What do you think?
Rate this book
Morningstar: Destiny Trilogy #1
Nameless
A girl with no memories. A man with too many. And an assassin who starts a war to find them.
On the seedy backwater moon where a NUSovian ship dropped Xander off to scratch a living among the mines and brothels, true friends are a luxury she can’t afford. What kind of person doesn’t know her own name? Waiting tables and fending off amorous drunks barely earns Xander enough to survive, let alone escape to the civilized colony of NUSaxony to find a nuerotherapist who can help her regain her lost memories.
But help often comes from unexpected places.
An ex-assassin on the run from his own past, Kale and a team of bounty hunters as eclectic and derelict as their ship saves Xander from a syndicate operative who started a space colony war to find her. They race against time, seeking the spaceship that holds the key to Xander’s memories before the syndicate catches up with them.
As the net closes in, Xander faces a choice.
Is finding herself worth the price her friends will pay? Or does true friendship mean sacrificing Xander’s memories—walking away from everyone she loves—to keep them safe?
After all, some things are more important than a name.
On the seedy backwater moon where a NUSovian ship dropped Xander off to scratch a living among the mines and brothels, true friends are a luxury she can’t afford. What kind of person doesn’t know her own name? Waiting tables and fending off amorous drunks barely earns Xander enough to survive, let alone escape to the civilized colony of NUSaxony to find a nuerotherapist who can help her regain her lost memories.
But help often comes from unexpected places.
An ex-assassin on the run from his own past, Kale and a team of bounty hunters as eclectic and derelict as their ship saves Xander from a syndicate operative who started a space colony war to find her. They race against time, seeking the spaceship that holds the key to Xander’s memories before the syndicate catches up with them.
As the net closes in, Xander faces a choice.
Is finding herself worth the price her friends will pay? Or does true friendship mean sacrificing Xander’s memories—walking away from everyone she loves—to keep them safe?
After all, some things are more important than a name.
- GenresScience FictionChristian
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2014
10 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Williams
29 books78 followersA.C. Williams also writes under the pen name Kimberly McNeil
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 14, 2014
I'm a converted geek, drawn into a puzzling universe of aliens and space travel and scientific inventions by virtue of complex plots and compelling characters, and this book is exactly the kind of story that made me fall in love with space opera to begin with.
Think Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and throw in a girl with lost memories, a hot and deadly ex-assassin, and a whole new universe of worlds and even more life questions.
A.C. Williams keeps the story moving with lots of action and a whole cast of unique characters. Even the side characters feel like you'd like to know their story. Xander (the female protagonist) has a fun, snarky internal voice that helps the sections in her head keep moving.
If I have any complaint it's that it starts a little slow/heavy for me before she meets the other main characters, and I'd like to see more interactions between the main male and female protagonists. But now that she's tossed in the mix with the motley crew, hopefully both those issues will be sorted out in book two!
Looking forward to the next books in the series. I'd definitely recommend this book to lovers of adventure stories with great characters and a touch of romance, whether you like speculative fiction (sci-fi) or not.
Think Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and throw in a girl with lost memories, a hot and deadly ex-assassin, and a whole new universe of worlds and even more life questions.
A.C. Williams keeps the story moving with lots of action and a whole cast of unique characters. Even the side characters feel like you'd like to know their story. Xander (the female protagonist) has a fun, snarky internal voice that helps the sections in her head keep moving.
If I have any complaint it's that it starts a little slow/heavy for me before she meets the other main characters, and I'd like to see more interactions between the main male and female protagonists. But now that she's tossed in the mix with the motley crew, hopefully both those issues will be sorted out in book two!
Looking forward to the next books in the series. I'd definitely recommend this book to lovers of adventure stories with great characters and a touch of romance, whether you like speculative fiction (sci-fi) or not.
October 27, 2015
This book is a really gripping sci-fi, though not an easy read at times (see content warning). It follows a young girl who goes by Xander. She has no memory of who she is and is struggling to survive on a harsh moon colony.
It's Christian at its core with Xander remembering that she is a Christian about halfway through the book. Before she remembers, she is doing her best to live a moral lifestyle in a society that has no knowledge of God. I found it to be a really interesting concept, following Xander as she navigated this society, knowing she doesn't agree with things, but trying her best to live a good life.
