#Stars Hide Your Fires

[green446004]

Cover art I’ve done this year for Dazzlingbookishshop’s special editions of The Darkness Outside Us and Stars, Hide Your Fires

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

My piece for @rainbowcrate’s July book box.

Jessica Mary Best’s Stars, Hide Your Fires.

[knightwithakay]

Now that I've finally had time to sit down and read it, please allow me to recommend Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Best!

A gloriously multicolor sci-fi queer romance accurately pitched as "Knives Out in space", this book has a cast of characters all worthy of their own spin-offs and a cleverly ticking mystery at its heart.

You can read the plot bits elsewhere, I won't get bogged down in em. Here's what I love: this is sci-fi with a beating heart. In Stars, Hide Your Fires no one is an island, even in space; I was strongly reminded of Becky Chamber's Wayfarers, with its complex and complicated communities of people who are just trying to make it through the day. (The space day. It is, still, a sci-fi novel, with delightful diversions on the food they eat, the way transit works, interplanetary commerce, and of course, space cussin'.)

Our hero is charming, and practical, and relatable, and funny sometimes to her own detriment, and has some growing to do. Our romance is complicated For Plot Reasons, but built on mutual respect and admiration and food-sharing (not how you'd expect!). Our perspective is one in which we have all the clues, if we can put them together fast enough-- for one delightful moment I was one step ahead of Cass as I called a plot twist, only to realize with dawning horror exactly what that meant for the narrative--

Our story is one with a satisfying ending and room still for expansion. I know I'll enjoy going back to this one again and finding all the hints I missed, and just living in this universe for a little while.

Recommended for: Fans of The Starship Iris (duh), Becky Chambers readers, people with intense feelings about AOS Jim Kirk, anthropologists disappointed by lazy sci-fi cultures, lesbians with a competence kink, cosplayers who enjoy a challenge, and you, if you're reading this.

Oh, why is this an audio post? Because this is a song based on the book we recorded and I thought it would be neat. :)

[jamteayang]

book blurbs!! hell yes 💖

I’ve only been an editor for a hot second, so while other editors might be like “ho hum, a blurb from a NYT bestselling author? just another day at the office” -- I am screaming, crying, etc. I am starstruck! 

It is pretty freaking cool that YA authors I love to read have nice things to say about a book I edited. And it’s really fun to get to email these blurbs to the author (Jessica Mary Best!) and be like “hey! that’s you!! they’re talking about your writing!!!” 

So that’s my unsolicited perspective on the whole thing. Without further ado, some praise for Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best: 

"With lush worldbuilding, high stakes, and a page turning mystery, STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES is impossible to put down. Brilliantly crafted and delightfully fast-paced."—Rachael Lippincott, coauthor of SHE GETS THE GIRL

"A delightfully, mischievous adventure full of intrigue, betrayal, and a touch of romance. Get ready to join your new favorite rebel crew." —Dahlia Adler, author of COOL FOR THE SUMMER

"A delightful and gripping space mystery with twists and more twists; a charming and unlikely detective team; an adorable, banter-y romance; and an extravagant sci-fi ball!"—Vanessa Len, author of ONLY A MONSTER

And if “queer Knives Out in space” sounds like your jam, then consider: pre-ordering Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best. Pre-orders are really important for the success of a book -- they signal to buyer accounts, booksellers, etc that this is a book they should be paying attention to. So if you do end up pre-ordering or requesting the book at your local library, thanks! I appreciate you. 

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread

Stars, Hide Your Fires

fun sapphic YA space opera mystery

a girl from a small planet steals from tourists to survive, but still can’t make enough to save her ailing father, learns about a ball for the galaxy’s richest, and sneaks in disguised

but when the emperor is murdered, the station’s locked down she has to find out who the real killer was so she’s not blamed, and ends up working with another imposter - a mysterious rebel - and in their investigations they uncover secrets that could change the fate of the empire

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[hiddenbookcasepodcast]

Somehow it’s that time again already! We’ve got a busy few months ahead at The Hidden Bookcase, so peek under the cut for what we’re reading and chatting about on our upcoming episodes as autumn ambles on in… 🍂🧣🍁

Before we get to our autumn reads, we couldn’t let Disability Pride Month pass without celebration! We’re joined by the stellar Ella T. Holmes, disability advocate & organiser of the upcoming disability in fantasy anthology, for a chat about writing fantasy with disability in mind.

Then it’s time for Ahistorical Autumn to begin! We’re setting sail on August 5th with Natasha Pulley's seafaring adventure The Kingdoms, for which we are joined by a very beloved member of The Hidden Bookcase crew, the incredible Kit Lovick!

Afterwards, we have yet another fireside chat for you all, this time celebrating Fat Liberation Month in August! For this episode, we’re accompanied by the wonderful Anya Josephs, author of sapphic fantasy novel Queen of All 👑⚔️🏰

Then it’s back in the saddle as Ahistorical Autumn continues with Lucy Holland’s Song of the Huntress on September 2nd! 🐴🌙🌳 Longtime bookwyrms will know Sistersong was one of the first books we read on the show- we can’t wait to delve into this world again!

We’ve got something especially exciting for the latter half of September- an author interview with Jessica Mary Best! Audiodrama lovers may know her as writer of our of this world @starshipiris. We’ll be chatting sapphic, sci-fi, YA murder mystery Stars, Hide Your Fires on the 16th!

