Azura Ghost
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- Create Date：2022-02-11 08:52:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Essa Hansen
- ISBN：0356515591
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Summary
Following Nophek Gloss comes the second book in this highly imaginative new space opera trilogy by debut author Essa Hansen - an action-packed adventure perfect for fans of Star Wars， Children of Time and A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet。
Caiden has been on the run for ten years with his unique starship in order to keep his adversary， Threi， imprisoned。 But when an old friend he'd once thought dead reappears， he is lured into a game of cat and mouse with the one person whose powers rival Threi's: Threi's sister Abriss。
Now with both siblings on the hunt for Caiden and his ship， Caiden must rescue his long-lost friend from their clutches and uncover the source of both his ship's power and his own origins in order to stop Abriss's plan to collapse the multiverse。
Caiden has been on the run for ten years with his unique starship in order to keep his adversary， Threi， imprisoned。 But when an old friend he'd once thought dead reappears， he is lured into a game of cat and mouse with the one person whose powers rival Threi's: Threi's sister Abriss。
Now with both siblings on the hunt for Caiden and his ship， Caiden must rescue his long-lost friend from their clutches and uncover the source of both his ship's power and his own origins in order to stop Abriss's plan to collapse the multiverse。
Reviews
Rachel （TheShadesofOrange）
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3。5 StarsFrom the way the Nophek Gloss ended， I was very eager to read this follow up novel。 I am happy to say that the sequel delivered a solid story。 The characters and storytelling really matured in this sophomore novel。 I loved the world building， which is rich， imaginative and （wonderfully） also a little dark。 The naivete of the protagonist in the first book is clearly gone and instead we are left with a self assured man。The story is at times tropey， but they mostly tropes I love。 As a spa 3。5 StarsFrom the way the Nophek Gloss ended， I was very eager to read this follow up novel。 I am happy to say that the sequel delivered a solid story。 The characters and storytelling really matured in this sophomore novel。 I loved the world building， which is rich， imaginative and （wonderfully） also a little dark。 The naivete of the protagonist in the first book is clearly gone and instead we are left with a self assured man。The story is at times tropey， but they mostly tropes I love。 As a space opera， it almost unavoidably a little predictable， but the author brought some twists and turns to keep the story feeling fresh。I would recommend this one to space opera fans looking for an exciting and sometimes terrifying new adventure。 Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher。 。。。more
Scott Marlowe
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RatingReview*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews。 ***Ten years have passed since Caiden put an abrupt end to Threi’s plans for multiverse domination by marooning him in a universe which no one can enter or leave。 Caiden has been on the run that entire time， fleeing from just about everyone in order to keep his universe generating ship from falling into the wrong hands。 It’s a lonely life， but Caiden at least has C， a nophek who becomes his faithful companion since Cai RatingReview*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews。 ***Ten years have passed since Caiden put an abrupt end to Threi’s plans for multiverse domination by marooning him in a universe which no one can enter or leave。 Caiden has been on the run that entire time， fleeing from just about everyone in order to keep his universe generating ship from falling into the wrong hands。 It’s a lonely life， but Caiden at least has C， a nophek who becomes his faithful companion since Caiden raised him from a pup。 Caiden’s usual routine is thrown into chaos when an assassin attempts to kill him and steal his ship。 Nothing new， really， until Caiden realizes the assassin is linked to a childhood friend he thought long dead。 Even worse， by aligning herself with with Threi’s greatest enemy， Caiden’s long lost friend puts Caiden square in the middle of the rivalry he just spent the past decade trying to avoid。To say Azura Ghost builds on the first book in the series， Nophek Gloss， is an understatement。 The fact is that as events unfold in this second book， Nophek Gloss all of a sudden begins to make much more sense。 I had many questions—about the technology， the lucky coincidence of Caiden finding Azura， and the corroboration between Caiden and Threi， for example—that were more or less answered as I read Azura Ghost。 In many ways， the author’s storytelling ability has gotten better。 Nophek was hard to follow at times， with characters that were not well developed and just kind of flat with no real distinctive personalities。 Azura Ghost remedies much of that。 The storytelling is better， the character development is there now， and the odd coincidences are lessened。One of the best things about this book is the Azura。 In Nophek Gloss， she’s basically a ship， albeit with some staggering technology （abilities？）。 But now she’s a character unto herself。 It turns out the mind link between Caiden and Azura is more than just a technological bridge and while Azura doesn’t communicate in a conventional sense， she is revealed as a sentient entity that can grow， think freely， and ultimately take sides。The science and technology in the Graven series is pure fantasy and lends credence to the famous Isaac Asimov saying that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic。” The technology here is so advanced it’s almost indecipherable to the reader at times， to the point where I think the author could have spent more of her energy on worldbuilding and character development and less on such amazing tech。Azura Ghost is a worthy sequel to Nophek Gloss in every way。 Questions are answered， the storyline progresses nicely， and new characters bring renewed life to this series。 I’m upping my rating by one rocket over the first novel because it’s a better read overall and a good stepping stone to the next book in the series。As always， thank you to the publisher， Orbit Books， for providing a free review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Megan
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*I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。*I finished this book a few days ago and am still finding it hard to articulate my thoughts and feelings of it。 Essa Hansen's prose is wonderfully lush and vivid and like nothing I have ever read before。 From the very beginning each sentence evokes some form of sensory detail。 I will say that because this is the second book in the series and a lot of the heavy lifting in regards to world building had already been done， I found th *I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。*I finished this book a few days ago and am still finding it hard to articulate my thoughts and feelings of it。 Essa Hansen's prose is wonderfully lush and vivid and like nothing I have ever read before。 From the very beginning each sentence evokes some form of sensory detail。 I will say that because this is the second book in the series and a lot of the heavy lifting in regards to world building had already been done， I found this to be much easier to get into than the first bit of Nophek Gloss。 The book follows from where we left off in the last chapter of Nophek Gloss - a time jump 10 years forward where we learn that Caiden's friend Leta， who had died early on in the novel， is actually alive and working with Abriss， Threi's sister。 The following plot is fairly basic， but it almost needs to be to balance the detailed prose and world and thematic content。This book deals a lot with managing perceptions and kind of reminds of me of Jenn Lyons's A Chorus of Dragons series in how it deals with identifying "the villain" of the story as all sides have valid points and are clearly "the hero" in their own mind even if they are perceived as "the villain" by the others。 And on a smaller scale the book deals a lot with the internal struggles of asking for help and grieving a loved one and guilt and self-discovery and agency and so much more。 I would recommend this to readers who enjoy character stories and who like reading books that challenge them and make them think。 This series also features a found family in a queernorm world， a variety of queer and gender nonconforming individuals as well as autistic and neurodivergent characters， a sentient spaceship， an animal companion， and so much more。 Also， the author has provided info about representation， content warnings， and tags as well as a refresher of Nophek Gloss on her website！ 。。。more
Ashley
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Azura Ghost， the sequel to Nophek Gloss， is another richly detailed story set in a world that's had a lot of work done to make it feel real and lived in。 When I read Nophek Gloss， it was interesting， I wanted to watch Caiden's journey。 Book 2， I just couldn't connect。 It may have just been that it wasn't the right read for me at the time。 Y'know with everything being a raging dumpster fire。 So we start with Caiden a decade after the end of the first book。 And we're told that his family from the Azura Ghost， the sequel to Nophek Gloss， is another richly detailed story set in a world that's had a lot of work done to make it feel real and lived in。 When I read Nophek Gloss， it was interesting， I wanted to watch Caiden's journey。 Book 2， I just couldn't connect。 It may have just been that it wasn't the right read for me at the time。 Y'know with everything being a raging dumpster fire。 So we start with Caiden a decade after the end of the first book。 And we're told that his family from the first book has broken up。 I can't lie， I was depressed at that because found family is easily one of the tropes that gives me live。 Identity is still a big theme in this book。 Now if you loved Nophek Gloss， you'll like this one。 It's got Essa Hansen's amazing writing style。 She really has an incredible ability to bring the reader into the world。 It's all very detailed without feeling overwhelming。 As much as a multiverse can feel not overwhelming。 I think there's a lot of good in this， it just wasn't for me and hey， that happens。 But I think if you enjoy a thickly layered scifi story， you'll enjoy this。 Three （3） stars。 I received this arc in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher。 。。。more
Anthony Philosophos
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Book about the multiverse， where characters switch from universe to universe。 The struggle between good and evil goes through all the universes。
Sahitya
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It’s 4。5 but I’m definitely rounding up。 I think it’s taken me more than 3 weeks after finishing Nophek Gloss to get to this sequel because while I loved it， it was also a very high concept hard sci-fi book which isn’t my usual thing and I needed some time before I got back to this world。 And I think that was the right decision on my part。 （Also， this review might have some spoilers to Nophek Gloss， so please read at your risk）。 Because this sequel is so much bigger and expansive and tense than It’s 4。5 but I’m definitely rounding up。 I think it’s taken me more than 3 weeks after finishing Nophek Gloss to get to this sequel because while I loved it， it was also a very high concept hard sci-fi book which isn’t my usual thing and I needed some time before I got back to this world。 And I think that was the right decision on my part。 （Also， this review might have some spoilers to Nophek Gloss， so please read at your risk）。 Because this sequel is so much bigger and expansive and tense than it’s predecessor and I was hanging on the edge of my seat while rushing through the pages of this book。 Just like Nophek Gloss， we are thrown right in between the action in the first chapter itself and there are hardly any breaks from the high personal as well as multiverse level stakes。 The author’s imagination is really splendid and rich and I’m still in awe of this world she has created， and while I still won’t say I understand everything because I’m not that good at physics， it’s highly enjoyable; and even with the little I do get， I was marveling at all the possibilities of this world and wondering how much more we would be getting as the pages went by。 While the pacing is mostly breakneck because there is no time to waste when the multiverse is in danger， there were some moments of joy and family bonding and nostalgia which I thought were perfectly lovely and gave me some respite in the whole tense atmosphere。 I finished this mostly in one day because I just couldn’t sleep for the night not knowing what was gonna happen next。I did not expect that this book would start a decade after the end of the first one but I think it gave some great character arcs。 Especially Caiden， who is a changed man because he has the highest bounty on his head and can hardly take a break。 We hear a lot about the little and big things he did in the past decade， helping the oppressed people and doing things to prevent disasters but I so wish we had gotten to read some of those while they were happening - it’s not the same while reading about his and other people’s feelings about his actions。 He is also perpetually scared about giving into his Graven nature， always unsure if the care and affection others are showing towards him genuine or due to his undue manipulation。 I really empathized with his need to not to lose his humanity and resort to violence all the time; but he is also helpless because he is kind and compassionate and can’t help but take the world on his shoulders and try to protect everyone and everything he cares about。 Leta on the other hand was a character I took some time to warm upto。 It wasn’t her fault though - I truly sympathized with her situation and could see how she would make certain decisions even if I didn’t like them and only kept feeling sad that even she didn’t know if she had any agency - but then things happened （which I can’t spoil） and she became the strength that Caiden needed。 Their relationship is fraught with the memories of an abusive childhood and a decade long separation， but I loved how much they still cared for each other and were ready to get to know each other anew。 Leta also has some very interesting powers which complement Caiden’s own very well， but she is also much more thoughtful and wise whereas he is the reckless one ready to dive headlong into danger。 I’m just so so glad they got to meet again。 Caiden’s found family is a much lesser presence this time but whenever they appeared and gave an earful to Caiden for being distant， I was heartened。 They really all love and care for each other and I was always wishing that nothing would harm or separate them。 Leta also has her own kind of found family but they are much more intertwined due to their circumstances and I think it’ll be interesting to see their relationship dynamics when they aren’t being manipulated。 I don’t wanna talk much about Azura and C because I can’t spoil the fun， but I can’t stop myself from mentioning them because these two were a much source of delight in this otherwise tension filled book。 But the most important side characters this time were Abriss and Threi。 Threi is not much changed from the first book and there is still his ruthlessness to contend with， but we get very little glimpses into his past and his true vision for the future， and I’m really excited to see more of him。 Abriss on the other hand tries to project an image of benevolence and gentleness - and maybe she did have capacity for that before - but now she is full of hubris， convinced of her vision for the singularity， ready to obliterate any number of people and worlds to get the utopia she believes she deserves to rule over。 The way the author has written Abriss’s character， with her ever changing words and tactics and actions， is absolutely masterful。 In the end， I had high hopes for this sequel after loving the first book and it exceeded all of them。 I fell in love more with the characters， I’m completely stunned at the world the author’s mind has conjured， and I’m both excited and petrified about what more she has in store for us in the finale。 If you are someone who loves mind blowing and ingenious sci-fi worlds; with characters you’ll come to deeply care for; and the themes explored are very much human and personal in a multiverse full of aliens and advanced tech and luminiferity - this series is written for you and you can’t miss it。 It was much easier to handle the end of Nophek Gloss because I already had the sequel in my hands but Azura Ghost has an equally revelatory and explosive conclusion and I guess the next （probably） one year of wait for Ethera Grave will be full of anticipation。 。。。more
Donna Bull
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"His awareness slathered across a dimension that was empty and limitless at the same time。 Eternity in each speck and each speck stretched to eternity。 The luminiferity。 "Power up your Graven gravitas， because you're in for a ride in this excellent second installment of the series！！ Azura Ghost gets on it right from page one and it's an intense journey as questions get answered， families come together and are torn apart and all new possibilities are uncovered。 **MILD SPOILERS FOR NOPHEK GLOSS**W "His awareness slathered across a dimension that was empty and limitless at the same time。 Eternity in each speck and each speck stretched to eternity。 The luminiferity。 "Power up your Graven gravitas， because you're in for a ride in this excellent second installment of the series！！ Azura Ghost gets on it right from page one and it's an intense journey as questions get answered， families come together and are torn apart and all new possibilities are uncovered。 **MILD SPOILERS FOR NOPHEK GLOSS**We left Caiden and his nophek pup C having some much needed rest and peace on Laythan's planet。 Azura Ghost jumps ten years as Caiden has traveled with C throughout the multiverse staying one step ahead of Casthen Prime Threi's bounty。 He has stayed away from the family he loves as he thinks it's the best way to protect them。 All the while Threi is still trapped in his universe trying to find Azura so he can free himself。 Caiden is finally brought back together with his family as well as the girl from his past as events spiral in unexpected ways。 Caiden has grown and toughened in his travels， but still retains the wonderful heart we love him for and the confrontations we have been waiting for are finally here。 So very much to love in this story！ The relationship between Caiden and C， learning about the Graves and all their different capabilities， spending time with Abriss and finding out more about her relationship with Threi。 New characters， new revelations and of course more mind blowing trips in the luminiferity。 Thoroughly enjoyed the story and I love how Essa makes both Threi and Abriss so complex that you continually go back and forth with your feelings for them。 Each is certainly the hero in their own story， and I am so looking forward to how the rest of the story will play out。 Infinite possibilities in the luminiferity。 Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Kopratic
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What I could talk aboutYes， I could talk about how the characters in Essa Hansen’s Azura Ghost are all wonderful。 Or how the found family aspect is so strong yet again in this sequel。 （Before anyone asks， I did read book 1…before book 2 here。） Or how the characters are the heart of the story， especially our two main protagonists。 Or how the representation of different genders （and how it’s just a fact of life， not something that’s focused on） is wonderful to see。 Heck， I could even mention the d What I could talk aboutYes， I could talk about how the characters in Essa Hansen’s Azura Ghost are all wonderful。 Or how the found family aspect is so strong yet again in this sequel。 （Before anyone asks， I did read book 1…before book 2 here。） Or how the characters are the heart of the story， especially our two main protagonists。 Or how the representation of different genders （and how it’s just a fact of life， not something that’s focused on） is wonderful to see。 Heck， I could even mention the different settings and how they interact with the plot in really interesting ways。 Or how yes， you should read this book if you read books。But what I want to talk aboutI want to talk about the writing—specifically， the descriptive nature of it。 I heard this book。 I felt it。 Sound and touch play such crucial roles in the prose。 You notice when there’s silence。 There’s almost this sense of a relationship between NOISE = STRESS; SILENCE = RELAXING。 That’s putting it a bit extreme and probably wouldn’t hold up to close scrutiny。 But from a casual reading， I felt as though scenes with minimal to no sounds—or even just quieter ones—were the scenes wherein there was an overall sense of peace。 But yeah， this book is filled with sound， and it really enhanced my reading experience。 It immersed me in the scenes in such a unique way。 Even some of the metaphors called to mind sound， and I wonder if that was a deliberate choice。And touch/feeling is also another big sense present throughout。 It’s just little details here and there。 A comforting embrace。 Pressure increasing on a character’s back。 Fire warming a character’s skin。 It’s noticeable throughout without being overwhelming。There are of course vivid visual descriptions， as well as ones of smell and taste。 But sound and touch went a step above in this book。 No scene felt empty。 Even the quiet or silent moments felt deliberately noiseless and not just “there aren’t any descriptions of sound。”AnywayThat’s all I have to say。 This is one of the most immersive books I’ve ever read。 So I think you should read it too。（I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley。） 。。。more
Bookgrrl
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3。5 starsThis is a very complex world with multiverses and multiple political factions that use a form of mind control （as well as seemingly endless resources）。 I enjoyed this book more than I did the first， but that may simply have been because the world is so complex and perhaps a bit overly complicated that I needed the first book to set the foundation for this one。 I thought the introduction of the Proxies was fascinating and well done。 I do wish that we had found out what happened to all of 3。5 starsThis is a very complex world with multiverses and multiple political factions that use a form of mind control （as well as seemingly endless resources）。 I enjoyed this book more than I did the first， but that may simply have been because the world is so complex and perhaps a bit overly complicated that I needed the first book to set the foundation for this one。 I thought the introduction of the Proxies was fascinating and well done。 I do wish that we had found out what happened to all of the rescued nopheks and their new home from the end of the last book， but the interactions with C were fun。 This one ends on a big fat cliffhanger so be forewarned。Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit Books for this advanced reader copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Cherilyn Cleveland
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Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy。 I enjoyed the hell out of this book。 It had everything I love about Space Opera。 Just enough science my eyes don't glaze over， with a little romance and a whole lot of kick ass action。 About 43% into I decided to pre-order。 I actually didn't realize this was a series until after I requested an arc but boy am I glad I read these books back to back。 I cannot wait for the third installment。 Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy。 I enjoyed the hell out of this book。 It had everything I love about Space Opera。 Just enough science my eyes don't glaze over， with a little romance and a whole lot of kick ass action。 About 43% into I decided to pre-order。 I actually didn't realize this was a series until after I requested an arc but boy am I glad I read these books back to back。 I cannot wait for the third installment。 。。。more
Dawn
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"Azura Ghost" follows on from "Nophek Gloss" in "The Graven" series。 As with book 1， this was an enjoyable read for me。 The writing is very good and the story continues to be interesting。 There's a lot of action to be found here （which is great！）， but I wish we could have gone a little bit deeper into the characters' minds。 Bring on book 3！My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 "Azura Ghost" follows on from "Nophek Gloss" in "The Graven" series。 As with book 1， this was an enjoyable read for me。 The writing is very good and the story continues to be interesting。 There's a lot of action to be found here （which is great！）， but I wish we could have gone a little bit deeper into the characters' minds。 Bring on book 3！My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more
Janna M
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Azura Ghost is unlike any other sci fi I've read， including Nophek Gloss！ I loved the first book in this series for the characters and the vivid creativity， and this book takes the story to a completely new level。 Unpredictable， wildly imaginative， and surreal with the perfect balance of humanity thrown in。 Azura Ghost isn't as quick of a read as the first book， but it delves into some deep topics and is absolutely worth the read。 I cannot wait for the third book in the Graven universe（s）， becau Azura Ghost is unlike any other sci fi I've read， including Nophek Gloss！ I loved the first book in this series for the characters and the vivid creativity， and this book takes the story to a completely new level。 Unpredictable， wildly imaginative， and surreal with the perfect balance of humanity thrown in。 Azura Ghost isn't as quick of a read as the first book， but it delves into some deep topics and is absolutely worth the read。 I cannot wait for the third book in the Graven universe（s）， because I truly don't know how it will turn out - and I"m not even sure which way I want it to turn out！ Even the antagonists have valid points and deeply human backstories。 This is a series I am sure to reread。 。。。more
Tina
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I received this ebook as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review。 Azura Ghost is the sequel to Nophek Gloss， a book which I initially gave 4 stars but upon further reflection， and how much I talk about it， I’ve bumped it to a 5。 It was one of my top 12 reads of 2021。 This review will contain spoilers for Nophek Gloss but not Azura Ghost。 Azura Ghost is a balancing act between complex topics and engrossing fight scenes。 It’s both a rumination on how we develop trust and， much more int I received this ebook as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review。 Azura Ghost is the sequel to Nophek Gloss， a book which I initially gave 4 stars but upon further reflection， and how much I talk about it， I’ve bumped it to a 5。 It was one of my top 12 reads of 2021。 This review will contain spoilers for Nophek Gloss but not Azura Ghost。 Azura Ghost is a balancing act between complex topics and engrossing fight scenes。 It’s both a rumination on how we develop trust and， much more intricately， how it’s the alienation that too much power provides that can corrupt a person even more than the desire to control。Nophek Gloss is as much a learning curve for the reader as it is for Caiden。 It’s a complex novel with an overabundance of technology and flowery language， so it takes a while to understand how the world-building functions。 Yet， Azura Ghost， because we have learned all of this background in book one， doesn’t have that kind of mental hurdle to deal with。 You know what the invented words mean and what you’re getting into （it’s not a novel you can read while tired or distracted though， as it requires concentration）。 As such， the novel moves at a steady， fast pace the entire time， needing almost no space to sit back and explain stuff to us。 When it comes to the plot， it’s pretty simple。 Caiden has been on the run for ten years， despite having Threi captured in a mini， contained universe， and Leta， his “sister”， as we learned at the end of Book 1， is alive and living with Abriss， Threi’s sister， who is the ruler of Unity and a descendent of these forerunner-type people called the Graven。 The story starts with Caiden being attacked by a woman who claims to be Leta with her consciousness inhabiting another body， and the story goes from there。 The story is great - it’s not overly complex （it honestly couldn’t be with the number of concepts and tech words thrown around in this novel）， but it’s easy to understand and the characters’ motivations are clear。 There are several really cool fight scenes in this novel， including a badass one at the midway point that goes on so long I started to feel like I had bruises （in a good way though！ It was awesome）。 In truth， the novel is less about a twisting story than twisted people。 It focuses on the duality of human nature; every character is complex and has at least two sides to their personality。 Caiden is extremely strong and resilient， and you’d think he’d be a brooding jerk， but， instead， he’s sweet and overly compassionate。 He cares so much he’s almost self-destructive in his martyr complex。 Leta， literally inhabiting two bodies， is a shy thing who revels in her proxy’s ability to fight but also fears losing the person she is in her real body。 Endiron， one of the side characters， can change their body shape and gender identity at will， and the two other main characters （whom I’ll get to in the spoilers） are also at war with themselves in different ways。 Like the first book， this is not a novel about evil villains and white knights - it’s about people put in a pressure cooker and emerging changed but also maintaining a core that yearns for what they once had。 It’s very easy to sympathize and understand all four characters because we can see from both sides of their own perspectives。 In this regard， it’s a complicated story in truth， because the people are not one-dimensional。 While the novel has a ton of action， it’s a story rooted in people。 The entire point of the novel is about perspective。 How we can feel and understand something so strongly， but looking at it from another point of view can change that。 And when this view comes into conflict with what we’ve decided is the truth， we either adapt or we resist。Back to the characters， one thing I was slightly at odds with in the first book that carried into the second is Caidan’s attachment to his found family。 It didn’t feel to me that he was with them enough in the first book， and definitely not the second， to have such a strong connection （especially after ten years！）。 Maybe I’m just a jaded person， but like last time we didn’t get enough downtime with Caiden and the other crew to really get to know them aside from little quirks。 Granted， if we did， there would be less room for action， and the book is already a hefty one as is。 I did like the focus on Leta’s character - it was great to get a second perspective as book one was all Caidan。 It brought a freshness to the worldbuilding and helped round out Caidan as well。 I really liked how there wasn’t a forced romance between them。 While Threi is still my problematic crush， my favourite character of the novel was C， the nophek pup。 Caiden refers to him once as a “sweet nightmare” which is so fitting。 I will say， I still have no idea what any of the aliens really look like。 Even after reading the glossary I still could have used a bit more in-story description of them。 This was something I had trouble with in Nophek Gloss too， though it’s a minor consideration。There’s also a great deal of coincidence in this novel but it doesn’t feel preposterous。 A lot of time when you have a few characters involved in events affecting entire worlds， it feels like plot armour that keeps them all linked together。 But this book clearly thought this out beforehand - there isn’t a paltry explanation at the end as to why they all involved all the time， or a throwaway comment， but numerous references to how the situations are foretold or orchestrated somehow by certain forces。 Whether this comes into play more in book three， we’ll have to find out。 This was an ARC， so some things might change somewhat， but there are some great bits of prose in this novel peppering the action with elegance， for example， “。。。[it] had long ago taught him he could bridle despair with rage and take it into battle。” Overall， Azura Ghost is not only a worthy follow-up to Nophek Gloss but surpasses it in many ways。 I very much enjoyed it and it was a great book with which to start off 2022。 。。。more
Kristīne Vītola
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Ace-spec characterhttps://twitter。com/KA_Doore/status/1。。。 Ace-spec characterhttps://twitter。com/KA_Doore/status/1。。。 。。。more
Pile By the Bed
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Despite its long history there is still plenty of new and interesting space opera emerging。 Series like Arkady Martine’s Telixcalaan books， Megan O’Keefe’s Protectorate series and Linden Lewis’ First Sister trilogy。 Into that mix last year came Essa Hansen’s debut Nophek Gloss， which at least took the prize for weirdest title。 That book used a range of space opera standards – multi-species empires， lost civilisations， eldritch powers， genetic modifications – but added in a few twists including m Despite its long history there is still plenty of new and interesting space opera emerging。 Series like Arkady Martine’s Telixcalaan books， Megan O’Keefe’s Protectorate series and Linden Lewis’ First Sister trilogy。 Into that mix last year came Essa Hansen’s debut Nophek Gloss， which at least took the prize for weirdest title。 That book used a range of space opera standards – multi-species empires， lost civilisations， eldritch powers， genetic modifications – but added in a few twists including manipulation of the multiverse。 She now returns to that world in the high energy sequel Azura Ghost。Nophek Gloss introduced readers to genetically modified supersoldier Caiden and his found family alien crew。 The book ended with Caiden on the run with a nophek pup and on his unqiue ship the Azura。 The epilogue for that book jumped ten years into the future and Azura Ghost picks up at that point。 Caiden has been on the run from the forces of Threi， once his ally now an enemy who he has trapped in a pocket universe。 And would stay on the run except that he learns that his adopted sister Leta may still be alive and in the hands of Threi’s sister and leader Unity Arbiss。 Arbiss wants Caiden and his ship and uses Leta successfully as bait。 Caiden is forced to fall back on his old connections as he tries to thwart Arbiss’s plans and all hell breaks loose。Hansen’s scenario lends itself to high energy action sequences。 Many of the characters have artificial bodies or are alien or in some other way enhanced so can take plenty of punishment allowing for lengthy chase and battle scenes。 There is the capacity to create and jump between multiple different universes in which the laws of physics differ slightly。 And in amongst all the sturm and drang are the questions of family and loyalty。 Caiden struggles with knowing whether his companions support him because the has the power to coerce them or because he really is part of their found family。 Arbiss and Threi have very different visions for the future but also have a shared history as brother and sister。 And Leta has a deep connection to Caiden but now has her own “found family”。 Unfortunately much of the emotional action of this book gets buried under the big set pieces making it hard to really connect with any of the characters， Caiden in particular。Azura Ghost is a worthy follow up to Nophek Gloss。 Hansen deeply understands her weird multiverse and is able to render her vision in a compelling way。 Readers who loved the characters and concepts of that first book will be delighted to get more and bigger。 But while the action is epic， Hansen is not quite able to capture some of the deeper emotional and character beats that make some of the other recent space operas so compelling。 She is definitely though a science fiction author to watch。 。。。more
Katy
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Azura Ghost is the sequel to Nophek Gloss， Essa Hansen's sprawling space opera full of heartbreak， tension and adventure。 The stakes are raised in this book as Caiden has been on his own for the past decade keeping his spaceship， the Azura， away from the clutches of the Dynast Empire but he discovers his old friend Leta may be alive after all and is thrust right back into the heart of the conflict and politics of the galaxy。In this installment we follow the POV of both Caiden and Leta and I real Azura Ghost is the sequel to Nophek Gloss， Essa Hansen's sprawling space opera full of heartbreak， tension and adventure。 The stakes are raised in this book as Caiden has been on his own for the past decade keeping his spaceship， the Azura， away from the clutches of the Dynast Empire but he discovers his old friend Leta may be alive after all and is thrust right back into the heart of the conflict and politics of the galaxy。In this installment we follow the POV of both Caiden and Leta and I really enjoyed this extra dimesion to the story， as both have very interesting characterisations and conflicting loyalties。 Through Leta we explore more about the Empress of the Unity， Abriss and her set of proxy machines which are very interesting and we see how Leta is torn between her past and her current "family" and the Empress who has saved her life。 I think I probably should have re-read book 1 before diving into this one， as I forgot how complex it is and was a little bit confused at first however I soon got into it and remembered all the important plot points and world building。 I did think the writing can occasionally be over convoluted but most of the time I really enjoy the prose， it's quite reminiscent of Becky Chambers （whom I love） and the heart-warming found family moments also remind me of her books as well！！ I was a bit worried that in the sequel we wouldn't get to see some of the crew from book 1， as I loved the whole dynamic of the group but rest assured we get lots of wholesome moments （as well as some devastating ones lol）。 This book is very interesting in that there are two main "villains" and you are never quite sure which one is worse than the other。 I thought towards the end of the book Threi （one of the bad guys） got a lot more interesting and I may have even started to like him T_T I love villains who are simps for their love interests haha。 I loved Caiden's arc in this book and how much he has grown and matured since book 1。 In book one he was pretty angry and revenge obsessed but now he is a lot wiser and willing to stand up for what he believes in and his new family which makes him a lot more likeable to read from！ I also love the side charcaters （especially En and Ksine） they are well characterised and feel like their own people and not just there to prop up the characters。 Overall I would really reccomend this series and the sequel doesn't disappoint - it strikes the perfect balance between interesting speculative sci-fi concepts， reflections on the nature of humanity， dark themes with some lighter moments and great characters。 。。。more
Ron T
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The Story of the Graven Continues…As we pick up the story， Caiden “Winn” has been on the run from the Dynast family for 10 years。 Now known as the Azura Ghost， he lives in the shadows and is always on the lookout for the trouble coming his way。 Traveling between the many worlds of the multiverse on his starship Azura and avoiding capture has become the only life he knows。 But there are others who wish to capture his ship and use its special abilities to their own ends。 The chance to reunite with The Story of the Graven Continues…As we pick up the story， Caiden “Winn” has been on the run from the Dynast family for 10 years。 Now known as the Azura Ghost， he lives in the shadows and is always on the lookout for the trouble coming his way。 Traveling between the many worlds of the multiverse on his starship Azura and avoiding capture has become the only life he knows。 But there are others who wish to capture his ship and use its special abilities to their own ends。 The chance to reunite with Leta， who he has believed was dead， causes him to throw caution to the wind and agree to help her escape her captivity。 But is this the Leta he knew 10 years ago， or is she luring him into a trap？Book 2 keeps the series interesting and allows the characters room to grow into their new and changing roles。 The Graven are after all guiding fate from within the depths of the luminiferity… 。。。more
John Folk-Williams
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Essa Hansen’s Azura Ghost， second book in The Graven series， marks an enormous step up from her already impressive debut， Nophek Gloss。 This new story takes us deeper into the mysterious multiverse of the Graven， an ancient race of vast accomplishments that disappeared ages ago but left numerous traces both in architectural and technological remnants and in genetics。We continue to follow the central character of the first book， Caiden Winn， now ten years older and still trying to understand the Essa Hansen’s Azura Ghost， second book in The Graven series， marks an enormous step up from her already impressive debut， Nophek Gloss。 This new story takes us deeper into the mysterious multiverse of the Graven， an ancient race of vast accomplishments that disappeared ages ago but left numerous traces both in architectural and technological remnants and in genetics。We continue to follow the central character of the first book， Caiden Winn， now ten years older and still trying to understand the Graven element in his genes。 It is an inheritance that gives him special powers， particularly the power to compel obedience through his voice and also his ability to master the space ship， Azura， which itself seems to embody an almost spiritual force that is somehow linked to the powers of the Graven。As in Nophek Gloss， Hansen’s language is startling and fresh， crashing senses into each other， and wrapped in driving rhythms。 Sometimes it reminds me of an epic poem， nothing wasted， glowing images， as the author plunges us into the action。 I don’t know a lot of Anglo-Saxon poetry， but Hansen’s language reminds me of those brief punchy lines， each with its stress and the metaphors built into the words with such economy and force。 Her writing carries me along， sometimes complex and demanding （especially in the opening chapters where there is a lot to unpack） but with no dramatic letup。。。。。。。A central theme of this novel is the struggle of the main characters to understand how their human personalities can be fitted into the roles they are meant to play in realizing some of the lost Graven powers。 Leta’s development is exceptional， as we hear her integrate the newly recalled memories of her childhood bond with Caiden， how that could translate into the present and testing just how close they want to be or can be， given their immersion in the godlike forces that surround and pull them in。。。。。。。。。。。There are so many spectacular ideas and innovative approaches to a multiversal space opera， all realized in rich， vivid language， that I found this book irresistible。 It’s not at all your typical adventure， so please put aside any expectations you may have from other writing in this genre。 This novel attempts an interesting balance of the underlying adventure and character conflicts inherent in space opera with the exploration of the transcendent dimensions of physics， spirituality and the vastness of human consciousness that Hansen probes so well。 The result is a book I find profoundly interesting。 The ideas are always compelling， the language superb and the difficulty is the sort that comes from first exposure to a work that is deeply original。 It takes a little time for it all to soak in， but the effort makes this story all the more rewarding。 I hope the third installment comes soon。Read the full review at SciFi Mind。 。。。more
Shelly Campbell
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Wow。 Just wow。 It’s tough to be elegant with words here with the disorienting wave of what is certain to be the biggest book hang-over of all time already numbing me。 I loved all the characters in Nophek Gloss， Caiden most fiercely of all—Sorry En！ So， how ironic is it that Azura Ghost， the follow up to the insanely imaginative found family space opera， feels like coming home to a family that I didn’t know how much I’d missed。 Essa’s characters are complex multiverses unto themselves， unique， in Wow。 Just wow。 It’s tough to be elegant with words here with the disorienting wave of what is certain to be the biggest book hang-over of all time already numbing me。 I loved all the characters in Nophek Gloss， Caiden most fiercely of all—Sorry En！ So， how ironic is it that Azura Ghost， the follow up to the insanely imaginative found family space opera， feels like coming home to a family that I didn’t know how much I’d missed。 Essa’s characters are complex multiverses unto themselves， unique， individual， and driven by cosmic forces—but most of all—utterly relatable。 You’ll find it impossible not to be tied up in the web of conflict they face， rooting for each of them in turn， wincing at their battle injuries and aching along with them through their losses。 Hansen’s knack for magically plunking your consciousness into the very fibres of her characters is uncanny。 You're not reading about them。 You’re totally immersed， exhausted and desperate， along for the ride。 If Nophek Gloss blew you away， Azura Ghost will put you back together and shatter you all over again。 The universe building is staggeringly unique and imaginative， the plot balances cosmic scale with individual relationships on a knife blade。 This book is overwhelmingly big and comfortingly personal all at the same time， and I’ve no idea what kind of energy Essa Hansen pulled out of the luminiferity to create it， but she is a writer with a fresh， incredible talent like no other I’ve seen。 I’ll be reading this again， in many different universes， on several separate timelines， and I have a feeling I’ll absorb something new each time。 Bravo。 。。。more
Adam
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He grazed the crystalline florescer over his head。 The Azura’s universe bloomed。 Light purled outward， space simmered， and effervescence settled in the wake。 The vibrations quieted to a perfect chorus， ethereal and whisper-sleek。“Ready， gorgeous？”There’s a painting on my wall of a wave crashing on a beach with sea foam frothing up and down the shoreline。 ‘This is just like the multiverse in Azura Ghost，’ I kept thinking to myself while reading Essa Hansen’s sequel to Nophek Gloss。 Countless He grazed the crystalline florescer over his head。 The Azura’s universe bloomed。 Light purled outward， space simmered， and effervescence settled in the wake。 The vibrations quieted to a perfect chorus， ethereal and whisper-sleek。“Ready， gorgeous？”There’s a painting on my wall of a wave crashing on a beach with sea foam frothing up and down the shoreline。 ‘This is just like the multiverse in Azura Ghost，’ I kept thinking to myself while reading Essa Hansen’s sequel to Nophek Gloss。 Countless bubbles of foam， each with its own distinct physical properties， with a thin layer of rind separating each tiny bubble from destruction or assimilation。 In the multiverse analogy， these bubbles are universes， each with their own laws of physics， their own rules of mathematics。 If one bubble universe pops and bleeds into the next: chaos， destruction， eventual adaptation。 Quite a scary thought if you happen to be a resident！ So if the ruling Dynast， Abriss Cetre， tries to unify the entire multiverse by destroying all the border rinds， there will certainly be genocidal consequences。 But when attempting to resurrect lost Graven ancestors， one must crack a few eggs to make an omelette… One of the many things I love about this series is how deep the characters are tied into its rich story。 