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Aether Saga #1
Aetherbound
A thought-provoking new YA space adventure from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Ahsoka.Set on a family-run interstellar freighter called the Harland and a mysterious remote space station, E. K. Johnston's latest is story of survival and self-determination. Pendt Harland's family sees her as a waste of food on their long-haul space cruiser when her genes reveal an undesirable mutation. But if she plays her cards right she might have a chance to do much more than survive. During a space-station layover, Pendt escapes and forms a lucky bond with the Brannick twins, the teenage heirs of the powerful family that owns the station. Against all odds, the trio hatches a long-shot scheme to take over the station and thwart the destinies they never wished for.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2021
63 people are currently reading
6911 people want to read
About the author
E.K. Johnston
23 books2,688 followersE.K. Johnston had several jobs and one vocation before she became a published writer. If she’s learned anything, it’s that things turn out weird sometimes, and there’s not a lot you can do about it. Well, that and how to muscle through awkward fanfic because it’s about a pairing she likes.
You can follow Kate on Twitter (@ek_johnston) to learn more about Alderaanian political theory than you really need to know, or on Tumblr (ekjohnston) if you're just here for pretty pictures.
You can follow Kate on Twitter (@ek_johnston) to learn more about Alderaanian political theory than you really need to know, or on Tumblr (ekjohnston) if you're just here for pretty pictures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
September 12, 2025
EK Johnston is very good at what she does, and what she does is write soft books with iron backbones of strength, populate them with impossibly wonderful characters who are similarly made up of softness and strength, and fill in the gaps with cleverness and hope. From the unquestioned queer rep to the fascinating magic, from the deep digs into abuse and the value of human life to the importance laid on choosing your family, this book touched on all my favorite things.
Aetherbound is practically perfect and my heart is full.
Edit: Don't worry, I checked: it's still good.
Aetherbound is practically perfect and my heart is full.
Edit: Don't worry, I checked: it's still good.
February 15, 2021
****Just a fair warning, this review will contain spoilers!*****
Thank you to Net-Galley for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Aetherbound is a YA adventure novel that takes place in the dark depths of space. Space is all our main character, Pendt Harland, has ever known. Seen by the rest of her family as useless, she fights hard to earn every breath of oxygen she can. The only thing Pendt has known is survival and the Harland, and she leaves it all behind when she decides to escape during a space station layover. Immediately she is met with attention from the Brannick twins and together form a plan to escape their pre-determined destinies.
I was very excited when I picked this book up, the premise was interesting, and I love a good 'escaping your destiny' trope. The beginning at the Harland was so captivating, and I loved the magic system and the action scenes. It's engaging and makes the reader want to continue, but once Pendt leaves the Harland, that's where more of my problems with the book begin.
I felt like it lulled a lot when Pendt makes her way off the Harland. The middle of the book becomes unexpectedly boring. I anticipated a lot more action and adventure, but that is hard to achieve when your whole cast of characters is bound to a space station. (***Spoilers for the second half of the book***) The pregnancy plot was very off-putting as well and never really resolved towards the end. Pendt gets pregnant with Ned's baby, but she ends up with his brother. This feels very creepy. Especially when Pendt is kissing Fisher and thinking about how "Fisher knows my only experience is with his brother.' Once she meets the Brannick twins, she feels much more like a side character. And the attention is shifted to Ned and how he is being a hero fighting for the rebellion. The relationships also felt very rushed. I didn't see them develop as people, friends, let alone lovers. My least favorite part of their relationships is that Fisher, for a good portion of the book technically owns Pendt. Which is an automatic pause in the book for me. Fisher feels uncomfortable with this fact and, they find some kind of 'workaround' so that Pendt can be her own person. but it is still so weird to include something like that in a YA romance. Overall a lot of it felt very predictable. I also found myself disappointed with how veiled and confusing the trans representation was. It was an exciting premise, maybe others would enjoy it, but I felt let down by this book.
Thank you to Net-Galley for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Aetherbound is a YA adventure novel that takes place in the dark depths of space. Space is all our main character, Pendt Harland, has ever known. Seen by the rest of her family as useless, she fights hard to earn every breath of oxygen she can. The only thing Pendt has known is survival and the Harland, and she leaves it all behind when she decides to escape during a space station layover. Immediately she is met with attention from the Brannick twins and together form a plan to escape their pre-determined destinies.
I was very excited when I picked this book up, the premise was interesting, and I love a good 'escaping your destiny' trope. The beginning at the Harland was so captivating, and I loved the magic system and the action scenes. It's engaging and makes the reader want to continue, but once Pendt leaves the Harland, that's where more of my problems with the book begin.
I felt like it lulled a lot when Pendt makes her way off the Harland. The middle of the book becomes unexpectedly boring. I anticipated a lot more action and adventure, but that is hard to achieve when your whole cast of characters is bound to a space station. (***Spoilers for the second half of the book***) The pregnancy plot was very off-putting as well and never really resolved towards the end. Pendt gets pregnant with Ned's baby, but she ends up with his brother. This feels very creepy. Especially when Pendt is kissing Fisher and thinking about how "Fisher knows my only experience is with his brother.' Once she meets the Brannick twins, she feels much more like a side character. And the attention is shifted to Ned and how he is being a hero fighting for the rebellion. The relationships also felt very rushed. I didn't see them develop as people, friends, let alone lovers. My least favorite part of their relationships is that Fisher, for a good portion of the book technically owns Pendt. Which is an automatic pause in the book for me. Fisher feels uncomfortable with this fact and, they find some kind of 'workaround' so that Pendt can be her own person. but it is still so weird to include something like that in a YA romance. Overall a lot of it felt very predictable. I also found myself disappointed with how veiled and confusing the trans representation was. It was an exciting premise, maybe others would enjoy it, but I felt let down by this book.
November 3, 2022
I would not recommend this novel to people. To be quite honest, it confused me and even made me uncomfortable a few times. The premise immediately set me on the edge of my seat, and I was very excited to try a E. K. Johnson title for the first time. It promised me takeovers and gene mutations, but honestly all I got was a few shapeshifting moments and the brothers already running the station. Even when the Harland comes back to stir up trouble, their presence means nothing because they are easily fooled by the trios plan.
The stakes were supposed to be high, and instead I felt hardly anything.
Anyway, most of the novel takes place land locked on this space ship. This made reading monotonous and boring throughout all of the middle portion of the novel because the escape from Harland was so early on within the novel, and even with the rebels and Harlan plots at the end, they never really had an sway over Brannick.
Then with such few pages, none of the relationships stuck with me. I felt nothing when a significant character "died," and I was weirded out that as Fisher and Pendt grew closer, Pendt would bring Ned up into her head and how he was her first for many things as she was making out with Fisher. It was just this weird brothers and Pendt situation.
