Navigational Entanglements

This magnificent space opera from Nebula Award winner de Bodard (A Fire Born of Exile) is simultaneously electric and heartwarming, full of breathless queer romance, shifting clan politics, and many cups of tea. Young misfits from each of the four navigator clans are sent on a near-impossible mission: find and “deal with” a Tangler. Hard to detect and harder to kill, these long, spindly beasts live in the Hollows, a void where ships travel faster than light. Following an accident, however, one Tangler has escaped this zone and is on the loose in occupied space. With their clans’ reputations on the line, the four envoys—Nhi from the Rooster clan, Hạc Cúc from the Snakes, Lành from the Oxes, and Bảo Duy from the Rats­­—must overcome their dislike for one another and find the courage and means to do the right thing. Nhi is a shy “book nerd” obsessed with secrets and prone to sensory overload, while Hạc Cúc is prickly and quick to violence, convinced that she will never live up to her mentor. The two have an instant connection, but both struggle to create lasting relationships. De Bodard loads the narrative with unexpected twists and intricate interpersonal relationships. Fans and new readers alike will devour this. (July)