Review: Light From Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki, 2021

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Light From Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki, 2021

This novel ticks a lot of boxes for me; diverse LGBTQIA+ characters, science-fiction, a Faustian deal with the devil, Asian culture and characters, a touch of fantasy, Star Trek and Stargate references, purple aliens, chosen family, immigrant culture, violins, and multiple cities in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley (referencing Monterey Park, Temple City, El Sereno, etc.). 

The story centers around Katrina, a runaway transgender youth who ends up in the care of Shizuka in the San Gabrel Valley area of Los Angeles. Shizuka mentors Katrina's prodigal talents with the violin while helping her navigate growing up transgender. Then there's a starship masquerading as a donut shop captained by Lan Tran and her crew, which includes a hologram who eventually gets a "mobile emitter"  (Star Trek reference).

At first, I wasn't sure how a Faustian deal with a demon on Earth would work in a science-fiction setting with aliens embroiled in some galactic battle. Still, the author made all these seemingly disparate components work together and flow into a beautifully knitted fabric.

The book is just lovely and terrific all around, and I rate it 4.93 stars out of 5.00 stars.

From Wikipedia:

Shizuka Satomi is the world's best violin teacher, known for coaching virtuosos who meet tragic ends. Years ago, she struck a deal with a demon that she would deliver seven souls to hell. To do this, she coaches ambitious violin students, then offers them fame and renown in exchange for their souls. Satomi has delivered six souls already, and with a year left on her contract, she needs one more student. She finds that student in Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender prodigy with little formal training.

As Satomi teaches Nguyen, she also meets Lan Tran, a starship captain and refugee disguised as a doughnut shop owner, who has brought her family to Earth to escape war and a deadly plague. The two strike up a tenuous flirtation, but their budding romance is imperiled by Satomi's deal with the demon and Tran's tumultuous galactic past.

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