Moreover, the entire marriage and pregnancy plot point seemed illogical and downright creepy. Pendt met the boys at 17, and then within a short period of time (her 18th birthday/ afterwards) she becomes married, pregnant, and tied to these brothers like property just to keep her freedom (don't even get me started on Pendt ending up with Fisher who is not the father of the baby but rather his brother Ned). It's just love triangle gone crazy at this point. Plus, the sad reality for Pendt is that I'd argue she only chained herself to another group of people. Pendt never felt like she truly had her own authority and decisions, and I think that's the downfall of this story. She was stagnant instead of this bright, powerful star. It made no sense to me.
Lastly, the rebellion was this side show readers never truly got to witness. There's a moment at the end where they come into play, but otherwise, Pendt is either telling us what the rebellion is doing through her POV, or Ned's referenced since he ran away to join them. They're the elephant in the room because we know nothing about them.
Overall, I'm not trying to be harsh on this story. My disappointment is just rampant.
The stakes were supposed to be high, and instead I felt hardly anything.
Anyway, most of the novel takes place land locked on this space ship. This made reading monotonous and boring throughout all of the middle portion of the novel because the escape from Harland was so early on within the novel, and even with the rebels and Harlan plots at the end, they never really had an sway over Brannick.
Then with such few pages, none of the relationships stuck with me. I felt nothing when a significant character "died," and I was weirded out that as Fisher and Pendt grew closer, Pendt would bring Ned up into her head and how he was her first for many things as she was making out with Fisher. It was just this weird brothers and Pendt situation.
Moreover, the entire marriage and pregnancy plot point seemed illogical and downright creepy. Pendt met the boys at 17, and then within a short period of time (her 18th birthday/ afterwards) she becomes married, pregnant, and tied to these brothers like property just to keep her freedom (don't even get me started on Pendt ending up with Fisher who is not the father of the baby but rather his brother Ned). It's just love triangle gone crazy at this point. Plus, the sad reality for Pendt is that I'd argue she only chained herself to another group of people. Pendt never felt like she truly had her own authority and decisions, and I think that's the downfall of this story. She was stagnant instead of this bright, powerful star. It made no sense to me.
Lastly, the rebellion was this side show readers never truly got to witness. There's a moment at the end where they come into play, but otherwise, Pendt is either telling us what the rebellion is doing through her POV, or Ned's referenced since he ran away to join them. They're the elephant in the room because we know nothing about them.
Overall, I'm not trying to be harsh on this story. My disappointment is just rampant.
June 10, 2021
I could write a long screed about why this book isn't very good, but who has the time?
Let me summarize: this is a short book that's high on the exposition that doesn't really remember to have a plot until 80% of the way through. When it comes, the plot is laughable, dealt with by the first plan that the heroes come up with and with no twists at all and not even any clever ideas from either side of the issue.
And even then, the resolution is stupid, because what's at risk is priceless beyond all measure and there are literally thousands of people who know the secret that the protagonists are hiding from the antagonists.
On top of all that, regarding the LGBTIQ representation in this book that it's been widely tagged with, it's so shockingly unclear that one of the main characters is trans that readers of a short, simple book somehow missed it.
I've read and liked several other books from this author. This was a complete miss in my opinion.
Let me summarize: this is a short book that's high on the exposition that doesn't really remember to have a plot until 80% of the way through. When it comes, the plot is laughable, dealt with by the first plan that the heroes come up with and with no twists at all and not even any clever ideas from either side of the issue.
And even then, the resolution is stupid, because what's at risk is priceless beyond all measure and there are literally thousands of people who know the secret that the protagonists are hiding from the antagonists.
On top of all that, regarding the LGBTIQ representation in this book that it's been widely tagged with, it's so shockingly unclear that one of the main characters is trans that readers of a short, simple book somehow missed it.
I've read and liked several other books from this author. This was a complete miss in my opinion.
March 12, 2021
★☆☆☆☆ 1/5
this book was marketed to me as a “queer space opera” but i must have missed the “queer” and the “opera” in this book... the info-dumping was so bad i ended up just skipping through some of the beginning, and the whole pregnancy-plot was extremely uncomfortable for me to read, as was the obsession with calories. this book just wasn’t for me.
(arc provided by netgallery and Penguin Teen. all thoughts and opinions are my own)
this book was marketed to me as a “queer space opera” but i must have missed the “queer” and the “opera” in this book... the info-dumping was so bad i ended up just skipping through some of the beginning, and the whole pregnancy-plot was extremely uncomfortable for me to read, as was the obsession with calories. this book just wasn’t for me.
(arc provided by netgallery and Penguin Teen. all thoughts and opinions are my own)
July 6, 2021
The story of Percival and The Fisher King IN SPAAAAAAAACE! Trust Kate to take this simple legend, nearly a parable, and turn it into this wildly creative gem of a sci fi novel, full of cool space stuff, found family, and beautiful friendships. Also: kissing. And of course: cheese.
May 22, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This short ass book packs such a punch!! Ever since I fell in love with EK Johnston's The Afterward and That Inevitable Victorian Thing, I've been eagerly awaiting her next novel! And it was sci-fi which is even better!!
Aetherbound follows Pendt Harland, she's a gene mage on the freighter Harland. As her magic isn't helpful to running the ship, she's treated as a discard and given the bare minimum to stay alive. Pendt knows that as soon as she turns 18 the ship will hire her out to pay for her existence basically--it's harsh and it's involuntary prostitution. During a layover, Pendt decides to make her escape into Brannick Station. When she's found by the Brannick twins, they strike up a deal to keep Pendt with them.
I loved Pendt so much! She's curious and wants to be loved/belong somewhere. Her magic as a gene mage lets her control her DNA and change it. As well as see what other peoples' DNA looks like. She ends up using it a lot to learn about plants.
The beginning of the book was a bit slow. Pendt's life on the Harland is so sad and I wish they'd treated her better. Once Pendt makes it to Brannick Station, things start to pick up. We see what Pendt is capable of with not only her magic but her brain. She integrates herself into the Brannick and becomes an important piece of the administration.
The bond Pendt has with Ned and Fisher was the best thing ever. I loved these three together so much. Ned and Pendt don't have a romantic relationship, but I loved their friendship and how they understood each other so easily. Then there's Pendt and Fisher. Holy slow burn and pining. I was gone once I knew Fisher liked Pendt. Fisher is also trans! To me, Pendt read aspec, but I don't know exactly where or if she's on the spectrum.
While the ending for Brannick Station was pretty set, it feels like there's so much else that needs to happen in the greater empire of the Hegemony and I hope there will be a sequel or continuation.
This short ass book packs such a punch!! Ever since I fell in love with EK Johnston's The Afterward and That Inevitable Victorian Thing, I've been eagerly awaiting her next novel! And it was sci-fi which is even better!!
Aetherbound follows Pendt Harland, she's a gene mage on the freighter Harland. As her magic isn't helpful to running the ship, she's treated as a discard and given the bare minimum to stay alive. Pendt knows that as soon as she turns 18 the ship will hire her out to pay for her existence basically--it's harsh and it's involuntary prostitution. During a layover, Pendt decides to make her escape into Brannick Station. When she's found by the Brannick twins, they strike up a deal to keep Pendt with them.
I loved Pendt so much! She's curious and wants to be loved/belong somewhere. Her magic as a gene mage lets her control her DNA and change it. As well as see what other peoples' DNA looks like. She ends up using it a lot to learn about plants.
The beginning of the book was a bit slow. Pendt's life on the Harland is so sad and I wish they'd treated her better. Once Pendt makes it to Brannick Station, things start to pick up. We see what Pendt is capable of with not only her magic but her brain. She integrates herself into the Brannick and becomes an important piece of the administration.
The bond Pendt has with Ned and Fisher was the best thing ever. I loved these three together so much. Ned and Pendt don't have a romantic relationship, but I loved their friendship and how they understood each other so easily. Then there's Pendt and Fisher. Holy slow burn and pining. I was gone once I knew Fisher liked Pendt. Fisher is also trans! To me, Pendt read aspec, but I don't know exactly where or if she's on the spectrum.
While the ending for Brannick Station was pretty set, it feels like there's so much else that needs to happen in the greater empire of the Hegemony and I hope there will be a sequel or continuation.
June 6, 2021
1.5*s. This is not a good book BUT I did finish it in two days so I have to give it some credit. That said, that probably says more about the kind of mood I was in than about the book.
Pendt has spent her whole life on a ship, travelling with her family between trading posts. Space is tight, food is tighter and love is a foreign concept. Her brothers and her cousins are deemed useful, their magical affinities for electricity or maths helping to maintain ship. Pendt's ability to manipulate genes, however, is deemed worthless and a waste of resources. She's bullied, abused, neglected and set to be sold on her eighteenth birthday.
Weeks before the big day, Pendt escapes and finds herself in the company of the Brannick twins, Ned and Fisher. Their parents have been taken hostage by the Hegemony and their family's station is tied to their genetics meaning that if they leave or die, everyone on the station dies with them. Together, Pendt, Ned and Fisher set upon a scheme to save themselves and their station, and, maybe, find a little piece of happiness along the way.
Unfortunately, the book is not at all well written. It reads like a summary of the book the author planned to write but hadn't yet got around to. Before we meet even a single character, we're given a sweeping info-dump of the history of the Hegemony, written like a briefing to a movie production company rather than the start of a science fiction novel. It's all tell, don't show. Meanwhile, the characters, when we meet them, are two-dimensional and their backstories stereotypical and over-exaggerated. It was sometimes painful just to keep reading.
Why did I keep reading then? Well, I was in the mood for a quick, easy read and this was mindless enough to pass muster. I was hoping we might get a few bedroom scenes, but all but the kissing ended up being off camera. Would I recommend it to anybody? No. Is it the worst book I've ever read? No, but it was far from good. Will I be reading any more by this author? I'm sorry to say that I won't.
Pendt has spent her whole life on a ship, travelling with her family between trading posts. Space is tight, food is tighter and love is a foreign concept. Her brothers and her cousins are deemed useful, their magical affinities for electricity or maths helping to maintain ship. Pendt's ability to manipulate genes, however, is deemed worthless and a waste of resources. She's bullied, abused, neglected and set to be sold on her eighteenth birthday.
Weeks before the big day, Pendt escapes and finds herself in the company of the Brannick twins, Ned and Fisher. Their parents have been taken hostage by the Hegemony and their family's station is tied to their genetics meaning that if they leave or die, everyone on the station dies with them. Together, Pendt, Ned and Fisher set upon a scheme to save themselves and their station, and, maybe, find a little piece of happiness along the way.
Unfortunately, the book is not at all well written. It reads like a summary of the book the author planned to write but hadn't yet got around to. Before we meet even a single character, we're given a sweeping info-dump of the history of the Hegemony, written like a briefing to a movie production company rather than the start of a science fiction novel. It's all tell, don't show. Meanwhile, the characters, when we meet them, are two-dimensional and their backstories stereotypical and over-exaggerated. It was sometimes painful just to keep reading.
Why did I keep reading then? Well, I was in the mood for a quick, easy read and this was mindless enough to pass muster. I was hoping we might get a few bedroom scenes, but all but the kissing ended up being off camera. Would I recommend it to anybody? No. Is it the worst book I've ever read? No, but it was far from good. Will I be reading any more by this author? I'm sorry to say that I won't.
May 24, 2021
Enjoyment: 1/5
Execution: 1.5/5
Final rating: 1.25/5
This was a really cool and interesting premise but it ended up being such a drag to read. While there is a content warning at the beginning for the calorie counting (which was its own weird thing), there are definitely other significant ones to be considered, and I was unpleasantly surprised by the excessive abuse Pendt suffers in the beginning of the book. Pendt and the twins are all very dull and it was hard to feel invested in any of them or their relationships. Furthermore, the pacing is very choppy where not much happens until the ~40% mark, and then after that becomes very rushed. The constant info-dumping combined with the extremely dry writing style makes the read feel more like a history textbook than a space adventure. Dull and disappointing.
Content Warnings (may include spoilers, may be incomplete): intensive calorie counting/food restriction through rationing, emotional & physical abuse of minor from family members, bullying, confinement, trafficking, forced insemination/pregnancy, human trafficking, violence, blood,
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Execution: 1.5/5
Final rating: 1.25/5
This was a really cool and interesting premise but it ended up being such a drag to read. While there is a content warning at the beginning for the calorie counting (which was its own weird thing), there are definitely other significant ones to be considered, and I was unpleasantly surprised by the excessive abuse Pendt suffers in the beginning of the book. Pendt and the twins are all very dull and it was hard to feel invested in any of them or their relationships. Furthermore, the pacing is very choppy where not much happens until the ~40% mark, and then after that becomes very rushed. The constant info-dumping combined with the extremely dry writing style makes the read feel more like a history textbook than a space adventure. Dull and disappointing.
Content Warnings (may include spoilers, may be incomplete): intensive calorie counting/food restriction through rationing, emotional & physical abuse of minor from family members, bullying, confinement, trafficking, forced insemination/pregnancy, human trafficking, violence, blood,
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2021
I'm just going to start with the thing I found so ridiculous about this book that I had to tell everyone about it.
There is a "Content Warning" on this book. That's great. I think it's nice that authors and publishers are trying to be sensitive to folks. The "Content Warning" was for "medical violence" and "calorie counting." I thought that a little weird, "calorie counting," but whatevs. By the end, though I found that whole Content Warning laughably idiotic. They chose to include a warning for "calorie counting," but not for human trafficking, extreme family abuse, or forced insemination (which I would count as rape). I suppose that's what they were considering "medical violence," but that seems woefully understated.
