BookView Review

Kristof makes his debut with this gripping, emotionally rich SF saga that follows the last echoes of humanity across the Martian dust. A century after Earth’s collapse and the fall of its colonies, the synthetics once created by humankind—now evolved and autonomous—have built a fragile new world. But when a buried secret resurfaces, and an old war-machine awakens, the Star Bearer and a defiant young synthetic named Miri are drawn into a ferocious battle.

Kristof’s writing is intensely visual. He makes Mars feel simultaneously vast and intimate, where every structure is a relic and every step forward echoes with what’s been lost. At its core, this is a story about found family and the enduring bonds that can form across boundaries. Spirited and foul-mouthed Miri remains at the heart of the novel. Her relationship with Lazer is both comic and heartbreakingly real. The Star Bearer, deeply wounded both physically and emotionally, is hauntingly compelling. Sutherland is no simple villain. A cybernetic zealot driven by a twisted sense of purpose; he’s terrifying but never hollow. 

Kristof’s choice to place women (synthetic, human, and hybrid) at the heart of the narrative is powerful. From Miri’s wide-eyed grit to Raven’s sensual danger and the Star Bearer’s solemn might, this is a female-led story where power is not about domination, but choice, loyalty, and sacrifice. A sweeping dystopian tale rooted in intimate relationships, philosophical longing, and the hard edge of survival. Kristof is a storyteller to watch.

***