The Star of the Sea

Weird Space #4

by Una McCormack

“My name is Cassandra. My mother was the Walker.”

The peace and stability of Stella Maris have been lost, perhaps forever. Weeks after Delia Walker found the remote world, trailing murderers and soldiers in her wake, more ships are coming. And now the impossible: a young woman claiming to be Walker’s daughter has come out of the Weird portal, demanding passage off the planet.
For Cassandra, her mother’s former young charge Failt, and the cynical, worldly-wise Yale, a desperate race begins to reach the very heart of the Expansion and avert a disaster.
On Stella Maris – the “star of the sea” – a fight has begun to preserve the refuge and its fragile harmony from those who would exploit it.

‘A classic sci-fi romp, filled with old school action and clever commentary on our own world.’
Starburst Magazine on The Baba Yaga

‘A varied and diverse cast of characters, all of which bring something extra to the page.’
SFF World on The Baba Yaga

‘A fast-paced read filled with colourful characters, intense suspense, and thought-provoking drama.’
Amazing Stories on The Baba Yaga

Genres: Science Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2016

About the author

Una McCormack is a British writer and the author of several Star Trek novels and stories.

Ms. McCormack is a New York Times bestselling author. She has written four Doctor Who novels: The King's Dragon and The Way through the Woods (featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory); Royal Blood (featuring the Twelfth Doctor and Clara), and Molten Heart (featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham). She is also the author of numerous audio dramas for Big Finish Productions.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Star of the Sea.

Stella Maris.

The inhospitable world made habitable by the mysterious Weird is the focus of this epic interstellar adventure.

The Weird Space series continues in this epic 4th installment by Una McCormack. The novel is natural continuation of The Baba Yaga by Una McCormack and Eric Brown and may contain spoilers for it.

In The Star of the Sea, the reader is brought back to the desert world of Stella Maris to explore the results of Delia Walker's journey into the realm of the Weird. Her resulting wake leaves no world untouched. While months go by without incident, the rippling effect of Maria's rogue message is finally set to change the otherwise harmonious life of the planet's inhabitants.

The Star of the Sea features vividly described worlds and cities in the true spirit of a space opera. From the downtrodden but peaceful Stella Maris, to the glass city spires of Venta on archipelagos of Hennessy's World, no location is left unexplored. Even a one-time stop for the characters, Capital Station, has real history and beauty. The world building is stellar.

Yale, a woman with a mysterious past, tries to make a life for herself on Stella Maris. But when the Expansion takes notice of the Vetch-Human settlement, she must work with her Vetch neighbors to decide the best course of action. A mysterious girl named Cassandra may hold the key to the world's survival.

One of the strengths of The Star of the Sea is its diverse cast. There are many complex and ever changing characters. We learn about the Expansion and their goals through the eyes of an information analyst, Maxine Lee, a recluse living in the surveillance city of Venta. Eileen O'Connor is a human Weird Researcher seeing the settlement and Stella Maris for the first time. Their views of the Expansion are detailed and in flux, reactive to the story that unfolds around them.

Maria and Failt from The Baba Yaga make a return appearance. Both characters are deep and convincing. Maria's evolution from just a single mother on the run to something great fits the story. People's perceptions of her actually matter to her development and the story as a whole. Failt is given express treatment here. No longer able to hide in the shadow of another, the experienced young Vetch seems smarter, and is forced to play a greater role in the events that transpire.

While The Star of the Sea has plenty of world-hopping adventure, I found that it was less focused on quick action than its predecessor. This is a good thing as it allows for more story and substance. One of the strongest aspects of The Star of the Sea is that it's story and character-centric. While it starts slower than The Baba Yaga, it makes up for that in sheer depth.

Secret and lies. The subtle manipulation of truth. When an empire's grip on the future is rattled, all of Weird Space feels the changes. Great writing, excellent characters, and epic story. (Edge 5/Goodreads 5)

(This book was received from the publisher for a fair and honest review.)

