Terra is about to come of age on the Asherah, a generation ship that’s been in space for five hundred years. It’s approaching its destination, the planet they call Zehava, and hers will be the last generation to grow to adulthood on the ship. Despite this very exciting fact, Terra can’t muster much happiness. She’s been assigned to work a job that she hates, and her father is a drunk and consumed by his grief for her mother, who died some time ago. The boy she likes seems to only be interested in her prettier friend.

And then, naturally, things get worse. Terra witnesses a terrible act of violence by a soldier on the ship, someone who is supposed to protect them. She’s forced to keep it a secret, knowing if she revealed it, her life would be forfeit. She begins to realize that the ruling class of the ship may not have everyone’s best interests at heart, that they’ve overstepped their bounds and may be intending to extend their control of the people of the Asherah beyond the ship, to the planet below. Unsurprisingly for a story like this, Terra finds herself involved in an underground rebellion. Soon, she’s asked to do something terrible, but – so they say – necessary, too.

There’s a lot of creativity at work in Starglass. In particular, the ship’s culture, which is very overtly Jewish, stands out. It’s a nice change from the “casually Christian” cultures of so many other SF stories, as North describes on her website. And it fits nicely into the frame story, which adds an interesting and unexpected layer.

The ending, too, is unexpected, but believable as well. In a way, it subverts the expectations many seasoned SF readers will have. I can’t begin to count the number of SF books I’ve read that have telegraphed their endings. It was nice to be surprised. (I’m being cryptic, but I don’t want to spoil anything.)

That’s not to say all aspects of the story are difficult to guess. Even casual readers will know how Terra’s two “romances” (and I use that word loosely here) will play out. But the writing is solid and the story is well-rounded, with a main plot that drives steadily forward while being buoyed by interesting, purposeful subplots. Starglass is not a thrill ride. In many ways it’s a cultural study of the Asherah’s people, as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl.

I’ve decided I have an affection for stories about generation ships. The possibilities are so huge (read: aliens and new planets) that it’s hard not to get excited about what the author will do. At the same time, it’s hard not to be disappointed if and when the author only scratches the surface of what’s possible. In Starglass, Terra does not leave the ship. Luckily for us, there’s a sequel in the works, and the ending to Starglass leaves no doubt that these possibilities that interest me so will be explored there. It reminds me a lot of the anticipation I felt after finishing Beth Revis’ A Million Suns, where the characters were poised to explore the new planet – and North has given us some hints of what her characters will find on Zehava.

This is a natural readalike for Revis’ trilogy, though readers should expect a more leisurely story than Revis provides. I’m sure it will be classified as a dystopia by many, but this is just good old-fashioned science fiction, and it should please readers looking for just that.

If this review has piqued your interest, check back tomorrow – we’ve got a twitterview with the author, plus a giveaway of a finished copy of Starglass.

Review copy via Edelweiss