Stargun Messenger
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15
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Astra Idari lives a simple life as a Stargun Messenger. She hunts down thieves who steal filamentium, the fuel that allows for faster-than-light travel, collects payment, and drinks away her troubles. When she meets Gen Emera, Idari meets the girl of her dreams and the last living star. There's just one problem. Filamnentium is only found in the blood of living stars.Emera solves a lot of problems for Idari. Her unconditional love bolsters Idari, who knows she's human despite outwardly appearing to be an android with a failing memory stitched together by her ship's irascible AI, CR-UX. Emera also creates serious problems. Either Idari turns Emera over to the Scath, the mysterious empire who controls the filamentium monopoly, and goes on living her life, or she risks everything to help Emera search for The Glass Star. If they find it, Emera can replenish her waning energy in the long-lost star's hidden reservoirs of filamentium and restore her people's light. It's not losing her life that terrifies Idari, though.It's finally living.She's been just getting by for longer than she remembers, assured in her humanity, but not enough to risk it. Idari fears being exposed, but Emera sees her as she is. Emera illuminates Idari's spirit and her confidence, and together they try to outrun the shadows that threaten to overtake what little light remains in the galaxy.
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Idari is an android Stargun Messenger with an AI named CR-UX inhabiting her spaceship. Together they travel the systems chasing down stolen space fuel called filamentium. Until one such heist puts them face to face with a living star named Emera. It’s then they learn the terrible truth about filamentium. It’s made from the blood of stars, and Emera may be the last one. Idari and CR-UX have a choice, turn Emera in and receive the largest reward they’ve ever seen, or help her reach the one place where Emera can save her dying race.
The dynamics between Idari and CR-UX are sure to entertain any reader. CR-UX is like an extension of Idari’s conscience and is constantly urging her to make what it deems are the correct decisions. And Idari is quick to shoot CR-UX down and sarcastically reply to the AI’s logic. And as the story progresses, so too does their relationship to one another. While they create a wonderful atmosphere of sarcastic humor, they’ll also latch onto the reader’s heart as well.
And then there is Idari’s battle with her self-image and humanity. As an android, she’s able to back up copies of herself, but would a copy truly be Idari? Memory space is finite and CR-UX is constantly picking which memories to keep for her. But what truly makes a person human? Is it the memories they carry? Their actions? The body they wear? Emera’s journey forces Idari to confront her inner feelings and identity. The path to Idari’s self-discovery is messy and filled with poor choices, but each choice helps solidify who Idari is as a person.
The backdrop of space travel and visiting distant planets accompanies the characters. And Darby Harn does a fantastic job showing the wide array of settings and races in the universe. My favorites were Gilf and Kibir, brother Kibuts who traveled for a time with Idari and crew. They spoke in their native tongue, but there was no need for a translation. The writing was cleverly built to allow readers to understand them with both dialogue queues and reactions from the characters.
Stargun Messenger is a book for readers who enjoy space heists and exploring the concept of what makes us human. There’s also a dash of romance and complicated relationships, where not everything is entirely as it seems. Space opera sci-fi readers, give this one a try.
Originally posted at www.behindthepages.org.