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The Celestial Seas
A tale of identity, love, and the hunt for vengeance in the darkest corners of space—perfect for fans of
Iron Widow
and
Aurora Rising
!
Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of the Essex, a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the legendary Ballena. Left with a damaged memory chip and a missing arm, Ishara has vowed to avenge the twenty-three lives lost to the rogue Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (MOBIS), an autonomous spacecraft containing an intricate blend of mechanical hardware and code-controlled bacteria.
To take on the Ballena, Ishara assembles a crew of capable misfits, including her first mate, Quinn, the girl who makes Ishara's heart stumble over its own beats. Quinn has always believed in her, even when the rest of the system thinks she’s a delusional captain who hallucinated the Ballena.
That is, until Augustus, a handsome ship mech with his own reasons for revenge, convinces Ishara to let him join the crew. He’s armed with a specialized tracking system Ishara can’t refuse, but there’s something familiar about him she can’t quite shake. Torn between Quinn’s cautious guidance and Augustus’s encouragement, Ishara issues increasingly risky orders. But one too many brushes with death will force her to choose between her newfound family or the vow to avenge her old one—and the two closest to her she can't help but fall for.
Inspried by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, this retelling brings a much-needed modern update to a beloved classic.
Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of the Essex, a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the legendary Ballena. Left with a damaged memory chip and a missing arm, Ishara has vowed to avenge the twenty-three lives lost to the rogue Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (MOBIS), an autonomous spacecraft containing an intricate blend of mechanical hardware and code-controlled bacteria.
To take on the Ballena, Ishara assembles a crew of capable misfits, including her first mate, Quinn, the girl who makes Ishara's heart stumble over its own beats. Quinn has always believed in her, even when the rest of the system thinks she’s a delusional captain who hallucinated the Ballena.
That is, until Augustus, a handsome ship mech with his own reasons for revenge, convinces Ishara to let him join the crew. He’s armed with a specialized tracking system Ishara can’t refuse, but there’s something familiar about him she can’t quite shake. Torn between Quinn’s cautious guidance and Augustus’s encouragement, Ishara issues increasingly risky orders. But one too many brushes with death will force her to choose between her newfound family or the vow to avenge her old one—and the two closest to her she can't help but fall for.
Inspried by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, this retelling brings a much-needed modern update to a beloved classic.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars.
What a fun novel! It's full of adventure and drama on the high (celestial) seas.
Space whales are one of my favorite SFF tropes, so it was cool to see TA Chan's version of one. The concept of an ancient flying cyborg data center in space does sound a bit ridiculous. It wasn't clicking for me until the one-third mark, but when I really suspended my disbelief, it actually became a cool concept.
I really liked the mystery behind the FMC's memory loss. It was an interesting plotline that kept the momentum going and I liked how it helped with the FMC's characterization.
The last third of the novel was a blast. The action, suspense, and the big plot twist kept me on my toes. This was definitely a make or break moment and helped elevate this a bit higher than my usual YA read.
The middle did drag a lot, which is why I didn't give this a higher rating. And other than the FMC, Quinn, and Augustus, the rest of the crew didn't make a dent on me. I actually wish it was just the three of them so that we could really get to see the relationships bounce off of each other, for better or for worse. Maybe something like a Han, Chewie, Luke, and Leia quartet but with a trio.
Other than my complaints and preferences, this was a great space adventure with equal parts fun and drama. I think teens who love sci-fi will enjoy this novel.
Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.
What a fun novel! It's full of adventure and drama on the high (celestial) seas.
Space whales are one of my favorite SFF tropes, so it was cool to see TA Chan's version of one. The concept of an ancient flying cyborg data center in space does sound a bit ridiculous. It wasn't clicking for me until the one-third mark, but when I really suspended my disbelief, it actually became a cool concept.
I really liked the mystery behind the FMC's memory loss. It was an interesting plotline that kept the momentum going and I liked how it helped with the FMC's characterization.
The last third of the novel was a blast. The action, suspense, and the big plot twist kept me on my toes. This was definitely a make or break moment and helped elevate this a bit higher than my usual YA read.
The middle did drag a lot, which is why I didn't give this a higher rating. And other than the FMC, Quinn, and Augustus, the rest of the crew didn't make a dent on me. I actually wish it was just the three of them so that we could really get to see the relationships bounce off of each other, for better or for worse. Maybe something like a Han, Chewie, Luke, and Leia quartet but with a trio.
Other than my complaints and preferences, this was a great space adventure with equal parts fun and drama. I think teens who love sci-fi will enjoy this novel.
Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.
April 16, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this novel!
I thought this was a pretty interesting read. I've never read Moby Dick, so I can't speak on how well this works as a reimaging, but I wish Ishara would've been a little more desperate for revenge. I know this book is a YA, so I can't really complain too much, but I feel like this narrative would've hit harder had Ishara been older and holding onto her negative feelings for longer. That said though, I still mostly enjoyed this book. I didn't really have too many strong feelings about the majority of it to be honest. I thought the world was interesting, if not a bit non-sense jargon heavy. I also really liked Augustus and his relationship with Ishara. I also really liked all the reveals. They all surprised me but didn't feel like they came out of nowhere.
Now, there was one thing in this novel that I really didn't like and that was Ishara and Quinn's relationship. Now this book does the whole thing where the main character learns a secret the love interest has been hiding and gets mad and storms off. Normally, this secret is something stupid and is blown out of proportion. Resulting in multiple chapters, if not books, of angst. That wasn't the case in this book. Ishara pretty much forgives Quinn immediately. This is something I would normally love, but the thing that Quinn was hiding was super messed up. It completely changed my opinion of her. I was disgusted. And I honestly kind of lost respect for Ishara for forgiving Quinn so easily. The worst part is that Ishara honestly didn't even really care. I'm going to go ahead and use a spoiler tag and say what she did because I was just so disgusted.
Anyway, I thought this was a perfectly fine read, just was not a fan of the romance.
I thought this was a pretty interesting read. I've never read Moby Dick, so I can't speak on how well this works as a reimaging, but I wish Ishara would've been a little more desperate for revenge. I know this book is a YA, so I can't really complain too much, but I feel like this narrative would've hit harder had Ishara been older and holding onto her negative feelings for longer. That said though, I still mostly enjoyed this book. I didn't really have too many strong feelings about the majority of it to be honest. I thought the world was interesting, if not a bit non-sense jargon heavy. I also really liked Augustus and his relationship with Ishara. I also really liked all the reveals. They all surprised me but didn't feel like they came out of nowhere.
Now, there was one thing in this novel that I really didn't like and that was Ishara and Quinn's relationship. Now this book does the whole thing where the main character learns a secret the love interest has been hiding and gets mad and storms off. Normally, this secret is something stupid and is blown out of proportion. Resulting in multiple chapters, if not books, of angst. That wasn't the case in this book. Ishara pretty much forgives Quinn immediately. This is something I would normally love, but the thing that Quinn was hiding was super messed up. It completely changed my opinion of her. I was disgusted. And I honestly kind of lost respect for Ishara for forgiving Quinn so easily. The worst part is that Ishara honestly didn't even really care. I'm going to go ahead and use a spoiler tag and say what she did because I was just so disgusted.
Anyway, I thought this was a perfectly fine read, just was not a fan of the romance.
