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Light From Uncommon Stars Hardcover – September 28, 2021
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Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki's Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful adventure set in California's San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts.
Hugo Award Finalist
A National Bestseller
Indie Next Pick
New York Public Library Top 10 Book of 2021
A Kirkus Best Book of 2021
A Barnes & Noble Best Science Fiction Book of 2021
2022 Alex Award Winner
2022 Stonewall Book Award Winner
Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six.
When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate.
But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan's kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul's worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline.
As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.
- Print length384 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherTor Books
- Publication dateSeptember 28, 2021
- Dimensions5.4 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-101250789060
- ISBN-13978-1250789068
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Review
“The book brought me to tears . . . and bursts with love and insights on food, music, inheritance and transformation.”―The New York Times
“Filled with mouthwatering descriptions of food and heart-swelling meditations on music, this novel is an unexpected gift.”―Kirkus, starred review
“Aoki's novel is an exciting, wild web of an adventure, an unputdownable book about music, found family, and identity. Diving into the tough subjects, Aoki's book emerges with a joyful, queer, radical ballad of a story. . .”―Booklist, starred review
“A dark but ultimately hopeful sci-fi exploration of the threats faced by queer people of color [and] a love letter to immigrant culture and the power people have to save each other . . . a beautiful, satisfying story of redemption and families of choice.”―Publishers Weekly
“A transformative marvel. I have never read a book quite like this before. I laughed. I wept. I believed in the power of souls. This is a novel that will be talked about for years to come, and deservedly so. I. Loved. This. Book.”―T. J. Klune, New York Times bestselling author
“Delightful and heartbreaking. An unexpected mashup of science fiction and fantasy that will make you love music, crave donuts, and wish to read it all again.”―John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author
“This book broke my heart and glued it back together stronger than before. Skillful, stunning, absolutely gorgeous.”―Becky Chambers, USA Today bestselling author
“A beautiful story of friendship and love . . . incredibly soothing and kind and sweet and delightful. I fell in love with these characters and did not even realize how desperately I needed this story right now.”―Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky
“A story that sparkles with magic and music and joy; this book just sings.”―Everina Maxwell, author of Winter's Orbit
“A kaleidoscopic and riveting symphony . . . Aoki has conjured the most spellbinding venues to unpack race, sexuality, and class with both ingenuity and heart. A new classic.”―Sequoia Nagamatsu, author of Where We Go When All We Were Is Gone
“Ryka Aoki's prose is sublime, the emotional connections she makes are like sparkling jewels . . . Light From Uncommon Stars is fantastic, beautiful, and deeply, profoundly moving.”―Jenn Lyons, author of Ruin of Kings
“A singing, full-hearted, fearless―and fearlessly goofy―vision that dances across the border between real and surreal, heartrending and sweet, with the nonstop energy of Douglas Adams, and a deep, merciless compassion.”―Max Gladstone, author of Empress of Forever
About the Author
RYKA AOKI (she/her) is a poet, composer, teacher, and novelist. Her latest novel, Light From Uncommon Stars, was an Alex, SCKA, and Otherwise Award winner, and was also a finalist for the Hugo, Locus, and Ignyte Awards.
Ryka is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for her collections Seasonal Velocities, and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul, and her first novel, He Mele a Hilo, was callled one of the "10 Best Books Set in Hawaii" by Bookriot. She has been recognized by the California State Senate for “extraordinary commitment to the visibility and well-being of Transgender people,” and her work has appeared or been recognized in publications including Vogue, Elle, Bustle, Autostraddle, PopSugar, and Buzzfeed, as well as the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. She was also honored to work with the American Association of Hiroshima Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors, where two of her compositions were adopted as the organization’s “songs of peace.”
She has an MFA in creative writing from Cornell University, and is currently a professor of English at Santa Monica College.
Product details
- Publisher : Tor Books; 1st edition (September 28, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1250789060
- ISBN-13 : 978-1250789068
- Item Weight : 15.9 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.4 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #160,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #66 in LGBTQ+ Science Fiction (Books)
- #839 in Space Fleet Science Fiction
- #4,979 in Science Fiction Adventures
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At its heart, "Light from Uncommon Stars" is a story about identity, redemption, and the extraordinary power of music. Aoki introduces readers to a cast of characters as unique and diverse as the stars in the night sky. Each character is carefully written, possessing a depth and authenticity that makes them leap off the page. The novel's protagonist, Katrina, is a violin prodigy seeking refuge from a troubled past, and her journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.
Aoki's narrative brilliance lies in her ability to seamlessly interweave complex themes with moments of genuine warmth and humor. The novel delves into profound questions about the nature of humanity, love, and sacrifice while maintaining a sense of wonder and magic. Aoki's world-building is richly imaginative, blending elements of mythology and science fiction to create a universe that is both familiar and entirely unique.
One of the novel's standout features is its exploration of the transgender experience. Through Aoki's characters, readers gain insight into the challenges and triumphs faced by transgender individuals, fostering empathy and understanding. The author's portrayal of these experiences is sensitive, nuanced, and deeply respectful, adding an essential layer of depth to the narrative.
"Light from Uncommon Stars" is also a celebration of the transformative power of music. Aoki's descriptions of music are so vivid and evocative that readers can practically hear the melodies and feel the emotions behind each note. The novel's musical themes serve as a poignant metaphor for the characters' journeys, creating a profound emotional impact on the reader.
In addition to its thematic richness, the novel's pacing is expertly crafted, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the story unfolds. Aoki skillfully balances moments of tension with moments of quiet introspection, creating a narrative rhythm that is as melodic as the music that permeates the novel.
"Light from Uncommon Stars" is a literary masterpiece that transcends genres and leaves an indelible mark on the reader's soul. Ryka Aoki's storytelling prowess, combined with her deep understanding of human nature and her ability to craft unforgettable characters, makes this novel a must-read. It is a luminous, transformative tale that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds, reminding us of the extraordinary beauty that can be found in the most unexpected places.
That said, I absolutely loved it, and I read it at lightning speed. (it will also be triggering for some... see end of the review for content warnings)
I found the story and the storytelling so compelling that I didn't shift into my usual mode of "I must perform a literary critique on this as a read it and dissect every intention and metaphor of the author". That's something really special in my universe, and I'm not going to question it. X-D
I read the negative reviews, and I cannot argue with a lot of the observations made there (about how busy the story is, about the lack of certain backstory/urgency, about a deus ex machina situation that might be the root of a superfluously fantastical spin on one story line). But for me, none of that mattered. The story moved me, delighted me, and entertained me. It hung together. It imparted wisdom. It made me feel. it was fun to read. It had some gorgeous one-liners. I liked the characters and all the nods to CA's rich Asian/Asian-American and LatinX cultures.
Thank you, Ryka, for a wonderful story.
I found some weird and annoying typos and errors in the Kindle version, and some of them were right in the middle of some of the BEST passages. I hope those are caught in future edits.
CW: Thoughts of suicide, child abuse, transphobia, trans hate, LGBTQ discrimination, racism, sex work, rape, sexual harassment.
To trans pain and trans triumph, to violence and violins, to classical Bartok and 8 bit Undertale. This book has me stopping, reflecting, smiling, and crying. It’s not a sad book, but the beautiful introspection had me tearing up when I least expected it.
There are heavy themes in this book. There’s a lot of transphobia and violence against trans women. There’s anti-Asian racism, sexism, flashbacks to child abuse, and mentions of sex work and rape. But again, I wouldn’t say this is a sad book. There’s a lot of triumph and beauty despite the evils of men.
I can’t recommend this book enough.
Angst: 4/5
Spice: no spice, but there’s a darling romance
Top reviews from other countries
All these stories blend and weave together, I'd like to use a cooking or music metaphor here to describe how wonderful this story becomes but I have no idea how magic like transcendental music or food is created but I wanted to as these featured so strongly in this beautiful tale of found family and love. It certainly doesn't gloss over the horrors inherent in any tale of hell or civilizations tearing themselves apart but it's the horrible treatment and self-doubt that Katrina suffers through that was hardest to bear.
This story is one to remind us to be kind, you never know who is secretly a queen of hell, an intergalactic refugee sentient hologram, or a hurt and frightened girl who can make a violin sing and lift everyone's heart.