With their family near financial ruin,
sisters Arafura and Adrana Ness sign themselves up to sail the stars on the
sunjammer Monetta’s Mourn under
Captain Rackamore. But when Bosa Sennen, the most fearsome pirate in the skies,
tears their lives asunder, Arafura must journey to the edges of space – and her
own endurance – in order to enact her revenge…

Alastair Reynolds is one of the biggest
names around in British sci-fi, so you know you are going to get a well-told,
intelligent piece of hard science fiction with him. As such, the worldbuilding of
Revenger is expertly done. Told in
the first person, the book never shoves exposition down the reader’s throat as
Reynolds prefers to drip feed the rules and history of this ancient universe
throughout the narrative. It’s an intriguing and atmospheric place – a cosmos
where spacefarers scavenge the treasures of civilisations long since gone and
use the skulls of the dead to communicate between ships. There is also the
flavour of old-fashioned sailing novels about it. Similar to Treasure Island, it’s a coming-of-age
tale told in recollection and Victorian slang words like “cove” are frequently
used.

However, what might surprise you is how
character-driven the story is. Despite the author’s hardcore sci-fi reputation,
Revenger is primarily focussed on the
journey of Arafura. She’s a brilliant female lead – a book-lover who is
wrenched from her cosy homeworld and thrust into a life of adventure, hard work
and heartbreak. Never a passive character, it is Fura’s single-minded mission
and perseverance that keeps the reader racing through the book to see if she
makes it. In fact there is a strong female cast of characters all round, with
Fura’s best friend, sister and mortal enemy in Bosa Sennen proving to be
fascinating characters as well.

On the one hand, Revenger is definitely worth a go for space opera fans and
followers of Reynolds. Yet even if your tastes are a bit more down to earth, the
book is still a must-read as it is an unexpectedly personal and emotionally-driven
tale of determination and retribution – with some great twists along the way
and a gutsy heroine who will appeal to fans of young adult literature. Even
though everything is mostly wrapped up by the end, the hints at more to come
leave us eagerly awaiting a return trip to this corner of Reynolds’ sci-fi
universe. 

REVENGER / AUTHOR: ALASTAIR REYNOLDS / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: 15TH SEPTEMBER