Want to Read
August 7, 2025very interested in a YA space Moby Dick
Want to Read
August 8, 2025an action-filled sci-fi romance with a queer love triangle
April 26, 2026
3 Stars
Moby Dick in space would have been good. The concept was there. The execution here just... wasn't. It gets too caught up in a strange love triangle. The cast of characters remains bland and dull. And the concept of space whales and the dark space economy that is built up around them gets overshadowed by this lackluster plotline.
Was it all bad? No. This book has a fairly intriguing world built into it. But I needed more than that to really sell me on this one. Anyway, I don't have time to dig into all that here, so if you want to know just what went right (or more about what went wrong), hop over to my full review, available RIGHT NOW at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Moby Dick in space would have been good. The concept was there. The execution here just... wasn't. It gets too caught up in a strange love triangle. The cast of characters remains bland and dull. And the concept of space whales and the dark space economy that is built up around them gets overshadowed by this lackluster plotline.
Was it all bad? No. This book has a fairly intriguing world built into it. But I needed more than that to really sell me on this one. Anyway, I don't have time to dig into all that here, so if you want to know just what went right (or more about what went wrong), hop over to my full review, available RIGHT NOW at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
May 12, 2026
I can't believe there are 2 sapphic space Moby Dick retellings out this year but I won't complain. I had a lot of fun with this!
October 21, 2025
THE CELESTIAL SEAS is an action-packed thrill ride with stellar worldbuilding and a wonderfully flawed protagonist. It's YA Sci-Fi at its finest.
Now, this is the part where I admit I haven't read Moby Dick. So a lot of the references in this book, which is a loose Moby Dick retelling, were probably lost on me. But! The space whales were really cool. This book has a really interesting take on what constitutes a living creature vs a machine.
The worldbuilding was seriously, deeply impressive. The technical details will appeal to readers who are STEM nerds, but there's also a lot to love here in terms of language, culture, etc. The vibes were kind of like a YA "The Expanse", which is one of my favorite series of all time.
Anyone who knows me knows I love a messy protagonist, and Ishara Ming is definitely a mess. I think that's great. It makes it easy to root for her as she confronts her past, her flaws, and the possibility of a future she didn't think was possible.
Overall, this is also just a very well-written book, with vivid imagery and some gorgeous turns of phrase. I have to emphasize again just HOW COOL the setting is.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for this early look!
Now, this is the part where I admit I haven't read Moby Dick. So a lot of the references in this book, which is a loose Moby Dick retelling, were probably lost on me. But! The space whales were really cool. This book has a really interesting take on what constitutes a living creature vs a machine.
The worldbuilding was seriously, deeply impressive. The technical details will appeal to readers who are STEM nerds, but there's also a lot to love here in terms of language, culture, etc. The vibes were kind of like a YA "The Expanse", which is one of my favorite series of all time.
Anyone who knows me knows I love a messy protagonist, and Ishara Ming is definitely a mess. I think that's great. It makes it easy to root for her as she confronts her past, her flaws, and the possibility of a future she didn't think was possible.
Overall, this is also just a very well-written book, with vivid imagery and some gorgeous turns of phrase. I have to emphasize again just HOW COOL the setting is.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for this early look!
December 4, 2025
I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for this read.
So, for a debut, this is a really solid book. It was inspired by Moby Dick, obviously it doesn't follow the story beat by beat, but it takes the inspiration from the whale and the Captain who is attempting to chase it down and kill it.
The plot is pretty straight-forward, and the action is non stop. It's a YA book, but for a YA book it drops a lot of technical jargon and scientific terms which is solid in my book. There is also the fact the main character is bi, which is solid in my book (she has her sights on the tracker in her team.) I liked the other characters and I liked that they all had something to do instead of just being on the ship for the sake of having a crew.
So why did I rake it down a star? I think it comes from that this book could not in any way expect me to believe this girl is tough / captain of a ship. She's eighteen (or around about) and at one point she was like, "there are consequences for disobeying my orders". In my eyes, she is all talk and no real bite. Sure, she had something traumatic happen to her, but she just came off young / inexperienced for me to really take her seriously. Do I think the book should have had their ages increased? Yes, I do. Yet, I don't know if the author could make the book have an adult tone / add more to it. (I also don't quite understand the strange firefly mesh of language going on - seemed like Spanish, Mandarin and English were used as the defacto slang.)
All in all, for a YA book? It's pretty good and it will fit that hole for YA kids looking for LGBTQ sci-fi.
So, for a debut, this is a really solid book. It was inspired by Moby Dick, obviously it doesn't follow the story beat by beat, but it takes the inspiration from the whale and the Captain who is attempting to chase it down and kill it.
The plot is pretty straight-forward, and the action is non stop. It's a YA book, but for a YA book it drops a lot of technical jargon and scientific terms which is solid in my book. There is also the fact the main character is bi, which is solid in my book (she has her sights on the tracker in her team.) I liked the other characters and I liked that they all had something to do instead of just being on the ship for the sake of having a crew.
So why did I rake it down a star? I think it comes from that this book could not in any way expect me to believe this girl is tough / captain of a ship. She's eighteen (or around about) and at one point she was like, "there are consequences for disobeying my orders". In my eyes, she is all talk and no real bite. Sure, she had something traumatic happen to her, but she just came off young / inexperienced for me to really take her seriously. Do I think the book should have had their ages increased? Yes, I do. Yet, I don't know if the author could make the book have an adult tone / add more to it. (I also don't quite understand the strange firefly mesh of language going on - seemed like Spanish, Mandarin and English were used as the defacto slang.)
All in all, for a YA book? It's pretty good and it will fit that hole for YA kids looking for LGBTQ sci-fi.
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March 24, 2026Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Celestial Seas by T. A. Chan is a first person-POV Sapphic YA sci-fi reimagining of Moby Dick. Ishara is the only surviving crew member of a whaler spacecraft that was taken out by the Ballena, a space ship that nobody can trace. She enlists a small crew to help her find the Ballena and get her revenge, but her past is chasing her just like she’s chasing her target.
Unlike a lot of Americans, I did not read Moby Dick in school. I think everything I know about the story has come from pop culture referencing it or other people talking about having read it. As such, I can't say how faithful or unfaithful this book is to the spirit of the actual novel, but I can say that it feels faithful to what I know of the general story and the themes with some liberties taken. Trading the sea for space is honestly so commonplace at this point that it’s not a stretch at all to understand how it all fits together, which makes it even easier to see how this slots in as a reimagining.
This is more on the cinematic end and there’s some new sci-fi terms introduced, though they are introduced slowly and with enough context that it’s easy to pick up what they mean. From the blurb, I was expecting the romance between Quinn and Ishara to play a much bigger role, but it was firmly a subplot and never veered into scimance territory. I think it’s more fair to say that relationships in general play a bigger role and how they tie into community and loneliness as well as the need to move on when you lose someone.
I would recommend this to teen readers who are considering trying out sci-fi and lovers of Queer reimaginings of classic literature
The Celestial Seas by T. A. Chan is a first person-POV Sapphic YA sci-fi reimagining of Moby Dick. Ishara is the only surviving crew member of a whaler spacecraft that was taken out by the Ballena, a space ship that nobody can trace. She enlists a small crew to help her find the Ballena and get her revenge, but her past is chasing her just like she’s chasing her target.