She eventually meets up with a crew of bounty hunters who were all brilliantly unique. The crew tries to do the right thing, but each member has their own particular issues to deal with. All the characters were well fleshed out and I really enjoyed this book! There was plenty of humor and edge-of-your-seat moments. I was constantly trying to find time to read.
I loved Xander. She had a great voice and really was just trying to the best she could with the hand that had been given her. I liked her interactions the crew. I appreciated how while she found another character very attractive, she was willing to push those feelings aside and try and be his friend first and someone he could trust. He had issues and was a jerk most of the time, but I liked where he was going at the end.:)
Content Warning:
There was quite a bit of language but no profanity or use of the f-bomb.
Xander starts out on a moon known for prostitution and drugs. She waits tables here, trying to save up enough money to get off the planet without turning to prostitution.
There was frequent talk of sex and Xander was almost raped twice, getting saved just in time. Nothing too graphic but some intense scenes. All the references to sex did get a little wearying as other characters frequently remarked on how pretty Xander was and how they'd like to take her for a "tumble".
A secondary character is lesbian and befriends Xander. I thought her incorporation was very interesting and how Xander treated her as a friend didn't judge her for the lifestyle even though she did not agree with it. Same with the prostitute that Xander knew on the moon.
Based on the above, I would only recommend this book to an older audience (18 and older). I definitely recommend it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
It's Christian at its core with Xander remembering that she is a Christian about halfway through the book. Before she remembers, she is doing her best to live a moral lifestyle in a society that has no knowledge of God. I found it to be a really interesting concept, following Xander as she navigated this society, knowing she doesn't agree with things, but trying her best to live a good life.
She eventually meets up with a crew of bounty hunters who were all brilliantly unique. The crew tries to do the right thing, but each member has their own particular issues to deal with. All the characters were well fleshed out and I really enjoyed this book! There was plenty of humor and edge-of-your-seat moments. I was constantly trying to find time to read.
I loved Xander. She had a great voice and really was just trying to the best she could with the hand that had been given her. I liked her interactions the crew. I appreciated how while she found another character very attractive, she was willing to push those feelings aside and try and be his friend first and someone he could trust. He had issues and was a jerk most of the time, but I liked where he was going at the end.:)
Content Warning:
There was quite a bit of language but no profanity or use of the f-bomb.
Xander starts out on a moon known for prostitution and drugs. She waits tables here, trying to save up enough money to get off the planet without turning to prostitution.
There was frequent talk of sex and Xander was almost raped twice, getting saved just in time. Nothing too graphic but some intense scenes. All the references to sex did get a little wearying as other characters frequently remarked on how pretty Xander was and how they'd like to take her for a "tumble".
A secondary character is lesbian and befriends Xander. I thought her incorporation was very interesting and how Xander treated her as a friend didn't judge her for the lifestyle even though she did not agree with it. Same with the prostitute that Xander knew on the moon.
Based on the above, I would only recommend this book to an older audience (18 and older). I definitely recommend it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
June 26, 2025
This was a super fun sci-fi romp. Definitely on the edgier side (so my younger followers should be aware of that), but I appreciated how those aspects of the story were handled. It's got me waiting for the re-release of book #2!
November 14, 2015
This book is the first in a series. It sets up the story world, introduces the characters and leaves you begging for more.
It reads like a television pilot. Like the pilot for the best show ever, a gritty western set in space that features kick butt women and sharp shooting men, that will develop a cult following after Fox cancels it after one season.
Okay, so maybe Nameless by A.C. Williams isn't exactly Firefly but it will appeal to fans of the late scifi classic.
Nameless follows a young woman who has severe amnesia. All she has is an old jacket with the name Xander on it, and she isn't even sure if it's hers. She crosses the solar system trying to find someone to tell her who she is. When she learns that an evil syndicate will do anything to find her, she starts to worry that the person she was might not be worth finding after all.
It reads like a television pilot. Like the pilot for the best show ever, a gritty western set in space that features kick butt women and sharp shooting men, that will develop a cult following after Fox cancels it after one season.
Okay, so maybe Nameless by A.C. Williams isn't exactly Firefly but it will appeal to fans of the late scifi classic.
Nameless follows a young woman who has severe amnesia. All she has is an old jacket with the name Xander on it, and she isn't even sure if it's hers. She crosses the solar system trying to find someone to tell her who she is. When she learns that an evil syndicate will do anything to find her, she starts to worry that the person she was might not be worth finding after all.
