The Chamos Project

by Alexis Ames

Twenty years after an attack perpetrated by androids takes the lives of those closest to him, Doctor Leander Dade is living a reclusive life on Earth—until the Alliance Fleet recalls him back into service aboard the first extrasolar colonization vessel, Ariadne. Unable to refuse this order, Leander returns to space and finds himself serving alongside androids, whom he has never forgiven for the attack.

Tensions are high from the start, but when a mysterious accident strands Ariadne years away from aid, the ship’s crew and colonists—humans and androids alike—must band together for survival. Leander is forced to work with the very enemy who nearly cost him his life, and he soon finds himself falling for the last person he expected: Mac, the ship’s android chief engineer.

After a mutiny splits the ship in two, Mac comes to the realization that he alone can save the ship and everyone on it, and Leander faces an impossible choice: intervene, or allow Mac to risk his life and their love for each other.


Contains: character death, ableist language, violence, xenophobia, sexual content, and assault.

Genres: Queer, Science Fiction

440 pages, ebook

Expected publication February 17, 2026

Reviews

[Jacqueleen Hale-Warsinske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give this book a thousand stars?

I was lucky enough to read an early draft of The Chamos Project a while ago, and I still think about it regularly.

This book had me ignoring my friends and family in multiple Uber rides as I desperately kept reading on my phone in the dark. I get car sick easily, but for this book, it was worth it.

The action is packed and the robot romance is HOT. Seriously, this book is everything.

[InkFoundry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A character driven space opera, The Chamos Project is a tense, romantic, and cathartic read. It begins a little slow as it sets up the trappings of a cyberpunk mystery-- Big Money and Big Politics invest in a journey that will make or break the future of humanity, dragging the unwilling Navy Doctor Leander Dade into a mission to 'observe' the progress of the journey and the various factions who have a stake in it. These are: 1.) humans, who have spread across the solar system, but whose home planet, Earth, is dying. 2.) Human-made-androids, who live among their creators, creating their own complex culture within the confines of human society, and 3.) Cryonians, android-made-androids, who have a visceral distain not only for humans but the androids made by them. They live in seclusion on their own planet and allow only their own kind to visit.

It's obvious from the beginning that Leander has a lot of growing to do, but he's no lesser for it. I love his role as doctor, the parts of the book that delve into medical emergencies and the day-to-day of a ship's medical officer were some of my favorites. His rather epic past, viewed as either heroic or traitorous, is an excellent lens to bring the reader into the shifting perspectives and attitudes of this enormous world and its complex ecosystem.

That's all the setup I'm going to give here, but I promise, all the little rebellions and hatreds, all the strange families and star-crossed lovers that could be made of this set up are paid off. There is genuine love, understanding, and respect for all sides, even the ugly ones, of these conflicts. Every one of the cultures shown has prejudices that are challenged by nature and love, and it begs the question of what kind of world will this crew make, in the home they are trying to reach?

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chamos Project was a fantastic read from start to finish. Alexis Ames is brilliant with language, characters, and story. I read the book in one sitting (that was how good it was!) and I was very impressed. Dr. Dade is a very likable character who pulls on your heart strings. He struggles with nothing less than you would expect for a young man, traumatized from the event that killed everyone he ever knew. Now that he is older, his perspective has shifted with the world around him. He remains skeptical. His struggles play out in a way that is well reflected throughout the story and he grows as character, learning to surmount those obstacles to save those he learns to love… or cope with those who are out to hurt him:

Thank you so much for the ARC copy! I would love to keep reading more of your work.

[B.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advanced reader copy from the author.

This book is definitely ambitious, but Ames manages to pull it off. The story is multifaceted, and you really start to see how the layers come together as the book progresses. There are often several crises unfolding at once, but it feels natural since the characters are supposed to be overwhelmed in the moment. It's interesting to see how Ames tackles the relationship between trauma and bias by showing how Leander slowly challenges his own prejudices against androids. Overall, this is a great read for anyone looking for action, space travel, romance, and a diverse cast.

Also, Lars. My heart exploded. Cuteness overload.

[AElis]

I received this book as an ARC.

8% in:
The main character hate toward cyborg is making me uncomfortable. Is the author white? Did they use a sensitivity reader? Will need to see how things change but I might not finish this book

Edit: after verifying, it appear that the author DID use a sensitivity reader (I don't know for what tho. It might have been for things not liked to racism). Based on the author profil picture, they seem to be white or white passing.

However, I find the lack of "xenophobia" or any similar content warning (like "racism" or "apartheid") in the CW section rather disturbing.

Given all that, I will probably not be finishing this book

[Mary Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and it's one of those reads that sits with you, long after you've finished it. I was hooked from the very first chapter and has such an incredible, incredible voice - it's hard to both establish voice and incredible characters and do the necessary worldbuilding early on in a scifi like that, and Alexis Ames nails it.

A must-read for sci-fi lovers and those who love tragically romantic characters.

[Lindsey Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chamos Project is an ambitious sci-fi novel that pulls in mystery elements with great effect. This is, at its core, a book about grief and how healing from trauma can both be messy - and can bring out the worst of people. There are layers to the emotions of all the characters, even side characters with only brief appearances. Easter eggs are sprinkled throughout this book, offering amazing re-read potential. While at times it can feel like there's always another disaster on the horizon, it never feels contrived and instead settles nicely into the reality of: sometimes life just doesn't know when to slow down or quit.

Tightly written prose with lines that pack punch after emotional punch - this is a book to keep on the shelf and keep as a sign for what this talented author next has in store. I eagerly wait for whatever else Ames has up her sleeve.