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The Stars Beyond: A Twilight Imperium Anthology
Intergalactic civilization emerges from its war-torn ruins for the first time in generations to explore the galaxy, in this stunning new anthology from the bestselling world of Twilight Imperium
A terrible war destroyed a vast empire and left its survivors shattered and isolated. Millennia of history, technology, and the ever-expanding imperial grip were lost. From the secretive Naalu and the proud Hacan to the piratical Mentak Coalition, these factions and worlds are recovering and looking past their borders to the galaxy beyond again – but what awaits them in the vastness of space? New territory, allies, and opportunities abound, but the history that once bound them together now stands between them, and a galaxy-wide war is just one spark away from being rekindled…
A Ghost of a Chance, by M Darusha Wehm
The Fifth Stage, by Alex Acks
Shield of the Reef, by Robbie MacNiven
First Impressions, by Sarah Cawkwell
Contact, by Danie Ware
Defiler’s Reef, by Tim Pratt
A terrible war destroyed a vast empire and left its survivors shattered and isolated. Millennia of history, technology, and the ever-expanding imperial grip were lost. From the secretive Naalu and the proud Hacan to the piratical Mentak Coalition, these factions and worlds are recovering and looking past their borders to the galaxy beyond again – but what awaits them in the vastness of space? New territory, allies, and opportunities abound, but the history that once bound them together now stands between them, and a galaxy-wide war is just one spark away from being rekindled…
A Ghost of a Chance, by M Darusha Wehm
The Fifth Stage, by Alex Acks
Shield of the Reef, by Robbie MacNiven
First Impressions, by Sarah Cawkwell
Contact, by Danie Ware
Defiler’s Reef, by Tim Pratt
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2022
15 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Robbie MacNiven
123 books118 followersRobbie MacNiven is a Scottish author and historian. His published fiction includes over a dozen novels, most of them fantasy or sci-fi works. He has also written two novellas, numerous short stories and audio dramas, has worked on narrative and character dialogue for multiple digital games (SMITE: Blitz and Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground), has written the colour text for multiple RPG rulebooks and has penned the scripts for two graphic novels and three comics, for Osprey Publishing and Commando Comics respectively. In 2022 his X-Men novel "First Team" won a Scribe Award.
On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focussing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines he has written six books on different aspects of the American Revolutionary War, five for Osprey Publishing and one for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for ten episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra Credits.
Outside of work and writing, his passions include re-enacting, gaming, and football.
On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focussing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines he has written six books on different aspects of the American Revolutionary War, five for Osprey Publishing and one for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for ten episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra Credits.
Outside of work and writing, his passions include re-enacting, gaming, and football.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 12, 2022
I do love me some space opera. I also love Tim Pratt's novels. So, reading the Twilight Imperium series is a no-brainer. "The Stars Beyond" is an anthology of stories by various authors, including Pratt, based on the novels and the game. I've not played the game, or read any of the online resources. While these stories work as good solid space opera standalones, I feel that you would need to have had some exposure to the Imperium in order to fully enjoy them.
My favorite stories were Tim Pratt's and Alex Acks, both authors whose work I've read and enjoyed before. The other authors were new to me, and I liked their stories as well. Most of the stories focused on the interactions between one or more of the species, with some stories providing background information about current conflicts or "origin" stories. I hope to meet some of these characters in a future Pratt TI novel (hint hint).
4 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy from Aconyte Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
My favorite stories were Tim Pratt's and Alex Acks, both authors whose work I've read and enjoyed before. The other authors were new to me, and I liked their stories as well. Most of the stories focused on the interactions between one or more of the species, with some stories providing background information about current conflicts or "origin" stories. I hope to meet some of these characters in a future Pratt TI novel (hint hint).
4 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy from Aconyte Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 9, 2022
Excellent stories, wonderful setting.
September 26, 2022
For those who are fans of Twilight Imperium, the game, and have read all the lore and joined fan sites and read the three novels already written in the Twilight Imperium universe, there's no question - you want this. These stories can stand independently if you haven't read the novels. The questions are: can someone who is slightly familiar with the game, but hasn't dived deeply into the universe enjoy this book? Can someone who has no idea what Twilight Imperium is, enjoy this book as a collection of loosely connected space opera? The answers are a qualified yes.
Yes, because many of these stories would stand on their own as space opera even if some newly-made-up races of aliens were in them rather than the established races of Twilight Imperium. Space opera is one of my favorite sub-genres, and that was what drew me to get the eARC of this book, thanks to NetGalley.
Qualified yes because some of the stories are better if one has read some of the abundant online material about the game. For example, the story "A Ghost of A Chance" features a privateer ship, attempting to cross an unknown space and encountering unknown aliens, quite readable as is - but better if you know that it is an "origins story" filling in how we first meet the Ghosts of Creuss, and that a couple of sentences near the beginning are actually straight from the official lore (at fantasyflightgames.com) to establish this connection. Other stories also fill in background of early meetings between races - but again, are readable as space opera even if you don't know about those races from the game.
A brief moment of humor: in one of the stories, some of the background characters are seen playing a game called "Nightfall Empire."
A warning: if you are new to Twilight Imperium via this anthology, reading it may draw you into playing the game, which can be quite the consuming hobby!
Yes, because many of these stories would stand on their own as space opera even if some newly-made-up races of aliens were in them rather than the established races of Twilight Imperium. Space opera is one of my favorite sub-genres, and that was what drew me to get the eARC of this book, thanks to NetGalley.
Qualified yes because some of the stories are better if one has read some of the abundant online material about the game. For example, the story "A Ghost of A Chance" features a privateer ship, attempting to cross an unknown space and encountering unknown aliens, quite readable as is - but better if you know that it is an "origins story" filling in how we first meet the Ghosts of Creuss, and that a couple of sentences near the beginning are actually straight from the official lore (at fantasyflightgames.com) to establish this connection. Other stories also fill in background of early meetings between races - but again, are readable as space opera even if you don't know about those races from the game.
A brief moment of humor: in one of the stories, some of the background characters are seen playing a game called "Nightfall Empire."
A warning: if you are new to Twilight Imperium via this anthology, reading it may draw you into playing the game, which can be quite the consuming hobby!
January 9, 2023
Tim Pratt wrote an exceptional Twilight Imperium trilogy. I’ll admit, I was not anticipating that it would be as good as it is, especially considering my middling reaction to other Fantasy Flight Games-related content. Thankfully, Tim Pratt returns immediately to the Twilight Imperium universe in The Stars Beyond, along with five other authors. Again, I approached this with trepidation. Perhaps Tim Pratt caught lighting in a bottle. Perhaps he was uniquely qualified to write in the Twilight Imperium universe. Perhaps I am overly pessimistic, because, with one exception, this anthology is a great read.
The overarching theme of this anthology is first contact. The majority of stories deal with previously introduced factions from the Twilight Imperium universe. I say the majority, as one story, oddly enough, does not feature any first contact at all. Sure, we, the reader, are first introduced to a new alien species, but that is really straining the concept. Overall, first contact is a great theme and one that strikes a chord with me, as I can say with confidence that Star Trek: First Contact is my favorite movie of all time and left an everlasting mark on me.
I’m going to go straight down the line. The first short story is A Ghost of a Chance, by M Darusha Wehm. Readers familiar with the Twilight Imperium universe may put two and two together and guess that this features first contact with the Ghost of Creuss. Those readers would be absolutely correct. I enjoyed this story, but it was not the strongest. Going in with knowledge of the lore, I knew where things were going pretty quickly. The lore implies that the Mentak are the faction to make contact, and this short story affirms it, however, I feel that that weakens the overall story. Since the Mentak are a band of pirates, they never feel like a cohesive whole, and the ship in the story feels like just a random ship. Additionally, the use of the classic time-loop trope is fun but feels a little weird. The Mentak are not known for time-bending, and the Ghosts of Creuss are known for bending space, not time. Sure the region of space is said to affect space and time, but it feels a bit too much like the Ghosts are in control of the time aspect. Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, but I felt that M Darusha Wehm was constrained by the pre-existing lore.
The following story is The Fifth Stage, by Alex Acks. Here we feature first contact with the Arborec, one of my favorite factions in Twilight Imperium. The story had similar pre-existing lore that had to be incorporated, however, it fares much better. The Arborec can utilize dead species (the best are humans) to communicate with other species. The POV character of the story just so happens to meet their lost-at-space zombie(?) husband, which gives some clarity to the title. Of note in the lore is the uncertainty of others whether the Arborec can tap into the memories of the dead matter they are animating. I feel what comes across best in this story is that we, consciously or subconsciously, look for patterns and reference points, even when they are not there. I fall into the camp (if there are camps) where the Arborec are being honest when it says that it cannot access the memories of those they inhabit. I was not expecting an examination of grief as part of my space opera anthology, so this story took me by surprise, and pleasantly so.
