4.5 stars

In a world where women are 'discouraged' from professional careers, where climate change is rapidly making the Earth uninhabitable, five women conspire to steal a spaceship.

This book is not without its flaws, sure. For one thing: character motivation. Valerie has a clear and believable motivation for her actions. The other four? I don't know. What were they hoping to achieve? Why go to all that trouble just to be the first to set foot on the newly discovered Cavendish if you know you're going to be caught and arrested and probably executed for your crime? How would it benefit you or humanity?

For another, Valerie's transformation from hero (not the hero, but a hero none the less)… to cold-blooded killer was a bit too sharp of a turn to be entirely believable.

And yet… For all that, this is a hell of a book. The world Lam has created is both entirely believable and utterly terrifying. The characters are (for the most part) deeply human – flawed yet brilliant, fascinating yet realistic. And the story itself is a gripping, compelling read.