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Light From Uncommon Stars

By Ryka Aoki
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Check link for latest rating. ( 37,178 ratings, 7,170 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
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki is a unique blend of sci-fi and fantasy, following the lives of three extraordinary women. It intertwines the destinies of a violin prodigy escaping a Faustian bargain, a starship captain running from an interstellar war, and a celebrated composer seeking redemption. Their paths cross in a tale of music, identity, and unexpected connections.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5300

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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 might enjoy this book if you love unique blends of science fiction and fantasy with rich character development. It beautifully weaves together themes of redemption, music, and found families, making it a heartfelt and imaginative read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

This lyrical, delightful, queer SF novel is Good Omens with a Faustian bargain.

This lyrical, delightful, queer SF novel is Good Omens with a Faustian bargain.

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

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.

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.

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?

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki elicits strong emotional responses, with reviewers praising its profound insights on food, music, and cultural heritage. Critics highlight its heartwarming and transformative narrative, blending science fiction, fantasy, and poignant explorations of queer identity and immigrant experiences. The book is described as a joyful, radical tale rich in character development, evoking powerful feelings of love, redemption, and chosen family.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781250789082

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 September 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: St Martin's Press

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 136.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 328g

Pages: 384

Collections

Fiction General Fiction LGBTQ+ Ryka Aoki Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction

About the Author

RYKA AOKI's first novel, He Mele a Hilo, was published by Topside Press in 2014. She is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for her collections Seasonal Velocities, and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul. Ryka's 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. Ryka has been honored by the California State Senate for "extraordinary commitment to the visibility and well-being of Transgender people." She has an MFA in creative writing from Cornell University, and is cur­rently a professor of English at Santa Monica College. You can find Ryka online at www.rykaryka.com

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