Alex Brown Reviews A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow
A Song of Salvation, Alechia Dow (Inkyard Press 978-1-33545-372-3, $18.99. 352pp, hc) July 2023.
Although technically a standalone, Alechia Dow’s new young adult space opera A Song of Salvation is part of the larger world shared by her two earlier YA novels The Sound of Stars and The Kindred. It helps, but you don’t need to read the other two to enjoy and understand the third. That said, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to read some of the best YA BIPOC science fiction books on the market.
Zaira has prepared her whole life to be executed. She is the reincarnation of a god of creation, but hasn’t yet learned to harness the god’s powers. The followers of the god of destruction, the colonizing Ilori, have already destroyed most of Zaira’s homeworld and its people, and once she goes, there will be nothing standing in the way of them taking over the universe. Wesley has spent most of his life feeling insignificant and unwanted. His mother abandoned him, his brother doesn’t speak to him, and he has no friends. He careens through life without a care in the world because what’s the point? Rubin is a podcaster with a lot of strong opinions and a large following. He wants to stop the Ilori as much as every other colonized people, so he uses his platform to call them out.
A couple of cosmic accidents bring the three teens together and headed for Earth. The Ilori are amassing as the humans rebel against their overlords, and the future of the universe hangs in the balance. Zaira has a destiny she can’t imagine, Wesley has a destiny he refuses to face, and Rubin has a destiny he never expected.
As usual for Dow, queerness (and especially those on the asexual spectrum) and Blackness take center stage. As a Black person who is also asexual, I can’t tell you how powerful it is to read books where the multitude of ace and aro identities are on display. Despite what some allosexuals think, there are infinite ways to express asexuality. Each of us experience the spectrum differently, and that variety is one of the things I love most about being ace. Dow gets it. The Sound of Star’s Ellie’s demisexuality is different from The Kindred’s Joy’s demisexuality. Zaira and Wesley both seem to fall somewhere on the ace spectrum, yet neither fall into the common stereotypes about asexuals. They and the other queer and BIPOC characters get to exist as their fullest, truest selves without justification or explanation.
The plot moves quickly, but the pace is just right. There is a lot going on, like, a lot, but Dow keeps the narrative balanced. She’s so good at feeding the reader backstory without it feeling like infodumping or endless exposition. YA space opera isn’t known for glacial pacing or extended scenes of quiet introspection. It’s a frantic race to the finish with as much melodrama as the author can cram in. That’s why I enjoy it so much. Even if the plot is lacking, the premise and characters are always a thrill ride. If you know what you’re getting into ahead of time – a romantic space opera where aliens and magic collide – then you should be fine.
I’m not a huge fan of instalove, but Wesley and Rubin are just so darn charming that I couldn’t sum up the will to be annoyed at their whirlwind romance. That said, Rubin could’ve used more development as a character to give their love a deeper impact. He’s a bit flat as a character, despite his importance to the plot and to Wesley and Zaira. But that’s about all I can think of in terms of critique. I loved everything about this book.
Characters and storylines from the first two novels intersect and resolve in the third in satisfying ways. While I recommend reading the first two books before this, it’s not mandatory. Those who haven’t read the others won’t understand the meaning behind some of the characters’ actions, but if nothing else A Song of Salvation should inspire readers to go back and see what they missed.
To be totally honest, this review is a bit of a cheat because I was certain going into it that I’d love A Song of Salvation. It’s not uncommon for beloved authors to disappoint even their most fervent readers. I went into this prepared for disappointment but hoping for joy and am delighted to say I landed on the latter. A Song of Salvation is a wild journey across the universe. You’ve got battling gods, instalove, life-threatening destinies, teens leading a revolution against colonizers, aliens, omniscient fish, and song magic. What more do you need? YA space opera fans, this is the series for you.
Alex Brown is a librarian, author, historian, and Hugo-nominated and Ignyte award-winning critic who writes about speculative fiction, young adult fiction, librarianship, and Black history.
This review and more like it in the September 2023 issue of Locus.
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