Next up is Shield of the Reef, by Robbie MacNiven, the first and only miss for me in this anthology. We are introduced to a new independent society that is close to the Federation of Sol, but not part of it. It consists of multiple alien species, like the Mentak Coalition, but is not the Mentak Coalition. It introduces a new alien species, but only two of them, and does not go into further depth on where they come from. I just don’t see where the first contact comes from. Instead, we meet a new society and are supposed to care about it and its internal politics. But I don’t, and I do not know why anyone would. It does add to the universe, however, due to the tie-in nature of the story, it will never do much other than exist. I found this hard to get through because it was boring. Boring by Twilight Imperium standards, and boring by space opera standards.
I must wonder if Shield of the Reef is a bit of foreshadowing. It has been a few years since the last expansion to Twilight Imperium. I’m curious if the Reef may be a new planet in a future expansion, and that the new race introduced may be a potential new faction. This is total conjecture on my part, but it all just feels so odd. This story sticks out like a sore thumb tonally and thematically compared to the rest of the anthology.
One more comment about Shield of the Reef. I knocked Tim Pratt in the first book, The Fractured Void, for getting too cute, and winking at the audience too much. We know we are reading Twilight Imperium. We do not need to be reminded about units or another inside baseball about the universe. My soul died a bit when Robbie MacNiven had a gag about characters playing a game called Nightfall Empire. It was so on the nose that it was insulting. It was as bad as watching an episode of the Big Bang Theory.
Joyously, we follow the worst of the bunch with the best. Sarah Cawkwell is the author of First Impressions, a tale of not exactly first contact, but reaffirming contact. The noble peace turtles of Twilight Imperium, the Xxacha, have invited the proud space cats, the Hacan, to their remaining good world to potentially think about talking about opening trade after decades (maybe centuries?) of polite rejection. This story pulls from the faction lore of the Xxacha Kingdom, the Barony of Letnev (not directly featured in this story), and the Federation of Sol (also not present), as well as the millennia-ago Twilight Wars lore. Instead of punching up the lore fragments, Sarah Cawkwell decides to look at how past atrocities affect the present day, and how yesterday’s tragedy determines today’s choices. After I was disappointed at Shield of the Reef, I was pleasantly surprised.
Our penultimate story is Contact, by Danie Ware, and is nicely juxtaposed against First Impressions. Going from a very conversational, almost philosophical story to a fun spy thriller is a nice shift. Contact succeeds where Shield of the Reef fails, in that it concerns factions players of the game are familiar with, the Letnev, the Winnu, and the Yssaril. The three major characters are all ciphers for their factions and result in a fun game of cat-and-mouse that does not overstay its welcome. The Barony of Letnev has been visited a bit too often in Tim Pratt’s series, so it is slightly disappointing to come back to the Letnev. Thus far, besides a minor bartender, the Winnu have not been featured at all, and the Yssaril in previous books have been Mentak or otherwise not representative of the Tribes. Contact is best for its Winnu content but good overall. I struggle to find the first contact aspect to this story, but at least we get some added context to the already existing lore, instead of uninspired new lore.
Finally, we come to Defiler’s Reef, by Tim Pratt, who returns to the Twilight Imperium universe to write about the Letnev. Again. I remember reading an interview where he talks about how hard it is to write aliens that are… really alien, but his continued fallback to the supremacist Letnev is a bit tired. However, that is my only criticism regarding this story because it is brilliant. Tim Pratt manages to get some prime L1Z1X and Nekro Virus storytelling in this. The biggest beneficiary of this story is the Saar. The Saar featured are not representative of the Clan of Saar that exists in the board game, but an isolated tribe, given a sacred duty. It is a good way to cap off the anthology, and I appreciated the ending, especially considering how Tim Pratt’s trilogy favored the Letnev in the end.
This is a really good anthology. First contact may be a bit of a misnomer, or I may be approaching the concept with a little bias. Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells has edited together a great experience. I was resoundingly let down by Shield of the Reef (and will continue to struggle to see what constitutes first contact in any facet of its definition). If I had to rank the stories, from best to worst:
First Impressions
The Fifth Stage
Defiler’s Reef
Contact
A Ghost of a Chance
Shield of the Reef
Tim Pratt’s trilogy, and this anthology, have made me excited for the future of Twilight Imperium. I have already preordered the CMON graphic novels, and wait eagerly for their arrival, probably in Q4 2023. Until then, I’ll just have to wait for a new Aconyte announcement, a new Codex from the developers of the game, and potentially a new expansion. The Stars Beyond is a 4/5.
