Award-winning author of The Red Scholar’s Wake Aliette de Bodard comes for your heart with a compelling tale of love, duty, and found-family in an exciting new space opera that brings xianxia-style martial arts to the stars.

Jockeying navigator clans guide spaceships through the Hollows: an area of space populated by the mysterious but deadly creatures known as Tanglers. When a Tangler escapes the Hollows for the first time in living memory, each clan must send a representative to help capture it—but the mission may be doomed and the hearts of two clan juniors may be in danger too.

Việt Nhi is not good with people. Or politics. Which is a problem when the Rooster clan sends her on the mission against her will, forcing her to work with an ill-matched group of squabbling teammates from rival clans, including one who she can’t avoid, and maybe doesn’t want to.

Hạc Cúc of the Snake clan has always been better at poisoning and stabbing than at making friends, but she’s drawn to Nhi’s perceptiveness and obliviousness to social conventions—including the ones that really should make Nhi think twice about spending time with her.

But when their imperial envoy and nominal leader is poisoned, this crew of expendable apprentices will have to learn to work together—fast—before the invisible Tangler can wreak havoc on a civilian city and destroy the fragile reputation of the clans. Along the way, Nhi and Hạc Cúc will have to learn the hardest lesson of all: to see past their own misconceptions and learn to trust their growing feelings for each other.

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Praise for this book

Praise for Navigational Entanglements:

“This magnificent space opera from Nebula Award winner de Bodard is simultaneously electric and heartwarming, full of breathless queer romance, shifting clan politics, and many cups of tea.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This is a fast, tense story that drives atmospherically forward towards its confrontations and revelations. . . . I loved it. Give me more, please.”—Locus

“A deeply satisfying story of warring clans, ruthless politics, and the need to learn who and how to trust. All this and giant space jellyfish too!”—Kate Elliott, New York Times bestselling author of Unconquerable Sun

“A unique space adventure with evocative worldbuilding, Navigational Entanglements is a perfect bite-sized science fantasy. In between white-knuckle moments, de Bodard explores the inner lives of her characters and paints a vivid portrait of trauma, anxiety, bonding, and romance. The twisty, fast-paced plot is likely to keep you reading well past your bedtime!”—S.B. Divya, Hugo- and Nebula-nominated author of Meru

“Expertly mingling suspenseful space battles, political intrigue, clashing rivalries, tender romance, and the creation of a new found family, Navigational Entanglements is just dazzlingly good.”—Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled

“An(other) inventive, empathetic Aliette de Bodard masterpiece that impeccably balances precision and vastness, tenderness and brutality.”—Samit Basu, author of The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport

“Packs action, political intrigue, and strong character work into a vibrant and enthralling space opera that you can devour in a day. I found the two main characters incredibly endearing and especially appreciated the inclusion of a point-of-view character that reads as neurodivergent. . . . I picked up this book for the promise of sapphics and space drama, and Navigational Entanglements delivered!”—Oli Schmitz, Boswell Book Company

Praise for Fireheart Tiger:

“A delicate novella with threads of imperial politics, magical beings, queer romance and the psychology of trauma. It’s a bit of a miracle to feel as if you’ve read a six-book fantasy series in so few pages. This book is elegant and hypnotic as the flame of a candle, and I’ll be thinking for some time about the shadows it throws into relief.”—The New York Times Book Review

“What a commanding story of power and diplomacy. I was so captivated by the way this story never once flinches away from a deep sense of emotional honesty.”—Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Magic For Liars

“A fascinating story filled with strong female characters and lush prose, the relationships woven around Thanh evolve into themes of reclaiming the self and recognizing that love can hide the truth about people... de Bodard crafts a story of love, power, and what burns within.”—Library Journal, starred review




About the AuthorAliette de Bodard writes speculative fiction: she has won three Nebula Awards, an Ignyte Award, a Locus Award and six British Science Fiction Association Awards. She is the author of A Fire Born of Exile, a sapphic Count of Monte Cristo in space (Gollancz/JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc., 2023), and of Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc, 2022 BSFA Award winner), a fantasy of manners and murders set in an alternate 19th Century Vietnamese court. She lives in Paris.
Title: Navigational Entanglements
Author(s): Aliette de Bodard
ISBN: 9781250793294
Copyright 2024
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats
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