What do you think?
Rate this book
The Maverick Heart Cycle #1
Soul's Blood
Equal parts troubleshooters and troublemakers, Keene and Lexa-Blue, along with the sentient ship, Maverick Heart, have been known to solve a problem or two. For the right price, that is. Even so, they aren't prepared for a summons from a love Keene thought long past. Daevin Adisi is now the Technarch of Brighter Light, one of the greatest corporate colony states in the Galactum, which is on the brink of war with Sotari, descendants of a people changed by nanogenetic experimentation. Seeking only to live a quiet, simple life free of the technology they blame for the worst part of their history, Sotari has struggled to co-exist with Brighter Light, which to them represents the worst of their own history. And now, the uneasy truce has finally crumbled. In his last-ditch attempt to save their world, Daevin has called upon Keene to help him finally bring peace.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 18, 2016
5 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Graham King
11 books29 followersStephen Graham King (He/They) is a disabled survivor of metastatic synovial sarcoma, a story chronicled in the memoir, Just Breathe: My Journey Through Cancer and Back. Since then, he has concentrated on writing speculative fiction, in particular, queer-themed space opera, and his short fiction has appeared in the anthologies North of Infinity II, Desolate Places, Ruins Metropolis, and the forthcoming Nothing Without Us Too. His first novel, Chasing Cold, was released in 2012, followed by the books in the Maverick Heart Cycle: Soul’s Blood (2016), Gatecrasher (2017), A Congress of Ships (2019) and in 2022, Ghost Light Burn. He has been a frequent guest on podcasts and panels, passionately advocating for lived experience queer and disability narratives in stories of the future. They are also an avid black and white photographer, with two of their photos appearing in an installation at the Art Gallery of Ontario. They are also working on a book compiling their intimate and immediate photos captured on the streets of Toronto, where they currently reside.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 23, 2017
2.5 stars, sadly... Not a space opera
First half of book is good, character driven, with a standard space opera setup.
Last half of the book is dull, silly action on the ground, lost characters running around.
Human-Alien super beings got more and more power as the author got lazier *sighs*
Doesn’t bode well for sequel which I got from NetGalley....
HIGH POINTS of the whole book
Elai said
“There is man named Giri who is waiting for me in Sotari. He is my…” She paused, searching for words to describe a concept that she had no words for. “The closest words that describe it that I can think of is Soul’s Blood. He is my partner, my mate, the nourishment that gives me life. The person who fills the emptiness that hadn’t existed until it was filled.”
Elai said
“My original ancestors were stirred together in a dish and brought to term in wombs of plastic and sterile chemical solutions. Their DNA was cut and melded and stitched together with machines so small that a billion would fit on the head of a pin.”
Lexa-Blue listened for bitterness in her voice but heard none.
“They had no parents but for the technicians who built their cells. Their growth was accelerated by a factor of four, and they grew up in neat, ordered cages. It is no wonder that they learned to despise technology when they found their way to this world. It made them giants, and it made them outcasts.”
First half of book is good, character driven, with a standard space opera setup.
Last half of the book is dull, silly action on the ground, lost characters running around.
Human-Alien super beings got more and more power as the author got lazier *sighs*
Doesn’t bode well for sequel which I got from NetGalley....
HIGH POINTS of the whole book
Elai said
“There is man named Giri who is waiting for me in Sotari. He is my…” She paused, searching for words to describe a concept that she had no words for. “The closest words that describe it that I can think of is Soul’s Blood. He is my partner, my mate, the nourishment that gives me life. The person who fills the emptiness that hadn’t existed until it was filled.”
Elai said
“My original ancestors were stirred together in a dish and brought to term in wombs of plastic and sterile chemical solutions. Their DNA was cut and melded and stitched together with machines so small that a billion would fit on the head of a pin.”
Lexa-Blue listened for bitterness in her voice but heard none.
“They had no parents but for the technicians who built their cells. Their growth was accelerated by a factor of four, and they grew up in neat, ordered cages. It is no wonder that they learned to despise technology when they found their way to this world. It made them giants, and it made them outcasts.”
January 7, 2016
Before I say anything else about this book, I'll start with this: If you love futuristic sci-fi action adventure served up with smart stories, well-built worlds, and just a dash of romance, you don't need to read the rest of my review, you need to grab this book and start reading.
But hey, if you want to humour me first, here we go.