[Sadie Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Star of the Sea is Una McCormack's sequel to The Baba Yaga (which I read last autumn). Both novels are set in a universe originally created by Eric Brown, though I haven't read Brown's books in the series, and take place in a far-future universe where both humanity and their traditional enemies the Vetch are threatened by the mysterious and massively deadly Weird. In this book, following the events of The Baba Yaga, the human Expansion mounts an expedition to Stella Maris, where humans, Vetch and Weird had been living in harmony, ostensibly to study the Weird but perhaps with more sinister motives. At the same time, Yale, one of the residents of Stella Maris, agrees to transport a mysterious human girl and a Vetch boy back to the Expansion for purposes that, at least initially, aren't clear to any of them, while information analyst Maxine Lee, working in the Expansion's capital, starts to suspect that some of the conspiracy theories she's meant to be monitoring may have more truth than she has been led to believe.

Like the first book, it's a plotty, compelling sf thriller with a strong cast of mostly-female characters. Also like the first book, this isn't a utopian Star Trek-type space opera; it's an examination of what it means to live in a society that's far more authoritarian than any of its citizens would care to admit, and of how an authoritarian regime can exploit the small (and not so small) differences between people to bring discord and division to a previously-harmonious society; and if I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I enjoyed The Baba Yaga, I think it's simply that the world I live in has shifted between last September, when I read that, and now, and I found it so dark that in places it was quite difficult to read, knowing what's going on in the world around me.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful novel by Una McCormack. It reminded me why I spent my teenage years reading science fiction. When you have women writers writing women characters it's simply wonderful. I loved this story, I loved the characters. Interesting plot twists after the first book. I really recommend this series.

[Jacob Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
PUBLICATION: October 24th, 2016 - Rebellion Publishing

A few years ago my mother asked me to stop by my local bookstore and pick up a few books that she would take from me, wrap, and present to me on Christmas morning. This was mostly done due to the fact that my mother has no idea what interests me other than reading and sci-fi and to avoid the potential gift I already own, this method has worked well for years.


So I began walking up and down the sci-fi/fantasy aisle at my local bookstore and I stumbled across a book with an interesting name: The Devil's Nebula. A quick Google search told me it was published by some British sci-fi company I had never heard of and was supposed to spark a whole new sci-fi world that would later allow authors to come in and expand upon. This was a bold yet interesting concept so I picked it up, gave it to my mother, who in turn gave it to me.

I had no idea at the time that book would change my literary life forever.

I devoured the novel and wanted more. The plot was original, the writing was flawless, and I've raved about the book to anyone who will listen. When the sequel came out, Satan's Reach, I snatched it up and consumed it as quickly as my little myopic eyes could read.

I later began reviewing books and got to know that little British sci-fi giant, Rebellion Publishing, and have been honored to read many things from their extensive and brilliant catalog. Last year, I was blessed to have been chosen to read book three in the Weird Space series, The Baba Yaga, and like the first two, it was read in a matter of days.

So here I sit, on my computer on my lunch break, having just finished the fourth book, Star of the Sea, and I am not disappointed in the least.

Stella Maris is a planet rumored to have a Weird portal in which Delia Walker jumped through at the end of the book three. Everyone is living in peace until a stranger approaches and claims to be the Walker's daughter, warning of impending danger to their peaceful settlement. A group of characters, some you may recall from the previous book, plan their escape on the Baba Yaga and begin a journey across the universe in an attempt to save their settlement and families. But the question that starts to seep through the pages is: exactly who are they trying to save it from?

Initially, one of my first thoughts about this book during the first two chapters was that it had a very different tone than the first three. It started off reading more like a mystery than a sci-fi novel. Sure, this book had less action than before, but this book was brilliant. McCormack does a magnificent job at setting up this series to really go to the next level. She has taken the previous three novel’s story arc and given it such depth, danger, and despair that the whole series feels richer and more substantial. Any author can throw flashy battle scenes at the reader but after a while, these grow tiring and trite. McCormack has taken a good story and made it great.

