From the Publisher
"Gripping and relentless, Apostles of Mercy is the strongest book yet in a thrilling and addictive series. I absolutely tore through it, devoured it in a day, and find myself still hungry for more of these fierce, desperate, passionately loving characters, working so hard to save each other and all of their worlds." - Amal El-Mohtar, co-author of the New York Times bestselling This is How You Lose the Time War
"Apostles of Mercy takes an already terrific series to new heights. It's equal parts interstellar warfare, geopolitical thriller, and hard-earned romance, with a gripping ending. " - Emily St. James, co-Author of Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files and writer for Yellowjackets
"Lindsay Ellis shows us that humans are just as much the other as their alien counterparts with incredible detail, humor, and empathy, and never better than in this un-put-downable continuation of the Noumena saga. Cora Sabino has officially joined the pantheon of first contact heroines." - Jamie Loftus, New York Times bestselling author of Raw Dog
“Immersive, action-packed...does not disappoint.” - Publishers Weekly
“Between the political intrigue and well-defined cast, this is a lovely reading experience. A charming but taut political SF thriller in which the readers are the only winners" - Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
2024-03-23
As humanity reckons with the existence of intelligent beings from beyond the stars, another alien threat rises.
Early in the latest installment of Ellis’ Noumena series comes a moment in which Ampersand, aka Jude Atheatos—one of the amygdalines, an alien race that’s made first contact with Earth—removes a young boy’s brain tumor via telekinesis, with the caveat that the boy’s family must never tell anyone about the incident. The fact that the alien uses the same alias as the patron saint of hopeless causes is not lost on anyone. That tension serves as the glue that holds Ellis’ narrative together. This is the story of Ampersand’s human companion, Cora Sabino, with whom he can communicate wordlessly as the amygdalines do. But the story also belongs to his estranged ex-compatriot Nikola Sassanian, whose basic right to a dignified death is the subject of an intense political battle that could grant the aliens personhood. As Cora’s crush, a journalist named Paris Wells, attempts to bond with Nikola, Cora and Ampersand find themselves investigating a years-old massacre—one that could prove the presence of another race of aliens, the amygdalines’ worst enemies. Ellis deftly weaves a complex, often heady story here. The cast is large, the terminology and state of affairs complicated and unfamiliar. Although the author at times gets too caught up in reminding us that the aliens are, well, alien, such moments are not only few and far between, but also barely noticeable in light of the novel’s charm. Weird-fiction fans will enjoy the subtle subversions of Lovecraft and his fellow mythos authors, and internet fan communities will likely spot more than a few cheerful references to their favorite TV shows, films, and video games. Between the political intrigue and well-defined cast, this is a lovely reading experience.
A charming but taut political SF thriller in which the readers are the only winners.