The Maverick Heart is a sentient AI ship, one of the rare survivors. That sentient being, Vrick, travels the systems with Keene and Lexa-Blue, a pair who do what they need to do to get by and earn their living and freedom to travel the stars. When a former flame from Keene's past asks them for help (and doesn't take no for an answer), they find themselves enmeshed in the middle of a culture clash rapidly turning violent that could spell doom for a whole world.
Soul's Blood juggles a lot at once. The three main characters (I'm including Vrick among these, who is my new favourite AI ever) are all engaging in their own way. I freaking adored Lexa-Blue, the more "shoot first and then shoot second" of the trio, though I'll admit I'm a sucker for a kick-ass lady in my sci-fi. Keene is more of a "fixer" and technological in focus, and while his relationship with his former love is the starting spark of the story, he's not relegated to "romance plot" alone, and both men show clear growth from their days of young love; yes, they still feel the spark, but they're also grown men now, and one of them has the weight of his world on his shoulders.
I already knew Stephen Graham King could write solid space opera, having read and enjoyed Chasing Cold, but with action, intrigue, tech, firefights, and just enough breathing spaces between the chaos, Soul's Blood brings an A-game.
Best of all, world building is artfully balanced. At it's heart, the main conflict of the story is one of culture: two vastly different races living on the same planet on the edge of a war that would devastate both sides. Keene's former love is a technarch of a highly technological society, and trying to stop attacks from a genetically modified people who have a vast array of psionic ability and a hatred of the technology that was used to create them. As Vrick, Keene, and Lexa-Blue learn more of the players and issues at hand, the reader is brought with them in a way that feels very natural. We learn about the specific planet in enough detail that it lives and breathes, and gain glimmers of the other systems outside that world in teasing ways that paint an enticing picture and leaves the reader ready for the next voyage of the Maverick Heart.
I, for one, can't wait.
But hey, if you want to humour me first, here we go.
The Maverick Heart is a sentient AI ship, one of the rare survivors. That sentient being, Vrick, travels the systems with Keene and Lexa-Blue, a pair who do what they need to do to get by and earn their living and freedom to travel the stars. When a former flame from Keene's past asks them for help (and doesn't take no for an answer), they find themselves enmeshed in the middle of a culture clash rapidly turning violent that could spell doom for a whole world.
Soul's Blood juggles a lot at once. The three main characters (I'm including Vrick among these, who is my new favourite AI ever) are all engaging in their own way. I freaking adored Lexa-Blue, the more "shoot first and then shoot second" of the trio, though I'll admit I'm a sucker for a kick-ass lady in my sci-fi. Keene is more of a "fixer" and technological in focus, and while his relationship with his former love is the starting spark of the story, he's not relegated to "romance plot" alone, and both men show clear growth from their days of young love; yes, they still feel the spark, but they're also grown men now, and one of them has the weight of his world on his shoulders.
I already knew Stephen Graham King could write solid space opera, having read and enjoyed Chasing Cold, but with action, intrigue, tech, firefights, and just enough breathing spaces between the chaos, Soul's Blood brings an A-game.
Best of all, world building is artfully balanced. At it's heart, the main conflict of the story is one of culture: two vastly different races living on the same planet on the edge of a war that would devastate both sides. Keene's former love is a technarch of a highly technological society, and trying to stop attacks from a genetically modified people who have a vast array of psionic ability and a hatred of the technology that was used to create them. As Vrick, Keene, and Lexa-Blue learn more of the players and issues at hand, the reader is brought with them in a way that feels very natural. We learn about the specific planet in enough detail that it lives and breathes, and gain glimmers of the other systems outside that world in teasing ways that paint an enticing picture and leaves the reader ready for the next voyage of the Maverick Heart.
I, for one, can't wait.
November 5, 2016
A sentient ship, it's bold pilot and bad ass co - pilot, a long lost love from the past and a planet embroiled in lethal politics and on the brink of war.
This is an excellent sci-fi adventure with brilliant world building, adrenaline and a really great pace!
I don't read a lot of sci-fi but this one held my attention from the start.
Keene enjoys his life flying the sentient ship Maverick Heart through the galaxy with his feisty co-pilot Lexa-Blue. Life is good but life takes a strange turn when Keene finds himself pressurised into travelling to the colony of Brighter Light which is ruled by his first love Daevin Adisi.
Daevin has never forgotten his first love and now his colony stands on the brink of war with the Sotari who also have a colony on the same planet. Daevin knows Keene's experiences as a fighter and pilot can help avert catastrophe so he forces Keene to help him.
