The Fated Sky Audiobook By Mary Robinette Kowal cover art

The Fated Sky

Lady Astronaut, Book 2

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Fated Sky

By: Mary Robinette Kowal
Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

Mary Robinette Kowal continues the grand sweep of alternate history begun in The Calculating Stars. The Fated Sky looks forward to 1961, when mankind is well established on the moon and looking forward to its next step: journeying to, and eventually colonizing, Mars.

Of course the noted Lady Astronaut Elma York would like to go, but there’s a lot riding on whoever the International Aerospace Coalition decides to send on this historic - but potentially very dangerous - mission. Could Elma really leave behind her husband and the chance to start a family to spend several years traveling to Mars? And with the civil rights movement taking hold all over Earth, will the astronaut pool ever be allowed to catch up, and will these brave men and women of all races be treated equitably when they get there?

This gripping look at the real conflicts behind a fantastical space race will put a new spin on our visions of what might have been.

©2018 Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2018 Audible, Inc. Alternate History Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Exploration
Compelling Alternate History • Excellent Character Development • Breathtaking Performance • Thought-provoking Themes
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
Too much interpersonal and social drama with very little actual science. I would categorize this book as a romance novel more than science fiction.
Still, it was "OK enough" to try the third book with hopes of a return to the themes of book one.

Not nearly as good as book one

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An incredible book. The first book in this series was excellent. The second book is somehow even better. I'm jumping into the next book as soon as possible! Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Even better than the first.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The author's performance kicks an already stellar story into an incredible listening experience. I loved the mix of alternate history, historical technology, and science fiction. This series has so much worthwhile to say, with endearing characters, action, comedy, and moments of incredible tension.
I can't wait for Book 3.

As Brilliant as the First

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really liked this series. It felt very real. The narration was good. This is like The Right Stuff combined with the Martian.

Cool alternate reality

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The doctors York have their characters expanded excellently. The lady astronaut is a supremely compelling character!
The performance from the author bring out the real depth and emotion of the characters.

An excellent story from a unique perspective

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A beautiful and real feeling book with full bodied characters and inspiring imagination. A must read!

Beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
like the calculating stars before it The Fated Sky will take you away from Earth's grasp and now bring you to face the yet unexplored realities of interplanetary travel. Mary Robinette Kowal's work was at every step more surprising than the step before. I thought I would be ready for the journey to the red planet following my time spent following the Lady Astronaut on her way to the Moon but Mary Robinette Kowal proved that even the most well planned journey bears untold troubles and she demonstrates this with an approach as elegant as Emma York's calculations.

If you have not read or heard this series I cannot think of a better recommendation for your next book. And if you have, another read or listen may not go amiss.

An intrepid adventure to another world!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love this book and the whole series. I have purchased them all, and can't stop listening at every chance possible!

love it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Quite a treat to have the writer and the performer as one fantastic package. Lovely series.

Wonderful!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
even better than the first book in the series going to book three now, bye

yes yes yes

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews