Full Speed to a Crash Landing

Revis (Across the Universe) opens her space cowboy trilogy with a quirky sci-fi romp set in a universe where climate change has rendered the original Earth inhospitable but newer, better versions of the planet have been created for those rich enough to emigrate. Readers meet space debris looter Ada Lamarr as the oxygen in her spacesuit dwindles during an ill-planned scavenging mission. In need of a quick rescue, she gets picked up by a government salvage ship headed out on a secret mission. At the center of the plot is the push-pull conflict and romantic tension between Ada and government agent Rian White, both of whom have strong ideas about how to solve Earth’s climate crisis. Rian and readers alike soon come to suspect there’s more to Ada hiding behind her self-deprecating, dad-joke-loving facade. While Ada’s characterization occasionally grates, Revis throws in enough surprise twists to make up for any annoyance. With plenty of teasing about what’s to come, this is sure to leave readers itching for the next installment. Agent: Navah Wolfe, Writers House. (Aug.)