A review by 2treads
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

adventurous challenging hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

If you like space-faring heists with an odd-ball group of characters who each bring their own quirk to the team, you will like this story.

Kitasei's mismatched band of artifact retrievers will have you laughing and commiserating. There's a cybernetic soldier, a robot with dreams of evolving to be more human, a Fenro seeking lost knowledge for his people and a human who wants to make amends for a past of thievery.

I enjoyed this read because Kitasei has not only written a space heist, she has infused it with themes that are familiar: found family, friendship, prejudice, plague, violence, and ignorance. Even now we still fear what we do not understand.