Publishers Weekly
09/07/2020
A revenge plot leads mechanic Caiden across a multiverse populated by a colorful array of humanoid species in Hansen’s wonderfully inventive debut, the first of a space opera trilogy. Fourteen-year-old Caiden lives on a planet that raises vicious predators called nophek. When the planet is attacked by a new shipment of nophek, Caiden alone escapes, and uses his unique ability to manipulate technology to pilot an abandoned spaceship. Caiden soon joins a team of scavengers who guide him to Emporia, an interstellar marketplace where he learns more about the Casthens, who orchestrated the slaughter of his people, and undergoes genetic manipulation to accelerate the development of his body and mind. He emerges a 20-year-old determined to bring down the Casthen—but the Casthen leaders have their own plans for Caiden’s future. Hansen packs a lot of novelty and a fair number of ethical dilemmas into Caiden’s adventures, as he realizes that killing the Casthens will create a devastating ripple effect. Caiden’s ability to control technology also extends to sentient beings, making him wary of his heritage and uncertain of his relationships. But in the end, his essential decency prevails. Space opera fans will be eager for the next installment. Agent: Naomi Davis, Bookends Literary. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
An intriguing bubble universe setting, flawed characters, and advanced technology from a compelling sf story that will draw in and hold readers until the very last page ... Hansen’s marvelous debut is a fast-paced, action-filled ride through the multiverse, introducing a complex found family of gender- and neurodiverse characters.”—Library Journal
“Essa Hansen's debut is an intoxicating and thrilling science fiction read...Hansen creates a vivid, colorful setting that's full of strange tech, fantastic aliens, and reality-warping spaceships. It's mind-bending fun.”—Apple Books, “10 Amazing Debuts”
“The Graven Trilogy kicks off with heart-rending loss, traumatic memories, fast-paced action, and stunning scientific concepts, with mercantile and political intrigues spanning manifold universes. Fans of Alastair Reynolds and Megan E. O’Keefe will want to try this.”
—Booklist
“Space opera fans will be eager for the next installment.—Publishers Weekly
"A strong, rollercoaster of a debut."—Gareth L. Powell, author of The Embers of War
"Gripping and inventive, Nophek Gloss will delight even as it breaks your heart."—Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Velocity Weapon
"Hansen's world is a weird, trippy, dreamy delight, bursting with strange characters and powerful SF action."—Rob Boffard, author of Outer Earth
"An exceptional debut-one of the best I've read in years. It reminds me of the most imaginative work of C. J. Cherryh. The crew reads like a Becky Chambers novel crossed with Firefly, filled with complex relationships and the love and pain of found family. With her first novel, Essa Hansen establishes herself as a force in the world of science fiction."—Michael Mammay, author of Planetside
“More than just a simple adventure story, Nophek Gloss has an emotional arc that will stay with you long after the last page.”—Portalist
"Nophek Gloss is an absolutely mesmerizing piece of world-building ... a fantastic adventure and worth a read for those who love big sci-fi worlds." —Fantasy Book Critic
"Nophek Gloss is a thundering debut; it grabs the reader and tows you into unchartered territory."—Grimdark Magazine
"Nophek Gloss is one of the most vividly imaginative science fiction books I’ve ever read...If you love all the original, advanced technology you could possibly handle, a lovable, intriguing main cast with a lot of history and scars, and a fast-paced plot, then this is one you might want to pick up."—FanFi Addict
Library Journal
★ 09/01/2020
Teenager Caiden has only known his life serving the overseers, until they betray his people in a horrific massacre that destroys his entire world but opens him to the multiverse that actually exists. Rescued by a crew of unusual salvagers and a mysterious ship that can exist in its own universe, Caiden focuses on his own fury and exacting vengeance for his family. Finding a way to advance his age and abilities, he maps an internal course to make his slavers pay by destroying their entire regime. Yet as personal and political truths are revealed, Caiden finds the path to his revenge means embracing his origins and destroying them from the inside, all along trying to save his sanity. An intriguing bubble universe setting, flawed characters, and advanced technology from a compelling sf story that will draw in and hold readers until the very last page. VERDICT Hansen's marvelous debut is a fast-paced, action-filled ride through the multiverse, introducing a complex found family of gender- and neurodiverse characters.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
