Sci-fi has always been a versatile genre, and Rosiee Thor’s Tarnished are the Stars is a stunning debut  that combines some of the best, old science fiction tropes with more modern ideas. Amazing world building, lovable characters, and surprisingly dark moments make this a well rounded read.

Tarnished are the Stars is set in the very distant future, where humanity has destroyed our world- called Former Earth- with technological advances. The remaining humans have been moved to a new planet called Earth Adjacent. The Queen, who has maintained her reign across the galaxy, refuses to repeat what happened on Former Earth by banning technology in this new colony. The majority of people live in the Settlement, an enclosed medieval style city where no technology is allowed. The Queen and her court of nobility live in a space station orbiting the planet because technology is, of course, allowed for the literal upper class.

The book’s principal characters represent three very different situations, and values, on Earth Adjacent. Anna, the mechanic with a clockwork heart who defies the Settlement’s anti tech laws. Nathaniel, the timid son of the Settlement’s governor who desperately desires his abusive father’s approval. And finally Eliza, the common born girl who has risen up the noble ranks to become the Queen’s deadliest spy. Each character has their own unique identities, backgrounds, and ideas, which all clash in  compelling ways. Anna and Nathaniel have completely opposite views of tech. Nathaniel agrees with the Queen that technology is harmful, and Anna shows him the opposite is true; that technology is desperately needed by some and enforcing a blanket ban hurts far too many. Eliza’s opinions on status and politics clash with both Nathaniel and Anna’s complete obliviousness to it. 

The world building and setting of the book are phenomenal. The idea of a distant future where humanity is on a new planet isn’t unrealistic these days, and banning technology after it destroyed Former Earth is also not unreasonable. The characters and story, however, challenge these ideas. If technology was completely banned, Anna wouldn’t be alive, along with so many others in her tech heavy village. So should the mistakes of the past define the future? Who suffers when these laws are put in place? In Tarnished Are the Stars, it’s unsurprising the poor and weak are hurt the most. The rich nobles have holographic communicators and advanced medicine, but Anna’s surgeon grandfather has to cobble together mechanical hearts with the little tech he has on hand. The book reveals that the prejudices of our world can certainly travel across the cosmos and affect people in new ways.

Something I very much like is the integration of LGBT+ stories into the book. Tarnished Are the Stars easily could have had a standard, straight relationship.The romance also isn’t an issue because it’s queer; it’s because the character’s identites and ambitions don’t exactly line up. This is extremely refreshing. For years, any queer storyline has been tragic or impossible because they were queer in a homophobic world. Those can be interesting, but they’re also overdone. Thor treats being queer as perfectly okay. There isn’t the oppressive, exhausting air of unrelenting homophobia that usually comes with any LGBT+ romance, i.e Brokeback Mountain or Blue is the Warmest Colour. Instead, they’re people who love each other, but plot circumstances are keeping them apart with no queer hatred to be seen.

However, no book is perfect. Tarnished Are the Stars is author Rosiee Thor’s first book, and it definitely shows. At times the book has far too much exposition and characters being introspective. There’s a lot of telling instead of showing, which forces me to skim a few exposition heavy sections. Thor seems to struggle with narrative attributes that plague many new writers, so it’s understandable her first book isn’t a magnum opus. The plot also seems to take awhile to start. The main trio aren’t together in one place until the middle of the book, and their plan to achieve their goals doesn’t appear for a while after that. There was a lot of world and character building, but, as enjoyable as that is, I had to wait too long for  the plot. Due to the plot meandering, the climax and resolution came and went too quickly for my taste. 

Overall, Tarnished are the Stars is a unique and interesting steampunk/sci-fi, LGBT+ centred story with great characters and only a few flaws. I wouldn’t call it the best book I’ve ever read, but I will say I couldn’t put it down. As a first novel, Rosiee Thor has shown she has skill, and I will certainly be on the lookout for her next work.