The Bound Worlds

February 1, 2024

Tarquin and Naira are building a new home on Seventh Cradle, and it seems there may finally be some peace in their future. Yet that peace is short-lived, as a group of unknown assailants begin to attack the settlement. Their relationship is also being attacked from within, as Tarquin must manage the power that turned his father into a tyrant, while Naira deals with her cracking mind and finds herself having visions of a horrible future--one that could come to fruition when Tarquin uncovers a terrifying plot to destroy the universe. As humanity fights for its future, Tarquin and Naira discover that the future may be set against them, and Naira could be the catalyst that determines whether everyone lives or dies. O'Keefe weaves together complex storylines into an exciting finish, creating solid character arcs and wrapping up the lingering questions from previous books. VERDICT The last of O'Keefe's "Devoured Worlds" trilogy, following The Fractured Dark, brings as much action and as many thought-provoking character arcs as the previous books.--Kristi Chadwick

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2024
Here, O'Keefe brings the Devoured Worlds trilogy to a rousing conclusion. Naira and Tarquin, who started out as adversaries in The Blighted Stars (2023), where she was a revolutionary who wanted to destroy his powerful family, are living in relative peace on Seventh Cradle. But, as readers of the earlier books will be aware, peace is a rare thing, and soon Naira and Tarquin are racing against time to save not just themselves but the entire universe. O'Keefe is very good at long-form storytelling (she's also written the Protectorate trilogy and the four-book Scorched Continent series), and she's especially good at developing characters who continue to surprise us, even as we think we know pretty much all there is to know about them. Her world building is also supremely good: this future universe feels as familiar and lived-in as our own. Familiarity with the first two books in the trilogy is helpful, but not essential: the author works in enough background to bring the casual reader up to speed. First-rate sf.

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