One of my favorite holiday traditions is to buy two copies of a book and keep one while I send the other to a friend so we can both read the same book at the same time. The first book of my winter holiday book exchange was Adrift In Starlight by Mindi Briar (science fiction romance, 269 pages).

THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW.

“Titan Valentino has been offered a job they can’t refuse. Tai, a gender-neutral courtesan, receives a scandalous proposition: seduce an actor’s virgin fiancee. The money is enough to pay off Tai’s crushing medical debt, a tantalizing prospect. Too bad Aisha Malik isn’t the easy target they expect. A standoffish historian who hates to be touched, she’s laser-focused on her career, and completely unaware that her marriage has been arranged behind her back. This could be the one instance where Tai’s charm and charisma fail them. Then an accidental heist throws them together as partners in crime. Fleeing from the Authorities, they’re dragged into one adventure after another: alien planets, pirate duels, and narrow escapes from the law. As Tai and Aisha open up to each other, deeper feelings kindle between them. But that reward money still hangs over Tai’s head. Telling Aisha the truth could ruin everything … Their freedom, their career, and their blossoming love all hang in the balance. To save one might mean sacrificing the rest.”

I needed a book for the holiday book exchange and found this book mentioned on a booklist with asexual main characters. I read the poster’s bulleted lists about Adrift In Starlight and decided to give it a chance. The cover art was very gripping and the premise looked interesting. But because I don’t order books online, I went to Barnes and Noble and had them order it and send it directly to my house, which actually worked out quite well. The book arrived within a couple of days and I was able to ship it in time for it to be received before the winter holidays. Then life happened for a little bit and we didn’t wind up starting it until close to the end of the winter holidays.

We both finished reading it the same day we started, which is mildly unheard of for this particular friend. Usually, it’s a struggle to get them to read anything, but this book was instantly addictive and they started it at work and then finished it over breakfast immediately after leaving their shift. I started Adrift In Starlight as a way to pre-warm my bed and then wound up getting about halfway through before I finally needed to actually go to sleep, and then I finished it easily as soon as I woke up.

One of the best parts about this book is how it reads exactly like fanfiction. There’s a warning on the very first page, which is extremely helpful for anticipating potentially problematic content, which is something ao3 tags provide when reading fanfiction, and is very helpful in curating my reading experience.

I also very much enjoyed the black and white artwork throughout the book. I miss seeing paintings and drawings in fiction and it was quite refreshing to see that here.

SPOILERS START HERE.

I found the characters interesting and the world/universe-building fascinating. One of my very favorite parts of this book was when I found about the telepathic, teleporting SPACE DRAGONS! That’s right, you see my words correctly. This science fiction, QUILTBAG-content, space book ALSO HAS DRAGONS!

It’s like a running joke with everyone that the only things I get really distracted by are books, LEGO, and DRAGONS. I also like space a lot so combining space and dragons was pretty awesome. I’m greatly intrigued by the dragons and their relationship to the “Restorers”. I also very much appreciated taking giant space insects, giving them anxiety over being alone, and making them the “good guys” of the galaxy.

One of the reasons I say this reads like fanfiction is because you pretty much know Tai and Aisha are going to find a way to work out their differences. Fanfiction is really good at allowing people to have their emotions and acknowledging those thoughts, feelings, and emotions are valid, but then treating their reactions like mature adults. Tai and Aisha communicate to each other when they are hurt by the other’s actions and they both allow themselves and each other time to process their mistakes and their situation.

Overall, I’d probably rate this book as a four on my individual rating scheme. I’m glad I bought it and I will likely read it again.

Briar, Mindi. Adrift In Starlight. City Owl Press, 2022.