But I will give you a warning: the book jumps right in so if you haven't read the first three, do so. You will be utterly lost and confused.
The story moves along at a good pace all leading and building to something, though for most of the book the reader is unsure of exactly what. The bad guys we’ve come to know, fear, and love, the Weird, are back but this time things are a little “different” (though I won’t explain exactly how - why ruin this for you, right?), but it is a little murky as to how they fit into this story. Unlike the previous books where the Weird had a prominent place, they sit quietly and idly in the background here. Until the ending, where all hell breaks loose.

McCormack really grabs the reader’s attention by giving slight, subtle twists in the action, keeping the reader guessing for most of the book, but by the end, I was left with a strong sense of satisfaction. Her strength is obvious after reading this book. She does a tremendous job at character development, making the characters jump off the page with such vivid descriptions, dialog, and an overall dimensionality that is unrivaled in this field.

I really want to commend Eric Brown, Rebellion Publishing, and Una McCormack for taking an off-the-wall story line and breathing fresh air into a genre that had started to grow old and stale. I can honestly say I have never read anything like this before and I genuinely look forward to the new release in this series every year.

So be like me, run to your bookstore, grab a copy of The Devil’s Nebula, and get to know a wonderful cast, an incredible story, and some imaginative sci-fi that will leave you wanting more.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful sequel to The Baba Yaga.

[Burgoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not recommended unless you are already a fan of the series.

http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2016/1...

[mangozoid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star of the Sea is the fourth book in Eric Brown and Una McCormack’s ‘Weird Space’ saga, and follows on directly from The Baba Yaga (in which Eric pretty much passed the baton to Una last time round). Before reading this volume, I got the distinct impression I needed to read Baba first, but rest assured this isn’t the case at all – the very first chapter does the job of summing up all that has gone before, and introduces the reader to many of the main characters from the get-go.

Alas, what it doesn’t do is give you a full appreciation of the two major factions, namely the politically motivated Expansion and the Weird: a hivemind alien species intent on overthrowing and enslaving all in its path by using jump-gates/portals to land on planets and gradually consume the inhabitants via infectious mind- and will-breaking parasites. Or so we’re led to believe. All this, you’ll be pleased to know, is ably covered in the second chapter...

So, with two chapters of exposition already behind us —and in this instance that’s not necessarily a bad thing— we’re finally ready for the main act, and it’s a pretty darn good one.

Stella Maris is a remote planet in which Humans, the alien Vetch, and even the Weird seem to live together in relative harmony – a state of affairs unheard of elsewhere in the universe. With a seemingly dormant Weird portal already on the planet, instead of infesting and consuming the inhabitants as usual, the Weird have somehow allowed the settlement to flourish – kept the water running and the crops growing, so to speak, possibly as part of a larger endgame.

As always, nothing is as it seems, and after leading all manner of murderers and soldiers to the planet recently, a pregnant Delia Walker leapt through that Weird portal and never returned. Months later, after all these violent rogues have been hunted down and killed by the locals, a fully-grown woman called Cassandra emerges from the portal claiming to be Walker’s daughter. She warns the peaceful settlement of impending danger, and is demanding to be taken off-world on the Baba Yaga, her mother’s former ship which she knows is hidden somewhere on the planet. And so it begins...

What follows is a wild race in which our main protagonists seek to help Cassandra off-planet before the inevitable Bad Stuff Happens. Meanwhile, the Expansion land on the planet supposedly to examine and study the portal, but proceed to start sowing discontent and separation as they gradually pull the formerly tight Human-Vetch community apart in their search for answers – this is racial tension and cultural displacement on a large scale, and for me at least, an aspect of the story the author could have explored much further and in greater depth, and criminally overlooked.