As the two men reunite and join forces to end the terror attacks and violence on the planet, they begin to rediscover their love for each other. Ten years after parting their love is still very much alive but first they need to find the conspirators who are pushing the colony into war and terror.
This is really great futuristic sci-fi novel. The romance is actually secondary to the story because the adventure is the true focus and it is an excellent read.
I really enjoyed the way the author takes us into the future. The author has an engaging style of writing and his characters really come alive in the story. They become almost real in the imagination of the reader.
In the colony of Brighter Light technology has surpassed anything we know or can imagine, and different beings inhabit far flung planets across the galaxy. These differences are causes for unity and prosperity but in some places they ignite terror.
And terror is a weapon if you want to divide and conquer.
In this story we see Daevin and Keene battle against a hidden enemy or enemies. The enemy can use the advance technology and special abilities, and they use these for war. Lexa-Blue, long time buddy of Keene, along with other allies joins the two men to fight back against this unseen enemy using wits, powers and futuristic technology.
This is a very enjoyable story and great to read even if sci-fi is not your usual go-to genre. I really enjoyed reading this. The best thing about this story is the way the author is able to show us all the technology and strange abilities without info dumping, and the richness of his characters left me feeling quite fulfilled as a reader.
I enjoyed encountering the range of characters in the story. There is a gay couple, a bad ass strong female and many other characters both good and bad. The story pulled me in and I was there watching the drama unfold across the pages.
And the story has a good ending that left me needing more and wanting to know more about their future adventures.
An engrossing read which I really enjoyed.
Copy provided by Bold Stroke Books via Netgally in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is an excellent sci-fi adventure with brilliant world building, adrenaline and a really great pace!
I don't read a lot of sci-fi but this one held my attention from the start.
Keene enjoys his life flying the sentient ship Maverick Heart through the galaxy with his feisty co-pilot Lexa-Blue. Life is good but life takes a strange turn when Keene finds himself pressurised into travelling to the colony of Brighter Light which is ruled by his first love Daevin Adisi.
Daevin has never forgotten his first love and now his colony stands on the brink of war with the Sotari who also have a colony on the same planet. Daevin knows Keene's experiences as a fighter and pilot can help avert catastrophe so he forces Keene to help him.
As the two men reunite and join forces to end the terror attacks and violence on the planet, they begin to rediscover their love for each other. Ten years after parting their love is still very much alive but first they need to find the conspirators who are pushing the colony into war and terror.
This is really great futuristic sci-fi novel. The romance is actually secondary to the story because the adventure is the true focus and it is an excellent read.
I really enjoyed the way the author takes us into the future. The author has an engaging style of writing and his characters really come alive in the story. They become almost real in the imagination of the reader.
In the colony of Brighter Light technology has surpassed anything we know or can imagine, and different beings inhabit far flung planets across the galaxy. These differences are causes for unity and prosperity but in some places they ignite terror.
And terror is a weapon if you want to divide and conquer.
In this story we see Daevin and Keene battle against a hidden enemy or enemies. The enemy can use the advance technology and special abilities, and they use these for war. Lexa-Blue, long time buddy of Keene, along with other allies joins the two men to fight back against this unseen enemy using wits, powers and futuristic technology.
This is a very enjoyable story and great to read even if sci-fi is not your usual go-to genre. I really enjoyed reading this. The best thing about this story is the way the author is able to show us all the technology and strange abilities without info dumping, and the richness of his characters left me feeling quite fulfilled as a reader.
I enjoyed encountering the range of characters in the story. There is a gay couple, a bad ass strong female and many other characters both good and bad. The story pulled me in and I was there watching the drama unfold across the pages.
And the story has a good ending that left me needing more and wanting to know more about their future adventures.
An engrossing read which I really enjoyed.
Copy provided by Bold Stroke Books via Netgally in exchange for an unbiased review.
December 23, 2015
Featured on All Our Worlds!
Spacers Keene and Lexa-Blue, along with their sentient ship the Maverick Heart (known as Vrick to es friends) are summoned to help Keene's lover Daevin, and land in the middle of a civil war.
As Technarch of the Brighter Light corporation, Daevin has inherited the conflict between the company's colony state and the psychic Sotari, a people forever changed by genetic experimentation. Terrorist factions from both sides will stop at nothing to destroy each other, and the Sotari group Deathmind and company group SCI don't care who gets in the way. Even Daevin's symbolic marriage to the Sotari leader Elai might not be enough.
