Velocity Weapon

May 6, 2019
In this twisty space opera set in the far future, Sgt. Sanda Greeve is granted a new lease on life after her survival pod is retrieved following a devastating battle between her homeworld and its hostile neighbors. However, there are complications: she’s missing a leg, the ship that picked her up is an enemy smartship devoid of crew, and she’s lost over two centuries in suspended animation, during which time both feuding worlds were destroyed. Now Sanda must adjust to life aboard the empty ship, which calls itself Bero, and figure out her next move. In a parallel story, set 200 years earlier, her brother, Biran, is convinced Sanda is still alive and engages in intrigue-laden politics in a desperate attempt to find her. When their paths impossibly cross once more, they realize a deadly conspiracy winds throughout their entire civilization. O’Keefe (Inherit the Flames) delivers a complicated, thoughtful tale that skillfully interweaves intrigue, action, and strong characterization. Themes of found family, emotional connection, and identity run throughout, backed up by strong worldbuilding and a tense narrative. This series opener leaves multiple plot threads open for further development, and readers will look forward to the next installments. Agent: Sam Morgan, Foundry Literary + Media.

May 15, 2019
O'Keefe turns from fantasy novels (The Proposal Game, 2018, etc.) to sci-fi with the story of a spacefaring soldier who wakes up on an enemy ship alone--save for the ship itself. The last thing Sanda Greeve remembers is her ship being attacked by rebel forces. She's resuscitated from her evacuation pod missing half a leg--and two centuries--as explained to her by the AI of the rebel ship that rescued her. As The Light of Berossus--aka Bero--tells her, she may be the only living human for light-years around, as the war wiped both sides out long ago. Sanda struggles to process her injuries and her grief but finds friendship with the lonely spaceship itself. Sanda's story is interspersed with flashbacks to the war's effects on her brother, Biran, as well as scenes from a heist gone terribly wrong for small-time criminal Jules. The three narratives, separated by a vast gulf of time, are more intertwined than is immediately apparent. When Sanda rescues Tomas, another unlikely survivor, from his own evacuation pod, she learns that even time doesn't end all wars. Should she trust Tomas, a fellow human but a rebel soldier who has his own secrets--or Bero, the ship that saved her? It's the first twist in a story that fires them like railguns. Every hard-earned victory for Sanda, Biran, or Jules is turned on its head as new information is revealed, and the tension is as tight as the pressure seal on a spacesuit. Yet the story still makes room for the classic questions of science fiction: What counts as a person, and what does it mean to be humane at any time, let alone in wartime? Meticulously plotted, edge-of-your-seat space opera with a soul; a highly promising science-fiction debut.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2019
This ambitious space opera, set over 2000 years in the future, is the beginning of award-winning author O'Keefe's (Steal the Sky, 2016) Protectorate series. After being shot in battle, Sanda Greeve, a crack gunship sergeant, finds herself under the care of an enemy interstellar smartship, the Light of Berossus. Bero, as he likes to be called, has been alone in space a long time and develops quite a relationship with Sanda, with lively discussions on the meaning of intelligence and being. Her brother Biran, a newly anointed keeper of the Protectorate, vows to find his sister and discover the truth behind the attack. Full of twists, feints, and deception, O'Keefe's latest presents a visionary world rife with political intrigue and space adventure. The short chapters and alternating points of view create strong pacing, the character interaction seamlessly moves from fluid battle scenes and sinister scheming to sarcastic and deeply funny dialogue. The inevitable convergence of disparate story lines will leave readers both satisfied by the ending and eagerly awaiting the next installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)