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An Accident of Stars

Book I in The Manifold Worlds Series
Series: Manifold Worlds
3.7 goodreads logo

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( 1,330 ratings, 303 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows is an immersive fantasy tale that follows Australian teenager Saffron Coulter, who discovers a portal to another world. She becomes embroiled in the political and magical conflicts of that realm, encountering a mix of mentors and adversaries. As Saffron navigates complex alliances and power struggles, she learns about her own strengths and the cost of meddling in another world’s destiny.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You may enjoy this book if you're drawn to complex characters and diverse, immersive world-building in your fantasy novels. It offers a fresh take on the portal fantasy genre, featuring a story with rich cultural diversity and engaging themes of identity and empowerment. If you're interested in tales that challenge typical fantasy tropes and embrace inclusivity, this story is likely to captivate you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A young woman finds herself in a kingdom ruled by sorcery, as one of fantasy's most daring new writers subverts the traditional "portal fantasy" saga to create something both fresh and deeply moving.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Portal fantasy grows up in this immersive series kickoff featuring "a life-changing adventure, . . . compelling characters and a fascinating world" (Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot Diaries).

When Saffron Coulter stumbles through a hole in reality, she finds herself trapped in Kena—a magical realm on the brink of civil war. It's there that her fate becomes intertwined with that of three very different women: Zech, the fast-thinking acolyte of a cunning, powerful exile; Viya, the spoiled, runaway consort of the empire-building ruler, Vex Leoden; and Gwen, an Earth-born worldwalker whose greatest regret is putting Leoden on the throne. But Leoden has allies, too, and chief among them is the Vex'Mara Kadeja, a dangerous ex-priestess who shares his dreams of conquest.

Pursued by Leoden and aided by the Shavaktiin—a secretive order of storytellers and mystics—the rebels flee to Veksh, a neighbouring matriarchy ruled by the fearsome Council of Queens. Saffron is out of her world and out of her depth, but the further she travels, the more she finds herself bound to her friends with ties of blood and magic.

Can one girl—and an accidental worldwalker at that—really be the key to saving Kena? Or will she die trying?

Series: Manifold Worlds

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  • An Accident of Stars
    Portal fantasy grows up in this immersive series kickoff featuring "a life-changing adventure, . . . compelling characters and a fascinating world" (Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot Diaries). When Saffron Coulter stumbles through a hole in reality, she finds herself trapped in Kena—a magical realm on the brink of civil war. It's there that her fate becomes intertwined with...
    Paperback
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A warmly received portal fantasy, An Accident of Stars is celebrated for its imaginative world-building and richly detailed, interwoven cultures. The book's strong character development, diverse cast, and mature themes make it highly recommended by reviewers. Many praise the richly complex, feminist narrative that blends intimacy, danger, and politics.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780857669957

Publisher: Watkins Media Limited

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Angry Robot

Edition: New edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 456

About the Author

Foz Meadows is an Australian genderqueer author, blogger, essayist, reviewer, and poet. She has written four novels, including An Accident of Stars, as well as numerous short stories and novellas. She is also a contributing writer forThe Huffington PostandBlack Gate, and a contributing reviewer forStrange HorizonsandTor.com. In 2014, she was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer for her blog,Shattersnipe.

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    "Stolen me? As well to say a caged bird can be stolen by the sky." Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighbouring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he's ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown...
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  • All the Hidden Paths
    The follow-up to Foz Meadows's A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, All the Hidden Paths is a sultry political and romantic fantasy exploring gender, sexuality, identity, and self-worth. With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the...
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    With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they're summoned north to Tithena's capital city, Qi-Xihan, to present...
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    The follow-up to Foz Meadows's A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, All the Hidden Paths is a sultry political & romantic fantasy exploring gender, sexuality, identity, and self-worth. With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the...
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