Instead, we get a story that introduces multiple and diverse characters, some strong, and some perhaps not-so-much, but all of them relevant to what unfolds. We also get to hear more about the Bureau – the real puppet-masters behind the Expansion – and there’s some space travel and planet-hopping thrown in for good measure. For the most part, the focus of the book remains on the planet Stella Maris, and this would normally be a good thing, but the constant character-hopping between those helping Cassandra on the Baba Yaga and those back on the planet works against the narrative in my opinion.

In summary, I did like this, but felt there were two major stories to be told here, and by trying to meld them together, we are left with a somewhat untidy compromise. Worth seeking out, though, especially if you’re a fan of the first three books, but I’m sure you won’t need me to tell you that if you are.

[Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are hoping to see the reappearance and continuation of the characters built up in the first two novels, you will be woefully disappointed. The second novel ended with the character meeting up with the protagonists from the first novel which gave hope that they will make a reappearance eventually. Unfortunately that all built up to nothing, quite a waste.

Now for this novel. It starts off as a scientific expedition to help gleam more information about the peaceful Weird. Hopefully, leading to a better understanding between the creatures inhabiting that dimension and our own. This would have been some great plot and had me interested in seeing this development through to the end. Well, that doesnt happen. It was just parasited humans from the bad Weird who just wanted to seal off the good Weird. The reason for that was never fully explained. Petty differences? Silly grievances? We will never know, the author certainly didn't.

With that out of the way, now we have the voyage that was built in this novel and the protagonists were running out of time. The climax ends in several pages. This entire novel completes itself in the most unenthusiastic manner in which it trips over, falls to the ground and then just gives up, flailing around tirelessly until it closes its eyes and takes its final breathe. The ending might as well have not been written at all if it was to be given this horrendous conclusion. Do you wish to know how humanity was able to defeat the interdimensional unstoppable entity that was wreaking havoc on the entire Universe? The power of friendship and magic. I wish I was joking. The author found influence from My Little Pony and found it good enough to conclude this series. Skip the last chapter and write in your own conclusion, it would most certainly be an improvement over what the author has put forth.

[Gio C · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a decent ending. I felt like it was a little rushed and underwhelming. The whole series they make a huge deal about the weird and then it all goes a little flat. It was a little slower than the other installments in the series but it does wrap everything up. If there are more books added later on I would give them a try.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of an unusual book. It’s set in the “Weird Space” universe, a series that was started by a different author, Eric Brown. After the first two books in the series, The Devil’s Nebula and Satan’s Reach, Brown co-wrote The Baba Yaga with Una McCormack and then McCormack wrote its sequel, Start of the Sea, without Brown. This is the only series I’ve ever come across where this has happened. Sure, you sometimes see one author picking up where another left off, like when Eoin Colfer wrote a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy sequel, but I don’t think I’ve seen the two authors work together on a book before the new author takes over the series. I also don’t think I’ve seen it happen when both authors are still living. Perhaps the Tolkein’s count? I don’t know.

Anyway, I can’t help but wonder if I would have felt differently about the book if I’d known this when I picked it up. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t follow what was going on. It was clear that there was a lot of history and world building that had already happened by the time we start the story in The Star of the Sea, but it’s a standalone story in its own right, and while the previous books might have enriched the narrative, I didn’t need them to understand it.

In this Universe there are three major races: Humans, Vetch and “The Weird,” hence “Weird Space.” The Weird exist on a different plane or dimension and can only enter the Human/Vetch space via portals. Usually, when this happens they destroy everything with extreme brutality. At some point in history major wars also happened between Vetch and Humans, but as our story begins there is an uneasy, slightly suspicious peace between the two races. In most places in the Universe, Humans and Vetch mostly avoid each other, working together when necessary, and both live in fear of The Weird.

Except on a small remote planet where a civilisation made up mostly of runaways and refugees have built up a subsistence lifestyle. Here the Vetch and the Humans live in close quarters and cooperate. They’re friends and they’re friends by choice. Oh, and they have a Weird portal, but nothing terrifying has ever come out of it. They like to keep this quiet because The Expansion (I guess a kind of intergalactic government?) would definitely show up and ruin everything if they knew. Naturally enough, they find out and send a “scientific” expedition that, quite rightly, no one really trusts.

