Nophek Gloss

I had heard quite a bit about this in my blogging circle because everyone seemed to enjoy it but I also realized that most of them were hardcore sci-fi readers, so I thought this one wouldn't be for me. But I couldn't resist buying it when it was on sale and also requested the arc for its sequel. So I started reading this on the cusp of the new year because I wanted to try something different, and it definitely was a great way to welcome 2022.

I always try and do those things on the first day of the year which I think I'll want to do more of in the rest of the year (it's just a silly sentiment I've heard since my childhood). So I technically shouldn't have read this pretty dark sci-fi at this time, but I didn't bother to read the blurb, so didn't even realize what I was getting into. The writing is beautiful in its own way, giving just enough details for everything so that we can fill the rest of it with our imaginations. It's not overly descriptive but there were some scenes (beginning right in the first chapter) which just evoked all kinds of horrific feelings and while I was scared, there was no way I could put it down. It's also a hard sci-fi book with multiverses and myriad of alien species and lots of advanced technology, and it did take me some time to understand it (and probably didn't for a lot of it too), but I was also too engrossed that I almost finished it in a single sitting. The pacing can feel relaxed at times but it's always followed by terror inducing fast paced action and chase sequences and I had a great time envisioning it all in my head.

I also can't deny that it was the themes that the author explores which held my deepest attention all throughout. We see what grief and loss can do to a person, and how not processing this trauma can morph into being reckless and hurtful (both towards oneself and others). The author also shows us how trauma can suddenly force a person to grow up (both literally and metaphorically) even if their mind isn't ready to face the realities of being an adult. The author also creates a world which felt pretty queernormative and I loved the exploration of gender fluidity while also discussing the good and bad reasons for wanting body augmentation. The found family aspects of the story are also very strong and it was a source of hope amidst a very grim story.

Caiden (or Winn) is a young 14 year old who loses everything in the span of a few hours and is suddenly thrust into a multiverse he doesn't understand and a reality he didn't know he was a part of. But what he does know is that he wants revenge upon those who are responsible for his loss and is single minded in his goal towards achieving that. While there were many moments where I wanted to force some sense into him, he was also very easy to sympathize with. He is a very good, sweet and compassionate person by nature but finds these qualities of his as not useful in a brutal world, and especially in his path for vengeance. And the suffering he endures for the sake of his goal just made me distraught and I wanted to give him a hug and protect him from this world.

Each of the members of the found family he encounters are unique - sweet and nurturing and prickly and mysterious - but they all care in their own ways and I loved watching each of their individual as well as group dynamics. His childhood friend/sister Leta has a small physical presence in the book but is always at the back of his head and plays a major part as his invisible conscience and wisdom. Threi is an intriguing antagonist whose motives you understand at times, even believe he might not be too bad, but at other times I just wanted to strangle him. I have a feeling we have more to see of his bad side. I don't wanna go into spoilery details of the other antagonists and alien species but just know that every single one of them is compelling and extremely well written.

Ultimately, this is a surprise addition to my read pile and I have to give all the credit to the engaging writing and immersive world that the author has created. While hard sci-fi fans will find all the intriguing sciency details they love in these pages, readers like me will love the brilliant characterizations and relationship dynamics, along with its very strong themes of grief, revenge, humanity and found family. So whatever kind of SFF reader you are, do give this one a try. And now that I have the sequel, I'm excited to get to it soon.

Full review video here- https://youtu.be/B6rmS7lzQeY

This was a strong debut scifi with some familiar tones of retribution, loss, and found families. However the unique elements of the world, travel, creatures, and the good/evil relationship weaved throughout make this a really interesting and engaging read.

Nophek Gloss is a story that pushes the boundlessness of the reader's imagination. It is innovative, harsh, extraordinary, and it is science fiction at its best.

I am not sure how to classify Nophek Gloss as part of the science fiction canon. Is it hard science fiction? Quite possibly. There are elements of logic to the science used in the story. There is also a balance of drama to the narrative; the story is very character-driven, making me lean towards Space Opera. Either way, with hard science fiction or a space opera, creatures, ideas, natural laws, and creatures all usually fall within human perception. i.e., “What goes up must come down.” This makes a lot of sense, considering that humans will read the story, and you want it relatable to commonly shared experiences. But, human perception is so limiting. If there are beings from other planets, they will not look like us or react like us. Our natural laws would probably not be the natural laws of other worlds and galaxies when given an infinite palate of choices on what characters could look like, how they would act, or how things like time, gravity, and space behave; why not be different. So when I say that Nophek Gloss is one of the most creative science fiction stories I have ever read, you get where I am going with this.

Nophek Gloss by Essa Hansen is something else.

Newcomer Essa Hansen's story is intriguing; here is an author who is steeped in a love of science fiction and fantasy. As a day job, Essa works as a sound designer for Skywalker Sound, where she worked on Dr. Strange and Avengers: Endgame, as well as Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Thor Ragnorak, Ant-Man, and Big Hero Six. She is also a falconer and horsewoman. It seems like she lives and breathes the coolest aspects of science fiction, and none of this is any surprise to me as I read Nophek Gloss. When I say that Nophek Gloss is something else, I genuinely mean it. The basis of the story is a hero's quest type narrative. But when we readers step past the hero's quest narrative and start paying attention to the detailing and imagination that Hansen has added into the fabric of this story, that is where Nophek Gloss soars and stands above its contemporaries. It is visually rich and compelling storytelling.