It was easy to read, but I just didn't enjoy it that much. The world was a bit confusing. I didn't fully understand the whole Stavengers (spelling?) and their conquering history. All of the relationships felt a bit fake to me.
It was interesting how many reviewers didn't pick up on the fact that Fisher was trans. It took me a minute but it finally clicked after it was mentioned for the second or third time that Fisher couldn't be the gene-lock. (It only comes through those that are biologically male.) Speaking of genes, I thought that was a unique, intriguing way to base the "magic" even if it was a bit hard to follow.
Even though the book was short, I ended up skimming through the final 40 pages or so. I just didn't care about anything that was happening.
There is a "Content Warning" on this book. That's great. I think it's nice that authors and publishers are trying to be sensitive to folks. The "Content Warning" was for "medical violence" and "calorie counting." I thought that a little weird, "calorie counting," but whatevs. By the end, though I found that whole Content Warning laughably idiotic. They chose to include a warning for "calorie counting," but not for human trafficking, extreme family abuse, or forced insemination (which I would count as rape). I suppose that's what they were considering "medical violence," but that seems woefully understated.
It was easy to read, but I just didn't enjoy it that much. The world was a bit confusing. I didn't fully understand the whole Stavengers (spelling?) and their conquering history. All of the relationships felt a bit fake to me.
It was interesting how many reviewers didn't pick up on the fact that Fisher was trans. It took me a minute but it finally clicked after it was mentioned for the second or third time that Fisher couldn't be the gene-lock. (It only comes through those that are biologically male.) Speaking of genes, I thought that was a unique, intriguing way to base the "magic" even if it was a bit hard to follow.
Even though the book was short, I ended up skimming through the final 40 pages or so. I just didn't care about anything that was happening.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2022
Review on reading: Oh wow okay. Now it took me a while to get through this one, because when it starts by saying "worst family ever" it is not kidding. It starts DARK. And then we get to healing, but we have to earn the agony first.
Very inventive fantasty/sf worldbuilding, I thought it was going to be a very quiet book and then it ALL happened in the last 60 pages, fascinating in its approach to different relationship dynamics and a healing journey. And pregnancy. There is honestly a lot more pregnancy in this book than I was expecting.
Described by the author as
OKAY SIGN ME UP.
Very inventive fantasty/sf worldbuilding, I thought it was going to be a very quiet book and then it ALL happened in the last 60 pages, fascinating in its approach to different relationship dynamics and a healing journey. And pregnancy. There is honestly a lot more pregnancy in this book than I was expecting.
Described by the author as
A little bit Arthurian, a little bit post-1992 fisheries collapse, the worst family EVER, and magic, because: why not? -(x)
OKAY SIGN ME UP.
May 26, 2021
“Choosing was new for her, and she relished it.”
You know what I love? What I really, really love? When young adult books very adeptly feature narratives navigating bodily autonomy. When we're given characters who realize the importance of being able to choose what to do with their bodies—and when, and how—and then they get to keep making those choices? And anyone who tries to take that power away from them is (metaphorically) curb-stomped?
We love to see it.
I also love to see SFF books in the young adult sphere that clock in at less than 300 pages and feel fully realized without feeling rushed. Aetherbound is the epitome of “good things come in small packages.” It's punchy—but in a subtle, quiet way that sneaks up on you. It's my favourite sort of science fiction, where the heart of the book lies in the hearts of its characters and the characters are as compelling as the other-worldly settings. I positively adored Pendt, and Fisher, and Ned. Found family is truly the superior trope, huh?
All in all, E.K. Johnston served up a damn good meal here. *chef's kiss*
— — —
Also! The audiobook production is fan-fucking-tastic. Ashley Eckstein narrates to perfection, and the inclusion of sound effects and music add so perfectly to the atmosphere. It was a truly excellent experience. I highly recommend.
— — —
PS. For every SFF YA that casually mentions and normalizes menstruation, my heart goes pitter-patter.
May 24, 2021
After reading E. K. Johnston’s Star Wars book Ahsoka, I was really excited to delve into another young adult space story by Johnston. I am not sure if what I was given by NetGalley was a really rough draft, but this story unfortunately read like an unfinished draft. The book is about a young girl named Pendt Harland who lives on her family’s spaceship in which she is despised by her entire family. Pendt, eager to escape her fate of forced insemination, manages to secretly leave her family’s ship and sells herself to a set of young adult male twins to help continue their family line by becoming pregnant.
I was taken aback by the middle-grade writing interwoven with very adult themes. These themes include sexual content, human trafficking, confinement, and uncomfortable medical content. What else bothered me about Aetherbound was the inappropriate use of an eating disorder plotline which I found to be unnecessary and potentially triggering for young adult readers. The other plotlines were unfinished, the writing was poor, and the main character’s choices inadvertently imply that it is ok for women’s bodies to be used at the discretion of a man.
Content warnings: eating disorder, sexual content, human trafficking, confinement, medical content, child abuse, kidnapping
I was taken aback by the middle-grade writing interwoven with very adult themes. These themes include sexual content, human trafficking, confinement, and uncomfortable medical content. What else bothered me about Aetherbound was the inappropriate use of an eating disorder plotline which I found to be unnecessary and potentially triggering for young adult readers. The other plotlines were unfinished, the writing was poor, and the main character’s choices inadvertently imply that it is ok for women’s bodies to be used at the discretion of a man.
Content warnings: eating disorder, sexual content, human trafficking, confinement, medical content, child abuse, kidnapping
May 3, 2021
Reading this book’s synopsis, I was expecting more of a Star Wars level action plot, not a Gattaca genetic-perfection motivated romance that resolves in the of the most uncomfortable ways I’ve ever read.
Aetherbound reads like a book inspired by and written during a global pandemic quarantine, in a bad way. The limited setting and strange choices in time jumps and information overload all lead to a very confusing reading experience over all.
The narrative tries to convince the reader that this incredibly strange plot is the norm in this universe but it’s just too out-there for me to suspend my disbelief.
Other reviews have mentioned this, but I too found it strange that the author included a content warning for calorie counting and disordered eating, but not the human trafficking, familial emotional abuse, or forced pregnancy.
Pendt, our protagonist, is hard to connect with or sympathize with despite her terrible situation.
To call this a “space adventure” is generous, and the whole book is just weird and unsettling.
Aetherbound reads like a book inspired by and written during a global pandemic quarantine, in a bad way. The limited setting and strange choices in time jumps and information overload all lead to a very confusing reading experience over all.
The narrative tries to convince the reader that this incredibly strange plot is the norm in this universe but it’s just too out-there for me to suspend my disbelief.
Other reviews have mentioned this, but I too found it strange that the author included a content warning for calorie counting and disordered eating, but not the human trafficking, familial emotional abuse, or forced pregnancy.
Pendt, our protagonist, is hard to connect with or sympathize with despite her terrible situation.
To call this a “space adventure” is generous, and the whole book is just weird and unsettling.
