The Last Hero

Lewis brings their First Sister trilogy to a dramatic conclusion in this empowering sci-fi epic (following The Second Rebel). The expansive cast grapples with grief and the desire for revenge as galaxy-shattering conflict becomes increasingly inevitable. Working to change the Sisterhood from within, Astrid and Lily—now Mother Lilian I—are undermined at every turn by enemies at the highest echelons of Gean government. Meanwhile Hiro, mourning their partner’s death, works to prevent their father from unleashing a weapon that could endanger the fragile peace between the Geans, the Icarii, and the distant, powerful Synthetics. And, still suffering the aftereffects of the Genekey virus, Luce and Hemlock work to hold the fragmenting Aster factions together. One of Lewis’s great strengths is their fluent, authentic-feeling representation of multiple marginalized identities; this outing is particularly notable for having three disabled point-of-view characters. Heavy with side plots and political messaging, this book occasionally feels like it’s trying to do too much in a single volume. Still, it provides a satisfying escalation and closes out character arcs well. Anyone looking for diverse, queernorm space opera will want to check out this series. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners. (Nov.)