Book Review: The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August

Genre(s): Science fiction

Scout is an archaeologist and archivist tasked with uncovering knowledge caches around the universe. Every planet with data they locate once held advanced civilizations, many space-faring, but every civilization is long dead. Scout refers to wider space as “the graveyard.” It seems their species is the only one left, and the work they do may one day save their species from the same fate.

Scout is accompanied by their half-brother, Kieran, who is a tech expert and the pilot of their ship, and Pumpkin, an orange cat with a distinct attitude.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s not as action-packed as my typical reads, but it had its moments, and the story was worth diving into. I liked the sense of exploration and discovery throughout, and I loved the ending. There were some very meaningful passages toward the end that pulled the overall story together very nicely, and the final messages uncovered in the Stelhari caches were incredibly impactful. The story was very well done.

I liked Scout’s character for their drive to do what’s right for the greater good. Pumpkin was such a typical cat, and having him in space added to his quirkiness. While I typically love reading books with sibling dynamics, I never really clicked with Kieran’s character, so I felt this one was a bit lacking for me in that regard. But as I said, I really enjoyed the overall story.

Author website: roryaugust.com

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