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A review by llmacrae
The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August
5.0
Holy shit.
When I saw this book was released earlier this year, I was happy for another indie author to be published. Shared links where I could. But otherwise, I paid it very little attention.
After all, it was sci-fi.
And I like fantasy.
Give me dragons please and thank you. That’s my jam.
But after trying the superb Iron Truth, and having already bought The Last Gifts of The Universe to support a fellow author, I opened it one evening on a whim and started reading. “Unputdownable” is a word that’s often bandied around, but I’ve never meant it as much as I do with this book.
I’m deciding I rather like sci-fi. And I rather like finding new jams.
With that out of the way: My goodness me, I LOVE this book!
I love everything about this book. It is SO well-written, with an incredibly strong voice that grabbed me from the very first page. Brilliant characters, world-building, plot, pacing, mystery and intrigue. But the thing it does even better than all of those already brilliant things?
EMOTION.
Joy. Sadness. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Every single emotion was dialled up to eleven and I felt so many feelings reading this. All of the feelings. I cried literal tears and my other half was worried something terrible had happened to me and asked what was wrong.
I became legitimately upset when I had to sleep because I had to stop reading this. Legitimately upset when I realised there was no more left to read.
It’s just brilliant on all fronts.
Two siblings (and their cat!) are on a sort of archeological study, moving across space and visiting long-dead planets. Mostly they're retrieving and cataloguing data, technology, anything useful they can find. Our principle cast is: Scout (POV). Kieran (Scout’s brother). Pumpkin (Their cat).
The book takes you on a journey spanning the stars and the ages (and my god, Ovlan), and shines a light on all those deeply personal, emotional stories we have. How we’re connected (despite our differences). It's about life. Fear. Dreams. Hopes. Love.
People trying to do their best (I love that). People messing up. Consequences. Trust. Final words. All of it.
It sounds cheesy when I write it like that, but the book shows the right amount of reverence, humour, nihilism, that it all feels so meaningful. The humour lands. The tension feels real. The relief is palpable.
The Remnants, in particular, are terrifying.
Oh, and Pumpkin is the MVP!
For such a short book, it packs one incredible punch.
Although this comes across as an overall light-hearted read - and it is for the most part - the emotions are so strong, the descriptions vivid, and the feelings extremely real, that it kind of transcends that. It becomes something so much more, so meaningful. How it touches on grief and loss is so magical it might as well be fantasy.
I don’t know what precise flavour of jam - I mean sci-fi - this is. Cosy? Mystery? Whatever it is, I'm here for it, and I would love more.
I know I’m rambling and I apologise. This is a deeply emotional book that I loved from the first word until the last, and so my review is equally gushing and emotional and raw and a bit all over the place.
I highlighted a number of passages that resonated with me - either for how well they were written, the humour, the human connection, how meaningful it felt, or just because I rather liked it. Here are some of my favourites:
“You float in space, okay? You fall on planets.”
“We turn one long, lazy bend, and I swear to all that is good in the universe there is a noise ahead. A clatter. I do not like clatters on dead planets.”
“I pause. Pumpkin pauses. We get along on our suspicious spirits alone.”
“Pumpkin meows and walks right against my ankles, trailing a few centimetres behind so he has the head start on any escape rush towards the exit.”
“It’s so easy, when things don’t go as we’ve planned, to think that we’re a failure. To think that things will never get better.”
And, of course: “This is one.”
I highlighted plenty more of the book, but I don’t want to give away more, especially without context. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you read this and discover them for yourself!
When I saw this book was released earlier this year, I was happy for another indie author to be published. Shared links where I could. But otherwise, I paid it very little attention.
After all, it was sci-fi.
And I like fantasy.
Give me dragons please and thank you. That’s my jam.
But after trying the superb Iron Truth, and having already bought The Last Gifts of The Universe to support a fellow author, I opened it one evening on a whim and started reading. “Unputdownable” is a word that’s often bandied around, but I’ve never meant it as much as I do with this book.
I’m deciding I rather like sci-fi. And I rather like finding new jams.
With that out of the way: My goodness me, I LOVE this book!
I love everything about this book. It is SO well-written, with an incredibly strong voice that grabbed me from the very first page. Brilliant characters, world-building, plot, pacing, mystery and intrigue. But the thing it does even better than all of those already brilliant things?
EMOTION.
Joy. Sadness. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Every single emotion was dialled up to eleven and I felt so many feelings reading this. All of the feelings. I cried literal tears and my other half was worried something terrible had happened to me and asked what was wrong.
I became legitimately upset when I had to sleep because I had to stop reading this. Legitimately upset when I realised there was no more left to read.
It’s just brilliant on all fronts.
Two siblings (and their cat!) are on a sort of archeological study, moving across space and visiting long-dead planets. Mostly they're retrieving and cataloguing data, technology, anything useful they can find. Our principle cast is: Scout (POV). Kieran (Scout’s brother). Pumpkin (Their cat).
The book takes you on a journey spanning the stars and the ages (and my god, Ovlan), and shines a light on all those deeply personal, emotional stories we have. How we’re connected (despite our differences). It's about life. Fear. Dreams. Hopes. Love.
People trying to do their best (I love that). People messing up. Consequences. Trust. Final words. All of it.
It sounds cheesy when I write it like that, but the book shows the right amount of reverence, humour, nihilism, that it all feels so meaningful. The humour lands. The tension feels real. The relief is palpable.
The Remnants, in particular, are terrifying.
Oh, and Pumpkin is the MVP!
For such a short book, it packs one incredible punch.
Although this comes across as an overall light-hearted read - and it is for the most part - the emotions are so strong, the descriptions vivid, and the feelings extremely real, that it kind of transcends that. It becomes something so much more, so meaningful. How it touches on grief and loss is so magical it might as well be fantasy.
I don’t know what precise flavour of jam - I mean sci-fi - this is. Cosy? Mystery? Whatever it is, I'm here for it, and I would love more.
I know I’m rambling and I apologise. This is a deeply emotional book that I loved from the first word until the last, and so my review is equally gushing and emotional and raw and a bit all over the place.
I highlighted a number of passages that resonated with me - either for how well they were written, the humour, the human connection, how meaningful it felt, or just because I rather liked it. Here are some of my favourites:
“You float in space, okay? You fall on planets.”
“We turn one long, lazy bend, and I swear to all that is good in the universe there is a noise ahead. A clatter. I do not like clatters on dead planets.”
“I pause. Pumpkin pauses. We get along on our suspicious spirits alone.”
“Pumpkin meows and walks right against my ankles, trailing a few centimetres behind so he has the head start on any escape rush towards the exit.”
“It’s so easy, when things don’t go as we’ve planned, to think that we’re a failure. To think that things will never get better.”
And, of course: “This is one.”
I highlighted plenty more of the book, but I don’t want to give away more, especially without context. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you read this and discover them for yourself!