I’ve read a couple of Aliette de Bodard’s SF novels set in her Xuya Universe. My favorite was The Tea Master and The Detective (you can read my review here) which was a 2018 Nebula Award winner.
The Red Scholar’s Wake is subtitled “A Xuya Universe Romance” which is clarified by Katee Robert’s blurb on the cover: “Lesbian Space Pirates. Enough said!” And, she’s right. Tech scavenger Xich Si is attacked by space pirates and her ship is destroyed. Sich Si is captured and imprisoned…but then she’s offered an incredible proposition. Rice Fish, the sentient spaceship, needs an expert to investigate the death of her first wife, the Red Scholar. But first, the human and the AI need to be married.
The future is just as greedy and messy as the present as the various pirate bands compete against each other. Assassinations are common. What makes this mashup of Space Opera and detective fiction different is the marriage of Xich Si and Rice Fish.
I suspect some readers will be puzzled by the romance. I know I became impatient with all the political maneuverings with the pirates. A little more action and fewer sighs would have suited me just fine. GRADE: B-
Lost me at lesbian space pirates. Tack on romance and my interest is gone.
Steve, I have no problem with lesbian space pirates or romance. The political shenanigans grew tedious.
A typo on her name in post’s title…I think I might like it more than Steve might.
Todd, thanks for the heads up! WORDPRESS spellcheck loves to change my correct spelling–especially of names–when I’m not looking!
I can hear Bill Crider chuckling now, saying “you had me at lesbian space pirates.”
Jeff, and LESBIAN SPACE PIRATES would make a great name for a rock ‘n’ roll band!
Katee Robert, who provided the “lesbian space pirates” blurb for this book, is a huge writer in Romancelandia. She generally writes on the dark end of the spectrum and often uses mythology as a starting point for characters (names, relationships, interactions). Her books are full of “throuples” (usually two men and one woman, but sometimes the opposite ratio). Just sharing because I’m surprised to see her blurbing this book or being mentioned here.
Deb, Katee Robert’s blurb gives THE RED SCHOLAR’S WAKE a big boost. Yes, there’s plenty of romance in this book. But I wonder how many readers are going to skip all the political machinations…
I love “Captain Blood” and “The Sea Hawk” as much as anyone but Arthur C. Clarke and Irwin Allen (coming from opposite angles) ruined the notion of space pirates for me at an early age. Lesbian space pirates sounds more like some dodgey publishing venture Forey Ackerman would have gotten himself into.
Byron, romance and pirates sometimes go together. But in this SF novel, there’s a large dollop of politics and chicanery.