Bethany Jacobs’ novel These Burning Stars was one of my favorite reads last year. The start of The Kindom Trilogy space opera trilogy, the novel was a stunning debut that provided fulfilling closure to some immediate plot threads while also setting up exciting and tantalizing possibilities for the science fantasy sequels to come.
I interviewed Jacobs here on the Skiffy and Fanty blog, but never published any actual review of These Burning Stars. When I saw that the second book of the trilogy, On Vicious Worlds, was about to release, I knew I’d want to review it, and had tremendously high expectations based on how much I adored the first novel. Perhaps we’ll be able to have Jacobs on the podcast for the concluding novel to discuss the whole series.
But for now…
If you have not yet read These Burning Stars, you might want to consider not reading this any further than the next paragraphs and taking my recommendation to go read that first book as soon as you’re able. Or at the very least, check out the interview linked above if you haven’t already seen it. Any fan of space opera, science fantasy, rich characterization, and/or brilliant twists should read that novel. There’s also important, well-explored themes underlying all the fun of Jacobs’ writing and her passionate characters, themes of power, devotion, love, revenge, family, the refugee experience, and more.
Some may have waited to read These Burning Stars to see whether Jacobs’ success and reader response continued on with strong positivity for the sequel, to make the series something worth investing in. Obviously opinions vary, but the general consensus I’ve seen is that yes, this is a series definitely worth delving into and continuing. On Vicious Worlds is a solid sequel, a compelling novel that is leaving fans eager to see the trilogy’s conclusion.
On Vicious Worlds continues, and significantly expands those themes of the first novel, with the continued stories of its characters and the introduction of some fascinating new characters. It shouldn’t surprise readers of These Burning Stars, but the new characters are equally enigmatic and complex as those from before. And the revelations of that first novel only increases the depth of characters in On Vicious Worlds, characters we as readers have come to know (or at least think we know.)
Even though I’d encourage those who haven’t read These Burning Stars yet to stop reading here, I’ll still try to avoid directly mentioning that giant spoiler from the first novel, the fantastic plot twist that thrilled readers and fit in so well with Jacobs’ strengths at writing compelling characters: people that aren’t entirely hero, villain, or even anti-hero. Characters you absolutely adore, yet also who do monstrous acts in desperation or full commitment to their paths and goals. Characters who have wild successes, yet become tempered with lapses in judgement or devastating failures. And Jacobs pulls that all off believably.
On Vicious Worlds contains these same strengths in character and writing. But while it certainly has its fill of interesting mysteries and plot twists, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Jacobs would have a nigh impossible task of replicating the degree of a shocker as the first novel contains. I wonder if Jacobs should have perhaps not really stressed any twists at all in this sequel, to not even step there. But she does, and while they simply can’t exert the same emotional effect here as the first novel did, I would argue that they remain generally effective for the plot and entertaining for the reader.
The novel begins with the main characters from the first novel dealing with the ramifications of the social and political upheavals that marked the climax of These Burning Stars. As before, Jacobs tells the story of On Vicious Worlds with chapters that are set in the present, interspersed (in the first half of the novel, at least) with flashbacks to earlier years. Unlike the first novel, there is far less backstory to fill in here, and the scenes are in the much more recent past compared to those of the first novel. Most are there to set up new revelations of interactions between characters not previously known and to help introduce the new characters to On Vicious Worlds, a revolutionary man and his daughter. I really liked these two new characters, and I suspect there is much more for readers to learn about them and their true intentions/history than this novel reveals.
Similar to the first novel, the plot of On Vicious Worlds also alternates between the points of view of two groups of characters: a key pair and a group of caster/collector/refugee colonists. In These Burning Stars, the former pair of characters captivated me far beyond the others, though I did also really enjoy Jun and Liis. Jun is now part of the colonist community, though Liis is away for much of the novel. As they try to revive a society and build it on equity and justice, Jun, Masar, and the Jeveni Wheel face disturbing challenge from an unknown rogue caster who is leaving a trail of sabotage and death in the colony. Meanwhile, the aforementioned (here unnamed) duo try to flee from Kindom forces, but political upheaval as ramification of their actions has altered what their enemies are hunting for, and who can grab hold of power. Jacobs draws events and characters together for an amazing conclusion that nicely sets up the final volume of the trilogy to come: This Brutal Moon.
Just as someone could probably have just watched the original Star Wars as a self-contained story, one could just read These Burning Stars and remain satisfied without going any further. I did want to know what happened next, but I didn’t have to read more. One can’t read On Vicious Worlds without having read the first novel, if one wants it to make any sense. I would say that it would also be harder to read this second volume without also reading the final one to come for total resolution. Again, the Star Wars analogy could be used. The Empire Strikes Back is a great movie on its own, but it’s clearly a middle story, one that needs the resolution of Return of the Jedi. On Vicious Worlds has a certain thematic closure to it, particularly in terms of relationships between characters that have now been tested, frayed, destroyed, strengthened, etc. There are those plot twists that give answers to mysteries, and thus some small closures. But this is also hitting all of our characters with some hard knocks and huge uncertainty, like the Rebel Fleet recuperating and setting eyes on recovering Han.
In other words, Jacobs has written a very clear middle novel here. She hasn’t reinvented anything at the core or tried to be subversive in the structure, she’s stuck to what works and drives investment in the characters, in wanting to see what comes next to conclude it all. Given how effectively she has written the first two books by keeping them a coherent whole while making them each serve their unique role as trilogy chapters, I have high expectations and hope that she is going to nail the landing. I’m ready for This Brutal Moon, even though I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters ever.
