From the Publisher
"Fantastically entertaining, with great character development to boot." —Kirkus Reviews
"This is high sci-fi with an edge of tech-based fantasy, and it has a thrilling setup: an exciting plot anchored by a core of interpersonal and family drama." —Booklist
"In this ambitious, action-packed debut, Winn offers a fast-paced adventure populated by memorable characters...Asa and Riven’s considerable chemistry and interpersonal development fuel this satisfying speculative series opener." —Publisher's Weekly
"A must-listen for fans of science fiction, swashbuckling fiction, and adventure." —School Library Journal, starred review (audiobook)
School Library Journal
11/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—Winn begins this science fiction thriller with action right from the start. Alternating perspectives first introduce silver-haired Riven Hawthorne, who lives on the renegade Requiem. She does heist jobs with her crew, and when one of her missions is thwarted by bounty hunter Morphett Slade, Winn finds herself in trouble with the crime overlord, owing a hefty sum of money. Asa Almeida is heir to the tech firm Almeida Labs, run by her corrupt father, Luca, on the wealthy planet Cortellion. While working on some new technologies, with rumors of dubious methods, Asa discovers her sister Kaya's mind was transferred to a living Etri organ, a brain-like biostructure. Asa steals the artificial organ in a biocapsule in order to reunite it with her sister's body and escape the tyranny of their father. She lands on Requiem with the aid of Morphett. Riven meanwhile, aiming to get back at Morphett, steals the bounty, knowing this might help pay down her debt. While all this is happening, a computer virus called Banshee is spreading, threatening everyone's safety as it also hunts for the biocapsule. A love triangle develops among medic Ty, a member of Riven's crew who is described as having striking eyes and ginger blonde hair, Asa, and Riven, though the development of the relationships feel a bit like an afterthought and the romance doesn't play a large role in the story. The fast pace keeps readers interested and desirous of the next book. LGBTQ+ relationships are well represented. VERDICT A good choice for science fiction shelves needing more LGBTQ representation and readers wanting nonstop action.—Megan Huenemann, Norris H.S., Firth, NE
School Library Journal - Audio
★ 02/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—Riven is a gun-slinging smuggler living in Requiem. Working for a syndicate, she steals and cashes in on bounties for the matriarch. Her dream is to climb up the underworld hierarchy. When an operation goes south thanks to a fellow bounty hunter, Riven and her crew find themselves in hot water. To survive, they have to find a bounty that will quickly rake in $20,000. Asa, heiress to a technological tycoon, lives a rigidly controlled life. When her father uploads her rebellious sister's mind into an experimental reprogramming simulation, Asa steals the canister with her digitized mind and escapes. Her trip is cut short, however, when she crash-lands on Requiem. A botched kidnapping causes Riven and Asa's paths to cross. Battling artificial intelligences, vengeful bounty hunters, and Asa's father's many connections, the two must find a way to solve both of their problems. Will they succeed? Narrator Sarah Beth Pfeifer expertly uses unique voices to bring the complex characters to life. Her narration matches pace with the story. The plot is well developed, engaging, and action packed. Worldbuilding is well done and draws readers into Riven's and Asa's complicated lives. LGBTQIA+ characters are well represented in the cued white cast. VERDICT A must-listen for fans of science fiction, swashbuckling fiction, and adventure. Recommended for most library collections.—Kira Moody
Kirkus Reviews
2021-08-16
An heiress on the run joins a ragtag crew of smugglers in this high-stakes debut.
In the city of Requiem, a human colony on one of Alpha Centauri’s moons, Riven Hawthorne’s crew runs against the clock to pay a debt to a powerful underworld faction. Their last-ditch idea is to rob an infamous bounty hunter, but Riven doesn’t know who the bounty they stole really is until too late: Asa Almeida, the daughter of a tech magnate, on the run herself from her own father and trying to save her sister, Kaya, from a terrible fate. When she is taken by Riven, Asa offers a deal: they help her rescue Kaya in exchange for getting the money they need to pay off their debt. Before long, Riven realizes the danger they face, because Asa carries with her the key to Project Winterdark, an advanced human-computer interface using alien tech. Now multiple factions are after them all, including a powerful AI who threatens the very survival of Requiem. This fast-paced title mixes nonstop hijinks, a lovable group of rogues who have a found-family dynamic, and a side of refreshingly drama-free triangle-shaped romance. Asa and Riven are fleshed-out protagonists sharing alternating third-person viewpoint chapters, and the story teases interesting complications that go beyond the immediate danger they face. Asa is brown-skinned, and Riven reads as White; both girls are bisexual.
Fantastically entertaining, with great character development to boot. (Science fiction. 14-18)
