On Vicious Worlds (#2)
Bethany Jacobs returns with On Vicious Worlds, the electrifying sequel to These Burning Stars, the Philip K. Dick Award–winning space opera novel about revenge, power, and the price of legacy
The Jeveni have found a fragile sense of peace on the ice planet of Capamame, far from the Kindom’s domineering control. There, Jun Ironway and Masar Hawks are tasked with the impossible: protecting their colony from a faceless saboteur who is hell-bent on spreading mayhem and murder through the colony.
Meanwhile, stoic Cleric Chono and Six, the wild manipulator responsible for outwitting the Nightfoot family, struggle to stay one step ahead of their enemies. A collision is on the horizon. One that could ignite the spark of revolution.
And over it all hangs the cruel legacy of Esek Nightfoot. A legacy that may prove impossible to escape. . . .
Reviews
"There’s no shortage of twists, betrayals, and unexpected alliances in this intricate story of revenge and survival. The byzantine plot combined with the constantly shifting narrators, all with their own agendas, occasionally make it a struggle to stay on top of everything, but readers willing to be kept on their toes will find plenty to enjoy. This sets things up nicely for a grand finale in book three."
The second book in Jacobs’ Kindom Trilogy begins some months after the ending of the first, These Burning Stars, which pulled off one of the most brazen, gasp-inducing reveals I’ve experienced in an age... The resonant politics here cut very close to the bone—but so do the relationships, the powerful and fraught connections among Jacobs’ flawed and unforgettable characters."
"[A] stellar follow-up... On Vicious Worlds is exactly what I was hoping for in a sequel to my favorite sci-fi book of 2023: more action, more intrigue, more plotting. The ending of These Burning Stars was always going to be hard to beat, but On Vicious Worlds does its best to come close."
"[T]he Kindom Trilogy may be some of the best science fiction out there. It has incredibly detailed worldbuilding, twists and turns and politicking galore, and characters and relationships that make you want to gnaw your arm off... Basically, everything you might want in a book! And each book is guaranteed to leave you wanting more."
"[T[his book delivered even more twists and turns than the first offering. And when I got to the end to discover yet another cliff-hanger, I’m left yearning for the next instalment in this extraordinary and accomplished series."
"On Vicious Worlds is the confirmation of how an excellent author we have on Bethany Jacobs; if you like smart space opera plots woven together with intricate political threads, the whole Kindom Trilogy should be your go to book. I can't wait to see how everything is wrapped in the final book on this series!"