Ardent Violet and the Infinite Eye

White expertly raises the stakes in the adrenaline-packed middle installment of their Starlight Symphony trilogy (after August Kitko and the Mechas from Space). Having saved the world from genocidal mechas from outer space by bonding with their own set of Vanguard war machines, the flamboyant pop star Ardent Violet and their new boyfriend, jazz pianist August Kitko, want to relax. Instead, humanity’s most unlikely champions are thrust back into galactic politics by the arrival of the Coalition, a collection of alien species united in self-defense against marauding AIs bent on destroying organic sentience. These other species, each of whom possess their own Vanguard, will help defend Earth from Infinite, an AI bent on absorbing all human consciousness. But trust and cooperation don’t come easily in a war of this scale, especially for the ragtag musicians reluctantly representing humanity, and events soon spiral out of control, threatening not just Earth but the entire galaxy. White finds plenty of room for dry humor, tenderness, compassion, and fabulous music amid the chaos and violence. Vibrant, complicated, and passionate, this will leave readers clamoring for more. Agent: Connor Goldsmith, Fuse Literary. (Dec.)