I especially loved the politics of the conflict. The leaders of both sides want peace, but their efforts are thwarted at every turn by the brutal attacks.
This book is more a techno-thriller than a romance, and I'm not complaining. There's action and intrigue, traitors and terrorists, hackers and heroes, and all of it is full of emotion. And not just human emotion- AIs are important characters too.
The normalized diversity is just another win for this book. AIs and living ships like Vrick and are referred to with ey/em/es. Among humans, race seems to be a non-issue, as does sexuality. There's still prejudice, but there are also people working hard to end it.
The use of slang brings you right into the story, especially in the opening scene. And even in the quiet moments, the plot keeps going, the tension rising as schemes intersect and soon Keene, Lexa-Blue, and Elai are struggling to keep the planet from all-out war.
I do wish that Vrick had gotten more screentime, but as this is the first in a series, we'll probably get more of em in the future.
Anyone looking for an exciting, human, and diverse science fiction story should pick up Soul's Blood as soon as possible.
Spacers Keene and Lexa-Blue, along with their sentient ship the Maverick Heart (known as Vrick to es friends) are summoned to help Keene's lover Daevin, and land in the middle of a civil war.
As Technarch of the Brighter Light corporation, Daevin has inherited the conflict between the company's colony state and the psychic Sotari, a people forever changed by genetic experimentation. Terrorist factions from both sides will stop at nothing to destroy each other, and the Sotari group Deathmind and company group SCI don't care who gets in the way. Even Daevin's symbolic marriage to the Sotari leader Elai might not be enough.
I especially loved the politics of the conflict. The leaders of both sides want peace, but their efforts are thwarted at every turn by the brutal attacks.
This book is more a techno-thriller than a romance, and I'm not complaining. There's action and intrigue, traitors and terrorists, hackers and heroes, and all of it is full of emotion. And not just human emotion- AIs are important characters too.
The normalized diversity is just another win for this book. AIs and living ships like Vrick and are referred to with ey/em/es. Among humans, race seems to be a non-issue, as does sexuality. There's still prejudice, but there are also people working hard to end it.
The use of slang brings you right into the story, especially in the opening scene. And even in the quiet moments, the plot keeps going, the tension rising as schemes intersect and soon Keene, Lexa-Blue, and Elai are struggling to keep the planet from all-out war.
I do wish that Vrick had gotten more screentime, but as this is the first in a series, we'll probably get more of em in the future.
Anyone looking for an exciting, human, and diverse science fiction story should pick up Soul's Blood as soon as possible.
August 19, 2017
I love so much about this book. The triad of Keene, Lexa-Blue, and 'Vrick (the sentient ship) work so well together. Through their adventure Stephen Graham King masterfully takes us back and forth between technology and mysticism, even showing us the deep feelings of AIs who are self aware. The concept of the soul's blood was so profound, too. I want to say more but I'll give things away. If you like space opera, you need to add this to your reading list. I'm going to get book two because I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
November 20, 2019
This was a really fun sci-fi adventure. Keene, Lexa-Blue and their ship Vrick make for a really great central cast of characters and the supporting cast was quite enjoyable as well.
April 7, 2016
There’s lots of action in this new science fiction novel by Stephen Graham King. Soul’s Blood doesn’t begin with an explosion, but with a comfortable flow that leads to excitement. With rolling prose, Stephen settles you into the environment with ease and brings his characters alive.
Keene and Lexa-Blue are in the space shipping business. They haul merchandise through space from one port to another, but they also have a reputation for being very skilled fighters. Their ship is the Maverick Heart, but it’s more than just a ship. The Maverick Heart is also the body and mind of Vrick.
Think of Kitt from Knight Rider. Vrick is the ship. Ey thinks, ey talks, and ey helps Keene, Lexa-Blue and their friends. If Vrick was human, I imagine ey would wear a leather jacket and shades. Just like Kitt, Vrick is cool.
Keene’s former boyfriend, Daevin, is like the King of Brighter Light, a city state on another planet. Daevin wants Keene’s help in dealing with conflicts between two different cultures that don’t understand each other.
At first Keene is not so keen about helping Daevin, but eventually he agrees to, with Lexa-Blue and Vrick coming along. There is much conflict, a romance rekindles, friendships are made and mass destruction is witnessed.