December 30, 2014
An intriguing story and colorful characters that leave you wishing for more. Looking forward to the next installment.
June 2, 2020
Honestly not sure what to think of this book.
On the one hand, I love the tone and characters and story.
On the other hand, it includes way more sexual content than I'm comfortable with.
As I said, I really love the characters and the story. It seemed a little short. I mistook the climax of the story for the midpoint. My bad.
It focused way more on character development than on plot. But the pacing was handled so well, I didn't notice until I was two thirds of the way through.
And of course, I gotta love the characters. I'm really interested to see where she takes the "forgotten identity" thing.
It's just such a fun book. It's light-hearted, and funny. I laughed out loud a few times, reading it. And those are my favorite kinds of stories.
About the sexual content of the book - here's why I didn't dock a star for it:
1. It was consistent throughout the book. I'm smart enough to realize that this is a theme of the story, not just the author's desire to be dirty. And I really appreciate continuity of theme.
2. There were no scenes where two characters had sex. Although she got pretty close (make out, fantasy, attempted rape), she didn't cross that line, which I am grateful for. And I hope she respects the characters (and readers) enough not to cross that line in the sequels.
3. It was real. As much as I hate to admit it, sexuality is a part of life. And out there in the world (I'm a Home-schooled Christian - very sheltered), people are careless with their sexuality. And I resent that. Why can't people just act with propriety? But I digress. My point is, I think she portrayed well the brokenness of the fallen world as it pertains to sexuality.
That said, I'm not too sure about the wisdom of me reading it. I have a particular discomfort for sexual content. Which is why I'm still not sure what to think about it. And it's also why I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the sequel anytime soon. I mean, I want to... but I'm not sure if that would be wise.
On the one hand, I love the tone and characters and story.
On the other hand, it includes way more sexual content than I'm comfortable with.
As I said, I really love the characters and the story. It seemed a little short. I mistook the climax of the story for the midpoint. My bad.
It focused way more on character development than on plot. But the pacing was handled so well, I didn't notice until I was two thirds of the way through.
And of course, I gotta love the characters. I'm really interested to see where she takes the "forgotten identity" thing.
It's just such a fun book. It's light-hearted, and funny. I laughed out loud a few times, reading it. And those are my favorite kinds of stories.
About the sexual content of the book - here's why I didn't dock a star for it:
1. It was consistent throughout the book. I'm smart enough to realize that this is a theme of the story, not just the author's desire to be dirty. And I really appreciate continuity of theme.
2. There were no scenes where two characters had sex. Although she got pretty close (make out, fantasy, attempted rape), she didn't cross that line, which I am grateful for. And I hope she respects the characters (and readers) enough not to cross that line in the sequels.
3. It was real. As much as I hate to admit it, sexuality is a part of life. And out there in the world (I'm a Home-schooled Christian - very sheltered), people are careless with their sexuality. And I resent that. Why can't people just act with propriety? But I digress. My point is, I think she portrayed well the brokenness of the fallen world as it pertains to sexuality.
That said, I'm not too sure about the wisdom of me reading it. I have a particular discomfort for sexual content. Which is why I'm still not sure what to think about it. And it's also why I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the sequel anytime soon. I mean, I want to... but I'm not sure if that would be wise.
March 21, 2023
Nameless is space opera, a perfect read for someone like me who just wants the far-flung worlds and fancy tech without having to understand how a spaceship (or all that tech) works. At any rate, I picked this one up mostly to support a fellow Realmie (not that I recall ever meeting her; we just hang out in the same conference/socmed spaces) and didn't go in with much in the way of expectations.
Xander doesn't know who she is. Rescued from a derelict spaceship, all she possesses is a coat with the name she's adopted, faint memories of things that no one else seems to know about, and a strange sense of right and wrong that's at odds with everyone she's met so far. Yet, as she journeys to discover who she is and pieces together her odd dreams and fragmented memories, she may soon discover that she doesn't like who she was and where she came from.
