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.

Genres: Queer

Unknown Binding

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.

[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.