June 1, 2021
The concept for Aetherbound sounded fantastic, but this book definitely wasn’t for me. I ultimately ended up skimming the last 75%. I kept hoping that it would get better, but instead it got more off-putting. The majority of the beginning of the book centers around Pendt and her family, who run an interstellar freighter. Unfortunately, most of it is focused on calorie counting and food restriction. Plus there’s a few other scenes with different types of abuse that really put me off this book, which is why I skimmed the rest of the way. While the concept of this was incredibly interesting and I liked finding out more about this world, the execution just did not work for me.
*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 23, 2021
Overall this was just sort of meh for me. There were trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, but I was surprised that the author didn't include one for (spoilers) human trafficking and forced insemination. This book does have lgbt rep that was cute, but this book wasn't for me.
August 9, 2021
I should start out by saying that I did not finish this book. I called it quits around the 50% marker when I realized that the further on I read, the less I wanted to continue. I'd actually considered DNFing much earlier, but kept pressing on because I belong to a book club that's reading it. In the end, that wasn't enough to keep me going.
Beyond that, the first thing I want to mention is Content Warnings, though they didn't affect me discontinuing my read. I respect authors/publishers who include them, but where they're included, I expect them to be accurate--and I've never really had an issue with them until now. This book opens with the following content warning: "This book contains a scene of medical violence. Characters also obsess about food and count calories." So, fair enough... right? Not so much.
The problem is, this content warning doesn't begin to touch on the material in the book which is actually questionable and potentially alarming for readers. Perhaps the author or publisher didn't want to give anything more away, but considering how early the other issues come up, I think that's a laughable excuse. And, in truth, I'd respect the author and publisher more if the content warning simply read: "This book contains potentially triggering material. Please consult a website such as Storygraph or warnings on so-and-so page if this concerns you." Because, at least to me, it's actually fairly insulting that the content warning for this book reads so specifically, but doesn't bother to mention, just as a for-instance, human trafficking, child abuse, forced impregnation... ... and the list goes on. And these aren't just single-scene issues; these are outright themes within the book that directly affect the main characters and control their destinies. (For a full list of content warnings, by the way, you can check out Storygraph or read the reviews being put up on various sites that do a lot more to list them than the book itself.)
But as I said, that's not why I was inclined to stop reading. (Though, truly, I found some of the content to be handled so bluntly and without care that I was offended, and put the book down with a pit in my stomach--and very little offends me, I promise. But it takes nuance to handle some themes, and there's no nuance in this book.)
Much of the first half of the book is rife with info-dumps, where we get large passages devoted mostly to world-building. Perhaps they'll all turn out to be important, but they're included so clumsily and are so overbearing that much of the detail won't be remembered by the average reader who wants an actual story. In between the world-building, though, there's not a lot of story--and the truth is that what story we get has a lot of flaws. There are small contradictions in the world-building itself that translate into contradictions within the story (as a small point to give an example: How can the main character have no spare time, but also spend all of her spare time in a particular place? And how can she be said to have no education, when she's being educated by another character? Or have no worth when at the same time we hear about exactly what her worth is?). In other words, a lot of the smaller details just don't line up. In what I read of the book, there wasn't much plot, but I wasn't impressed by what I saw.
Either way, the first half of the book feels more like a mini-biography that's more focused on showing us abuse and world-building, and telling us how bad the main character has it, as opposed to actually telling us any sort of story with a clear trajectory. Once the story does take off, at about the halfway point, we get another large swath of world-building and then, as suddenly as possible, a slew of events that not only don't get developed with any depth, but don't really make sense if you stop for a few seconds to really consider either character or plot. Without going into spoiler-level detail, let's just say that the main character agrees to a deal that will accomplish EXACTLY what we were led to believe she was trying to get away from. And for a character whose whole early life was centered on abuse after abuse, she's awfully quick to trust, making her doubly unbelievable. It's hard for me to think that anyone with any understanding of abuse victims or psychology will actually believe in the characters here without having to suspend their disbelief over and over and over again, and considering that there isn't much plot, and the book depends on characters to draw a reader along... well, yeah, that's an issue.
I haven't read any of this author's other work, though I've heard good things about it and I also attended a talk from her that I really enjoyed. This book, though, has a lot of problems. The themes brought up here require far more nuance and depth in order to be discussed with any sense of respect or reality, whereas the presentation here is fairly messy. In a lot of ways, this read like an attempt to offer a YA Dystopian telling of the Handmaid's Tale, but with a messy sort of YA-Contemporary approach set in space. And, at least for this reader, it didn't work at all.
To be honest with you, I can't imagine either finishing the book or recommending it, though it was recommended to me. I'm honestly not sure if I'll give Johnston's work another shot or not--this book was a big miss for me.
Beyond that, the first thing I want to mention is Content Warnings, though they didn't affect me discontinuing my read. I respect authors/publishers who include them, but where they're included, I expect them to be accurate--and I've never really had an issue with them until now. This book opens with the following content warning: "This book contains a scene of medical violence. Characters also obsess about food and count calories." So, fair enough... right? Not so much.
The problem is, this content warning doesn't begin to touch on the material in the book which is actually questionable and potentially alarming for readers. Perhaps the author or publisher didn't want to give anything more away, but considering how early the other issues come up, I think that's a laughable excuse. And, in truth, I'd respect the author and publisher more if the content warning simply read: "This book contains potentially triggering material. Please consult a website such as Storygraph or warnings on so-and-so page if this concerns you." Because, at least to me, it's actually fairly insulting that the content warning for this book reads so specifically, but doesn't bother to mention, just as a for-instance, human trafficking, child abuse, forced impregnation... ... and the list goes on. And these aren't just single-scene issues; these are outright themes within the book that directly affect the main characters and control their destinies. (For a full list of content warnings, by the way, you can check out Storygraph or read the reviews being put up on various sites that do a lot more to list them than the book itself.)
But as I said, that's not why I was inclined to stop reading. (Though, truly, I found some of the content to be handled so bluntly and without care that I was offended, and put the book down with a pit in my stomach--and very little offends me, I promise. But it takes nuance to handle some themes, and there's no nuance in this book.)
Much of the first half of the book is rife with info-dumps, where we get large passages devoted mostly to world-building. Perhaps they'll all turn out to be important, but they're included so clumsily and are so overbearing that much of the detail won't be remembered by the average reader who wants an actual story. In between the world-building, though, there's not a lot of story--and the truth is that what story we get has a lot of flaws. There are small contradictions in the world-building itself that translate into contradictions within the story (as a small point to give an example: How can the main character have no spare time, but also spend all of her spare time in a particular place? And how can she be said to have no education, when she's being educated by another character? Or have no worth when at the same time we hear about exactly what her worth is?). In other words, a lot of the smaller details just don't line up. In what I read of the book, there wasn't much plot, but I wasn't impressed by what I saw.
