Under the Heavens

Fox weaves elements of religion and philosophy into a winning combination of action, romance, and science fiction centering whales in space. As part of the Ark Project, 17-year-old social media star Hannah Monksman is the sole human Caretaker transporting some of Earth’s last surviving whales to the planet New Eden in 2078 aboard the space vessel Seiiki. Though Hannah dislikes the tedium of maintaining the immense ship as prompted by the computer AI, she finds comfort in communicating with the whales, with whom she shares a technological telepathic link. But Hannah is only a role played by Kim Teng, who is a member of the Crusaders—a religious group whom some identify as terrorists for their aggressive response to scientific innovation—and Kim has the sense that she’s being watched. After one of the whales downloads his consciousness into a tech droid, Kim’s once idyllic voyage turns perilous, and she must employ all her skills and grit to survive and successfully ferry the whales to New Eden. Constantly challenging Kim with potential foes and moral quandaries alike, Fox’s whale space opera is both action-packed and thought-provoking. An author q&a and discussion questions conclude. Ages 15–up. (Apr.)