Exile: Exile, Book 1

A failed rebellion against a tyrannical space confederacy is exiled to a remote corner of the galaxy in this political space drama, the first full novel in Stewart’s Exile series (after the novella Ashen Stars). In the colonized cosmos of 2386, Isaac Gallant, the son of the dictatorial president of the interstellar Confederacy, is a high-ranking officer in the Confederacy fleet. He’s also secretly part of a rebellion against the Confederacy. Alongside rebellion leader Amelie Lestroud, a former movie star, Isaac helps to colonize a verdant planet. Moral dilemmas and political intrigue follow as they struggle to establish a new government on an idyllic world that might belong to someone else. Though there are few complicated relationships, the diverse cast of characters is refreshing, and Isaac and Amelie’s agonies over their growing romantic feelings are convincing. At the center of the story is the human will to adapt to new modes of existence. This fast-paced starfaring adventure succeeds with a thrilling mix of space battles and tender emotions. (July)