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Peridot Shift #3
Cast Off
The Action Packed Conclusion to the Peridot Shift Trilogy
Peridot is on the edge of annihilation. Once life-giving, the world’s Trade Winds are transforming people into soulless monsters. The surviving Alchemist gods neglect their followers or take advantage of them. Even worse, a delicate peace has been wasted, and everything and everyone is at stake, especially Meran, the mistreated embodiment of the planet.
Captain Talis and the crew of Fortune’s Storm must try to do some good with what’s left of Peridot in the hope that, together, they’ll reclaim the hidden pieces of Meran’s soul before the chaos seals her disastrous fate.
Peridot is on the edge of annihilation. Once life-giving, the world’s Trade Winds are transforming people into soulless monsters. The surviving Alchemist gods neglect their followers or take advantage of them. Even worse, a delicate peace has been wasted, and everything and everyone is at stake, especially Meran, the mistreated embodiment of the planet.
Captain Talis and the crew of Fortune’s Storm must try to do some good with what’s left of Peridot in the hope that, together, they’ll reclaim the hidden pieces of Meran’s soul before the chaos seals her disastrous fate.
485 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2022
10 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Theodore
14 books55 followersR J Theodore* (they/she) is an author and graphic designer. Their short fiction has appeared in Lightspeed and Fireside Magazines as well as the award-winning Glitter + Ashes and Unfettered Hexes anthologies from Neon Hemlock Press.
Their Peridot Shift trilogy comes to an adventures conclusion in December 2022! Learn more at rjtheodore.com
*Note the preferred spelling, please. Spaces, no periods.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 20, 2023
Cast Off is the last book in R.J. Theodore’s final book in the Peridot Shift sci-fantasy trilogy.
Things have gone all to hell on Peridot. Talis’s nemesis, Hankirk, released an alien poison that has severed the souls from the bodies of half the citizens of Peridot. Talis and her crew are left to pick up the pieces, deciding to try to gather the remaining rings to restore Meran, the goddess from whom the Five stole their powers when they destroyed the old world.
With the Second Cataclysm is underway, Talis and her crew do what they can to spread the word, along with Kirna’s alchemist tattoos, which can protect the wearer against the poison gas circulating through Peridot’s skies. Talis brings Dug back from the dead using one of the alien simula – his own body was stolen by Onaya Bone, his goddess, at the end of book two – and the crew is happy to be reunited.
Things quickly go wrong, courtesy of Hankirk’s meddling, and soon the happy crew is broken up. Hankirk kidnaps Kirna and nearly kills Amos, there are Veritor ships raiding temples, an ex-Bone priestess seeking redemption, a rakish lesbian pirate captain and her crew, and the remains of the aliens whose arrival precipitated the Second Cataclysm. And Talis and her crew are on their third ship in as many books, this one built for travel into space to retrieve one of the rings…
Cast Off is an amazing ride through a world that’s one of the most imaginative that I’ve ever read, but it’s not just about the world-building. The series, at its heart, is about making mistakes and owning them, and about the painful changes that life and the world inflict on us and how they force us to evolve.
Talis shows substantial growth over the course of the series, going from a captain who needs to have complete control of her ship to someone who reluctantly learns to let go and trust others, even if doing so means also trusting the judgment of a goddess who could just as easily destroy the world as save it.
Rekka, the author, passed away last July after a long fight with cancer. I knew them through SFWA, and while we weren’t close friends, I loved working with them and reading their books. I can’t help wonder if this series was, in a way, a vehicle for Rekka to reconcile the trauma in their own life.
I didn’t want the story to end, which is always a testament to the quality of the work. Finishing the book was made more bittersweet by the realization that there would never be any more. Peridot is such a fertile ground for storytelling, and I wish Rekka were still here to give us more in this amazing world.
They have left us an amazing legacy in the Peridot Shift trilogy, one I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed. If you love sci-fi, grab a copy of this trilogy and read it now. You won’t be disappointed.