Either way, the first half of the book feels more like a mini-biography that's more focused on showing us abuse and world-building, and telling us how bad the main character has it, as opposed to actually telling us any sort of story with a clear trajectory. Once the story does take off, at about the halfway point, we get another large swath of world-building and then, as suddenly as possible, a slew of events that not only don't get developed with any depth, but don't really make sense if you stop for a few seconds to really consider either character or plot. Without going into spoiler-level detail, let's just say that the main character agrees to a deal that will accomplish EXACTLY what we were led to believe she was trying to get away from. And for a character whose whole early life was centered on abuse after abuse, she's awfully quick to trust, making her doubly unbelievable. It's hard for me to think that anyone with any understanding of abuse victims or psychology will actually believe in the characters here without having to suspend their disbelief over and over and over again, and considering that there isn't much plot, and the book depends on characters to draw a reader along... well, yeah, that's an issue.
I haven't read any of this author's other work, though I've heard good things about it and I also attended a talk from her that I really enjoyed. This book, though, has a lot of problems. The themes brought up here require far more nuance and depth in order to be discussed with any sense of respect or reality, whereas the presentation here is fairly messy. In a lot of ways, this read like an attempt to offer a YA Dystopian telling of the Handmaid's Tale, but with a messy sort of YA-Contemporary approach set in space. And, at least for this reader, it didn't work at all.
To be honest with you, I can't imagine either finishing the book or recommending it, though it was recommended to me. I'm honestly not sure if I'll give Johnston's work another shot or not--this book was a big miss for me.
February 25, 2024
I enjoyed this but I have a big complaint. I think this should’ve been adult. It deals with a lot of complex issues that could’ve been better fleshed out in an adult novel. The YA style and length made the story feel less complete.
That said, I had a blast. This is a great sci-fi novel. It’s a quick read with a lot of big concepts. Johnston continues to be a favourite author. Her work always connects with me somehow. Once I started this, I couldn’t put it down. I had to keep reading.
I’m looking forward to…hopefully more sci-fi novels from Johnston in the future.
That said, I had a blast. This is a great sci-fi novel. It’s a quick read with a lot of big concepts. Johnston continues to be a favourite author. Her work always connects with me somehow. Once I started this, I couldn’t put it down. I had to keep reading.
I’m looking forward to…hopefully more sci-fi novels from Johnston in the future.
December 20, 2021
This was unusual. Interesting and fast moving enough I finished it (and pretty fast) and the universe is very interesting according to the numerous infodump section introductions. But there is so much very odd here, plot and thematically. A warning, I think this is really not a Young Adult book - not so much that it is sexually explicit (because it is not particularly) but because there are some pretty messy plot events and our main character's early life is pretty grim.
This book starts in an environment, slow moving sublight space freighter with intense calorie count, where everybody is on the border of starvation and the ability to do magic requires calories, in fact trivial amounts. It feels pretty claustrophobic and often a bit contradictory and later it resolves into well, weirdness about food again, namely having to overeat a lot willingly almost to the point of throwing up in order to do magic (but that is OK, apparently in this universe setup). So generic weirdness about food in a setup which just does not make sense logically.
More weirdness .
Then there is the plot. I like short books but there is clearly a lot of plot here left unexplained - what is the rebellion even, or feel why Ned so much wanted to leave the station (when clearly he had to have been raised otherwise) or glossing over Fisher´s birth gender apart from a moving (melodramatic) speech. And the resolution of conflict left me scratching my head
Interesting universe, I liked the writing but a lot of this did not make sense or was somewhat unintentionally creepy.
This book starts in an environment, slow moving sublight space freighter with intense calorie count, where everybody is on the border of starvation and the ability to do magic requires calories, in fact trivial amounts. It feels pretty claustrophobic and often a bit contradictory and later it resolves into well, weirdness about food again, namely having to overeat a lot willingly almost to the point of throwing up in order to do magic (but that is OK, apparently in this universe setup). So generic weirdness about food in a setup which just does not make sense logically.
More weirdness .
Then there is the plot. I like short books but there is clearly a lot of plot here left unexplained - what is the rebellion even, or feel why Ned so much wanted to leave the station (when clearly he had to have been raised otherwise) or glossing over Fisher´s birth gender apart from a moving (melodramatic) speech. And the resolution of conflict left me scratching my head
Interesting universe, I liked the writing but a lot of this did not make sense or was somewhat unintentionally creepy.
May 31, 2021
This was horrible. I love sci fi, I love dark fantasy, but this ain’t it. Tons of issues right off the get go and reading reviews, it only got worse. There’s a reason there’s so many low ratings and many DNF. It’s like the author took the horrible treatment that Harry Potter received and upped it up a notch. Main character gets punished for minor things, being put in darkness and isolation, is told she’s useless after spending the first pages of the book emphasizing there’s always work to be done, but this is happening when the character is 5. Family talks about just letting her be killed, even having a pet where the captain doesn’t want to try and save her as she almost dies. She’s “useless” but can changes genes and ever offers to work with the plants and start studying them so she can change their genes to produce more, but they just say “no the plants are fine the way they are” BUT THE WHOLE COUNTING CALORIES AND FOOD RATIONING IS THE MAJOR PLOT FO THIS??????? it just wanted to hammer it in that the character is experiencing cruelty, but guess what? She doesn’t really respond to the treatment. She just deals with it. No emotional trauma, no insight to how she’s reacting, and she just accepts it.
Pacing was terrible as well. It focuses so much on the treatment of a child before she’s older, yet the book isn’t that big. Why? Why not just mention her horrible life experiences as memories? Nah ok we gatta live through it to build up to forced pregnancies and men owning women. Oki 👍🏻
I didn’t even get to the forced pregnancy crap. I can’t believe this is YA. Can’t just slap YA and LGBT to get people to pick it up. I get there is an LGBT character, but that doesn’t make it an LGBT friendly book. Especially when you have forced pregnancies. Highly doubt LGBT characters would do well in this world.
Pacing was terrible as well. It focuses so much on the treatment of a child before she’s older, yet the book isn’t that big. Why? Why not just mention her horrible life experiences as memories? Nah ok we gatta live through it to build up to forced pregnancies and men owning women. Oki 👍🏻
I didn’t even get to the forced pregnancy crap. I can’t believe this is YA. Can’t just slap YA and LGBT to get people to pick it up. I get there is an LGBT character, but that doesn’t make it an LGBT friendly book. Especially when you have forced pregnancies. Highly doubt LGBT characters would do well in this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2021
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
2.5/5 Stars
Pendt Harland has spent her entire life on a space ship, being told she is worthless and unwanted. During a space station layover, Pendt decides to escape by sneaking off the ship and hiding in Brannick Station. She is discovered by the Brannick twins, and they decide to hatch a plan to escape their pre-determined destinies, that is beneficial to them all.
