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Winter’s Orbit meets The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet in this stunning emotional yet action-packed adult science-fiction novel, perfect for fans of found family and queer-platonic relationships.
One curse. Two sworn enemies. Thousands of lives in the balance.
Five years ago, interstellar pirate Idrian Delaciel ordered a withering – a death curse – cast on Remy’s brother, costing him his life. Now, Remy is ready to return the favour. Only when he casts the withering, it also rebounds onto him.
The implications are unthinkable – that Remy is fatebound to his brother’s killer.
The only way to slow the curse is to close the distance between them, so Remy infiltrates Idrian’s criminal crew, hiding his identity as the witherer. But Remy quickly learns that Idrian is the sole provider of life-saving supplies to thousands of innocents. And if he dies, they will perish with him.
With more at stake now than just revenge, Remy must find a way to break the curse. Too bad for him – the only way to stop a withering is to kill the witherer.
READERS LOVE LORD OF THE EMPTY ISLES
‘Oh gods did I love it . . . a heartwarming, eye tearing story of a found family’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow! Jules Arbeaux has crafted a masterpiece with this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A beautiful story . . . Probably my favourite book of the year so far!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A magnificent debut, characterized by a heartwarming story, incredible characters, and a spectacular found family!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This was one of those books that was addicting . . . It was fast-paced and tense and I was hooked almost immediately. It was incredibly emotional and I was on tenterhooks throughout‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One curse. Two sworn enemies. Thousands of lives in the balance.
Five years ago, interstellar pirate Idrian Delaciel ordered a withering – a death curse – cast on Remy’s brother, costing him his life. Now, Remy is ready to return the favour. Only when he casts the withering, it also rebounds onto him.
The implications are unthinkable – that Remy is fatebound to his brother’s killer.
The only way to slow the curse is to close the distance between them, so Remy infiltrates Idrian’s criminal crew, hiding his identity as the witherer. But Remy quickly learns that Idrian is the sole provider of life-saving supplies to thousands of innocents. And if he dies, they will perish with him.
With more at stake now than just revenge, Remy must find a way to break the curse. Too bad for him – the only way to stop a withering is to kill the witherer.
READERS LOVE LORD OF THE EMPTY ISLES
‘Oh gods did I love it . . . a heartwarming, eye tearing story of a found family’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow! Jules Arbeaux has crafted a masterpiece with this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A beautiful story . . . Probably my favourite book of the year so far!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A magnificent debut, characterized by a heartwarming story, incredible characters, and a spectacular found family!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This was one of those books that was addicting . . . It was fast-paced and tense and I was hooked almost immediately. It was incredibly emotional and I was on tenterhooks throughout‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Reviews
A heartwarming - gut-wrenching - and thrilling adventure. Arbeaux's debut features a glorious cast of misfits that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure - even as they hold a gun to your head. They're all my babygirls. And you better not come for them because they take a wicked pleasure in protecting their own. Found family at its very best!
Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, this story asks how far you'll go for the person who is your whole world, when revenge is a knife that cuts the wielder just as much. A fantastic debut for fans of found family, queerplatonic relationships, and deeply human characters who are allowed to be monstrous: vulnerable and violent at once
I adore this book - it has complicated, prickly, tender characters that will win you over and break your heart, a fresh and fascinating world with a beautiful new take on soul-bond magic, and Arbeaux has a voice so crisp and compassionate that you can't help but fall in love. Lord of the Empty Isles is an absolute delight
Guaranteed to break your heart and simultaneously mend it, Lord of The Empty Isles is an un-put-downable magical space adventure with a lovable found family cast as morally complex and clever as they are chaotic!
Set in a vividly realized universe shaped by environmental devastation and soul-bonds, Lord of the Empty Isles brims with big, fascinating ideas - but even more than that, it is full to bursting with feelings. Amidst all the magic and space-faring adventure is a stunning, thoughtful treatise on grief and love in all its forms. A wonderfully cathartic experience
Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux is a fast-paced yet thoughtful debut novel, perfect for those who love reading deeply human imaginings of future societies