Readers are thrown head-first into a world that de Bodard crafts as we meet up with junior Navigators from various clans around the system. They are tasked with guiding ships around the Hollows, which are filled with deadly space monsters called Tanglers. These Navigators have the ability to extend their Shadows (it’s hard to describe, but it’s essentially a magic they wield that seems to manifest internally) to deter and avoid these monsters.

Our main characters, Việt Nhi from the Rooster clan and Hạc Cúc from the Snake clan, along with three other junior navigators, are tasked with capturing an escaped Tangler. One of their number is poisoned shortly after their departure and they struggle to figure out how this was possible, but it leads them to an even bigger discovery: the Tangler they seek is enormous, and they certainly won’t be able to destroy this creature on their own. Seeking advice from their elders, they’re given useless information and they realize the creature is on its way toward an area filled with civilians. The catch? There’s no real way to prevent the ensuing destruction.

Nhi refuses to accept defeat, and the entire crew must band together to protect the innocent and, if possible, avoid more damage. Can they solve this problem peacefully and without more loss of life?

Aliette de Bodard knows how to write space operas, even in shorter formats. While I struggled feeling completely immersed in the beginning, I was hooked by 50% and sped through the second half. I was a little turned off by the romance plot between our main characters in the beginning (it felt predictable and immediate attraction isn’t something I love in books), but they grew on me and I was pleased with the ending. If you enjoy a story that loves a smart reader, keeps you on your toes, and leaves a lot of world-building to your wildest imagination, you might enjoy this one!