# These Burning Stars (The Kindom Trilogy, 1)

**Bethany Jacobs**

**WINNER OF THE 2024 PHILIP K. DICK AWARD!** A dangerous cat-and-mouse quest for revenge. An empire that spans star systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret that could collapse worlds, hunted by three women with secrets of their own. This is an explosive _space opera_ debut from one of the most powerful new voices in science fiction.

On a dusty backwater planet, occasional thief Jun Ironway has gotten her hands on the score of a lifetime: a secret that could raze the Kindom, the ruling power of the galaxy. A star system away, preternaturally stoic Chono and brilliant hothead Esek—the two most brutal clerics of the Kindom—are tasked with hunting Jun down.

And tracking all three across the stars is a ghost from their shared past known only as Six. But what Six wants is anyone’s guess. It’s a game of manipulation and betrayal that could destroy them all. And they have no choice but to see it through.

> ★ “An intricate plot for revenge drives this far-future SF political thriller. An exciting start from a fresh talent.”―Kirkus (Starred Review).
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> ★ "Readers who love smart thrillers and explosive science fiction won’t want to miss this book."―Booklist (Starred Review).
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> ★ "A devilishly fun thrill ride ... _These Burning Stars_ is plotted like a chess match, confident and surprising as Jacobs moves each piece thoughtfully across her board."―BookPage (Starred Review)

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### Posts about this title from Alyssa’s Library

#### in honour of a certain book coming out and just the state of the world, here are some books with trans, non-binary, and genderqueer characters that you should read. it’s so incredibly important to continue to uplift these voices and i hope you all enjoy these and feel free to comment some more recommendations!

**fantasy & sci-fi**  
- the spirit bares its teeth / compound fracture by andrew joseph white  
- the unbroken by c. l. clark  
- the blighted stars by megan e. o’keefe  
- pet by akwaeke emezi  
- faebound / the final strife by saara el-artifi  
- these burning stars by bethany jacobs  
- she who became the sun by shelley parker-chan  
- lakelore by anna marie-mclemore  
- hammajang luck by makana yamamtao  
- the witch king by h. e edgmon  
- the city beautiful by aden polydorous  
- her majesty’s royal coven by juno dawson  
- light from uncommon stars by ryka aoki  
- a bone in his teeth by kellen graves  
- brighter than scale swifter than flame by neon yang  
- mistress of lies by k m enright  
- cemeteries boys / the sunbearer trails by aiden thomas  
- sorrowland by rivers solomon  
- seven devils by laura lam and elizabeth may

**romance**  
- a gentlemen's gentleman by tj alexander  
- make room for love by darcy liao  
- love & other disasters by anita kelly  
- i wish you all the best by mason deaver  
- felix ever after by kacen callender

[TRANS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS](https://alyssaslibrary.binderybooks.com/item/xvcngUfXw6yPpEccQhga/)

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### 27 books