Shadows in the Stars: Shadows in the Stars, Book 1

by T.W.M. Ashford, Jay Lafayette Valentine (Narrator)

Four desperate thieves. One crystal egg. A debt that needs to be repaid.

Cast out by humanity yet burdened with a conscience, Sheni Dupont wouldn’t say he’s found his calling in space piracy. But in the cramped and rusty halls of the ship he shares with reptilian captain Gecki, starfish pilot Xotl and the weird green enigma known only as Alan, he may have found a home.

So when a loan shark threatens to repossess their ship if they don’t pay back the credits they’ve borrowed, the crew of the Silver Hart are forced to take the only job going – stealing a crystal egg from a backwater planet on the brink of cosmic destruction.

Unfortunately, they’re not the only pirates headed for Nasako. A routine heist soon becomes a fight for their lives, with the fate of far more than one hallowed egg at stake.

And somehow Sheni has to do the right thing without tearing his family of misfits apart…

Fans of Terry Pratchett and Becky Chambers will love this captivating adventure from the author of the bestselling Final Dawn series. Expect explosive action and sharp-tongued anti-heroes in a Sci-Fi universe rich with imagination.

Genres: Science Fiction

Audible Audio

Published August 28, 2025

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 52 Book Challenge - 5) Plot Includes A Heist

This very much felt like Firefly the TV show to me. I really enjoyed it and the characters felt very real. I'm looking forward to reading other books in this universe.

[Claire-Louise Armstrong-Brealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant!

We all need an Alan in our lives.

This is the first in this particular series, and I am very excited to read more. I wasn't sure that this would be my cup of tea, but I couldn't put it down.

If you are unsure it would be yours, give it a go. You will be pleasantly surprised!

Excellent book and excellent author!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new series! Great characters, lots of witty humour, and a fun story line to get lost in for a while. A great read I highly recommend.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheni lost all the crew's credits so when they hear about an egg that can fetch thousands of credits they can't resist. Of course its not that simple and others are also after the egg.

Really enjoyed reading this space pirate adventure. Love all the characters, but got to admit Alan might just be my favourite!

5 stars and really worth reading

[D.S. Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

For months I've been hoping for more Final Dawn, and we didn't get that. However the next best thing is Shadow In the Stars featuring much loved characters from the final dawn, with the same feel and combination of action and hilarious moments. 👌🏻 Chefs kiss.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Alan! We've met these characters before in this book series so fun to see them with their own story. Pirates with a conscience. But somehow you just know everything will be alright in the end.

[Paula Moros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful novella featuring a low-medium stakes space heist and a rag tag multi-species crew at its core.

Comparable authors listed by the publisher are Terry Pratchett and Becky Chambers. True enough, although I would also list filmed space operas like Guardians of the Galaxy and Serenity/ Firefly as comparables.

Super fun, entertaining, and populated with a small but engaging cast of characters. I look forward to more in this series.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this was definitely a "me" problem, not necessarily something wrong with the book. I should have known I wouldn't enjoy a book with so much sci-fi. I never fell in love with the MCU's Guaradians of the Galaxy, and that is definitely the vibe this book has.

[Lynn Mccarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read.
A fun story.
I enjoyed reading about all the characters in there space travel to steal the crystal egg.
recommended.

[J.D. Schechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun fantasy

Harks back to the early days of pulp science fiction, when aliens were whatever you could imagine and the evil ones met gruesome ends

[Dean Asquith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A-hugely enjoyable and fun Sci-Fi heist adventure. A hilarious cast of found family are the heart of this story including little Alan or Simon...or the green blob of chaos.
T.W.M Ashford has an incredible imagination and this serious is already going to be on my list of books of the year!