“For a long moment, Laythan's piercing gaze assessed Caiden, judging what to say. “I know all this newness is frustrating, but we need more intelligence at a Cartographer Den before we jump to conclusions. That's where we're headed. You'll understand soon.”

The story's basis is centered around a protagonist named Caiden, who is born into indentured life. His planet and homelife are destroyed early in the novel, and to survive, he must step away from who he thought he was and enter worlds and times beyond the scope of imagination. Everything he understands and knows to be the truth is a lie. A fabrication put upon him by his previous captors. After he survives an encounter with a Nophek, an otherworldy apex predator creature, “his only hope for survival is a crew of misfit aliens and a mysterious ship that seems to have a soul and a universe of its own. Together they will show him that the universe is much bigger, much more advanced, and much more mysterious than Caiden had ever imagined.” This misfit crew becomes a found family for Caiden, helps him grow, often painfully, as he assumes a role that he is destined for in the universe.

“Pan rarely eats,” Taitn said. “Saisn have a very efficient metabolism. She drinks fluids and feeds on vibration, mostly. The dark and quiet is nourishment and medicine for her.”

If I left the story at found family and quest, it would seem like Hansen didn't tread new material here. But Nophek Gloss is so much more. A universe, by definition, is infinite. But if a writer stops to think about what “infinite” actually means, anything is possible. The very way we perceive experience is limiting; if we could step outside how humans view the universe and expand our understanding, what would that look like? Would it be a universe balanced on the head of a pin? Or creatures that exist as the embodiment of a memory? How about creatures that create energy sources inside their minds, to be harvested to power ships? What about vessels that create their own universes like a bubble that some species can travel through while others can't. A story like this can be a wide-open field only limited by its creator's experience and imagination. I think Nophek Gloss is the perfect playing field for Essa Hanson's ideas.

Outside ideas, the structure of Nophek Gloss is easy to read. Hanson keeps the descriptions rich but concise. Hanson does not get lost in the details; she has a particular idea she wants to share with the reader. It isn't overly flowery prose or so much detail that the reader's mind is squashed. Instead, Hanson helps you build something concrete in your mind's eye and gives you a chance to expound on it. This is incredibly important with a genre like science fiction, where the infinite imagination of the reader is an essential tool for building the story.

“In front of a glowing wall, a stunning figure caught Caiden's eye. She was humanoid but ethereal and slender, with prosthetic scaffolding around tapered legs. Skin paper-thin and pearly. Her thick hair was so long it pooled onto the floor and clothed her body in dressy billows and braids.”

Another thing I tip my hat to Hansen on is her exclusivity. In a universe with infinite possibilities, there will be people/creatures that are different than you. Whether that is defined by gender, and the story touches on the question of “what is gender?” Or how people want to represent themselves or communicate. Nophek Gloss also includes neuro-diverse characters in leading roles that offer meaningful relationships to Caiden. There are no token characters in this story, and the importance of respecting diversity is evident by the conclusion of the first chapter.

Nophek Gloss also talks a lot about grief and how that is expressed. It is painful to read about Caiden and how he deals with the steps of grief. And how and if he can move on with his life. Caiden deals with grief for most of the book, and how that is defined and exercised is fascinating.

I know this seems like a dark and dense story, grief, death, and slavery, and it is. However, there is a great balance to it. Hansen interjects humor and lightness into some scenes to give the readers a break. This mostly comes in the form of Caiden interacting with his rescuing crew members. And while it doesn't always hit the mark humor wise, it does enough to make sure that the reader isn't dragged down into pain and torment. There are also great fight scenes that step outside the normal and exercise the imagination. What does fighting an alien creature look like?

Setting and worldbuilding are huge. When you have an unlimited palette of colors, sounds, tastes, and textures, your worlds can be anything. The ones in Nophek Gloss are brilliant colorful creations where technology and the natural world collide. Some so wild that I had to go back and reread things to understand what they could look like.

Plot-wise, Nophek Gloss is a brilliant book. Probably one of the best science fiction stories I have read this year. However, some things did get muddled, and I didn't quite grasp Caiden's motivations for his choices. Most of these come in the middle chapters where we don't quite grasp who Caiden is, and his maturity level is iffy. I would think this was probably on purpose; humans go through weird growing stages where we are not thinking so clearly, just as a matter of maturing.

Nophek Gloss is a science fiction book for science fiction geeks. It is almost a love letter to those out there who find their passions in the wild and uninhibited imagination that science fiction offers. It won't be for everyone, as some readers might not enjoy the story's expansive nature. It is also incredibly dark. If there is a genre for grimdark science fiction, this is it. It deals with pain, joy, and grief head-on and does not mince words or details. If you enjoy your reading to be lighter fare, this probably is not the story. But for me, I loved it. Wholly and completely. Nophek Gloss is a thundering debut; it grabs the reader and tows you into unchartered territory.

Caiden is on a quest for vengeance after his family's subjugation and slaughter. His anger and hatred are unrelenting. His desire to quench his thirst for vengeance fuels the main quest of this novel. Caiden's journey to enact revenge is brutal but not without a beating heart. Whether blood-related or found-family, his love for his family drives everything.

Exciting, Inventive, and packed with imaginative ideas – Hansen's debut space opera is the coolest novel I've read in some time. It's hard science fiction at its finest.

My thanks to Orbit for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.