Xuya Universe

Seven of Infinities

With this lush, immersive sci-fi tale, de Bodard (The House of Sundering Flames) delves into a world as gritty as it is ethereal… [R]eaders will be swept away by the vivid prose, intrigue, and romance of this intricate tale. This fascinating, unusual story is sure to entrance.

Publishers Weekly

Seven of Infinities is a novella concerned with forgiveness, deserved or not, about cages, self-made or otherwise. It concerns itself with growth, with grace, with ruthlessness and its costs and consequences. It’s a tightly written jewel of a story, intense and full of feeling, and I recommend it highly.

Liz Bourke, Locus

A magnificent sf mystery, nuanced, intense, and romantic, with a complex, clever plot nested inside de Bodard’s rich, evocative, and vivid Xuya universe.

Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun and Cold Magic

"A completely engrossing tale that stretches my imagination. It’s one of the best stories she’s written yet."

Fantasy Literature

The Red Scholar’s Wake

"With a unique world, a thought-provoking plot and a fragile, achingly believable relationship forming against the odds in the midst of rampant inequality and ever-present danger, this is a perfect novel for readers wanting emotional complexity, warmth and heartache in their space opera."

British Fantasy Society

"Aliette’s prose is outstanding. It is descriptive and evocative without being overwrought, it is witty and full of emotion. Every character, every scene comes to life immediately and plastically, drawing the reader into this world of space pirates, family biological and found and relationships of all sorts....I could not recommend The Red Scholar’s Wake more."

Grimdark Magazine

"While bringing together two such unlikely lovers seems to be one of the most common conventions of romance, de Bodard places the melodrama against the backdrop of flat-out space opera, which she excels at."

Locus Magazine

"But beyond the romance, The Red Scholar's Wake also shines both when it comes to the action packed mystery of unravelling the Red Scholar's death, and in the wider implications about piracy, freedom and emancipation which that plot entails"

Nerds of a Feather

“LESBIAN SPACE PIRATES. Enough said.”

Katee Robert, NYT bestselling author of Neon Gods

"So romantic I may simply perish."

Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

“The Red Scholar’s Wake is a fizzingly inventive space opera, quite unlike anything I’ve encountered before, and told with style, grace, and a big dose of heart. SF is lucky to have Aliette de Bodard.”

Alastair Reynolds, Sunday Times bestselling author

“The Red Scholar’s Wake takes you on an exhilarating dive into space piracy with passion, politics, dazzling settings, and-even better-a profound core of love transcending hopelessness that rings throughout the story.”

Everina Maxwell, author of WINTER’S ORBIT

"An epic tale of piracy and romance."

Gareth L. Powell, award-winning author of Stars and Bones

“Confident, sexy, and touching–The Red Scholar’s Wake gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘star-crossed lovers’!”

Max Gladstone, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author

"[A] novel that’s richly textured and full of wonder....the pay-off is an intriguing, compelling character study that’s gentle on the face of things and deeply powerful beneath the surface."

Track of Words

"[G]enuinely it’s one of the most creative science fiction worlds I’ve come across. One you do not want to miss out on."

Reads Rainbow

"I give The Red Scholar’s Wake 4,5 stars. It’s a thrilling story about love, family, and loyalty, but also rebellion, going against expectations, and change. As always, it’s well-written in Aliette’s incredible voice."

Narratress

"[T]here is no denying that The Red Scholar’s Wake is a fantastical, action-drenched work of fiction that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. The author’s command of imagery, ceremony, and emotion throughout the narrative is evident, keeping all the threads from flying apart, and bringing her main characters—battle-worn and somewhat unsteady—to the cusp of a very promising forever."

That's What I'm Talking About

Dragons and Blades

Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders (#1)

"The final joy of the novella is de Bodard’s writing. Already a huge fan there is a delicious flowing story here painting a huge world, culture and history in novella length tale is no small feat and yet here we are with action, magic, violence and even love and political intrigue thrown into the tale."

Runalong the Shelves

"Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders featured some of my favourite tropes and perfectly delivered on them. Aliette de Bodard is working on another novella with the Disaster Husbands. I’ll be first in line to grab it!"

The Fantasy Inn

"Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders is a marvelous little fantasy mystery wrapped inside a bloodthirsty bit of political upheaval and tied up with a bow of romance sprinkled with the ashes of a fallen angel’s wings."

Reading Reality

"Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders, a Dominion of the Fallen Story is a delightful entry in the growing angelic apocalypse devastated Paris"

Nerds of a Feather

"[T]his was just the thing for a Friday night. You’ll probably like it too, if you enjoy mysteries, court intrigue, sarcasm, and diversity (both in the human sense and in terms of the variety of magical beings portrayed)."

Fantasy Literature

"Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders was a brilliant little novella."

Emma Cate Reads

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (#2)

"This is a fascinating world unlike anything I’ve ever read before.... Romantic, compelling, and lushly descriptive, Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances is a great addition to your Pride Month reading list."

Punk-Ass Book Jockey

"I give Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances five stars. It’s another novella you can enjoy as a standalone in a fantastic world with great characters. It’s a nice break between grand epic stories or heavy-themed thrillers. I recommend this to anyone who wants short fantasy and loves Asian inspired (specifically Vietnamese) stories."

Naratress

"It’s always a joy to be back in this world with these characters."

There's Always Room For One More

"As always settings were great and very detailed, most likely inspired by ancient Vietnam. I also found the magic to be creepy and fun, but most importantly I ended up loving the main characters even more than I did before."

Dear Author

"A slice of life story that seems like it’s going to be eaten by a hungry ghost, but in the end is almost consumed by someone entirely human and all the more dangerous for that."

Reading Reality

"We get more Asmodeus and Thuan, and all the delight that comes with Thuan’s increasing alarm at watching Asmodeus interact with children. The stakes are upped and the relationship slowly learns to communicate."

A Cup of Cyanide

Standalone

Dominion of the Fallen Trilogy

The House of Sundering Flames (#3)

"De Bodard’s prose is precise and elegant, and her characters are compelling and fascinating, even – especially – when they’re making terrible compromises and impossible choices. They’re very human – even the immortal and the dragon prince. Events mount with increasing tension, histories hinted at with terrible implication, until the revela­tions and resolutions of the climax. This is a clever book, and a nuanced one, and to me it feels like a tour-de-force of storytelling. I deeply enjoyed it, and I recommend it highly."

Locus Magazine, Liz Bourke

"De Bodard has a marvelous visual imagination...While the spectacle satisfies even as it goes on a bit, the real resolution of this fascinating trilogy returns us to where it began – with de Bodard’s complex, rich, and conflicted characters trying to come to terms with family, loyalty, honor, exile, and power in a setting at once wildly romantic and existentially bleak, just as the real Paris could accommodate the world views of both Victor Hugo and Sartre."

Locus Magazine, Gary K. Wolfe

"Aliette de Bodard’s Dominion of the Fallen is one of my favorite fantasy series of the last couple of decades."

Tor.com

"Incredible… one of the most original, fantasy settings I’ve seen."

Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Ruin

"Thrilling and creepy A.F., a definite must for fans of de Bodard and fantastical fiction."

Tade Thompson, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of The Rosewater trilogy

"A dark saga of ruined cities, fallen angels, and awakening dragons… a must read… an intoxicating blend of gothic mystery, apocalyptic fantasy, and Vietnamese myth—meaty, singular, and satisfying."

Barnes & Noble

Obsidian and Blood Series