ONE OF ESQUIRE'S BEST SCI-FI BOOKS OF 2024  Bethany Jacobs returns with On Vicious Worlds , the electrifying sequel to These Burning Stars , the Philip K. Dick Award–winning space opera novel about revenge, power, and the price of legacy. The Jeveni have found a fragile sense of peace on the ice planet of Capamame, far from the Kindom’s domineering control. There, Jun Ironway and Masar Hawks are tasked with the impossible: protecting their colony from a faceless saboteur who is hell-bent on spreading mayhem and murder through the colony. Meanwhile, stoic Cleric Chono and Six, the wild manipulator responsible for outwitting the Nightfoot family, struggle to stay one step ahead of their enemies. A collision is on the horizon. One that could ignite the spark of revolution. And over it all hangs the cruel legacy of Esek Nightfoot. A legacy that may prove impossible to escape. . . . Praise for These Burning Stars :  ★ “An intricate plot for revenge drives this far-future SF political thriller. An exciting start from a fresh talent.”―Kirkus (Starred Review) ★ "Readers who love smart thrillers and explosive science fiction won’t want to miss this book."―Booklist (Starred Review) ★ "A devilishly fun thrill ride ... These Burning Stars is plotted like a chess match, confident and surprising as Jacobs moves each piece thoughtfully across her board."―BookPage (Starred Review) "The second book in Jacobs’ Kindom Trilogy begins some months after the ending of the first,  These Burning Stars , which pulled off one of the most brazen, gasp-inducing reveals I’ve experienced in an age. Jacobs writes stunning, engrossing space thrillers that are deeply interested in what pain, grief, and loss can drive a person to do. The resonant politics here cut very close to the bone—but so do the relationships, the powerful and fraught connections among Jacobs’ flawed and unforgettable characters."― Esquire: Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024 "Elaborately constructed motives, action sequences, and plotting make this book a pleasure to read."― Kirkus (Starred Review) on On Vicious Worlds "There’s no shortage of twists, betrayals, and unexpected alliances in this intricate story of revenge and survival. Readers willing to be kept on their toes will find plenty to enjoy. This sets things up nicely for a grand finale in book three."― Publishers Weekly on On Vicious Worlds “An intricate plot for revenge drives this far-future SF political thriller. An exciting start from a fresh talent, offering emotional and political complexity plus plenty of interplanetary action.”― Kirkus (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars "Readers who love smart thrillers and explosive sf won’t want to miss this book."― Booklist (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars "Warps readers across the galaxy on a devilishly fun thrill ride ... These Burning Stars is plotted like a chess match, confident and surprising as Jacobs moves each piece thoughtfully across her board ... If Jacobs’ second entry is anything like the first, we’ll have so much more to discover across her universe in the years to come."― BookPage (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars "The resulting multiplayer cat-and-mouse game is intricately plotted and tightly paced with a satisfying ending that sets the stage nicely for the next installment. Space opera fans will eat this up."― Publishers Weekly on These Burning Stars “Immersive and epic; a sprawling space opera perfect for fans of A Memory Called Empire and Too Like the Lightning .”― Kameron Hurley, author of The Light Brigade on These Burning Stars “Like every good revenge story, These Burning Stars  is baroque, intense, inventive, vivid, violent, and visceral. An impressive debut.” ― Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun on These Burning Stars “A richly imagined space opera packed with intricate worldbuilding, compelling prose, and twisty politics, artfully woven together and delivered through a cast of fallible, endearing characters. An incredible debut perfect for fans of Ann Leckie, Kate Elliott, and Scalzi’s Interdependency series.”― J. S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch on These Burning Stars “A sizzling political space opera exploring the borders of passion and monstrosity, hunter and hunted, obsession and devotion. Jacobs is an exciting new author to watch.”― Essa Hansen, author of Nophek Gloss on These Burning Stars "I love a book that makes me pay attention and rewards me for it. I love even more a book with complicated, messy politics. But really, I'm here for the characters, and Jacobs ' are compelling, flawed, tragic and hopeful at the same time. What's that? There's a sequel? I can't wait."― K. Eason, author of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse on These Burning Stars “Jacobs’s characters and prose have a sharpness to them that’s both beautiful and devastating. These Burning Stars blew me away.”― Marina Lostetter, author of The Helm of Midnight on These Burning Stars “If I were to