I honestly don't know how to feel about this book... I think the premise could have been really cool, but the overall execution was a bit of a let down. The genes-mage aspect was pretty cool, and I was definitely intrigued with that but there were a lot of plot points that made me really uncomfortable and I was not a fan of. There is a giant info-dump at the beginning, and then it is mostly just a lot of the main character telling us events that are happening. The book is an extremely fast read though, and I finished it in two sittings. But I wouldn't say it was a necessarily good book.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
2.5/5 Stars
Pendt Harland has spent her entire life on a space ship, being told she is worthless and unwanted. During a space station layover, Pendt decides to escape by sneaking off the ship and hiding in Brannick Station. She is discovered by the Brannick twins, and they decide to hatch a plan to escape their pre-determined destinies, that is beneficial to them all.
I honestly don't know how to feel about this book... I think the premise could have been really cool, but the overall execution was a bit of a let down. The genes-mage aspect was pretty cool, and I was definitely intrigued with that but there were a lot of plot points that made me really uncomfortable and I was not a fan of. There is a giant info-dump at the beginning, and then it is mostly just a lot of the main character telling us events that are happening. The book is an extremely fast read though, and I finished it in two sittings. But I wouldn't say it was a necessarily good book.
August 30, 2021
Aetherbound follows Pendt Harland and her life in her family’s ship. In this time and space (unclear where and when don’t ask), food is the most precious resource and every gram is counted. Everyone on board must work to gain their portion of food, be working in the mechanical room or reading the stars. Pendt, however, is born with different magic than her cousins; she can alter genes. This magic requires a huge intake of food and the ship’s captain, Pendt’s own aunt, does not consider it valuable enough. From then on, Pendt starts working in the kitchen, excluded from the rest of the family, and told again and again what waste of resources she is. As she grows, she realizes what her family is planning for her future, and plans her escape. At the space station, Pendt meets two brothers, Ned and Fisher, that want to change their fates as much as she does. Friendships, rebellions, and a lot of frustration.
Read my full review on my blog.
An eARC was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review on my blog.
An eARC was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2021
2.5/5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the early ARC via netgalley.
TW: counting calories and medical violence.
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS (from first 25% of book)
I really wanted to love this one and honestly the weirdness and the magic had me super interested at first. I liked Pendt. I liked Fisher and Ned, but the whole story was just odd.
It's a YA book and the writing is very much YA but the content doesn't feel YA at all. Pendt obsessively counts calories from like 5 years old as she makes sure everyone gets the exact amount needed to live. And later it turns out she was very thin. Her family treats her horribly because her magic isn't the right magic to be "useful" on the ship. And she witnesses a family member get strapped down to a table and impregnated. How is that YA content? It honestly gets even more weird as you continue it. I liked the idea just not the full execution.
Thank you to the publisher for the early ARC via netgalley.
TW: counting calories and medical violence.
THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS (from first 25% of book)
I really wanted to love this one and honestly the weirdness and the magic had me super interested at first. I liked Pendt. I liked Fisher and Ned, but the whole story was just odd.
It's a YA book and the writing is very much YA but the content doesn't feel YA at all. Pendt obsessively counts calories from like 5 years old as she makes sure everyone gets the exact amount needed to live. And later it turns out she was very thin. Her family treats her horribly because her magic isn't the right magic to be "useful" on the ship. And she witnesses a family member get strapped down to a table and impregnated. How is that YA content? It honestly gets even more weird as you continue it. I liked the idea just not the full execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 29, 2024
I loved "A thousand nights" by this author, and because of this love, I have searched for non-StarWars books by E.K, and they are hard to find.
So it is unfortunate that, after finally finding another E.K book, I got disappointed.
Aetherbound starts off well, and then it gets dull. However, my biggest issue with this book is the writing flow and dialogue. It is quite off and unnatural, making it hard to immerse oneself in the story.
So it is unfortunate that, after finally finding another E.K book, I got disappointed.
Aetherbound starts off well, and then it gets dull. However, my biggest issue with this book is the writing flow and dialogue. It is quite off and unnatural, making it hard to immerse oneself in the story.
May 24, 2021
“Not knowing was a weakness, and no weakness could be tolerated in space.”
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is based on an unfinished copy of the book & any quotes included are subject to change.
Content Warnings: calorie counting (rations), forced insemination & pregnancy, human trafficking, medical violence, confinement, familial emotional abuse
Overall rating: 2 / 5
Characters: 2.5 / 5
Writing: 2 / 5
Plot: 1.5 / 5
Setting: 3 / 5
Aetherbound follows Pendt Harland, a girl born to a family who runs a space cruiser. In space, everything is centered around survival, and everyone aboard the Harland is only seen as valuable as what they contribute.
The worldbuilding was unique, but the info-dumping made it un-enjoyable. While the setting was interesting, there wasn’t enough time to sink into the world or story.The first third of the book felt like background information to set up the main story. From there, everything felt rushed. In some parts, conversations felt forced. The balance of plot and dialogue felt awkward, as did the narrative.
Pendt and I share a love of cheese, but I found it hard to relate to her beyond that. That said, Pendt underwent a lot of character development in the story, and I enjoyed watching her growth. I also enjoyed Fisher’s character, and I found Pendt’s idea of survival and how it changes over the course of the book interesting.
I appreciated that there was a content warning at the beginning of this book, but it only included medical violence and calorie obsession.
Rep: Transgender MC (Fisher)
February 2, 2024
So you’re telling me the first half of the book lead where Pendt gathered the courage to be able to escape her past and take her own bodily autonomy over the course of years was willing to throw that away for two guys she meets within twelve hours of doing so. Ok. That’s Totally Believable.
This felt like a book written with tell not show in mind. There is very little talk of Pendt struggling to get better, if at all. It feels super .. rushed? The main idea of Pendt’s recovery is lovely, but it doesn’t feel real. There’s not much of her struggling, which is fine, but eighteen years of taught behavior isn’t going to go away within a month. oh well.
Also, Fisher isn’t a consistent character. I have no clue what his personality was? I’ve reread and tried to figure it out but I still have no clue. I don’t even want to talk about Ned. Both of them feel very half-baked in their characterizations. Plus the whole thing with the fact that they’re brothers, and they’re both love interests, etc … felt very, very, very weird.
This felt like a book written with tell not show in mind. There is very little talk of Pendt struggling to get better, if at all. It feels super .. rushed? The main idea of Pendt’s recovery is lovely, but it doesn’t feel real. There’s not much of her struggling, which is fine, but eighteen years of taught behavior isn’t going to go away within a month. oh well.
Also, Fisher isn’t a consistent character. I have no clue what his personality was? I’ve reread and tried to figure it out but I still have no clue. I don’t even want to talk about Ned. Both of them feel very half-baked in their characterizations. Plus the whole thing with the fact that they’re brothers, and they’re both love interests, etc … felt very, very, very weird.