And so off we go on an adventure to save the Universe and prevent a war. The characters are rich and fun, especially the Vetch adolescent, Failt who quickly becomes protective of “Sister Cass” when all others are suspicious of her. The book’s effective critiques of authoritarian power and propaganda are compelling but not so bleak as to spoil the fun of the adventure.

One thing I didn’t understand was the title – I have literally no idea why it’s called Star of The Sea. Perhaps this makes more sense if you read the other novels and I think it’s probably true that people will enjoy this more if they’ve read the rest in the series, but I still found it a good read, and it made me consider going back to find the other books.

[Fred Langridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inventive and adventurous SF, with a cast of engaging (and mostly female) characters.

[imyril is not really here any more · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This felt like the reading equivalent of empty calories. Plenty of action, but it's all rather predictable and the characters fall a bit flat. It's better than nothing, but it wasn't as engaging as I hoped.

Full review.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this. Another riff on the idea that there are mind parasites that can infect our brain and make us do things we don't want to. There is nothing in nature that suggests this is impossible. We know about germs and viruses. We know that there is competition for energy and resources. We know also that cuckoos can somehow fool the host bird into not noticing reality.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Having not read any of the previous books in the series I just could not get in to this.
I could not relate to the characters and the story had no meaning.
In other words don't bother unless you have read the previous books.

[Lindsey Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review Here

I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley. This in no way affects my views or opinions.

After the ominous ending of The Baba Yaga, I was eager to see how the story would unfold in The Star of the Sea. New characters are introduced, old ones return and all along, no one is sure who they can trust. A steady and engaging story from beginning to end, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Delia has disappeared – some believe she is dead, some believe she fell through the portal. But when her fifteen-year-old daughter emerges only weeks after Walker vanishes, nothing can be taken for certain.

Maria is struggling to find her place in a community that haven’t completely accepted her. When she is forced to flee with her daughter, Jenny, and take refuge in the mountains, Maria steps into a role she never imagined herself in. She becomes a leader, organising a rebellion and resistance against the soldiers who have invaded her home.

I liked Yale in the previous book despite her scepticism. Her character develops in this book as she learns to trust people and act on her emotions rather than cold facts. Despite not trusting Cassandra initially, she is prepared to face her own fears in order to help the girl.

O’Connor is the main new character. A scientist on an expedition to Stella Maris, her naivety means she doesn’t realise what the soldiers, the separation and the guns are leading to. But when given the chance, O’Connor proves that she is on the right side!

As a new character, we don’t find out a lot about Cass – she remains an enigma to the reader as well as the characters! But we are introduced to Maxie Lee, an analyst who discovers the truth and is put in severe danger for it. She is another character that comes through and I liked her.

This plot started moving earlier in this novel compared to the previous, mainly because both characters and readers know what they are up against. But despite the threat being made apparent from early on – the scientists are here for the Weird Portal, only no one knows what they plan with it – the plot moves at a steady pace.

It is only in the final third of the book where events escalate that I worried about the characters properly. There is suddenly more than one world in danger from the Weird, and only one mysterious teenage girl has any chance of defeating them. The impossible odds made the characters into unlikely heroes.

The reader is never given a true glimpse at the enemy. The characters are fighting against the Weird, with no idea if they themselves could be infected. But the enemy takes the form of friends and loved ones. The Weird are supposed to be so dreadful that not revealing their true form actually makes the threat greater than if a strange alien was described. I love how this increases the tension throughout.

Another great read that has made me excited for the science-fiction genre and what might come next! Definitely a recommendation!

[Aigner · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely give one star, but this was actually unreadable. Many spelling, grammatical, and POV mistakes that made this hard to follow. There were moments that I felt like a decent story was there if better developed, but it read more like a rough draft and less like a finished version. Abadon is a write for hire publisher so that could explain it.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me interested in the rest of the Weird Space series.