The characters are driven by multiverse-spanning goals that are humane and relatable。 Abriss Cetre may be seeking to unify the multiverse and bring back the age of the Graven， but above all she is just looking to make a real human connection and escape her cursed power of never knowing if she can be spoken to as an equal。 Threi Cetre is a man obsessed with playing second fiddle to his sister， the most powerful Graven alive， and will do anything he can to find a way to usurp her power while completing his own Graven tech research。 Caiden wants to keep Threi’s powers neutered and his presence banished to a jailed universe， but doesn’t want anything to do with his own Graven roots， finding the manipulation abilities cursed， as Abriss does。 He chooses to live the life as a fugitive to keep Threi jailed and sacrifices his relationship with his found family so they wouldn’t be hunted alongside him。 Caiden’s limits his family to himself， his Very Good Boy pet nophek， and his mysterious Graven ship’s intelligence known as Azura。 In the first book， En， Lathan， Panca， Kisñe， and more of Caiden’s human and xenid friends shared in the spotlight。 In the sequel， we’re introduced to a new cast of characters in the form of Proxies: sculpted humanoid bodyguards， designed by Dynast Abriss in the image of the Graven ancestors， each capable of harnessing the luminiferity in different ways。 In the luminiferity， the spirits of the Graven are diffused instead of dead， so the consciousness of the Proxies can flow between the construct bodies and their original human/xenid bodies。 Proxy Number Nine has a special ability to project her spirit through the luminiferity to visit other bodies outside her own， and it sets the stage for many thrilling battles across space and consciousness。 Other Proxies have specialized fighting capabilities， and there are a couple of scenes of scalar gravity slugfest mayhem when Caiden and the Proxies cross paths。 Her sensitive nervous system fuzzed at the edges like the pages of the most-read books， velveted from a history of touch。Some of the major themes on Nophek Gloss remain front-and-center in Azura Ghost。 Inclusivity and identity are once-again explored as the Proxies struggle to figure out their role in the universe， and if they can live independently outside of Abriss’ Graven influences。 I loved reading about the struggles of these Proxies and their decision-making process when finally given freedom to act on their own， outside of blanketed emotional oppression。 I also loved just how damn cool Hansen’s imagination is。 Incredible ship battles， chase scenes that defy gravity with each new directional leap， and alien， environmental landscapes reminiscent of the Strugatskys’ Roadside Picnic。 Even more impressive is that even though this book introduces many new and exciting characters， new philosophies， and new conflicts， I found this to be a much tighter， and more focussed read than book one。 Much of the first half was build-up， and the entire back-half of the story was all fallout。 It stole my breath and became an absolutely relentless page-turner by book’s end。Azura Ghost somehow raises the bar from what Nophek Gloss brought to the table: a bizarre and thrilling tale of finding one’s true family， brimming with fresh imagination and originality。 Hansen paints wondrous vistas from paragraph to paragraph and drives our emotions through the blender along the way。 This is the type of story that lives as a movie inside your mind and continues to play when the book is done。 The Graven is one of the most thoughtful and visionary science fiction epics I’ve ever read， and I give it my highest recommendation to fans of the genre。 9。5 / 10 。。。more
Paul
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Lots of good action here， as expected。 I didn't like this as much as I'd hoped， but you're into the Space Opera genre， you'll probably like this。 You don't have to read it's predecessor， but you may enjoy it more if you do。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！ Lots of good action here， as expected。 I didn't like this as much as I'd hoped， but you're into the Space Opera genre， you'll probably like this。 You don't have to read it's predecessor， but you may enjoy it more if you do。Thanks very much for the free ARC for review！！ 。。。more
Mya
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This book was CHUNKY but still great。 I sometimes wished there was less action and more character development but that might just be me。 Excited to read the final installation （？） whenever it comes out。
dane
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Thank you to Little， Brown Book Group UK for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！Note: As per the publishers request， my review won't be posted any earlier than two weeks before publication！ Thank you to Little， Brown Book Group UK for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！Note: As per the publishers request， my review won't be posted any earlier than two weeks before publication！ 。。。more
Michael Mammay
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I loved the first book in the series。 This one is better。 It still has the wonderfully imaginative world， though it also runs at a faster pace， with a lot more happening。 Without giving too much away， while the first book was about family （and that theme still runs through this one） this is more Caiden and Leta's book。 I'll promise you this: You absolutely don't know where this is headed。 But you want to。 I loved the first book in the series。 This one is better。 It still has the wonderfully imaginative world， though it also runs at a faster pace， with a lot more happening。 Without giving too much away， while the first book was about family （and that theme still runs through this one） this is more Caiden and Leta's book。 I'll promise you this: You absolutely don't know where this is headed。 But you want to。 。。。more
aspeccharactersoftheday
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https://aspeccharactersoftheday。tumbl。。。 https://aspeccharactersoftheday。tumbl。。。 。。。more
Sunyi Dean
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A cascading narrative of metaphysics， emotion， morality， consciousness， somehow interwoven with incendiary action and a fast paces， reality spanning plot。 Essa's prose leaps across the page， with its trademark astonishing dew riptions， and her pacing is perfect in this one。 A cascading narrative of metaphysics， emotion， morality， consciousness， somehow interwoven with incendiary action and a fast paces， reality spanning plot。 Essa's prose leaps across the page， with its trademark astonishing dew riptions， and her pacing is perfect in this one。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Azura Ghost
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Azura Ghost&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Azura Ghost&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0