The Stardust Grail - by Yume Kitasei

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Save one world. Doom her own.

Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizations--until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she's haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future.

Then an old friend comes to her with a job she can't refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they aren't the only ones hunting for it.

Maya sets out on a breakneck quest through a universe teeming with strange life and ancient ruins. But the farther she goes, the more her visions cast a dark shadow over her team of friends new and old. Someone will betray her along the way. Worse yet, in choosing to save one species, she may condemn humanity and Earth itself.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Stardust Grail

An NPR, Esquire, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2024; a Lithub, Bookshop.org, The Messenger, and The Nerd Daily Most Anticipated Book of 2024; a SheReads nominee for Best Science Fiction; a Goodreads Choice and Libby Book Awards finalist for Best Science Fiction

"Kitasei's outstanding sophomore outing clears the high bar she set in The Deep Sky, combining a high-stakes space adventure with exquisitely crafted worldbuilding and plausibly imagined interspecies communication." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Broad in scope, covering everything from the rise and fall of alien civilizations to what it means to be a person, this is a luminous work, vacillating between the highs and lows of human experience and how they might translate across alien worlds." --Kirkus, starred review

"Star Trek meets Indiana Jones in this anti-colonial space heist from The Deep Sky author Yume Kitasei. The Stardust Grail blends horror, adventure, and fantastical whimsy. . . Fans of Ryka Aoki, Ann Leckie and Becky Chambers will find much to love in this fast-paced, expansive adventure." --BookPage

"Kitasei writes an emotional roller coaster of a space quest, highlighting friendship, family, and the ostracism of those believed to be different. The prose is as intimate as the universe is wide." --Library Journal

"Come to The Stardust Grail for Indiana Jones-style outer space heist adventure, stay for the sensitively drawn characters and thoughtful exploration of other forms of life far beyond our own--Yume Kitasei's second novel is an engaging, fascinating story that you don't want to miss." --Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of Chosen Ones

"The Stardust Grail is a puzzle box of a book, one that invites readers into an ambitious and endlessly imaginative adventure. A strange, surreal, and startlingly tender glimpse into worlds beyond our own." --Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief

"The Stardust Grail is a boisterous journey, rife with protean planets, intriguing spaceports, and remarkable life forms. The stakes are high. The characters are engaging and delightful. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed. But at its core, the book is also an exploration of understanding, forgiveness, and the importance of being true to our friends, and ourselves. For any fan of space adventures, this book is a must-read." --Emily Jane, USA Today bestselling author of On Earth as it Is on Television

About the Author