#8 Stars and Bones by Gareth L. Powell

On the moment of the Earth’s destruction due to nuclear bombs, a scientist discovers wormhole travel that immediately causes an alien to stop the bombs and lead us to the stars while leaving Earth behind forever.  Now more than seventy five years later humans are among the stars on over a thousands ships strong, using the technology given to us by the Angels of the Benevolence.  Granted our second chance has us packed in huge ships with Ais to help us find a new place in the universe.  One of the advance scout ships has gone missing and a rescue is going after them piloted by the sister of the other pilot.  Candidate-623 is a barren world with some ruins of a past civilization, but things are not what they appear, and something attacks and kills the crew.  The ship’s AI pilots a return to the fleet but brings the damage with them.  Now Eryn needs to figure out what killed her sister and is trying to take over all the ships.

The founding of this next step in human culture is intermixed with the story of this alien contact trying to destroy the fleet.  I’m surious to see more books in this setting since it really plays with what would happen if everyone’s needs were really met and different layers of society were flattened out.

 

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss