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The Blighted Stars cover art

The Blighted Stars

Written by: Megan E. O'Keefe
Narrated by: Ciaran Saward
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Publisher's Summary

Stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, a spy must survive and uncover a conspiracy in the first book of an epic space opera trilogy by an award-winning author.

She's a revolutionary. Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they're found and Naira Sharp thinks she knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity's expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.

He's the heir to the dynasty. Tarquin Mercator never wanted to run a galaxy-spanning business empire. He just wanted to study rocks and read books. But Tarquin's father has tasked him with monitoring the settlement of a new planet, and he doesn't really have a choice in the matter.

Disguised as Tarquin's new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy the settlement ship before they make land. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. To survive and keep her secret, Naira will have to join forces with the man she's sworn to hate. And together they will uncover a plot that's bigger than both of them.

For more from Megan E. O'Keefe, check out:

The Protectorate

Velocity Weapon

Chaos Vector

Catalyst Gate

©2023 Megan E. O'Keefe (P)2023 Orbit

What the critics say

"O’Keefe delivers a captivating exploration of identity in this smart, addictive space adventure full of intrigue, visceral danger, and deeply personal stakes. Come for the epic sci-fi action, stay for the charmingly broken characters just doing their best."—J. S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch

"The story’s environmental themes are handled very well (O’Keefe gives the reader much to think about without sounding didactic); the characters are lively; and the writing is full of energy. A very promising series launch."—Booklist

"The Blighted Stars is everything I want in a book: lots of action, lots of character, and lots of heart. Megan E. O’Keefe delights with every page, from her stunning action sequences set on alien planets to her exploration of the twisted pathways taken by the human heart. This is space opera for the ages, wrapped in complicated and delicious layers of family and loyalty and science and love and duty. I couldn’t put it down!"—Karen Osborne, author of Architects of Memory

What listeners say about The Blighted Stars

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I’m shrouded in delight.

I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed that the story is now over. The way the characters gripped, and how the narrator was able to captivate and personify them added so much to the story. O’Keefe has a way with words that is a delight to read. The prose is paced in a beautiful pattern that keeps the listener, hooked, engaged and wanting more.
This is exactly what sci-fi should be. I am impatiently awaiting the next instalment.

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