Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I cannot remember the last time I was able to fully immerse myself into the #SciFiMonth Experience and truly takeaway as much JOY as I am expecting to take this November! Coming out of a fortnight of blissitude celebrating #SpooktasticReads and the spookier side of Fantasy, I am feeling a lot of positive vibes shifting into a month of reading Science Fiction. Especially as I have a renewed sense of awe and wonder about delving into new authors’ and exploring their visions for Space Opera.

I personally have an affinity of interest in the niche of Space Opera and this year, I have several stories I want to dive inside and find out what the author’s vision was for those stories. I feel as if I’ve taken an unplanned sabbatical from reading Science Fiction for a few years now and this is my return!

In case you missed it, my first post was about Boldy venturing into Indie and Small Press SF – a special edition of my Top Ten Tuesday post wherein I discussed which stories are on my radar and #nextreads list! It was a lovely rewind blog post from (2022) and thankfully was able to be shared this year during the event it was always meant to showcase.

The Friday Fives : Astronavigation| Hostess List

Let’s discuss why I’ve chosen Maurice Broaddus’s novels as my first reads this #SciFiMonth and why they are the epitome of my Astronavigation!

On seeking an alternative route into #SciFiMonth this (2024): Usually I announce a long list of #mustreads during #SciFiMonth – wherein, I either disappoint myself by what I cannot read or I find too many lost hours to ‘catch-up’ to where I needed to be with my readings and listenings; as oft-times I shift between print and audiobooks. Thereby, this year, I am simply taking a slower paced route into my SF reads. I’ll be revealling which stories and authors I’m reading and/or listening to as the month unfolds rather than displaying a sizeable stack of #mustreads to be consumed within the time frame of the event itself.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of “Sweep of Stars” and “Breath of Oblivion” in exchange for an honest review from TOR. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

This year, my Astronavigation begins with the Astra Black series by Maurice Broaddus! I started reading “Sweep of Stars” the year it released (2022). However, as previously stated – a lot of what I was reading and planning to feature during that November (or the latter bits of the year itself) were postponed and pushed forward by the fact my Dad was hospitalised and exited into long-term care. I had meant to return to my readings of the novel and finally share my thoughts and ruminations about – but time shifted forward, life grew a bit more complicated for my family and I took-on a second full-time job in the past year and a half. Thereby, this November – I’m setting my stars and course to re-soak into the series – re-beginning “Sweep of Stars” and continuing forward into “Breath of Oblivion”.

Sometimes time can cart us away from the stories we desire most to read – but if we find a way to re-align ourselves back into their orbit – it is as if time hasn’t slipped past us at all. We’re merely continuing a journey we began earlier and can re-appreciate the adventure we’ve undertaken.

I LOVE the word: Astronavigation as every #SciFiMonth, I feel as though that truly speaks to my heart about what I gravitate towards in Science Fiction. I am truly a girl who loves Space Opera and all the subniches which follow into that niche of thought and exploration. I’ve been in love with Space since I was a very young girl – long before I even knew about Science Fiction as a genre to read. There is something about the stars and the cosmos which spoke to me and ignited my imagination.

What drew a keen interest to read “Sweep of Stars” was the premise – to push forward despite the odds and forge a new future elsewhere. So much power and truth in that statement which has layers of meaning and purpose behind it too. I loved hearing about the people striving to better their futures by leaving behind the strife and wars, seeking out better places to thrive in the stars and re-settle themselves away from Earth. You can feel their courage and their bravery – whilst noting that sometimes change is harder to accomplish than having a determined spirit to chase after it.

I can’t think of a better place to start this #SciFiMonth!

“Sweep of Stars” (Book One: Astra Black series) by Maurice Broaddus

NOTE: borrowed the audiobook via my library’s Hoopla
audiobook narrated by: Emana Rachelle

As I completely lost my footing within this novel within the last two years, I decided not to just re-read the novel as I wasn’t sure where I had left off within it – but I felt, by listening to the audiobook whilst I read the hardback copy of it – I might have a firmer grip on the story and series. It also was a helpful benefit for me as a dyslexic reader to better articulate and understand the names and words I struggled with reading the first go round. I love audiobooks for that reason – it helps expand on things I might misinterpret how to say and helps me strengthen my readerly experience overall. Aside from those reasons, I also just love listening to the performances of narrators and how they interpret the stories I am reading. In this instance, Rachelle has a natural instinct on how to bring Broaddus’s words to life and it was wicked wonderful listening to her as I read the story.

We are introduced to Leah ahead of her naming ceremony – a ceremony I felt was a beautiful one to have in one’s cultural heritage as it allows the person to choose their own name which they feel befits their person. Different cultures even on our contemporary Earth have this in their traditions and I oft felt it was a ceremony others should embrace too, as sometimes, children do wish to change their names but oft find pushback from their parents. Whilst we are awaiting Leah’s ceremony, she uses herbs to cleanse her thoughts, and I smiled. Especially as I remember the first time, I tried smudging sage and how I overdid it to the brink the whole house was inundated by it!

One bit of tech I found uniquely curious was the door – how it appears solid but can transform into a translucent version of itself before it opens? It makes the curious notation about what makes a door a door and if a door can easily transform its makeup of solidity can you still call it a door which ensures privacy? Just something I was thinking about as I read the scene.

Leah and her surrogate father meet ahead of her ceremony, and it serves as a lovely introduction to her and to her situation with family as her biological family died years ago in an accident. You could tell the weight of that loss still carries a heavy load on her heart – as she didn’t quite seem to feel she could call herself a part of his father even though he loved her as his own daughter. Her anxieties about the naming ceremony seemed to be tied to owning who she was and acknowledging who she was after her parents died. I would imagine it would be hard to know where you fit and belong after having lost your family – even, to struggle with your own identity was you lost the memories of what you had and never had a chance to build your knowledge of who had come ahead of you. I felt her emotions as she prepared for the ceremony itself.

The Muungano have a very formal community with different leaders and families who are of importance to the overall running of their governing order. At first, it was a bit hard to piece together what was happening in the opening parts of the novel, as we shifted away from the naming ceremony (as Leah became Amachi) and learnt that Astra Black was the founding person who helped create First World.

It wasn’t until the attack on OE (Original Earth) where the plot thickened and grew a bit more interesting for me as a reader. Mostly, as the beginning was mostly tethered on introductions and explanations of order rather than seeing what was happening behind it all. The explosion took me off-guard as much as the people who survived it as I wasn’t expecting an attack of that nature to happen so soon in the storyline. Amachi herself was thrust into a new chapter of her life – wherein, she was now being read into sensitive news and higher-level intelligence briefings. Whilst at the same time, the Orun Gate was offline or at least, was not able to be studied as it once had. This was the wormhole they had discovered, and it was a joint effort of industrious study by the Muungano, Mars and OE scientific communities.

And, that was the moment where my interest magnified. Anytime you have a wormhole of any sort and a lost communication signal – the story becomes much more intriguing for me! I did feel a bit lost and bogged down in the opening bridge of the novel, but I appreciated getting acquainted with Amachi and her father. Now, though I feel I am entering the more interesting bits of the novel, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!  

This post is part of my participation on behalf of:

I can’t wait to see what everyone else has picked as their Astronavigation selection!

I look forward to hearing if you’ve read one of these stories and/or if I’ve encouraged you to pick one of these novels to explore yourself! I am relying on the Mission Logs (provided by Lisa & Imyril) to visit with everyone this November however, if you comment I’ll bump my visit to your blog(s) to the top of the travel list! I would love to know if you are using the prompts & challenges this year, too on your blog?!

{SOURCES: Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.  2024 Official Sci Fi Month banner and badge as well as the Prompt Challenge graphic created by Imyril and is used with permission. (artwork credit is Sxwx) Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: #SciFiMonth #25PagePreview banner as well as the Comment box banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2024.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Sci Fi November 2024 (12th Year)