Nameless isn't super blatantly Christian fiction - while it's clean in a sense (there are no graphic sex scenes or real-world swearing), it deals with a broken, fallen world that is upfront about its brokenness. There's blood and gore, innuendos and attempted rape... and whilst Xander is innocent, naive, and lucky enough to be able to protect herself from unwanted attentions, the setup in this story world is such that all this is commonplace, and Xander may well be the only exception - other than the people of Sanctum, whom everybody hates because they are all hypocrites.
I think what I like about it most is that it's an exploration of what it means to be a good person in bad situations, of what it means to make the best of things when you've already messed up your life, and of how one can still hold on to personal convictions when everyone else says that you are weird and wrong.
I'm curious as to where it's heading and look forward to reading the next book in the series!
Xander doesn't know who she is. Rescued from a derelict spaceship, all she possesses is a coat with the name she's adopted, faint memories of things that no one else seems to know about, and a strange sense of right and wrong that's at odds with everyone she's met so far. Yet, as she journeys to discover who she is and pieces together her odd dreams and fragmented memories, she may soon discover that she doesn't like who she was and where she came from.
Nameless isn't super blatantly Christian fiction - while it's clean in a sense (there are no graphic sex scenes or real-world swearing), it deals with a broken, fallen world that is upfront about its brokenness. There's blood and gore, innuendos and attempted rape... and whilst Xander is innocent, naive, and lucky enough to be able to protect herself from unwanted attentions, the setup in this story world is such that all this is commonplace, and Xander may well be the only exception - other than the people of Sanctum, whom everybody hates because they are all hypocrites.
I think what I like about it most is that it's an exploration of what it means to be a good person in bad situations, of what it means to make the best of things when you've already messed up your life, and of how one can still hold on to personal convictions when everyone else says that you are weird and wrong.
I'm curious as to where it's heading and look forward to reading the next book in the series!
March 17, 2017
Just entertainment, more romance than scifi or fantasy
This is one of those books where I feel vaguely disquieted after reading it. It's not because I'm a prude or naive. And it's not really that this is a thinly disguised romance in scifi clothing. It's because it's promoted as Christian fiction.
The main character is Christian, I think. But there's little evidence.
It is entertaining. But, that's no longer enough for me.
This is one of those books where I feel vaguely disquieted after reading it. It's not because I'm a prude or naive. And it's not really that this is a thinly disguised romance in scifi clothing. It's because it's promoted as Christian fiction.
The main character is Christian, I think. But there's little evidence.
It is entertaining. But, that's no longer enough for me.
June 1, 2015
First, I'm going to get out of the way what I didn't like, because there's so little of it, yet it may be important for some readers.
There's quite a bit of swearing in this book. It's all "mild" swear words, no f-bombs. Which is going to set me off on a rabbit trail, so if you're in a hurry, skip ahead a few lines. Anyway, sex in the book (more on that later) is referred to as "tumble" or "tumbling". On the one hand, I like this, as it gives some setting to the book. However, every time you see the word "tumble" you could replace it with an f-bomb... most other books do. So, if there's other "mild" swear words, why not this particular one? I've never understood why one swear word is so much worse than any other (with the exception of mis-using the names of certain deities... but that's another rant...)
The other thing I don't like. There's a handful of sexual situations in the book. And not the good kind. Xander almost gets raped a few times, fairly graphic in detail in one of them. This is a problem for me. Women should NOT be treated that way. It was a bad guy who (attempted) to do it, and she gets out "intact" (mostly), but I don't like reading about it. Fiction, to me, is at least partially an escape where I can pretend such evil doesn't exist, or at least that the good guys stop it. At the very least, I'd like to see the subject explored more. It happens, she's saved in barely the nick of time, then everything's fine. I'd liked to have seen: A. The bad guy who did it terminated with extreme prejudice, and B. Xander and her friends dealing with the trauma. She just shrugs it off and goes on with life.
I'd give the book a PG-13 rating for these two things.
(Also, there's the cover. It makes sense and is a very good cover... if you've read the book. If you haven't, it doesn't scream "space opera". Oddly, one of the cover concepts from the author's website fits the book much better...)
Anyway, on to what I loved.
Have you seen the anime Cowboy Bebop? If you have, and you liked it, you'll love this book, and that's all I need to say. For those that haven't...
