The Last Gifts of the Universe - by Riley August (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

AN AUDIBLE BEST OF THE YEAR PICK for 2024!

A dying universe. A search for answers. An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.

When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilisations. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last ones left - and whatever came for the others will one day come for them.

Scout is an Archivist who scours the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals - anything left behind that might be useful to Home and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.

Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.

Review Quotes

"The Last Gifts of the Universe is wistful, loving, and indescribably beautiful. I'd call it required reading for the end of the world. Riley August has written a poignant masterpiece that transcends the death of stars."--Olivia Atwater, author of the Regency Faerie Tales trilogy

"Last Gifts is a quietly profound story about grief, purpose, and our place in the universe - told with a touch of humor, and a dash of adventure. Come for the cat, stay for the story."--Sunyi Dean, internationally bestselling author of The Book Eaters

"Raw, funny, and wise, The Last Gifts of the Universe is a meditation on grief and meaning disguised in the spacesuit of a thrilling, beam-me-up galactic treasure hunt. Riley August has written a quietly wonderful, hopeful novel that heals the parts of you that you didn't know were hurt."--Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes

"Come for the space archeologists and adorably violent Pumpkin the cat, but stay for a science fiction novel that will repair your soul with its beautiful, uplifting earnestness in the face of true peril. Riley August is a major new voice in science fiction and I will read anything they write."--Nadia El-Fassi, author of Best Hex Ever

"Defiantly kind and achingly hopeful, Riley August's debut is an ode to grief in its many colors and the beauty in mundanity. By turns heartbreaking and healing, this book about finding meaning when the future is dire and uncertain feels like it was written for everyone living in the world today. I smiled, I cried, and I wanted, desperately, to leave something beautiful behind for the universe."--Jules Arbeaux, author of Lord of the Empty Isles

"A heartfelt, honest exploration of what it means to be an archivist - and what makes everyday moments worth remembering. Riley August's comfortingly contemplative novel left me feeling more hopeful about my place in the universe."--Sylvie Cathrall, author of A Letter to the Luminous Deep

"Like all the best sci-fi, with Last Gifts of the Universe, August makes you think about our own world in a new way. As sweet as it is sad, as homely as it is strange, Last Gifts of the Universe is about the real work of having hope and compassion -- even across all of space and time."--Alice Bell, author of Grave Expectations

"The addition of a cat to Scout and Kieran's archaeology team adds humor and charm in a story that emphasizes love and connection... a quick read that will appeal most to fans of character-driven sci-fi, such as the work of Becky Chambers."--Library Journal

"[A] thought-provoking postapocalyptic space opera about being alone in the universe... Readers who like their space operas on the cozy side will find this hits the spot."--Publishers Weekly

"Riley August brilliantly balances high-stakes adventure and humor, grief and healing, and uncertainty and hope in this short but delightfully sweet book."--Book Riot

"The story is emotional, inspiring, and reflective. It is also humorous, dramatic, and intense at times... The story is emotional, inspiring, and reflective. It is also humorous, dramatic, and intense at times."--City Book Review