Embers of War

Powell (the Ack-Ack Macaque trilogy) delivers an emotionally wrenching take on life in a war-torn far future. Sal Konstanz captained a medical vessel in the wake of the bombing that destroyed a sentient jungle, ending an interstellar war. In the aftermath, she joins the House of Reclamation, a neutral humanitarian group, as she tries to recover from witnessing the horrors of war. As they go about their rescue work, it’s clear that she and her small crew—and even Trouble Dog, their sentient ship—suffer from severe trauma. Nevertheless, they display courage and resilience when they stumble into covert operations that threaten to reignite the war and must find a way to stop the conspirators. Though the story is a little ponderous at first, the pace picks up as the threads begin to come together, leading to an explosive finale with strong series potential. Agent: Alexander Cochran, C+W (U.K.). (Feb.)