The Seas of Distant Stars

Varela’s uneven third novel (after 2016’s Listen) spans two planets and 26 years in the life of Agapanthus Caracynth, who is abducted from Earth as a toddler and taken to Deeyae, where she is raised by foster parents as an “exchanger.” Deeyae orbits a red dwarf; its inhabitants were brought from Earth millennia ago by the same alien gods who kidnapped Agapanthus. The Deeyans evolved red skin and compact, muscular bodies, physical differences that make young Agapanthus feel like an outsider. Her Deeyan family forbids her from attempting their rite of passage—a dangerous swim to the neighboring island—but she secretly trains with Aster, an exchanger who’s completed the rite. Varela’s portrayal of a fictional society is imaginative, and it raises troubling questions about the Deeyans, their guests, and their enigmatic gods. Unfortunately, the novel abandons these questions along with its fascinating setting when the gods forcibly return Agapanthus to her birth family on Earth. This heartfelt exploration of what it means to grow up as an outsider never quite comes together. Agent: Leslie M. Browning, Homebound Publications. (Aug.)