Last but certainly not least, Ahistorical Autumn finishes with a flourish on October 7th- we’re talking the epic She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, alongside author of Home, the one and only Cailean Steed ☀️🔥🐉

Told you things were going to get busy- we can’t wait! Are any of these books on your TBR, or perhaps already amongst your current favourites? We’d love to hear what you bookwyrms are most excited about! 📚🐉💜💛

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Starks didn't create beautiful things. They created weapons that destroyed beautiful things. That was the way it had always been. But when the four-year-old's wide eyes blinked at him, Tony was struck with the sudden realization that maybe that had been a lie.

Author: @yellowdistress

[starrlikesbooks]

Every month I've been placing bets with myself about what books on my TBR are going to be 5 star reads. Here's my list for May!

1) More Happy Than Not

2) Stars, Hide Your Fires

3) Saint Juniper's Folly

4) Venom & Vow

5) It's Not Like It's a Secret

6) A Hundred Vicious Turns

[davey-in-a-minivan]

LET'S GOOO

[grifff17]

Stars, Hide Your Fires is a great book

When I start reading a new book, I either become obsessed with it and spend days straight reading it, or it takes me months to get through. I finished reading Stars, Hide Your Fires by @idiopathicsmile in 2 days. It hits so many different things I like in a story. The mystery, the political intrigue, the unspoken but very relevant Shakespeare references, the queer romance, and the amazing sci-fi worldbuilding all contributed to why I liked this book so much. As a huge fan of Starship Iris, and other podcasts like Unwell, which Jessica Best also worked on, this is the second time I've absolutely loved a book that I found because it was authored by the writer of an audiodrama whose storytelling blew me away (Seriously everyone who liked this book should also check out the Alliance Trilogy and the Leagues and Legends Trilogy by @ink-splotch, creator of Second Star to the Left).

[stardustandrockets]

What's a book feature you love?

I absolutely love taking off a dust jacket and finding unexpected foiling/stamping on standard editions. It's like a little treat!

Look at how pretty this cover is!! Especially the typography my friend @/manicfemme (insta) did! Haven't read this one yet, but the font is gorgeous and matches the new art spectacularly.

[gloriousmonsters]

M feels too easy so.... How about R?

damn ok was scouring my brains and finally got one! Robin, from Stars, Hide Your Fires, which I was just writing the opening of the other day for fun. The story revolves around Mal, a trans man who was disfigured deliberately by a group of boys when he was a teenager, deciding to go slasher villain and heading back to his hometown twenty years later to kill them all. Robin is the daughter of the once-ringleader of that group, about 14-15 years old; she's trans and closeted, and keeps Girl Clothes stashed in an empty 'haunted' cabin in the woods so she can just sneak out there and wear them occasionally. When Mal moves in there, she runs into him, and the two of them wind up forming a quasi-familial friendship. She's depressed and socially anxious and very, very angry in a way she doesn't know how to deal with, but she has a soft spot for nature and loves cooking. Her other hobbies include Violent Video Games, listening to punk music, and teaching herself the skills she'd need to survive in a zombie apocalypse, just in case (hopeful inflection).

[prosy-days]

July 13, 2023 - Day 24

It's been a while since I attended an author event, but I'm glad I was able to join and I can't wait to get into the book!

[jamteayang]

Stars, Hide Your Fires cover reveal 💖

Dusting off this blog to post ✨ book news ✨ Ever since I first saw the early cover sketches by the stellar @christinaillos​ in my inbox, I’ve been counting down the days until the cover reveal would go live. I mean, just look at that gorgeous cover. 

On a personal note, I had an absolute blast editing this sapphic YA sci-fi book by the wonderful Jessica Mary Best. It’s writing like Best’s that make being a kidlit editor so much fun -- I cried, I laughed, I got chills, and I spat out my tea while snort-laughing. (Also, if you haven’t listened to Best’s audio drama The Strange Case of Starship Iris, you need to do that ASAP.)

Anyway, enough nattering from me! Here’s the description:

A wanted thief. A murdered emperor. A killer loose on the station. KNIVES OUT goes sci-fi in this gripping YA mystery set in space, perfect for fans of THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US and IRON WIDOW. As an expert thief from a minor moon, Cass knows a good mark when she sees one. The emperor’s ball is her chance to steal a fortune for herself, her ailing father, and her scrappy crew of thieves and market vendors. Her plan is simple: 1. Hitch a ride to the planet of Ouris, the dazzling heart of the empire. 2. Sneak onto the imperial palace station to attend the emperor’s ball. 3. Steal from the rich, the royal, and the insufferable. But on the station, things quickly go awry. When the emperor is found dead, everyone in the palace is a suspect—and someone is setting Cass up to take the fall. To clear her name, Cass must work with an unlikely ally: a gorgeous and mysterious rebel with her own reasons for being on the station. Together, they unravel a secret that could change the fate of the empire.

If you want a lil sneak peek, the first chapter can be found here. And if you want to go straight to preordering (excellent choice!), why not preorder from Bookshop.org or your local indie? Stars, Hide Your Fires launches this summer on July 11th 🚀 Hope you’ll check it out! And since I’m breaking the seal on posting here -- if you have any questions about editing, kidlit (i.e. YA lit, MG), working in publishing etc, don’t hesitate to shoot me an ask! 😁 (I’m also on Instagram at the same handle 👋) 

[aroaessidhe]

faves of 2023: YA sci-fi

Project Nought

Stars, Hide Your Fires

A Song of Salvation

The Hummingbird Killer

The Meadows

Radiant (Towers Trilogy)