This is the third book in Neuvel’s Take Them to the Stars Series. The series basic story line is the race between two competing sets of aliens sent to Earth each with a specific agendas regarding the planet’s survival. The alien humanoid women, the Kibsu, are the driving force of the series who have spent three thousand years discovering who they are and why they’ve been on Earth; urging and nudging humans in math, science and astronomy to reach beyond their planet.

What’s so entertaining about this final book is the current Kibsu protagonist whose name is Aster. She’s a snarky intelligent teenager whose parents are dead. She’s taken in by an avuncular fortyish male Samael who says he owes her mother for some action in the past prompting him to take Aster under his wing.

The two then spend the rest of the book avoiding other humanoid aliens intent from stopping the Kibsu who are trying to get humanity off-planet before it’s destroyed. And no surprise, the American military join the hunt for Aster (the final Kibsu) because of her intelligence, speed and strength which would just make her the dandy source of alien power.

But when we first meet Aster she has no idea of her destiny or the extent of her abilities. So watching Aster grow into her role as the savior of mankind is so compelling and entertaining.

The tension just gets tighter and tighter as Aster, Samael and Aster’s cat Londo (who Aster won’t abandon) try to get this mysterious sphere, an object the previous Kibsu have searched for, tracked down and which will give the invaders Earth’s location. Aster comes into a huge sum of money from previous Kibsu investments and tries to buy her way into the space program so she can get the beacon off-planet.

This is a terrific fast read because a great deal of it is from Aster’s teenage perspective colored with a great touch of naïveté and sass. She’s my favorite character. Samael is just the facilitator trying to train Aster to defend herself, among other things as well as fight with the compulsions of his past.

Neuvel presents a good solid finish with a very very tidy twist of an ending. ~~

Sue Martin

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