Unlike a lot of Americans, I did not read Moby Dick in school. I think everything I know about the story has come from pop culture referencing it or other people talking about having read it. As such, I can't say how faithful or unfaithful this book is to the spirit of the actual novel, but I can say that it feels faithful to what I know of the general story and the themes with some liberties taken. Trading the sea for space is honestly so commonplace at this point that it’s not a stretch at all to understand how it all fits together, which makes it even easier to see how this slots in as a reimagining.
This is more on the cinematic end and there’s some new sci-fi terms introduced, though they are introduced slowly and with enough context that it’s easy to pick up what they mean. From the blurb, I was expecting the romance between Quinn and Ishara to play a much bigger role, but it was firmly a subplot and never veered into scimance territory. I think it’s more fair to say that relationships in general play a bigger role and how they tie into community and loneliness as well as the need to move on when you lose someone.
I would recommend this to teen readers who are considering trying out sci-fi and lovers of Queer reimaginings of classic literature
May 27, 2026
Honestly? I found this somewhat boring, though it had several action scenes. I thought that the premises for both the whale hunting, and the relationship drama, were theoretically interesting, but I didn't find myself personally invested in the outcomes. I wanted more of the found family, motley space crew vibe that I'm always looking for.
I haven't read *Moby Dick*, though, so I'm not sure if noticing the similarities and differences to the inspiration would've significantly increased my enjoyment.
I haven't read *Moby Dick*, though, so I'm not sure if noticing the similarities and differences to the inspiration would've significantly increased my enjoyment.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!
This is a fast-paced, action-packed space adventure, full of non-stop space battles and robotic whales. I have not read Moby Dick, although I do know the basic plot, and as far as I can tell, other than the premise of seeking revenge against a "whale", the only other resemblance this book has with Moby Dick are the characters having similar names.
I really liked Ishara as a protagonist; although it's a flaw, I love how singleminded she is in pursuit of hunting down the Ballena. She makes desperate decisions which are driven by her need to get vengeance, but I think it makes sense given what she went through. I loved her charcter arc of learning to treasure what she has and to let people in.
There's also a sort of love triangle, with Ishara feeling things for both her first mate Quinn and the new crew member Augustus. I feel like we didn't really get to know Quinn as a character, but I liked how loyal she is to Ishara, while not being a pushover and challenging her when Ishara makes not-so-good decisions. Meanwhile, Ishara bonds quickly with Augustus over their shared desire for revenge, but she soon realises that there's more to Augustus than he seems. I liked how the truth of Augustus' past was hinted at and gradually revealed.
Most of the focus is on Ishara's relationships with Quinn and Augustus so we don't get to know the other crew members very well. It makes sense, as there's way too much going on to spend more time with them, although we do get to see snippets of their personalities during conversations and space battles.
Plotwise, there were some twists that really surprised me, and I really appreciate that they didn't just come out of nowhere. Although some of the clues could have been executed better, everything made sense in hindsight.
Not gonna lie, personally I am not the biggest fan of space battles. I find them hard to visualise, and I don't love how sci-fi likes to make up technical jargon to describe stuff. That being said, I think the author does a good job of creating tension in these scenes, though I'm not a good judge of what makes a well-written space fight. If you are a fan of spaceships shooting at stuff/each other, you would probably get more out of this than me.
Overall, this was a fun read, with fast-pacing, plenty of twists, and interesting characters.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed space adventure, full of non-stop space battles and robotic whales. I have not read Moby Dick, although I do know the basic plot, and as far as I can tell, other than the premise of seeking revenge against a "whale", the only other resemblance this book has with Moby Dick are the characters having similar names.
I really liked Ishara as a protagonist; although it's a flaw, I love how singleminded she is in pursuit of hunting down the Ballena. She makes desperate decisions which are driven by her need to get vengeance, but I think it makes sense given what she went through. I loved her charcter arc of learning to treasure what she has and to let people in.
There's also a sort of love triangle, with Ishara feeling things for both her first mate Quinn and the new crew member Augustus. I feel like we didn't really get to know Quinn as a character, but I liked how loyal she is to Ishara, while not being a pushover and challenging her when Ishara makes not-so-good decisions. Meanwhile, Ishara bonds quickly with Augustus over their shared desire for revenge, but she soon realises that there's more to Augustus than he seems. I liked how the truth of Augustus' past was hinted at and gradually revealed.
Most of the focus is on Ishara's relationships with Quinn and Augustus so we don't get to know the other crew members very well. It makes sense, as there's way too much going on to spend more time with them, although we do get to see snippets of their personalities during conversations and space battles.
Plotwise, there were some twists that really surprised me, and I really appreciate that they didn't just come out of nowhere. Although some of the clues could have been executed better, everything made sense in hindsight.
Not gonna lie, personally I am not the biggest fan of space battles. I find them hard to visualise, and I don't love how sci-fi likes to make up technical jargon to describe stuff. That being said, I think the author does a good job of creating tension in these scenes, though I'm not a good judge of what makes a well-written space fight. If you are a fan of spaceships shooting at stuff/each other, you would probably get more out of this than me.
Overall, this was a fun read, with fast-pacing, plenty of twists, and interesting characters.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There are so many fantasy genre retellings of older stories, but I get excited when I find a science fiction one instead. I recently enjoyed a sci-fi retelling of The Great Gatsby, so I decided to grab this sci-fi retelling of Moby Dick when it was offered on NetGalley.
Now, despite having a good number of classics under my belt, I have not read Moby Dick. I tried to brush up on the details beyond the very basics that I'm aware of on Wikipedia so that I could have that in the back of my mind while reading The Celestial Seas, but even the plot summary was so long and meandering that I gave up on that. So I am judging this book more on its face than I am judging it as a retelling.
Mostly, this was fun and I enjoyed it. I thought that the author did a great job imagining what a whale would look like as a Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (even the acronym is clever). The first half is kind of repetitive and singularly focused on the main character's obsession with finding the whale - in that regard, I was a little more forgiving knowing this was a heavy nod to the original. Without that background, I probably would have been more annoyed. At the 50% mark, I found it really started varying the events and conversations much more, and it got more enjoyable. I had a number of questions throughout the book where I felt like the plot got a little fuzzy, but the author did address and resolve these plot points toward the end and I felt much better about them.
I think the book could have been improved by fleshing out the side characters a little bit more. There are a few members of the ship's crew that are very, very flat and can be chalked up to one character trait, and they mainly served to prop up the main character's journey. It would have felt much richer to have learned more about them and for them to have their own journeys. There is also some repetitiveness in the writing, such as the main character constantly "running/rubbing her thumb over her knuckles" or referring to the whale by its name three times in two sentences instead of varying the vocab used to refer to it (paraphrasing here but along the lines of, "We chased after the Ballena and the Ballena turned around and fired at us. Now we are hunting for the Ballena because it disappeared again.").
Now, despite having a good number of classics under my belt, I have not read Moby Dick. I tried to brush up on the details beyond the very basics that I'm aware of on Wikipedia so that I could have that in the back of my mind while reading The Celestial Seas, but even the plot summary was so long and meandering that I gave up on that. So I am judging this book more on its face than I am judging it as a retelling.
Mostly, this was fun and I enjoyed it. I thought that the author did a great job imagining what a whale would look like as a Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (even the acronym is clever). The first half is kind of repetitive and singularly focused on the main character's obsession with finding the whale - in that regard, I was a little more forgiving knowing this was a heavy nod to the original. Without that background, I probably would have been more annoyed. At the 50% mark, I found it really started varying the events and conversations much more, and it got more enjoyable. I had a number of questions throughout the book where I felt like the plot got a little fuzzy, but the author did address and resolve these plot points toward the end and I felt much better about them.
I think the book could have been improved by fleshing out the side characters a little bit more. There are a few members of the ship's crew that are very, very flat and can be chalked up to one character trait, and they mainly served to prop up the main character's journey. It would have felt much richer to have learned more about them and for them to have their own journeys. There is also some repetitiveness in the writing, such as the main character constantly "running/rubbing her thumb over her knuckles" or referring to the whale by its name three times in two sentences instead of varying the vocab used to refer to it (paraphrasing here but along the lines of, "We chased after the Ballena and the Ballena turned around and fired at us. Now we are hunting for the Ballena because it disappeared again.").
July 7, 2026
Book review: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Genre: sci-fi
Themes: space travel, memory, vengeance, LGBT+, sentient life
Moby Dick gets a YA sci-fi spin in this tale of vengeance, memory, identity and loss. The hunt is taken to the skies with biomachinery in the form of whales roaming the stars, but the insatiable (and often misguided) need remains from the classic.
Ishara Ming is the captain of a whaler full of misfits. As the sole survivor of an attack by the legendary Ballena, her need for revenge is endless. As she searches for the mythical beast, Ishara comes across as obsessive and delusion. It is only her first mate and best friend Quinn who always stands by her side. When a stranger joins the crew, he will change the dynamic within the whole ship and have Ishara’s loyalties swinging. Augustus seems to know much about the Ballena and is bubbling over with mystery and a hoard of secrets.
This is my first Moby Dick retelling and it was an original take in a world that feels fresh and yet mimics cultures and biases that exist today. The biomimicry with whale shaped spacecrafts that become sentient is of course out there, but the concepts and tech were described really well. The story became immersive from the start and it was an action packed adventure.
The memory loss was an interesting incorporation as it really challenged the reason behind the hunt. It culminated with some good twists and heartfelt moments that made me ruminate on mankind’s egocentricity and careless disregard for other lifeforms.
The MC is certainly messy and reads very YA with her decision making and feelings, but by the end she grew on me. I still couldn’t understand why her crew would follow her or her utter lack of consequences, but this is fiction so I rolled with it. The middle of the book was a little slow and the love triangle was background noise to the adventure with a lot of surplus characters I found difficult to keep track of. So parts I struggled with and parts I found really fascinating, like the concept and execution with expansive world building.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for the eARC. I was a little late for this one, but I am glad I got around to reading this debut.
Genre: sci-fi
Themes: space travel, memory, vengeance, LGBT+, sentient life
Moby Dick gets a YA sci-fi spin in this tale of vengeance, memory, identity and loss. The hunt is taken to the skies with biomachinery in the form of whales roaming the stars, but the insatiable (and often misguided) need remains from the classic.
Ishara Ming is the captain of a whaler full of misfits. As the sole survivor of an attack by the legendary Ballena, her need for revenge is endless. As she searches for the mythical beast, Ishara comes across as obsessive and delusion. It is only her first mate and best friend Quinn who always stands by her side. When a stranger joins the crew, he will change the dynamic within the whole ship and have Ishara’s loyalties swinging. Augustus seems to know much about the Ballena and is bubbling over with mystery and a hoard of secrets.
This is my first Moby Dick retelling and it was an original take in a world that feels fresh and yet mimics cultures and biases that exist today. The biomimicry with whale shaped spacecrafts that become sentient is of course out there, but the concepts and tech were described really well. The story became immersive from the start and it was an action packed adventure.
The memory loss was an interesting incorporation as it really challenged the reason behind the hunt. It culminated with some good twists and heartfelt moments that made me ruminate on mankind’s egocentricity and careless disregard for other lifeforms.
The MC is certainly messy and reads very YA with her decision making and feelings, but by the end she grew on me. I still couldn’t understand why her crew would follow her or her utter lack of consequences, but this is fiction so I rolled with it. The middle of the book was a little slow and the love triangle was background noise to the adventure with a lot of surplus characters I found difficult to keep track of. So parts I struggled with and parts I found really fascinating, like the concept and execution with expansive world building.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for the eARC. I was a little late for this one, but I am glad I got around to reading this debut.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Ishara Ming is young to be captaining a crew of whalers in the far reaches of space. But, as the only survivor of a terrible battle with the elusive whale known as Ballena, Ishara has a vendetta against the biomachine that nearly took her life. Unfortunately, she is low on funds, and few people believe in the Ballena's continued existence; so, many of Ishara's missions are fed almost exclusively by her own appetite for vengeance. When a new crew member joins her team, however, a seed of optimism returns to Ishara's plans, and Ishara must determine what she is willing to sacrifice in order to achieve her ultimate goal.
This futuristic reimagining of the story of Moby Dick transports readers into a distant future in which life has transitioned to an existence far beyond the planet Earth. Utilizing similar names and a parallel design, the essence of Moby Dick is intriguingly adapted into this modern young adult novel. And, much like Captain Ahab, Ishara begins to lose herself in her obsession with the Ballena. An imagined shorthand with a foundation in Spanish language is embedded within the dialogue, which is at once familiar and novel, helping the story to feel as futuristic as it is intended to be. Ample time is spent establishing the elements that make the world unique, including intense battle sequences and technologies that separate the narrative from contemporary life. While action is a feature of the story, however, attention is also placed on the interpersonal relationships among the characters. Utilizing a blend of first person narrative, Captain's Logs, and flashbacks, the story effectively explores the depths of Ishara's emotions in a way that is particularly enjoyable to fans of sci-fi literature. This is a unique and memorable addition to library collections for mature young adult readers.
This futuristic reimagining of the story of Moby Dick transports readers into a distant future in which life has transitioned to an existence far beyond the planet Earth. Utilizing similar names and a parallel design, the essence of Moby Dick is intriguingly adapted into this modern young adult novel. And, much like Captain Ahab, Ishara begins to lose herself in her obsession with the Ballena. An imagined shorthand with a foundation in Spanish language is embedded within the dialogue, which is at once familiar and novel, helping the story to feel as futuristic as it is intended to be. Ample time is spent establishing the elements that make the world unique, including intense battle sequences and technologies that separate the narrative from contemporary life. While action is a feature of the story, however, attention is also placed on the interpersonal relationships among the characters. Utilizing a blend of first person narrative, Captain's Logs, and flashbacks, the story effectively explores the depths of Ishara's emotions in a way that is particularly enjoyable to fans of sci-fi literature. This is a unique and memorable addition to library collections for mature young adult readers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Moby Dick but reimagined in space?
Ishara is out to find a whale that killed her crew, but she's losing a battle with her own memories, finances, and well, the whale she's seeking.
I don't think this was for me, however, it is an interesting enough take on Moby Dick (though I haven't read Moby Dick). I don't find there to be enough at stake for Ishara; she's bent on getting this whale, but her lack of memories prevents her from being able to move forward as she needs to. The focus of the whale should be her priority or getting her memories back, it can't be both, and I think her not having her memories really disrupts stuff. I don't know if it's necessary.
Her relationships could also use work. Between Quinn and Augustus, I didn't care for either of 'em.
Though, the ending was surprising, but I don't know if that was a canon ending in Moby Dick or not... I don't think so, but I've not a clue.
The world building here also could use work? The languages that aren't English being used are fine for the most part, though it's like slightly removed from what we know (what I am assuming at least, I am not all knowing of all languages). But I wasn't able to parse why we were using these languages in the first place. I don't know if it's a space thing or just the author's choice for this world. It kept taking me out of the story every time. If there was a better grasp on this universe, I think it would have been fine, but we're given very little. We're in space, and we have places that are like places in real life, but all of it is vague enough that I don't have a clear picture.
I'm sure this is for someone, but I am not that someone.
thank you to netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the eARC!
Ishara is out to find a whale that killed her crew, but she's losing a battle with her own memories, finances, and well, the whale she's seeking.
I don't think this was for me, however, it is an interesting enough take on Moby Dick (though I haven't read Moby Dick). I don't find there to be enough at stake for Ishara; she's bent on getting this whale, but her lack of memories prevents her from being able to move forward as she needs to. The focus of the whale should be her priority or getting her memories back, it can't be both, and I think her not having her memories really disrupts stuff. I don't know if it's necessary.
Her relationships could also use work. Between Quinn and Augustus, I didn't care for either of 'em.
Though, the ending was surprising, but I don't know if that was a canon ending in Moby Dick or not... I don't think so, but I've not a clue.
The world building here also could use work? The languages that aren't English being used are fine for the most part, though it's like slightly removed from what we know (what I am assuming at least, I am not all knowing of all languages). But I wasn't able to parse why we were using these languages in the first place. I don't know if it's a space thing or just the author's choice for this world. It kept taking me out of the story every time. If there was a better grasp on this universe, I think it would have been fine, but we're given very little. We're in space, and we have places that are like places in real life, but all of it is vague enough that I don't have a clear picture.
I'm sure this is for someone, but I am not that someone.
thank you to netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!~~
2.5/5 stars rounded down.
I so wanted to love a sci-fi LGBTQ+ retelling of Moby Dick, but there were too many things not working for me here.
First and foremost, there is so much sci-fi technical jargon that I did not care for. It was all so thick and condensed that I could barely manage to picture anything happening whenever there were space battles and the like, and the characters constantly explaining the tech made the reading experience so tedious. Granted, this is where the Melville influence shines the most, and I have to give credit to Chan for retaining that vital aspect of the original story, but it still dragged down the story so much.
The worldbuilding is bare minimum. I think I lost some of it in the technical jargon, but the only thing I got was that there were two separate star systems(?), one Ishara originated from and the current one she and all the other character inhabit. Details in between were blurred and quite vague, and anything that was somewhat explained left me with more questions than answers. It just felt so disjointed.
As for characters, Ishara was definitely the most interesting and compelling, but it's not saying much when I found the rest of the cast, including the love interests, to be quite shallow. Ishara embodying both Ahab and Ishmael presents some unique struggles throughout the story, including her fighting to restore her memories. Despite my investment in her, the banter and elements of found family she has in her crew fell flat for me. I never quite believed her bond with the others, and I had an even harder time believing she was captain because her attempts to establish her leadership were too weak and inexperienced for me to believe. The mystery behind Augustus and her relationship was interesting, though, and the outcome of that was satisfying.
All in all, this was an interesting concept but not quite what I was hoping for. I dunno if I could exactly recommend this to anyone, especially when Moby Dick enthusiasts aren't much in abundance these days. But this could be an interesting read for those who have read the original (And can easily absorb the mass amounts of whaling and shipping details).
2.5/5 stars rounded down.
I so wanted to love a sci-fi LGBTQ+ retelling of Moby Dick, but there were too many things not working for me here.
First and foremost, there is so much sci-fi technical jargon that I did not care for. It was all so thick and condensed that I could barely manage to picture anything happening whenever there were space battles and the like, and the characters constantly explaining the tech made the reading experience so tedious. Granted, this is where the Melville influence shines the most, and I have to give credit to Chan for retaining that vital aspect of the original story, but it still dragged down the story so much.
The worldbuilding is bare minimum. I think I lost some of it in the technical jargon, but the only thing I got was that there were two separate star systems(?), one Ishara originated from and the current one she and all the other character inhabit. Details in between were blurred and quite vague, and anything that was somewhat explained left me with more questions than answers. It just felt so disjointed.
As for characters, Ishara was definitely the most interesting and compelling, but it's not saying much when I found the rest of the cast, including the love interests, to be quite shallow. Ishara embodying both Ahab and Ishmael presents some unique struggles throughout the story, including her fighting to restore her memories. Despite my investment in her, the banter and elements of found family she has in her crew fell flat for me. I never quite believed her bond with the others, and I had an even harder time believing she was captain because her attempts to establish her leadership were too weak and inexperienced for me to believe. The mystery behind Augustus and her relationship was interesting, though, and the outcome of that was satisfying.
All in all, this was an interesting concept but not quite what I was hoping for. I dunno if I could exactly recommend this to anyone, especially when Moby Dick enthusiasts aren't much in abundance these days. But this could be an interesting read for those who have read the original (And can easily absorb the mass amounts of whaling and shipping details).
May 27, 2026
Moby Dick but make it YA scifi and the whale is an AI spaceship and Ishmael/Ishara has become Captain Ahab in her quest for vengeance and maybe there's a teeny bit of 2001: A Space Odyssey too
Fun! Some suspension of belief is needed, but this is YA sci-fi fantasy so I'm fine with it. It's solid entertainment, and a queer retelling of a literary classic is always going to get bonus points from me. The middle did slow down a bit (nothing like the actual Moby Dick GOOD LORD I was waiting for entire chapters about knot tying and different kinds of whales, like we get it Herman, you were a sailor), but the final space battle was exciting and the last scene with the whale was surprisingly emotional.
I wish the characters were a bit older. I get that this is YA, but it was hard to believe Ishara as a hardened ship captain when she's a hotheaded 18-year-old. I feel we could've had more exploration of the interesting dark web/space economy as well if this leaned a little more adult. The side characters weren't really fleshed out, other than Quinn (who I'm not sure if I like?? kind of duplicitous almost?) and Augustus, and I could've gone without the mild love triangle vibes, but I also appreciated the anti clanker sentiment in today's AI climate. All in all, a fun YA quest through space.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!
Fun! Some suspension of belief is needed, but this is YA sci-fi fantasy so I'm fine with it. It's solid entertainment, and a queer retelling of a literary classic is always going to get bonus points from me. The middle did slow down a bit (nothing like the actual Moby Dick GOOD LORD I was waiting for entire chapters about knot tying and different kinds of whales, like we get it Herman, you were a sailor), but the final space battle was exciting and the last scene with the whale was surprisingly emotional.
I wish the characters were a bit older. I get that this is YA, but it was hard to believe Ishara as a hardened ship captain when she's a hotheaded 18-year-old. I feel we could've had more exploration of the interesting dark web/space economy as well if this leaned a little more adult. The side characters weren't really fleshed out, other than Quinn (who I'm not sure if I like?? kind of duplicitous almost?) and Augustus, and I could've gone without the mild love triangle vibes, but I also appreciated the anti clanker sentiment in today's AI climate. All in all, a fun YA quest through space.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Celestial Seas follows Ishara Ming, sole survivor of a whaler ship destroyed by the Ballena and current captain of a new crew and ship ready to avenge the lost lives. When she hires a new ship mech also obsessed with taking down the Ballena, Ishara becomes torn and must device whether to risk her newfound family’s lives or avenge those lost.
I really enjoyed this one! I’m a sucker for YA sci-fi and really enjoyed this unique take on the genre. I thought the Moby-Dick retelling was really well done. The whalers were super cool and the whole world building was good. There were some slower moments but as a whole, it’s pretty fast paced and the last third is super action heavy and fascinating. The memory loss plotline was interesting and I really enjoyed the twist there.
There’s a really great found family element to this book. Ishara is a really interesting character and has a lot of growth to go through in the novel. She definitely starts out very harsh (rightfully so) but does show her softer sides throughout. I really enjoyed her relationships with Quinn and Augustus and very much enjoyed how things ended. Very bittersweet but good.
If you love YA sci-fi or classic retellings, I’d highly recommend this one!
Thank you to Penguin Teen CA for the arc!!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Moby Dick in space!
Ishara is the captain of the Dorado, one of the few whalers still in space. Her purpose on paper is to harvest biocores from MOBIS (ships with integrated biological parts). In reality? She's tracking the MOBIS that killed her last crew and stole her memories. The Ballena is a white ship that has illegal mods to make it more sentient.
Ishara wrangles a crew including: Quinn, the second mate and tracker who is forever faithful; Leo and Sonia, harpooners who trust in the mission; Stag, the navigator who is there based on faith; and the newest addition, the mysterious Augustus. He joined stating he could help fix the ship up, but also has a harpooner and navigating experience. He also shares an obsession with the Ballena.
As the quest progresses, "Ish" continues to fall more in debt and is losing herself to the pursuit of the whale.
If you liked Disney's Treasure Planet, this is that but for Moby Dick. It was fun and entertaining. The only thing that brings it down a notch for me is that the characters outside of Ishara do not feel fully developed. The story is fast-paced and gripping. It is well worth reading.
I received this book from a goodreads giveaway and was in no way disappointed.
Ishara is the captain of the Dorado, one of the few whalers still in space. Her purpose on paper is to harvest biocores from MOBIS (ships with integrated biological parts). In reality? She's tracking the MOBIS that killed her last crew and stole her memories. The Ballena is a white ship that has illegal mods to make it more sentient.
Ishara wrangles a crew including: Quinn, the second mate and tracker who is forever faithful; Leo and Sonia, harpooners who trust in the mission; Stag, the navigator who is there based on faith; and the newest addition, the mysterious Augustus. He joined stating he could help fix the ship up, but also has a harpooner and navigating experience. He also shares an obsession with the Ballena.
As the quest progresses, "Ish" continues to fall more in debt and is losing herself to the pursuit of the whale.
If you liked Disney's Treasure Planet, this is that but for Moby Dick. It was fun and entertaining. The only thing that brings it down a notch for me is that the characters outside of Ishara do not feel fully developed. The story is fast-paced and gripping. It is well worth reading.
I received this book from a goodreads giveaway and was in no way disappointed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin/Viking for this e-ARC.
The Celestial Seas was just a good, fun sci-fi. I cannot say how much I loved this world. The different systems, cultures, languages, technology, customs - everything! It was expansive, impressive and well put together. An incredibly dynamic world that I was swept right away by. I really hope that T. A. Chan returns to this universe, I would not hesitate to read anything set here, and there is so much else that could be explored.
I haven’t read the entirety of Moby Dick, but I did pick up on a few references and it was certainly a clever retelling. The conflict and contrast between machine and humanity, and the fine line of sentience, morality and soul was explored beautifully, and to a somewhat unsettling extent.
It was fast paced, fun and overall very enjoyable, with an excellent dose of emotion and morality and some great action sequences. Ishara and her crew were good characters who had their difficulties and pasts, but were a family and there for each other.
There isn’t much else I have to say, it was a lot of fun and I absolutely loved the world. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi full of adventure, an intriguing galaxy, a decent cast of characters and a sweet romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin/Viking for this e-ARC.
The Celestial Seas was just a good, fun sci-fi. I cannot say how much I loved this world. The different systems, cultures, languages, technology, customs - everything! It was expansive, impressive and well put together. An incredibly dynamic world that I was swept right away by. I really hope that T. A. Chan returns to this universe, I would not hesitate to read anything set here, and there is so much else that could be explored.
I haven’t read the entirety of Moby Dick, but I did pick up on a few references and it was certainly a clever retelling. The conflict and contrast between machine and humanity, and the fine line of sentience, morality and soul was explored beautifully, and to a somewhat unsettling extent.
It was fast paced, fun and overall very enjoyable, with an excellent dose of emotion and morality and some great action sequences. Ishara and her crew were good characters who had their difficulties and pasts, but were a family and there for each other.
There isn’t much else I have to say, it was a lot of fun and I absolutely loved the world. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi full of adventure, an intriguing galaxy, a decent cast of characters and a sweet romance.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I couldn't finish this one. When you write a cover version of a classic, in this case Moby Dick, you need to bring something new to it. We know the journey and the destination, so something has to be added.
In this book, the space whales and space whalers and space opera were just too cliche. There was nothing new there.
Specifically, the space battle with the whale was confusing and had dumb mistakes. Space battles are tricky to write. Multiple people and ships in multiple dimensions, it is a real challenge. The dumb mistake was our hero doing a roll to evade fire. A roll is an atmospheric maneuver, where the air foils are used to move the aircraft sideways and down. In space it is just a spin. Duh.
For good space battles, read David Weber. Unfortunately, the rest of his writing is pretty weak.
Viking Books for Young Readers was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.
An example of a retelling that adds something interesting is Unmarriagable by Soniah Kamal. That puts a beat-for-beat retelling of Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan circa 2000. At every point, we see comparisons between the sexism and marriage pressure in regency England and Muslim Pakistan.
In this book, the space whales and space whalers and space opera were just too cliche. There was nothing new there.
Specifically, the space battle with the whale was confusing and had dumb mistakes. Space battles are tricky to write. Multiple people and ships in multiple dimensions, it is a real challenge. The dumb mistake was our hero doing a roll to evade fire. A roll is an atmospheric maneuver, where the air foils are used to move the aircraft sideways and down. In space it is just a spin. Duh.
For good space battles, read David Weber. Unfortunately, the rest of his writing is pretty weak.
Viking Books for Young Readers was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.
An example of a retelling that adds something interesting is Unmarriagable by Soniah Kamal. That puts a beat-for-beat retelling of Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan circa 2000. At every point, we see comparisons between the sexism and marriage pressure in regency England and Muslim Pakistan.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had the best journey on the celestial seas with Ishara and her ragtag crew of misfits who were out for glory and vengeance in this deep-space retelling of Moby Dick.
Sci-fi is a bit outside of my usual fare. I’m knowledgeable about the genre, but not fully immersed in it - yet everything here worked for me. The setting, the action, the tech; it was all written so well, and stayed engaging and digestible (even to a novice like me)! I had a blast, and the heart of the story and characters pack a mighty punch in the end.
Highlights:
🛸 Sci-Fi Retelling
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Rep
🐋 Fast-paced adventure
💛 Found Family (my fav)
☑️ Appropriately YA
After surviving a near fatal attack by a legendary sentient spacecraft, Ishara Ming is in possession of her new metal-plated arm, a faulty memory chip, and a burning need for revenge. After acquiring her own ship, Ishara, along with her crew (including the new mysterious mechanic) will track and hunt the white whale throughout the galaxy.
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me with both a physical and electronic advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The Celestial Seas comes out March 31st.
Sci-fi is a bit outside of my usual fare. I’m knowledgeable about the genre, but not fully immersed in it - yet everything here worked for me. The setting, the action, the tech; it was all written so well, and stayed engaging and digestible (even to a novice like me)! I had a blast, and the heart of the story and characters pack a mighty punch in the end.
Highlights:
🛸 Sci-Fi Retelling
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Rep
🐋 Fast-paced adventure
💛 Found Family (my fav)
☑️ Appropriately YA
After surviving a near fatal attack by a legendary sentient spacecraft, Ishara Ming is in possession of her new metal-plated arm, a faulty memory chip, and a burning need for revenge. After acquiring her own ship, Ishara, along with her crew (including the new mysterious mechanic) will track and hunt the white whale throughout the galaxy.
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me with both a physical and electronic advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The Celestial Seas comes out March 31st.
November 2, 2025
The Celestial Seas is a ingenious retelling of Moby Dick, a thrilling read I tore through in three days. You want fascinating, flawed by endearing characters? Read this book. I loved Ishara, her pain and obsession were beautifully written and I became deeply invested in her desire to seek revenge on Ballena, the AI powered MOBIS bio-spacecraft whale that destroyed her ship and killed most of the crew she loved.
The story keeps you hooked by revealing bits and pieces of her past like breadcrumbs as it moves along. Ishara has memory issue do to Ballena's attack. I won't say more, but certain eventual revelations are breathtaking and heart-breaking.
The writing is clear and lovely and the world-building fascinating. So much intelligence and imagination went into writing this story. And one of my favourite aspects is how it explores issues we're dealing with today, specifically around technology and human being's hubris in trying to create artificial consciousness when we haven't fully explored the ethical and practical consequences.
This is a beautiful story with wonderful characters and I passionately recommend it.
The story keeps you hooked by revealing bits and pieces of her past like breadcrumbs as it moves along. Ishara has memory issue do to Ballena's attack. I won't say more, but certain eventual revelations are breathtaking and heart-breaking.
The writing is clear and lovely and the world-building fascinating. So much intelligence and imagination went into writing this story. And one of my favourite aspects is how it explores issues we're dealing with today, specifically around technology and human being's hubris in trying to create artificial consciousness when we haven't fully explored the ethical and practical consequences.
This is a beautiful story with wonderful characters and I passionately recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Viking for the print galley and to NetGalley for the eGalley to supplement this review!
A fresh take on the classic Moby Dick story, The Celestial Seas is for those who love Treasure Planet and headstrong action girls, with a little bit of romance on the side!
It takes place in the sci-fi world of a distant future, after the "Alianza Latinoamericana" has discovered the Halo star system that becomes its own independent ruling state, and where Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (MOBIS) are hunted by whalers. Our main character has her own great whale and inner traumas to take down in this awesome, action-packed novel and it was certainly a ride!
Sometimes explanations of what something is or how something works get in the way of fluid storytelling, but other than that, I really loved the world and characters. It's what I'd want in a treasure trawling, swashbuckling, futuristic space opera, and the characters can definitely be relatable to anyone who reads it--especially teens of color and queer teens. I haven't read a great sci-fi action story like this in a while and I can't recommend it enough to those who love the genre!
A fresh take on the classic Moby Dick story, The Celestial Seas is for those who love Treasure Planet and headstrong action girls, with a little bit of romance on the side!
It takes place in the sci-fi world of a distant future, after the "Alianza Latinoamericana" has discovered the Halo star system that becomes its own independent ruling state, and where Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (MOBIS) are hunted by whalers. Our main character has her own great whale and inner traumas to take down in this awesome, action-packed novel and it was certainly a ride!
Sometimes explanations of what something is or how something works get in the way of fluid storytelling, but other than that, I really loved the world and characters. It's what I'd want in a treasure trawling, swashbuckling, futuristic space opera, and the characters can definitely be relatable to anyone who reads it--especially teens of color and queer teens. I haven't read a great sci-fi action story like this in a while and I can't recommend it enough to those who love the genre!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
**Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for this free digital review copy.**
I don't often go for a space novel because most of the time the science and tech feel too far over my head, but I really enjoyed this story and thought there was a good balance of human relationships and space adventure. I don't know the story of Moby-Dick well enough to say if this is a retelling or simply inspired by the great white whale, but the connections were certainly there such that even I could tell.
I really enjoyed Ishara, whose perspective we get throughout the entire novel. She's broken in many ways by her past, and her damaged memory makes her a bit of an unreliable narrator, but not through any fault of her own. She is determined, sometimes to the point of potentially putting herself and others into danger, but she also clearly cares very deeply for her crew and never asks them to do something she wouldn't do herself. I found it easy to root for her from start to finish.
Books like this inspire me to broaden my reading horizons and never say no to science fiction just because I think I won't appreciate it, but to be willing to give everything a chance.
I don't often go for a space novel because most of the time the science and tech feel too far over my head, but I really enjoyed this story and thought there was a good balance of human relationships and space adventure. I don't know the story of Moby-Dick well enough to say if this is a retelling or simply inspired by the great white whale, but the connections were certainly there such that even I could tell.
I really enjoyed Ishara, whose perspective we get throughout the entire novel. She's broken in many ways by her past, and her damaged memory makes her a bit of an unreliable narrator, but not through any fault of her own. She is determined, sometimes to the point of potentially putting herself and others into danger, but she also clearly cares very deeply for her crew and never asks them to do something she wouldn't do herself. I found it easy to root for her from start to finish.
Books like this inspire me to broaden my reading horizons and never say no to science fiction just because I think I won't appreciate it, but to be willing to give everything a chance.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
THE CELESTIAL SEAS is a thrilling romp through space, characterized by dizzyingly vibrant space fights, tender character moments, and hold-your-breath moments that drive home the impact of the scene you're currently in. In the best way possible, I was never really sure of the consequences that were coming for the characters, because the stakes were just that high in every possible circumstance. I'm pretty sure I cried in several scenes???
Ishara, in general, has my entire heart. Every emotional stake is heightened so well, and is only underscored by how beautiful the action sequences are.
I will be thinking about this book for such a long long long long time.
THE CELESTIAL SEAS is a thrilling romp through space, characterized by dizzyingly vibrant space fights, tender character moments, and hold-your-breath moments that drive home the impact of the scene you're currently in. In the best way possible, I was never really sure of the consequences that were coming for the characters, because the stakes were just that high in every possible circumstance. I'm pretty sure I cried in several scenes???
Ishara, in general, has my entire heart. Every emotional stake is heightened so well, and is only underscored by how beautiful the action sequences are.
I will be thinking about this book for such a long long long long time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5⭐️ I’m a bit let down that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped. There were a few aspects I liked, but also several that didn’t really resonate with me. I thought the concept of space being like an ocean and having similar descriptions was really cool, but the rest of the world-building was a bit unclear to me, which made it hard to grasp everything. This disconnect made it tough to get through the first half of the story. For characters, while Ishara is fully developed, I didn’t feel the same with the other secondary characters. There were some moments with Quinn and Augustus, but the rest didn’t really contribute much to the plot. This seems like a missed opportunity as I felt some of those characters had great potential and could have provided a stronger sense of found-family and connection. Nonetheless, thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Viking Books for Young Readers!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.
Queer science fiction Moby Dick young adult novel coming your way! If that combination intrigues you, you're off to a good start. With bonus space shanties!
Ishara's past - and memory - has been destroyed by a MOBIS. She and her crew hunt the biomechanical space whales and harvest their parts for profit...but her voyage hasn't been so profitable lately. Haunted by the MOBIS that destroyed her crew and mind, she seeks vengeance at the cost of all else.
A colorful crew and unique lore make this an excellent sci fi adventure, with plenty of literary illusions to Moby Dick for extra credit.
If you enjoy sci fi adventure, whale stories, and tensions building between two people who were meant for each other but don't know it yet, you'll probably enjoy this book. Highly recommended for both young adult and adult readers, particularly those who enjoy queer science fiction.
Queer science fiction Moby Dick young adult novel coming your way! If that combination intrigues you, you're off to a good start. With bonus space shanties!
Ishara's past - and memory - has been destroyed by a MOBIS. She and her crew hunt the biomechanical space whales and harvest their parts for profit...but her voyage hasn't been so profitable lately. Haunted by the MOBIS that destroyed her crew and mind, she seeks vengeance at the cost of all else.
A colorful crew and unique lore make this an excellent sci fi adventure, with plenty of literary illusions to Moby Dick for extra credit.
If you enjoy sci fi adventure, whale stories, and tensions building between two people who were meant for each other but don't know it yet, you'll probably enjoy this book. Highly recommended for both young adult and adult readers, particularly those who enjoy queer science fiction.
April 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this title early. In this YA space opera, we follow Ishara on her quest for revenge and discovery of her past after losing her memories at the hands of legendary sentient creature. I really liked the world of this series. It was interesting and I enjoyed the idea of a celestial sea. The characters were fleshed out and didn’t feel flat. I glad the love story included queer representation.
Overall, I liked the story but I found myself wanting more. I know with YA action and romance can only go so far but I wanted a little more fast paced action and a little more development in the relationships. This definitely is more focused on the sci-fi plot and the romance is a very small side plot. I felt the story kind of become slow in the middle. It was still a fun read and didn’t feel like a carbon copy of so many other stories.
Rating 4/5
Overall, I liked the story but I found myself wanting more. I know with YA action and romance can only go so far but I wanted a little more fast paced action and a little more development in the relationships. This definitely is more focused on the sci-fi plot and the romance is a very small side plot. I felt the story kind of become slow in the middle. It was still a fun read and didn’t feel like a carbon copy of so many other stories.
Rating 4/5
May 30, 2026
thank you to viking books for young readers and peguinteen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
the celestial seas follows our main character ishara, the sole survivor of a space whaling crew that’s been destroyed by the “whale” bellana, a highly intelligent and hybrid machine/living creature. she’s working to assemble a crew to track down the mysterious creature to destroy it for good, partially as vengeance for her fallen team and partially to sell off these highly sought after bio-cores. after many failures and doubt from her assembled crew mates that the creature doesn’t even exist, she’s given an opportunity in the form of augustus, a highly skilled tracker that believes her and claims that he can find the whale.
i found the premise of the celestial seas so intriguing! a lot of the world that we see is built upon this whaling community. similar to how it actually is on earth, there are these semi-living creatures that are called whales that are hunted by whaling teams in the hopes to sell off their parts for money. we’re told about how most of these whales have a certain percentage of living material that makes up their core processors and that the higher the percentage, the more they will sell for. through this galaxy, the bellana is only a rumor, having over half of its composition as living, thought to be impossible. while somewhat confusing at the beginning, once ishara’s team began to interact with other “whales”, you slowly learn how and why they’re being hunted. however, even though we’re shown this black market for their materials, from the bio-core to the actual metal components, we’re never actually told what the leading events were that caused these creatures to be created in the first place.
i think this story had so much strong foundation, but there was so little world building that it left me questioning almost everything throughout the story. the whales themselves being the first and biggest what if. we know that ishara’s current and past crew, the essex, were formed to take down these creatures. and we see how crew members have different reasons: ishara and augustus specific to the bellana, one of her crew members because he believes their existence is wrong, etc. but beyond that, not much is learned about they why. we also clearly see there are some political strains between different galaxies, namely the one ishara is from versus where she was orphaned to. we learn that there’s essentially no contact/communications but we don’t really learn what lead up to it. i would hope to learn at least a little bit, especially since her parents were political figures. it’s really these things that made me feel a little disjointed reading it, because the main core of ishara’s story was truly very compelling.
a lot of her drive is to get closure for her original crew, a team that essentially raised her after she became an orphan. and dealing with memory loss that she’s working to restore (since this world has microchips that act as a sort of cloud drive for memories and other tools), this is what pulls at her drive and her actions. she is very willing to push her way to complete this mission even if it’s a detriment to herself, especially as she has very limited funds for this project. and because of this single-focus, we do see her struggles with quinn and with the other crew members and it’s realistic. she unfortunately keeps them more to the side then she should’ve because she doesn’t want to get hurt again if she loses them. to me, it was what drew me so much to her character, i really understood her worries throughout.
the celestial seas follows our main character ishara, the sole survivor of a space whaling crew that’s been destroyed by the “whale” bellana, a highly intelligent and hybrid machine/living creature. she’s working to assemble a crew to track down the mysterious creature to destroy it for good, partially as vengeance for her fallen team and partially to sell off these highly sought after bio-cores. after many failures and doubt from her assembled crew mates that the creature doesn’t even exist, she’s given an opportunity in the form of augustus, a highly skilled tracker that believes her and claims that he can find the whale.
i found the premise of the celestial seas so intriguing! a lot of the world that we see is built upon this whaling community. similar to how it actually is on earth, there are these semi-living creatures that are called whales that are hunted by whaling teams in the hopes to sell off their parts for money. we’re told about how most of these whales have a certain percentage of living material that makes up their core processors and that the higher the percentage, the more they will sell for. through this galaxy, the bellana is only a rumor, having over half of its composition as living, thought to be impossible. while somewhat confusing at the beginning, once ishara’s team began to interact with other “whales”, you slowly learn how and why they’re being hunted. however, even though we’re shown this black market for their materials, from the bio-core to the actual metal components, we’re never actually told what the leading events were that caused these creatures to be created in the first place.
i think this story had so much strong foundation, but there was so little world building that it left me questioning almost everything throughout the story. the whales themselves being the first and biggest what if. we know that ishara’s current and past crew, the essex, were formed to take down these creatures. and we see how crew members have different reasons: ishara and augustus specific to the bellana, one of her crew members because he believes their existence is wrong, etc. but beyond that, not much is learned about they why. we also clearly see there are some political strains between different galaxies, namely the one ishara is from versus where she was orphaned to. we learn that there’s essentially no contact/communications but we don’t really learn what lead up to it. i would hope to learn at least a little bit, especially since her parents were political figures. it’s really these things that made me feel a little disjointed reading it, because the main core of ishara’s story was truly very compelling.
a lot of her drive is to get closure for her original crew, a team that essentially raised her after she became an orphan. and dealing with memory loss that she’s working to restore (since this world has microchips that act as a sort of cloud drive for memories and other tools), this is what pulls at her drive and her actions. she is very willing to push her way to complete this mission even if it’s a detriment to herself, especially as she has very limited funds for this project. and because of this single-focus, we do see her struggles with quinn and with the other crew members and it’s realistic. she unfortunately keeps them more to the side then she should’ve because she doesn’t want to get hurt again if she loses them. to me, it was what drew me so much to her character, i really understood her worries throughout.
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