Sometimes a book comes along and reminds you of why you love a particular genre. Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer is that book for science fiction. Packed with action, snark, and a competition to claim the rule of the empire, Crownchasers is a love letter to all that is good in science fiction.
Alyssa Farshot is running. From her family’s legacy, from her emotions, from sobriety. But she can’t run from the royal call to join the crownchase, a hunt for the hidden royal seal where the winner becomes the next ruler. With the help of her trusty ship, a childhood friend, and her loyal engineer that she definitely does not have feelings for, Alyssa will have to navigate the royal politics she left behind and race to retrieve the royal seal before it’s too late.
For some reason, the publishing industry seems to think YA science fiction is a dying genre. I won’t go full soapbox on that here, but I will kindly direct every YA science fiction naysayer’s attention to the sheer perfection that is Crownchasers. It is is everything you want in a book: fast-paced but never lacking for emotion, rich with diversity and unique worlds, and characters that you can relate to, cheer for, and want to be drinking buddies with.
Coffindaffer’s writing is deeply immersive and pulls you in from the very first line. The pacing throughout is the right balance of fast and “let me catch my breath and have some emotions”. There is a bit of bouncing around with Alyssa’s POV chapters, flashbacks, and the POV of another character. At first the flow feels a bit odd, but it all starts to come together and you can see why Coffindaffer structured it the way she did. Centering the story on space adventure/competition where all the competitors are old childhood friends and exes gives the story plenty of material to work with and keeps the action at the forefront.
Let’s chat for a minute about my new favourite character, Alyssa Farshot. She is chaotic, adventuresome, and full of snark. But she also has the layers of emotions that make her feel real and gives her the depth that some main characters lack. You can’t help but feel that you would definitely join her crew aboard the Vagabond Quick and it would be the absolute time of your life. With a majority of the story told from Alyssa’s POV, we get to see all the internal bits of her that she doesn’t always show to those around her and that behind the snarky, badass exterior glimpse shows the perfect balance that Coffindaffer was able to bring to Alyssa’s character. (Side note: any Battlestar Galactica/Kara Thrace fans out there will immediately fall in love with Alyssa)
And let’s not forget the absolute delight of a character that is Hell Monkey. Yes, you read that right, Hell Monkey. H.M. brings a soft and smart side to the story to balance out the chaos of Alyssa. The rest of the characters are well developed through the flashbacks, but not in a way that takes away from the pace of the story. Coffindaffer gathers quite the cast in this novel and watching them all race towards their objectives is nothing short of fascinating.
One of the many things to love about Crownchasers is the expansive universe Coffindaffer gives us. At any given point, we are traveling along with Alyssa to different planets, ghostdocks, hyperlight lanes, and ship graveyards. We don’t get just one world built here, we get numerous. Each stop on Alyssa’s journey is given its time to become a part of the story.
If you’ve been looking for a novel to introduce you to or reignite your love for YA science fiction, Crownchasers is the one for you. There isn’t one moment of this novel that isn’t showing you the depth and appeal of science fiction. I personally have a pretty high bar for science fiction novels, and Crownchasers cleared it with ease, a wink, and some finger guns.
Crownchasers is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Crownchasers? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A deadly competition for the throne will determine more than just the fate of the empire in this riveting duology opener, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Aurora Rising, and Three Dark Crowns.
Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy. Her mother sacrificed everything to bring peace to the quadrant, and her uncle has successfully ruled as emperor for decades. But the last thing Alyssa wants is to follow in their footsteps as the next in line for the throne. Why would she choose to be trapped in a palace when she could be having wild adventures exploring a thousand-and-one planets in her own ship?
But when Alyssa’s uncle becomes gravely ill, his dying wish surprises the entire galaxy. Instead of naming her as his successor, he calls for a crownchase, the first in seven centuries. Representatives from each of the empire’s prime families—including Alyssa—are thrown into a race to find the royal seal, which has been hidden somewhere in the empire. The first to find the seal wins the throne.
Alyssa’s experience as an explorer makes her the favorite to win the crown she never wanted. And though she doesn’t want to be empress, her duty to her uncle compels her to participate in this one last epic adventure. But when the chase turns deadly, it’s clear that more than just the fate of the empire is at stake. Alyssa is on her most important quest yet—and only time will tell if she’ll survive it.