Things have gone all to hell on Peridot. Talis’s nemesis, Hankirk, released an alien poison that has severed the souls from the bodies of half the citizens of Peridot. Talis and her crew are left to pick up the pieces, deciding to try to gather the remaining rings to restore Meran, the goddess from whom the Five stole their powers when they destroyed the old world.
With the Second Cataclysm is underway, Talis and her crew do what they can to spread the word, along with Kirna’s alchemist tattoos, which can protect the wearer against the poison gas circulating through Peridot’s skies. Talis brings Dug back from the dead using one of the alien simula – his own body was stolen by Onaya Bone, his goddess, at the end of book two – and the crew is happy to be reunited.
Things quickly go wrong, courtesy of Hankirk’s meddling, and soon the happy crew is broken up. Hankirk kidnaps Kirna and nearly kills Amos, there are Veritor ships raiding temples, an ex-Bone priestess seeking redemption, a rakish lesbian pirate captain and her crew, and the remains of the aliens whose arrival precipitated the Second Cataclysm. And Talis and her crew are on their third ship in as many books, this one built for travel into space to retrieve one of the rings…
Cast Off is an amazing ride through a world that’s one of the most imaginative that I’ve ever read, but it’s not just about the world-building. The series, at its heart, is about making mistakes and owning them, and about the painful changes that life and the world inflict on us and how they force us to evolve.
Talis shows substantial growth over the course of the series, going from a captain who needs to have complete control of her ship to someone who reluctantly learns to let go and trust others, even if doing so means also trusting the judgment of a goddess who could just as easily destroy the world as save it.
Rekka, the author, passed away last July after a long fight with cancer. I knew them through SFWA, and while we weren’t close friends, I loved working with them and reading their books. I can’t help wonder if this series was, in a way, a vehicle for Rekka to reconcile the trauma in their own life.
I didn’t want the story to end, which is always a testament to the quality of the work. Finishing the book was made more bittersweet by the realization that there would never be any more. Peridot is such a fertile ground for storytelling, and I wish Rekka were still here to give us more in this amazing world.
They have left us an amazing legacy in the Peridot Shift trilogy, one I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed. If you love sci-fi, grab a copy of this trilogy and read it now. You won’t be disappointed.
July 27, 2023
Read an eARC from the author
There will be light spoilers for Flotsam and Salvage
Content warning: deicide, dismemberment, murder, chemical warfare, references to torture, gun violence
Souls are torn from their bodies, introducing new beasts, while the gods who still live don’t seem to care. It’s up to Talis, her splinter crew, a half-freed goddess, a transplanted alien, an empress, and a priestess to set it all straight before all souls go to the ether and transform into monsters beyond everyone’s comprehension.
A thrilling conclusion that rights wrongs both within the story and healing from historical ones, definitely a romp that will stay with me and a go-to recommendation for folks looking for a queer adventure expertly navigating the lines between science fiction and fantasy.
The most impressive thing about this finale is the command Theodore has over their cast and the several pieces moving between harbors, boats, and other people. Each new movement, alliance, broken alliance, and transference of power flowed seamlessly, which is a feat considering how many people want similar outcomes with very different approaches. I really like the depth permitted and the complexity of emotions. The one that stood out to me most is Empress Emeranth, who not only is an empress at fourteen, but also needed to have another soul implanted in her to keep her on this mortal plane. Mortality is a shaky thing, and it’s really cool the ways science and magic come together to form a solution. It poses much danger for everyone involved, and there’s an excellent pattern of action and debriefs that keep the world-building fresh in the reader’s mind, but also keeps the story going at a good clip.
I cannot talk about how cool the ending is without spoiling everything, but I really like the direction Theodore took the visuals and resolutions. It’s very anime, but more importantly, builds a lot on the themes established previously, especially around divinity, societal structure, and the meaning of being a leader. It’s rad; I’ll stop talking about it.
Overall, a really fun series if you’re looking for queer adventure that’s low on romance but high on found family and queer platonic relationships while the world around them literally falls apart.
There will be light spoilers for Flotsam and Salvage
Content warning: deicide, dismemberment, murder, chemical warfare, references to torture, gun violence
Souls are torn from their bodies, introducing new beasts, while the gods who still live don’t seem to care. It’s up to Talis, her splinter crew, a half-freed goddess, a transplanted alien, an empress, and a priestess to set it all straight before all souls go to the ether and transform into monsters beyond everyone’s comprehension.
A thrilling conclusion that rights wrongs both within the story and healing from historical ones, definitely a romp that will stay with me and a go-to recommendation for folks looking for a queer adventure expertly navigating the lines between science fiction and fantasy.
The most impressive thing about this finale is the command Theodore has over their cast and the several pieces moving between harbors, boats, and other people. Each new movement, alliance, broken alliance, and transference of power flowed seamlessly, which is a feat considering how many people want similar outcomes with very different approaches. I really like the depth permitted and the complexity of emotions. The one that stood out to me most is Empress Emeranth, who not only is an empress at fourteen, but also needed to have another soul implanted in her to keep her on this mortal plane. Mortality is a shaky thing, and it’s really cool the ways science and magic come together to form a solution. It poses much danger for everyone involved, and there’s an excellent pattern of action and debriefs that keep the world-building fresh in the reader’s mind, but also keeps the story going at a good clip.
I cannot talk about how cool the ending is without spoiling everything, but I really like the direction Theodore took the visuals and resolutions. It’s very anime, but more importantly, builds a lot on the themes established previously, especially around divinity, societal structure, and the meaning of being a leader. It’s rad; I’ll stop talking about it.
Overall, a really fun series if you’re looking for queer adventure that’s low on romance but high on found family and queer platonic relationships while the world around them literally falls apart.
December 31, 2025
A mystical voyage
This was a fantastic trilogy that kept you on edge. It was a mix of FireFly meets the Pirates of the Caribbean in a mystical world. The author was able to provide you with a cast of characters who you would come to love and some you would despise. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have.
This was a fantastic trilogy that kept you on edge. It was a mix of FireFly meets the Pirates of the Caribbean in a mystical world. The author was able to provide you with a cast of characters who you would come to love and some you would despise. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have.
February 21, 2023
Rating: 3.2
Review: A not so great finale’. A brilliant start with a meh finish. Why are all the heroes gay or lesbian? Why point this out all the time? Get a little success under your belt and thought it was time to wake us all up? A smarter than thou kind of elitism?
Dunno, that shjt falls on deaf ears and definitely detracts from the novel. If you don’t like getting whacked over the head with sexual preferences, there is still a good story line within.
Review: A not so great finale’. A brilliant start with a meh finish. Why are all the heroes gay or lesbian? Why point this out all the time? Get a little success under your belt and thought it was time to wake us all up? A smarter than thou kind of elitism?
Dunno, that shjt falls on deaf ears and definitely detracts from the novel. If you don’t like getting whacked over the head with sexual preferences, there is still a good story line within.
February 23, 2023
This is the third book of the trilogy. The setting is a planet, Peridot, that has suffered some sort of cataclysmic event that has sundered the planet into diverse cultures. The interaction between sections is primarily a craft that appears to be the marriage between a traditional ocean-going vessel and a hot air balloon. In the previous books, the alien Yu’Nyun and the homegrown Veritors undercutting each other while pretending support is one of the underpinnings for this book.
Great finish to this series, Its a must read if you loved the other two. If you like any scifi type shows or books like firefly doom this is a great book series to read.
This is an adventure as well as a world-changing experience. Theodore did an incredible job on this trilogy and I can’t wait to see what is next.
I highly recommend it. Also, there is a subliminal message about the importance of protecting the environment and respecting Mother Earth.
Great finish to this series, Its a must read if you loved the other two. If you like any scifi type shows or books like firefly doom this is a great book series to read.
This is an adventure as well as a world-changing experience. Theodore did an incredible job on this trilogy and I can’t wait to see what is next.
I highly recommend it. Also, there is a subliminal message about the importance of protecting the environment and respecting Mother Earth.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews