I read this books as part of Team Booked Solid, judging the SFINCS novella competition. This review reflects only my own thoughts and does not represent the team’s final score.. I received a free copy of the book for the purpose of judging.
The Brightest Star
by Andy Peloquin
Generally, I’m not a fan of prequel novellas. I feel like, all too often, there’s something missing. Like the author designed a story to best show off the greatest qualities of their main series but forgot to give the story a heart of its own. Often, but not always, like in this case.
The Brightest Star is a prequel novella for the Queen of Thieves series, and while it does give the reader a taste of what’s to come it absolutely has a heart. It’s a frail, frightened heart in a cold, cruel world, but it beats all the stronger for it.
I read Queen of Thieves years ago, and I found it excellent, so I had a vague idea of what to expect. Admittedly, I was also a bit concerned, as the main character of QoT was six years old (or something like that) when the story began, so I couldn’t quite see how she’d be a part of the novella. Fortunately (probably), she isn’t, and instead the story is about Jarl, a young man, eager but not quite ready, to take the step into adulthood.
We follow Jarl as he tries to help his foster father pay off his debts to the merciless Night Guild, and we see how instead of better, things just get worse and worse. This is, after all, grimdark, but it’s the kind that sprinkles moments of heart warming tenderness into the gruelling soup of misery. Whether or not that makes it better or worse (grimmer and darker, or more bearable) probably varies from reader to reader, but there’s no denying it’s used to good effect here.
As a novella, The Brightest Star is excellent. It’s focused, packs a punch, and doesn’t get distracted by irrelevant trifles that don’t bring the main story forward. As a prequel, the story gives us a glimpse into the world of the Night Guild, but only a glimpse, from the outside. It’s a hint of what’s to come rather than actual examples.
What I’ll Whine About
This is entirely personal, and not a complaint about the story itself, but I really wished I’d read Queen of Thieves more recently. I’m pretty sure Jarl is one of the characters that appear in the series, but I don’t remember the specifics, and I kept looking for other characters I might be familiar with, but didn’t spot any – and I don’t know if that’s because I forgot about them or because they’re not there. It’s annoying.
What I’ll Gush About
Both as a novella and as a prequel/teaser, The Brightest Star is excellent. The book gets everything just right, and it gives me a focused, enjoyable story that makes me eager to dive back into the main series even though I rarely re-read books.
The world is solid, Jarl is real, and the thugs are just the right balance of vile and believable.
Final Words
The Brightest Star is grimdark with a heart, and you should read it.