The overarching theme of this anthology is first contact. The majority of stories deal with previously introduced factions from the Twilight Imperium universe. I say the majority, as one story, oddly enough, does not feature any first contact at all. Sure, we, the reader, are first introduced to a new alien species, but that is really straining the concept. Overall, first contact is a great theme and one that strikes a chord with me, as I can say with confidence that Star Trek: First Contact is my favorite movie of all time and left an everlasting mark on me.
I’m going to go straight down the line. The first short story is A Ghost of a Chance, by M Darusha Wehm. Readers familiar with the Twilight Imperium universe may put two and two together and guess that this features first contact with the Ghost of Creuss. Those readers would be absolutely correct. I enjoyed this story, but it was not the strongest. Going in with knowledge of the lore, I knew where things were going pretty quickly. The lore implies that the Mentak are the faction to make contact, and this short story affirms it, however, I feel that that weakens the overall story. Since the Mentak are a band of pirates, they never feel like a cohesive whole, and the ship in the story feels like just a random ship. Additionally, the use of the classic time-loop trope is fun but feels a little weird. The Mentak are not known for time-bending, and the Ghosts of Creuss are known for bending space, not time. Sure the region of space is said to affect space and time, but it feels a bit too much like the Ghosts are in control of the time aspect. Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, but I felt that M Darusha Wehm was constrained by the pre-existing lore.
The following story is The Fifth Stage, by Alex Acks. Here we feature first contact with the Arborec, one of my favorite factions in Twilight Imperium. The story had similar pre-existing lore that had to be incorporated, however, it fares much better. The Arborec can utilize dead species (the best are humans) to communicate with other species. The POV character of the story just so happens to meet their lost-at-space zombie(?) husband, which gives some clarity to the title. Of note in the lore is the uncertainty of others whether the Arborec can tap into the memories of the dead matter they are animating. I feel what comes across best in this story is that we, consciously or subconsciously, look for patterns and reference points, even when they are not there. I fall into the camp (if there are camps) where the Arborec are being honest when it says that it cannot access the memories of those they inhabit. I was not expecting an examination of grief as part of my space opera anthology, so this story took me by surprise, and pleasantly so.
Next up is Shield of the Reef, by Robbie MacNiven, the first and only miss for me in this anthology. We are introduced to a new independent society that is close to the Federation of Sol, but not part of it. It consists of multiple alien species, like the Mentak Coalition, but is not the Mentak Coalition. It introduces a new alien species, but only two of them, and does not go into further depth on where they come from. I just don’t see where the first contact comes from. Instead, we meet a new society and are supposed to care about it and its internal politics. But I don’t, and I do not know why anyone would. It does add to the universe, however, due to the tie-in nature of the story, it will never do much other than exist. I found this hard to get through because it was boring. Boring by Twilight Imperium standards, and boring by space opera standards.
I must wonder if Shield of the Reef is a bit of foreshadowing. It has been a few years since the last expansion to Twilight Imperium. I’m curious if the Reef may be a new planet in a future expansion, and that the new race introduced may be a potential new faction. This is total conjecture on my part, but it all just feels so odd. This story sticks out like a sore thumb tonally and thematically compared to the rest of the anthology.
One more comment about Shield of the Reef. I knocked Tim Pratt in the first book, The Fractured Void, for getting too cute, and winking at the audience too much. We know we are reading Twilight Imperium. We do not need to be reminded about units or another inside baseball about the universe. My soul died a bit when Robbie MacNiven had a gag about characters playing a game called Nightfall Empire. It was so on the nose that it was insulting. It was as bad as watching an episode of the Big Bang Theory.
Joyously, we follow the worst of the bunch with the best. Sarah Cawkwell is the author of First Impressions, a tale of not exactly first contact, but reaffirming contact. The noble peace turtles of Twilight Imperium, the Xxacha, have invited the proud space cats, the Hacan, to their remaining good world to potentially think about talking about opening trade after decades (maybe centuries?) of polite rejection. This story pulls from the faction lore of the Xxacha Kingdom, the Barony of Letnev (not directly featured in this story), and the Federation of Sol (also not present), as well as the millennia-ago Twilight Wars lore. Instead of punching up the lore fragments, Sarah Cawkwell decides to look at how past atrocities affect the present day, and how yesterday’s tragedy determines today’s choices. After I was disappointed at Shield of the Reef, I was pleasantly surprised.