Soul’s Blood was a fun read. I was impressed with the world building and I could relate to what some of the characters felt.
Keene and Lexa-Blue are in the space shipping business. They haul merchandise through space from one port to another, but they also have a reputation for being very skilled fighters. Their ship is the Maverick Heart, but it’s more than just a ship. The Maverick Heart is also the body and mind of Vrick.
Think of Kitt from Knight Rider. Vrick is the ship. Ey thinks, ey talks, and ey helps Keene, Lexa-Blue and their friends. If Vrick was human, I imagine ey would wear a leather jacket and shades. Just like Kitt, Vrick is cool.
Keene’s former boyfriend, Daevin, is like the King of Brighter Light, a city state on another planet. Daevin wants Keene’s help in dealing with conflicts between two different cultures that don’t understand each other.
At first Keene is not so keen about helping Daevin, but eventually he agrees to, with Lexa-Blue and Vrick coming along. There is much conflict, a romance rekindles, friendships are made and mass destruction is witnessed.
Soul’s Blood was a fun read. I was impressed with the world building and I could relate to what some of the characters felt.
April 14, 2016
Fast paced and action packed, this enjoyable page-turner presents fantastical worlds and beings, everything you would expect of a good science fiction adventure. On top of that, this novel is full of endearing and delightful allegories and symbols, starting from the title, a heart (or soul) warming analogy that is presented about a third of the way through the novel.
The characters are witty and engaging and their interactions are sprinkled with their own playful slang that contributes to take you into their unique universe, where propriety demands artificial intelligence to be addressed with the correct pronouns.
The characters are witty and engaging and their interactions are sprinkled with their own playful slang that contributes to take you into their unique universe, where propriety demands artificial intelligence to be addressed with the correct pronouns.
November 19, 2016
Great LGBT-friendly sci-fi!
The latest novel from Stephen Graham King, Soul’s Blood, has everything I love in good sci-fi work: well-developed worlds, plot-appropriate action scenes, diversity (in ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical abilities), sentient AI, and norm-bending sex. But what it does best is why I love the genre the most. Soul’s Blood provides a timely reminder that our survival relies on us forging loving connections with others, no matter how different from us they may seem.
The latest novel from Stephen Graham King, Soul’s Blood, has everything I love in good sci-fi work: well-developed worlds, plot-appropriate action scenes, diversity (in ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical abilities), sentient AI, and norm-bending sex. But what it does best is why I love the genre the most. Soul’s Blood provides a timely reminder that our survival relies on us forging loving connections with others, no matter how different from us they may seem.
April 3, 2025
A rip-roaring, rollicking space adventure. Yee-haw! With something for everyone. Adventure, lots of tech, romance, intrigue, suspense and well crafted characters that will leave you wanting more. Lexa-Blue is my new hero but 'Vrick?! What can I say? you'll just have to read it for yourself.
November 23, 2021
2.5 Stars
I don't know that I disliked this book, but I didn't really enjoy it, either. The overall plot wasn't bad, but there were a couple of glaring plot holes and I just never really clicked with the writing style. There were at least two instances of people who definitely should have been vetted to make sure they were not part of the ongoing terrorist threat only just being investigated after the situation had gotten very bad, and at least one scene where a character wouldn't listen to a warning because they were doing the exact, very bad thing the other person wanted to warn them against (which isn't really a plot hole, but did feel ridiculous even in the moment).
Also, very cool that the AI characters use neopronouns, but there are a couple of instances where other characters describe them as he/him instead of ey/es; had to reread both sections a couple of times to figure out who they were talking about.
I don't know that I disliked this book, but I didn't really enjoy it, either. The overall plot wasn't bad, but there were a couple of glaring plot holes and I just never really clicked with the writing style. There were at least two instances of people who definitely should have been vetted to make sure they were not part of the ongoing terrorist threat only just being investigated after the situation had gotten very bad, and at least one scene where a character wouldn't listen to a warning because they were doing the exact, very bad thing the other person wanted to warn them against (which isn't really a plot hole, but did feel ridiculous even in the moment).
Also, very cool that the AI characters use neopronouns, but there are a couple of instances where other characters describe them as he/him instead of ey/es; had to reread both sections a couple of times to figure out who they were talking about.
September 6, 2017
Cute. A bit more action than I'm used to and definitely less symbology, but for a light read in the foundation vein it was fun.
January 9, 2020
An interesting read, with an intro to a new universe.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews