★★★★☆
I have read two other books by Rebecca Crunden so I knew to expect a unique and thought-provoking read when I purchased Dust and Lightning. This sci-fi novella completely lived up to my high expectations.
Set in the year 4054, when space travel is as common as hopping in an Uber is today, Ames Emerys goes on an intergalactic quest to find out what happened to his brother Callum after receiving word of his death.
The environmental destruction humans have caused on Earth and beyond is a prominent backdrop for this story about a brother’s commitment to his sibling.
I enjoyed Ames as the main character and was quickly invested in his search. As someone with a brother who is also my best friend, I appreciated that the sibling connection felt genuine and not forced.
Despite the depressing and all-too-possible themes of rampant pollution and political corruption, the book has its light-hearted moments. One of the lines that made me laugh out loud was, “If you don’t want to get fried, don’t turn someone into a human lightning bolt.”
One of the features of Crunden’s writing that continue to impress me is how much world-building and storytelling she packs into so few pages. I wasn’t really a fan of novellas until I started reading hers.
I am looking forward to my next Rebecca Crunden read!
