I loved the description of magic plus Hidden Figures! The Starseekers is a historical fantasy in the world of The Conductors. It’s been a while since I’ve been in this world, so it’s almost brand new to me! Keep reading this book review of The Starseekers for my full thoughts.
Summary
In the 1960s, the world was caught up in reaching beyond our planet and into the cosmos. It felt impossible—but there was nothing science, math…and magic couldn’t make possible. The race to space was on, and the Moon was what everyone had their eyes on.
Including Cynthia Rhodes, a brilliant arcane engineer at NASA’s Ainsworth Research Labs. Talented in math and magic, she hosts a magical educational show… a job she took mostly for a chance to regularly see the dashing Theodore Danner, a professor of arcane archeology.
She is also an amateur sleuth—something that has run in her family for generations.
When a cursed museum curator nearly interrupts a broadcast of their show, Cynthia finds an eager sleuthing partner in Theo. Pairing up, they begin investigating the strange behavior of the curator and a mysterious theft at the arcane history museum—until one of Cynthia’s own coworkers perishes right in front of her in a major lab accident that endangers Ainsworth’s role in the space race.
Certain it was murder instead of an accident, Cynthia sees this as a separate case at first. However the more she and Theo investigate, Cynthia uncovers a surprising link between the two incidents. The museum theft and murder are part of a larger equation—one that includes deadly enchantments, rumored pirate treasure, a peculiar plant, and a dire threat to the space program as well as everything she holds dear.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Murder and magic, The Starseekers is a blend of historical fiction 1960s and fantasy. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the world of The Conductors, but this is supposed to be a standalone. I liked the blend of murder and fantasy, but I think The Starseekers suffers a bit from mismanaged expectations. First of all, the Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures is a bit too much emphasis on Hidden Figures. Once the murder plotline gains steam, we transition over and the actual allure of Hidden Figures really decreases in a way that I think sets up some missed expectations. I know that the NASA and stories of black women in STEM is a theme that doesn’t get as much attention as the Indiana Jones vibes and murder.
Secondly, while this is supposed to be a standalone, there isn’t a lot of description of the world. All I really remembered from the past are these star sigils, but there isn’t really any explanation of that or the other magic in the world. As a fantasy, it feels a bit lacking in terms of solid and descriptive world building. I wanted to sink back into the limitations of magic and the possibilities. Thirdly, the romance was a bit imbalanced. I loved the past memories of their Indiana Jones adventures. This really delivered on the action and showed their interactions in the past. But Past Theo had more going on than current Theo. It just made me realize how bland the present Theo was and how much I wanted more depth to this side character.
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Overall, I enjoyed the foundations of The Starseekers. As a world of magical investigation it’s promising. I also liked the ways that it tries to connect to family stories and characters from previous books even if I was pretty lost. It gives the story a more generational feel and I enjoyed the multi-generational family element. Maybe it just works better if you view it as a continuation of the series. Find The Starseekers on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.