June 5, 2021
You can’t choose your family. Sometimes you’re lucky and have a close, loving one. Others aren’t so lucky. Here we discover why being able to choose friends is so crucial.
October 16, 2025
Please don’t read this…if you know me no you don’t. We won’t speak of this
July 23, 2022
Aetherbound delivers what Johnston does best, a message to care for yourself as much as you deserve.
Pendt Harland was born on a generational merchant ship in space, the number one goal is for the Harland to deliver its goods on time and on schedule. Travelling through fairly isolated regions of space, and without the ability to resupply, food in particular is rationed. Food only comes in the form of protein, veggie, or carb matter and is only available to members of the ship based on their worth and their bare minimum dietary needs.
And Pendt is worthless to the Harlands.*
I want to commend EK Johnston for both the content warning at the beginning of the book and for the counting of grams of protein/veggie/carb matter. The fact that Pendt is not counting actual calories is the only thing which made this book readable for me. By slightly distancing the starvation method by having the "accountability" system be grams of food, Aetherbound became a readable book. If you have ever had difficulties with body image and dieting, please make sure you are in an okay headspace before you begin this book.
*Pendt isn't completely worthless to the Harlands actually.
"Pendt understood that her future has always been her body. Her family would rent out her ability to grow healthy children.
Even typing out that quote makes me sick to my stomach.
Johnston delivers an absolutely amazing dissection about treating people for only the worth they were born with. I've heard people discuss about how people need to consume what is only necessary to survive and we're all familiar with the argument that the only purpose of a woman is to create infants. Johnston delivers a world where that is how the world works, and provides the reader the opportunity to take a good long hard look at it and reject it. I'm absolutely disgusted at a world that operates on these principles, and will do my best to make sure there is enjoyment in any world I can create.
This is a Johnston book though, and Pendt's experiences with the Harlands only setup a journey of character growth for which I am envious:
"A part of her ached, wondering what life would have been like if she hadn't always been so afraid. She was going to change that now too."
I absolutely admire the strength of Pendt to leave an abusive situation and choose kindness once she leaves. So many people do not have the power to do so, but Pendt is both strong and soft. Pendt's determination is a quality that I wish I had. She chooses kindness at every opportunity, while continuing to remember to factor her own worth into her equations. The beautiful woman that Pendt grows into throughout the course of this book is a constant reminder to the reader to take care of themselves. To eat delicious food and not protein cubes. To value people and not what they can do for us.
The magic system in this universe is directly correlated to food - if you eat, you can manipulate the aether according to your gift (genes, stars, electricity). If you're starved by your family on a merchant ship since you were five, you cannot perform any magic, even if you have the most powerful potential in the world.
"Three hours ago, even thirty minutes ago, Pendt would have said no. But that was before bread. That was before cheese. That was before whatever "sweets" turned out to be."
Our world is like Pendt's too. You need food to move. You need food to think. You need food and no body image should ever stop you from reaching your full potential. Pendt's relationship with food still makes me cry though. Her ability to appreciate every morsel and to allow herself to enjoy so wholeheartedly is just such a charged action for me.
"Eventually her stomach grumbled, something that made her laugh. It was no longer a desperate sound, something that spoke of emptiness and food withheld. Instead, it was an almost pleasant rumble, a sound that remembered being full and would to be again, thank you very much."
I cannot wait for Pendt to explore the entire universe of her power in the sequel.
Note: The rest of this review does not have an adequate place to mention Fisher, but Fisher is just the perfect character. I love Fisher, the amount of research Johnston put into his character, and wish him all the happiness in the universe.
Pendt Harland was born on a generational merchant ship in space, the number one goal is for the Harland to deliver its goods on time and on schedule. Travelling through fairly isolated regions of space, and without the ability to resupply, food in particular is rationed. Food only comes in the form of protein, veggie, or carb matter and is only available to members of the ship based on their worth and their bare minimum dietary needs.
And Pendt is worthless to the Harlands.*
I want to commend EK Johnston for both the content warning at the beginning of the book and for the counting of grams of protein/veggie/carb matter. The fact that Pendt is not counting actual calories is the only thing which made this book readable for me. By slightly distancing the starvation method by having the "accountability" system be grams of food, Aetherbound became a readable book. If you have ever had difficulties with body image and dieting, please make sure you are in an okay headspace before you begin this book.
*Pendt isn't completely worthless to the Harlands actually.
"Pendt understood that her future has always been her body. Her family would rent out her ability to grow healthy children.
Even typing out that quote makes me sick to my stomach.
Johnston delivers an absolutely amazing dissection about treating people for only the worth they were born with. I've heard people discuss about how people need to consume what is only necessary to survive and we're all familiar with the argument that the only purpose of a woman is to create infants. Johnston delivers a world where that is how the world works, and provides the reader the opportunity to take a good long hard look at it and reject it. I'm absolutely disgusted at a world that operates on these principles, and will do my best to make sure there is enjoyment in any world I can create.
This is a Johnston book though, and Pendt's experiences with the Harlands only setup a journey of character growth for which I am envious:
"A part of her ached, wondering what life would have been like if she hadn't always been so afraid. She was going to change that now too."
I absolutely admire the strength of Pendt to leave an abusive situation and choose kindness once she leaves. So many people do not have the power to do so, but Pendt is both strong and soft. Pendt's determination is a quality that I wish I had. She chooses kindness at every opportunity, while continuing to remember to factor her own worth into her equations. The beautiful woman that Pendt grows into throughout the course of this book is a constant reminder to the reader to take care of themselves. To eat delicious food and not protein cubes. To value people and not what they can do for us.
The magic system in this universe is directly correlated to food - if you eat, you can manipulate the aether according to your gift (genes, stars, electricity). If you're starved by your family on a merchant ship since you were five, you cannot perform any magic, even if you have the most powerful potential in the world.
"Three hours ago, even thirty minutes ago, Pendt would have said no. But that was before bread. That was before cheese. That was before whatever "sweets" turned out to be."
Our world is like Pendt's too. You need food to move. You need food to think. You need food and no body image should ever stop you from reaching your full potential. Pendt's relationship with food still makes me cry though. Her ability to appreciate every morsel and to allow herself to enjoy so wholeheartedly is just such a charged action for me.
"Eventually her stomach grumbled, something that made her laugh. It was no longer a desperate sound, something that spoke of emptiness and food withheld. Instead, it was an almost pleasant rumble, a sound that remembered being full and would to be again, thank you very much."
I cannot wait for Pendt to explore the entire universe of her power in the sequel.
Note: The rest of this review does not have an adequate place to mention Fisher, but Fisher is just the perfect character. I love Fisher, the amount of research Johnston put into his character, and wish him all the happiness in the universe.
November 19, 2025
loved the world building and overall concept. loved the characters too, there was a little too much telling over showing, a few moments of overcomplication and a few of oversimplification but I'm 100% looking forward to reading the sequel
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