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The Deep Sky

A Novel

Audiobook
2 of 3 copies available
2 of 3 copies available

"Sarah Skaer uses her considerable vocal skill to make each crewmember instantly recognizable. Asuka is strongly characterized by her insecurity and self-doubt, though listeners will likely have more faith in her."- Library Journal

Yume Kitasei's The Deep Sky is an enthralling sci fi thriller debut about a mission into deep space that begins with a lethal explosion that leaves the survivors questioning the loyalty of the crew.
They left Earth to save humanity. They'll have to save themselves first.
It is the eve of Earth's environmental collapse. A single ship carries humanity's last hope: eighty elite graduates of a competitive program, who will give birth to a generation of children in deep space. But halfway to a distant but livable planet, a lethal bomb kills three of the crew and knocks The Phoenix off course. Asuka, the only surviving witness, is an immediate suspect.
As the mystery unfolds on the ship, poignant flashbacks reveal how Asuka came to be picked for the mission. Despite struggling through training back on Earth, she was chosen to represent Japan, a country she only partly knows as a half-Japanese girl raised in America. But estranged from her mother back home, The Phoenix is all she has left.
With the crew turning on each other, Asuka is determined to find the culprit before they all lose faith in the mission—or worse, the bomber strikes again.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 24, 2023
      Kitasei sets her action-packed near-future debut against the backdrop of impending human extinction. In the face of global warfare, terrorism, and ecological collapse, the ambitious EvenStar project offers humanity a chance to start fresh, sending the spaceship Phoenix to colonize a new world. Asuka is selected for the crew from the crème de la crème of Earth’s youth, but she grapples with imposter syndrome, convinced that her crewmates are all more competent and deserving than she is. When she fails to conceive a child en route, a critical component of the mission, it only compounds her feelings of failure and inadequacy. An explosion throws the Phoenix off course, prompting concerns there may be a terrorist aboard the ship. When suspicion lands on Asuka, she must—with the aid of a buggy and enigmatic AI—find a way to clear her name and keep all hell from breaking loose on the cramped ship. Frequent flashbacks to Asuka’s past on Earth interrupt this tense spacefaring mystery, and though some readers may find this distracting, they successfully add context for and complexity to the resilient heroine. The result is a remarkable story of endurance and hope. Agent: Mary C. Moore, Kimberley Cameron & Assoc.

    • Library Journal

      September 1, 2023

      In Kitasei's debut novel, an Earth in danger of environmental collapse places its hope in a diverse crew of 80. Though the plot centers on a possible terrorist action that leaves three crewmembers dead, it also explores identity and parenthood. Asuka, tasked with solving the crime, struggles with imposter syndrome after being selected as Japan's second choice of representative, even though she feels closer to her U.S. roots. Additionally, the crew is meant to populate their new home, so while they were not all assigned female at birth, they can become pregnant--but Asuka has been unable to do so. Sarah Skaer uses her considerable vocal skill to make each crewmember instantly recognizable. Asuka is strongly characterized by her insecurity and self-doubt, though listeners will likely have more faith in her. Another strong voice is the ship's AI, which is given an edge of artificiality that doesn't interfere with its emotional expression. VERDICT Interstellar explosions don't diminish the inclusive and human tone of this novel, which is perfect for fans of To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers.--Matthew Galloway

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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