Xander has amnesia. All she knows is that she was dumped off on the worst place in the solar system. Despite this, she has a good attitude, and tries to do the right thing. She eventually meets up with a group of bounty hunters. Spike has a mysterious past, Faye is kind of a jerk, Jet is tough but has a kind heart, Ein is a dog, and Edward is just a weird little girl... I may have got some of the names wrong... ;)
I couldn't put the book down. Great characters, the plot moves along fast and sucks you in, and it's set in a nicely realized universe with colonized moons, all kinds of different space ships, and filled with several different political/social groups. I really enjoyed spending time here, and I'm so going to buy the sequel. (The ending is abrupt, and makes you want to read the sequel right away...)
I could go on and on about what I loved... but it'd be full of spoilers...
I give it four stars. I'd give it five, except for half a star deduction for the language and sexual situation issues, and another half star deduction for the ending, as mentioned above.
There's quite a bit of swearing in this book. It's all "mild" swear words, no f-bombs. Which is going to set me off on a rabbit trail, so if you're in a hurry, skip ahead a few lines. Anyway, sex in the book (more on that later) is referred to as "tumble" or "tumbling". On the one hand, I like this, as it gives some setting to the book. However, every time you see the word "tumble" you could replace it with an f-bomb... most other books do. So, if there's other "mild" swear words, why not this particular one? I've never understood why one swear word is so much worse than any other (with the exception of mis-using the names of certain deities... but that's another rant...)
The other thing I don't like. There's a handful of sexual situations in the book. And not the good kind. Xander almost gets raped a few times, fairly graphic in detail in one of them. This is a problem for me. Women should NOT be treated that way. It was a bad guy who (attempted) to do it, and she gets out "intact" (mostly), but I don't like reading about it. Fiction, to me, is at least partially an escape where I can pretend such evil doesn't exist, or at least that the good guys stop it. At the very least, I'd like to see the subject explored more. It happens, she's saved in barely the nick of time, then everything's fine. I'd liked to have seen: A. The bad guy who did it terminated with extreme prejudice, and B. Xander and her friends dealing with the trauma. She just shrugs it off and goes on with life.
I'd give the book a PG-13 rating for these two things.
(Also, there's the cover. It makes sense and is a very good cover... if you've read the book. If you haven't, it doesn't scream "space opera". Oddly, one of the cover concepts from the author's website fits the book much better...)
Anyway, on to what I loved.
Have you seen the anime Cowboy Bebop? If you have, and you liked it, you'll love this book, and that's all I need to say. For those that haven't...
Xander has amnesia. All she knows is that she was dumped off on the worst place in the solar system. Despite this, she has a good attitude, and tries to do the right thing. She eventually meets up with a group of bounty hunters. Spike has a mysterious past, Faye is kind of a jerk, Jet is tough but has a kind heart, Ein is a dog, and Edward is just a weird little girl... I may have got some of the names wrong... ;)
I couldn't put the book down. Great characters, the plot moves along fast and sucks you in, and it's set in a nicely realized universe with colonized moons, all kinds of different space ships, and filled with several different political/social groups. I really enjoyed spending time here, and I'm so going to buy the sequel. (The ending is abrupt, and makes you want to read the sequel right away...)
I could go on and on about what I loved... but it'd be full of spoilers...
I give it four stars. I'd give it five, except for half a star deduction for the language and sexual situation issues, and another half star deduction for the ending, as mentioned above.
July 21, 2025
Engaging, gritty, fun, with laugh out loud moments. Like all the best sci-fi rolled into one. The first of a series and I’m looking forward to the next one!
January 8, 2015
Wonderful start for this new trilogy! I have to say that I actually surprised myself with this one because this genre isn't typically one that appeals to me. However, the author did such a nice job of developing the characters and making me care for their stories that when I looked down and realized that I had less than 5% remaining in the book, I was actually disappointed to know that it was about to end! It definitely left me wanting more, so I'll be looking forward to the next installment!
January 1, 2016
If you love character driven plots with witty and fast dialogue then this is the book for you! The main character is resilient and vulnerable, honorable and naive. She's an easy character to root for while you also want to yell from the sidelines trying to warn her. The side characters in this novel are well rounded and delightful. The technology and ships in this book are fantastically drawn and imaginative. I had to buy the sequel immediately!
April 10, 2016
This is very well-written space opera. It's also Firefly fanfic. I lost interest once I figured that out, but lots of other people will love it. Very funny, witty banter, memorable characters, but not for me.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews