Shizuka Satomi's deal with the devil is straightforward: deliver souls from seven violin prodigies in exchange for their success. So far, she has produced six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, practices the violin in public, Shizuka is confident she has found her seventh candidate. To entice Katrina, Shizuka must give everything she has to teach her new student the art of performing. There is no time for meet-cutes, especially with the charming mom who owns the donut shop. But maybe, just maybe, there is still hope to break the curse.

Light from Uncommon Stars is a fantasy unlike anything I've read before, and it's impossible to write a summary without giving too much away. Despite the horrific abuse and discrimination depicted, Aoki writes a sweet and hopeful story that sheds light on kindness and acceptance. In this, Light from Uncommon Stars reminds me of Becky Chamber's comfort sci-fi. Aoki's depiction of Asian American food is also lustrously done; it makes my mouth water. Her way of describing music, especially juxtapositioning Katrina's experience while she's playing, is beautifully written.

Unfortunately, many plots are going on in Light from Uncommon Stars, and each suffers from underdevelopment. After reading the book, I still don't quite understand how the deal with the devil works and just devil physiology in general. It might not be a problem for everyone, but I find well-established rules/patterns in fantasy a critical plot. Regardless, Light from Uncommon Stars is a beautiful novel that weaves the lives of three vastly different women and their quest to find hope when all seems lost.