power to enact change.
My only “complaint” is that I feel like the ending was kind of rushed- it seemed like everyone changed their minds in like 10 minutes. And I think the romance with Shauna continuing was unnecessary. But it was still good!
Thank you to the Nerd Fam for this eARC! Nikki Alexander is a very talented writer and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
I enjoyed this book. It is not my usual genre by any means, but this book had this Romantasy girlie feeling ALL THE FEELS. I was happy, scared, angry, sad, angry again, worried, proud. Carrie is bad ass, educated, sometimes shy, and struggles with balancing her responsibilities sometimes. She is very relatable. She likes take out and vodka, and wants to change the world for the better. And the Hamilton musical mentions? Amazing. Oh yeah, and the Seattle Sonics are a thing again in this time frame. Love that! There’s tons of fun little Easter eggs that really help to lighten the heavy commentary of this book.
The “villain” (for lack of a better word) is a white man that just can’t grasp that the US constitution isn’t perfect, and he thinks diversity is “radical”. It’s almost too close to home in this climate. He’s a total jerk. And he may not be the only “villain”.
There is a big twist of “who can you really trust” in this book that shocked me for sure.
This book is the antithesis of “I don’t like to think when I read” in a good way. The “lessons” aren’t cringey or insanely obvious like they can be in some books with political commentary. This is a story of using your own strengths to change things, not letting people put you in a box they’ve created for you, and accepting the help of those that around you that love you. You are not alone, and we all have the power to enact change.
My only “complaint” is that I feel like the ending was kind of rushed- it seemed like everyone changed their minds in like 10 minutes. And I think the romance with Shauna continuing was unnecessary. But it was still good!
Thank you to the Nerd Fam for this eARC! Nikki Alexander is a very talented writer and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
June 18, 2025
First and foremost, Thank you Nikki Alexander and to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC. #arcoftheuniverse #thenerdfam
This is one of my first ARCs and i was super excited to recieve it!
ARC Review: Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander
🍷 Wine Pairing: Rosé (but with a decant-worthy twist)
At first sip, Arc of the Universe felt like a bottle of rosé that hadn't quite chilled yet—light, but hard to get into. The opening pages, focused on a conversation between Carrie and Kim and a broken shoe, left me wondering where the story was going and why I should care and why I was all of associating Sex and the City with the book.
I’ll be honest—I set it down, like a bold red that needed to breathe.... But I came back. And I’m glad I did.
While it’s not a literary masterpiece (sorry, Nikki), Arc of the Universe ended up being a surprisingly thought-provoking exploration of what it might take to colonize Mars. From philosophical debates to the creation of a new-world constitution, the book raises important questions about governance, legacy, and starting over.
The plot is engaging and the character development of Carrie and her relationships are really well developed.
And Beauregard? My first thought was, “This dude sounds like a 40 year old frat boy dipshit.” But even he grew on me (sort of) —kind of like a wine you’re skeptical about at first but give it some time and the right accompaniments and it actually isn't too bad. The character Adam Kilpatrick, however, was definitely corked. Like a wine you really want to enjoy but after opening realize it has all the TCA has your wine tasting like wet dog and rotteneggs. Kilpatrick is all the things you just dont want. Especially in his treatment of a woman of colour in a professional environment. It really did open my eyes more the the privilege I have personally being a white woman. There are just so many layers to this story. Just like a fine wine you have to take it slow and savour it to peel back the layers of flavours and tastes.
If you're into a sci-fi-ISH genre (it really isn't sci-fi but thats how it's classified) with political and ethical undertones and don’t mind a slow start, let this one breathe. It’s worth the second pour.
'Till next time!
R.
@anovelpour
This is one of my first ARCs and i was super excited to recieve it!
ARC Review: Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander
🍷 Wine Pairing: Rosé (but with a decant-worthy twist)
At first sip, Arc of the Universe felt like a bottle of rosé that hadn't quite chilled yet—light, but hard to get into. The opening pages, focused on a conversation between Carrie and Kim and a broken shoe, left me wondering where the story was going and why I should care and why I was all of associating Sex and the City with the book.
I’ll be honest—I set it down, like a bold red that needed to breathe.... But I came back. And I’m glad I did.
While it’s not a literary masterpiece (sorry, Nikki), Arc of the Universe ended up being a surprisingly thought-provoking exploration of what it might take to colonize Mars. From philosophical debates to the creation of a new-world constitution, the book raises important questions about governance, legacy, and starting over.
The plot is engaging and the character development of Carrie and her relationships are really well developed.
And Beauregard? My first thought was, “This dude sounds like a 40 year old frat boy dipshit.” But even he grew on me (sort of) —kind of like a wine you’re skeptical about at first but give it some time and the right accompaniments and it actually isn't too bad. The character Adam Kilpatrick, however, was definitely corked. Like a wine you really want to enjoy but after opening realize it has all the TCA has your wine tasting like wet dog and rotteneggs. Kilpatrick is all the things you just dont want. Especially in his treatment of a woman of colour in a professional environment. It really did open my eyes more the the privilege I have personally being a white woman. There are just so many layers to this story. Just like a fine wine you have to take it slow and savour it to peel back the layers of flavours and tastes.
If you're into a sci-fi-ISH genre (it really isn't sci-fi but thats how it's classified) with political and ethical undertones and don’t mind a slow start, let this one breathe. It’s worth the second pour.
'Till next time!
R.
@anovelpour
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