Our penultimate story is Contact, by Danie Ware, and is nicely juxtaposed against First Impressions. Going from a very conversational, almost philosophical story to a fun spy thriller is a nice shift. Contact succeeds where Shield of the Reef fails, in that it concerns factions players of the game are familiar with, the Letnev, the Winnu, and the Yssaril. The three major characters are all ciphers for their factions and result in a fun game of cat-and-mouse that does not overstay its welcome. The Barony of Letnev has been visited a bit too often in Tim Pratt’s series, so it is slightly disappointing to come back to the Letnev. Thus far, besides a minor bartender, the Winnu have not been featured at all, and the Yssaril in previous books have been Mentak or otherwise not representative of the Tribes. Contact is best for its Winnu content but good overall. I struggle to find the first contact aspect to this story, but at least we get some added context to the already existing lore, instead of uninspired new lore.
Finally, we come to Defiler’s Reef, by Tim Pratt, who returns to the Twilight Imperium universe to write about the Letnev. Again. I remember reading an interview where he talks about how hard it is to write aliens that are… really alien, but his continued fallback to the supremacist Letnev is a bit tired. However, that is my only criticism regarding this story because it is brilliant. Tim Pratt manages to get some prime L1Z1X and Nekro Virus storytelling in this. The biggest beneficiary of this story is the Saar. The Saar featured are not representative of the Clan of Saar that exists in the board game, but an isolated tribe, given a sacred duty. It is a good way to cap off the anthology, and I appreciated the ending, especially considering how Tim Pratt’s trilogy favored the Letnev in the end.
This is a really good anthology. First contact may be a bit of a misnomer, or I may be approaching the concept with a little bias. Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells has edited together a great experience. I was resoundingly let down by Shield of the Reef (and will continue to struggle to see what constitutes first contact in any facet of its definition). If I had to rank the stories, from best to worst:
First Impressions
The Fifth Stage
Defiler’s Reef
Contact
A Ghost of a Chance
Shield of the Reef
Tim Pratt’s trilogy, and this anthology, have made me excited for the future of Twilight Imperium. I have already preordered the CMON graphic novels, and wait eagerly for their arrival, probably in Q4 2023. Until then, I’ll just have to wait for a new Aconyte announcement, a new Codex from the developers of the game, and potentially a new expansion. The Stars Beyond is a 4/5.
July 28, 2024
These were a lot of fun to read. Probably wouldn't be as fun if you're not into twilight imperium. But I think that can be said about life in general
March 6, 2024
why did I read this? to see/learn how to write short stories, and check out what other people (besides Tim Pratt) could do with the Twilight Imperium universe. Also teaches me about said universe without forcing me to shell top dollars to get a game I don't have the time or IQ to learn. final note: this is advertised as a "First Contact" anthology. didn't notice it until half-way into reading this.
A Ghost of a Chance - I became less and less forgiving of this one as I progressed along the anthology. The initial Edge of Tomorrow (movie)/All You Need is Kill (manga) you a death time starts out ok-ish but loses steam quickly. The second half is about the wondrous encounter with the beings for which Time and Matter are processed differently, but becomes so bland through the eyes of our POV character, when it should be bewildering. Given the quality of the others, I am surprised not only this one is in here, it is the first story.
2/10
The Fifth Stage - Decidedly an improvement (otherwise I would have DNFd), because it has tension throughout. It gives, however, less focus to the first contact in detriment for the mystery that drives the main character (is that cheating? feels so). The added diplomatic angle offered by the presence of the Mentak coalition is craftly explored after a key moment that could, without a good enough follow up, let the story simmer down to the point of boredom. The ending is wholesome, showing how we ought to see the alien through unclouded eyes, instead through our own precepts.
6.5/10
Shield of the Reef - again, not a first contact, except as it introduces a new faction into the Twilight Imperium galaxy - of unaffiliated planets. You'd expect the galaxy to have several of these, and it is refreshing to see how they keep their independence from mightier powers. It ends up being a James Bond mission to ensure that independence, but I wasn't convinced with the main character (a supposed badass bounty hunter, but it didn't sell me that), and while it was nice to see into the other characters and give them some depth, it suffers from the too good too convenient of an ending. A novella could have been better suited to tell this story, specially when we end up having several POV characters (between 5 and 10, which is a lot for a 80 page long story). Still, might convince me to get Robbie MacNiven's TI novel after I'm done with Tim Pratt's.
7/10
First Impressions - another not really first contact: provides an interesting angle on war profiteering and accountability. I feel this is very poignant and real, and you can feel the emotional honesty from both the Hacan and the Xxcha. It also has the added value - for me - of finally Game of Thrones-ing the peaceful diplomatic hippie culture that is unarmed and nobody takes advantage of; there's sorrow and pragmatism in the ending, a mourning for lost innocence that is a necessity but also a tragedy.
6.5/10
Contact - not so much a first contact between species, but a first diplomatic contact between Letnevs and Winnarans. It devolves into a cat-n-mouse chase with each side trying to foil framing a crime to their benefit. Enjoyable, could have been a bit longer to let the tension be prolonged, for the climax comes a bit too fast and the victors seem to have been successful with relative ease.
6.5/10
Defiler’s Reef - Tim Pratt, the heavy hitter of the book. I got all the TI books so far because of his first novel. It makes sense to have him go last, because does he deliver. Starts off as Advanced space faring civ meets Primitive natives, but through several twists, ends up being considerably more interesting and fresh. cant say much more to not spoil, but it takes the cake.
8/10
Average: 6/10
Total: 6/10 (if you are a stickler for the First Contact premise for the anthology), 7/10 (if you aren't)
A Ghost of a Chance - I became less and less forgiving of this one as I progressed along the anthology. The initial Edge of Tomorrow (movie)/All You Need is Kill (manga) you a death time starts out ok-ish but loses steam quickly. The second half is about the wondrous encounter with the beings for which Time and Matter are processed differently, but becomes so bland through the eyes of our POV character, when it should be bewildering. Given the quality of the others, I am surprised not only this one is in here, it is the first story.
2/10
The Fifth Stage - Decidedly an improvement (otherwise I would have DNFd), because it has tension throughout. It gives, however, less focus to the first contact in detriment for the mystery that drives the main character (is that cheating? feels so). The added diplomatic angle offered by the presence of the Mentak coalition is craftly explored after a key moment that could, without a good enough follow up, let the story simmer down to the point of boredom. The ending is wholesome, showing how we ought to see the alien through unclouded eyes, instead through our own precepts.
6.5/10
Shield of the Reef - again, not a first contact, except as it introduces a new faction into the Twilight Imperium galaxy - of unaffiliated planets. You'd expect the galaxy to have several of these, and it is refreshing to see how they keep their independence from mightier powers. It ends up being a James Bond mission to ensure that independence, but I wasn't convinced with the main character (a supposed badass bounty hunter, but it didn't sell me that), and while it was nice to see into the other characters and give them some depth, it suffers from the too good too convenient of an ending. A novella could have been better suited to tell this story, specially when we end up having several POV characters (between 5 and 10, which is a lot for a 80 page long story). Still, might convince me to get Robbie MacNiven's TI novel after I'm done with Tim Pratt's.
7/10
First Impressions - another not really first contact: provides an interesting angle on war profiteering and accountability. I feel this is very poignant and real, and you can feel the emotional honesty from both the Hacan and the Xxcha. It also has the added value - for me - of finally Game of Thrones-ing the peaceful diplomatic hippie culture that is unarmed and nobody takes advantage of; there's sorrow and pragmatism in the ending, a mourning for lost innocence that is a necessity but also a tragedy.
6.5/10
Contact - not so much a first contact between species, but a first diplomatic contact between Letnevs and Winnarans. It devolves into a cat-n-mouse chase with each side trying to foil framing a crime to their benefit. Enjoyable, could have been a bit longer to let the tension be prolonged, for the climax comes a bit too fast and the victors seem to have been successful with relative ease.
6.5/10
Defiler’s Reef - Tim Pratt, the heavy hitter of the book. I got all the TI books so far because of his first novel. It makes sense to have him go last, because does he deliver. Starts off as Advanced space faring civ meets Primitive natives, but through several twists, ends up being considerably more interesting and fresh. cant say much more to not spoil, but it takes the cake.
8/10
Average: 6/10
Total: 6/10 (if you are a stickler for the First Contact premise for the anthology), 7/10 (if you aren't)
February 11, 2026
After yet another uber-lesbian Mary Sue in uniform introduced in the pages of the book, my patience finally snapped: who are these gender-obsessed authors? A quick search of the first name that came to mind, Tim Pratt, immediately brought up the first line from his personal website: “Tim Pratt (genderfluid, any pronouns) is the author of more than 30 novels…”
The very first thing he wants you to know about him is definitely not his books.
The publication’s Twitter editor is covered in rainbows and, of course, lists their pronouns.
What’s important to understand: for these people, the “science” in science fiction doesn’t matter. Plot inconsistencies don’t bother them. They have no idea how real people behave in the situations they describe. What matters most to them is the MESSAGE. The agenda of their woke ideology.
If you want to understand what kind of low-grade, graphomaniac reading this book series represents, just remember the cinematic flops of recent years: Star Wars: Acolyte and the recent Star Trek: Fleet Academy.
One advantage of this particular book is its format. Short stories at least allow for some proper variety (not “diversity” modern authors are concerned with).
It’s a pity that such a rich universe as Twilight Imperium has been poisoned by the woke virus.
Play the board game instead.
The very first thing he wants you to know about him is definitely not his books.
The publication’s Twitter editor is covered in rainbows and, of course, lists their pronouns.
What’s important to understand: for these people, the “science” in science fiction doesn’t matter. Plot inconsistencies don’t bother them. They have no idea how real people behave in the situations they describe. What matters most to them is the MESSAGE. The agenda of their woke ideology.
If you want to understand what kind of low-grade, graphomaniac reading this book series represents, just remember the cinematic flops of recent years: Star Wars: Acolyte and the recent Star Trek: Fleet Academy.
One advantage of this particular book is its format. Short stories at least allow for some proper variety (not “diversity” modern authors are concerned with).
It’s a pity that such a rich universe as Twilight Imperium has been poisoned by the woke virus.
Play the board game instead.
August 19, 2022
A solid anthology of space opera faction set in the universe of the Twilight Imperium game, which I have never played. While the restriction of writing “in universe” necessarily limits the authors, I thought that the contents were above average, particularly for this type of anthology. Veteran authors Tim Pratt and Alex Acks both provide creditable contributions but the other four authors also write capable adventures. The book does a nice job of fleshing out the universe and exploring different factions. A nice addition to the new line of fiction in the world and liable to persuade the reader to either come back for more or try the game itself.
November 10, 2022
"The Stars Beyond" was a delightful collection of stories that take place in the universe of the "Twilight Imperium". Each story firmly featured one or more of the stereotypical empires from the series. Each story was nicely self contained and most importantly entertaining in that way that only space opera can be. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more in the same series.
I thank the editors, authors, and publisher for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this collection.
I thank the editors, authors, and publisher for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this collection.
August 24, 2025
The Stars Beyond collection was pretty good space Opera stuff. The stories in this collection are all part of the Twilight Imperium universe but are only loosely connected and are written by different authors so there is a mix of quality and styles. Generally they are longer form short stories more leaning towards Novelette length. From this collection I thought a couple of standouts to me were "The Fifth Stage" and "Defiler's Reef"very good and the rest ok to good.
June 2, 2023
I don’t play games so the Twilight Imperium was new to me.
This collection of stories including one novella brought me into an interesting universe entirely new to me. Well written science fiction with interesting and sometimes likeable characters. I would like to explore this universe more.
This collection of stories including one novella brought me into an interesting universe entirely new to me. Well written science fiction with interesting and sometimes likeable characters. I would like to explore this universe more.
March 17, 2025
As a ravid fan of the Twilight Imperium franchise these books were a for sure read. The medly of stories offers many different views of lots of factions from the game. The intriguing plots, fun characters, and nice world building. A delightful delve into this fantastic world of fiction.
September 24, 2022
This is an interesting collection of short stories by authors about our galaxy. It's an entertaining read.
October 22, 2022
Space opera fans will probably like set of stories. These authors did a nice job of creating interesting tales. Good stuff.
I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!
I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!
November 22, 2022
could not finish
January 24, 2025
Good book good story and narration I recommend it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍😀📖
December 14, 2022
As always I want to start by saying that I was given a copy of this to review as part of a @AconyteBooks book tour. My review is honest and left voluntarily. #NetGalley #AconyteBooks #TheTwilightImperium
If you love Space Operas, are a fan of the Twilight Imperium games and lore, or Tim Pratt’s brilliant Twilight Imperium trilogy also by Aconyte (or all three things) you will want or perhaps need to read this collection. As with most tie-in fiction it does obviously help if you enjoy the universe and canon they are based in but I do believe these short stories and Pratt’s trilogy can be enjoyed by those who may not have played the game or know a lot of the universe but of course it will help.
One thing I really am in enjoying about Aconyte anthologies to date is none seem to contain that one story that is just okay or perhaps not even very good at all. So far all of them have been brilliant but I do have my favourites. I particularly liked ‘A Ghost of a Chance’ myself and if I had to pick a favourite it might be that one but it’s so hard to narrow it down.
Each author clearly knows what they are writing about and working with and combine the source material with their own skills to create enjoyable and memorable short stories. Despite containing races and instances from the game and lore it is easy to read to these as a space opera or a stepping stone into Twilight Imperium. The stories all stand alone perfectly and capture the feel of the genre.
I will definitely be adding an hardcopy to my collection at some point once it is available and will be re-reading.
If you love Space Operas, are a fan of the Twilight Imperium games and lore, or Tim Pratt’s brilliant Twilight Imperium trilogy also by Aconyte (or all three things) you will want or perhaps need to read this collection. As with most tie-in fiction it does obviously help if you enjoy the universe and canon they are based in but I do believe these short stories and Pratt’s trilogy can be enjoyed by those who may not have played the game or know a lot of the universe but of course it will help.
One thing I really am in enjoying about Aconyte anthologies to date is none seem to contain that one story that is just okay or perhaps not even very good at all. So far all of them have been brilliant but I do have my favourites. I particularly liked ‘A Ghost of a Chance’ myself and if I had to pick a favourite it might be that one but it’s so hard to narrow it down.
Each author clearly knows what they are writing about and working with and combine the source material with their own skills to create enjoyable and memorable short stories. Despite containing races and instances from the game and lore it is easy to read to these as a space opera or a stepping stone into Twilight Imperium. The stories all stand alone perfectly and capture the feel of the genre.
I will definitely be adding an hardcopy to my collection at some point once it is available and will be re-reading.
December 17, 2023
“The musk”?! THE STENCH! Lollll! These stories make me want to learn more about this world. It was giving me Star Trek but from the eyes of the Federation & aligned & non-aligned alien worlds & civilizations.
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Twilight Imperium: The Stars Beyond
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Twilight Imperium: Galactic Gossip 💀
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Various
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿: Aconyte Books
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Nu
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Anthology Novel
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Sci-fi
4.4/𝟱
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ True sci-fi stories 😍
~ Interesting & varied female leads
~ Excellent writing & exciting stories
~ Short but complete endings
🌱THE MEH
~ I have noting really to complain about 🤭
🪷☀️ 🪷
🌱THE STORIES
1~ Caught in a loop with ever changing alien ships, a captain has to figure out how to make contact & understand the messages the brand new alien species is using, or go crazy with the effort.
2~ An ambassador, sightly irrational & unhinged after a 5yr loss, re-encounters her assumed dead loved one, now representing the unknown Arborec species. As they converse, will she gain closure for her loss or endanger her Federation & the lives of all onboard?
3~ Lyra is tired of being a hired gun, & after a traumatic job goes back home to the parents she hasn’t visited in 10yrs. At home things have changed, with corruption & deceit running rampant. As she struggles to re-find her place in the Reef, will her or her family’s past catch up to them & destroy their home forever?
4~ A young Hacan trader embarks on an important business & diplomatic mission where he represents optimism for the future, apologies for the past & the careful speech of respect given & earned.
***5~ The Yassaril Guild of Spies sends a 2nd operative to investigate why info has ceased on a desolate planet filled with grey, militaristic & organized aliens. What she discovers there threatens to plunge planets into war & expose her hiding obsessed people. (I loved how this was written).
6~ When a group of strong & mean Colonists arrive on a paranoid about technology world and meet furry bushy beings, it’s only a matter of time before their Admiral & fur babies realize that all is not as it seems with forests & tech.
✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Twilight Imperium: The Stars Beyond
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Twilight Imperium: Galactic Gossip 💀
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Various
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿: Aconyte Books
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Nu
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Anthology Novel
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Sci-fi
4.4/𝟱
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ True sci-fi stories 😍
~ Interesting & varied female leads
~ Excellent writing & exciting stories
~ Short but complete endings
🌱THE MEH
~ I have noting really to complain about 🤭
🪷☀️ 🪷
🌱THE STORIES
1~ Caught in a loop with ever changing alien ships, a captain has to figure out how to make contact & understand the messages the brand new alien species is using, or go crazy with the effort.
2~ An ambassador, sightly irrational & unhinged after a 5yr loss, re-encounters her assumed dead loved one, now representing the unknown Arborec species. As they converse, will she gain closure for her loss or endanger her Federation & the lives of all onboard?
3~ Lyra is tired of being a hired gun, & after a traumatic job goes back home to the parents she hasn’t visited in 10yrs. At home things have changed, with corruption & deceit running rampant. As she struggles to re-find her place in the Reef, will her or her family’s past catch up to them & destroy their home forever?
4~ A young Hacan trader embarks on an important business & diplomatic mission where he represents optimism for the future, apologies for the past & the careful speech of respect given & earned.
***5~ The Yassaril Guild of Spies sends a 2nd operative to investigate why info has ceased on a desolate planet filled with grey, militaristic & organized aliens. What she discovers there threatens to plunge planets into war & expose her hiding obsessed people. (I loved how this was written).
6~ When a group of strong & mean Colonists arrive on a paranoid about technology world and meet furry bushy beings, it’s only a matter of time before their Admiral & fur babies realize that all is not as it seems with forests & tech.
✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.
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