
The Stardust Grail
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Katharine Chin
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By:
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Yume Kitasei
About this listen
Long-listed, NPR Best Book of the Year, 2024
Long-listed, Esquire Magazine Best Books of the Year, 2024
Long-listed, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2024
Save one world. Doom her own.
Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizations—until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she’s haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future.
Then an old friend comes to her with a job she can’t refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they aren’t the only ones hunting for it.
Maya sets out on a breakneck quest through a universe teeming with strange life and ancient ruins. But the farther she goes, the more her visions cast a dark shadow over her team of friends new and old. Someone will betray her along the way. Worse yet, in choosing to save one species, she may condemn humanity and Earth itself.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.
©2024 Yume Kitasei (P)2024 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Kitasei’s outstanding sophomore outing clears the high bar she set in The Deep Sky, combining a high-stakes space adventure with exquisitely crafted worldbuilding and plausibly imagined interspecies communication." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Broad in scope, covering everything from the rise and fall of alien civilizations to what it means to be a person, this is a luminous work, vacillating between the highs and lows of human experience and how they might translate across alien worlds." —Kirkus, starred review
"Come to The Stardust Grail for Indiana Jones-style outer space heist adventure, stay for the sensitively drawn characters and thoughtful exploration of other forms of life far beyond our own—Yume Kitasei's second novel is an engaging, fascinating story that you don't want to miss." —Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of Chosen Ones
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Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
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The most beautiful thing I've enjoyed this year!
- By DabOfDarkness on 08-06-18
By: Jacqueline Carey
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Autonomous
- A Novel
- By: Annalee Newitz
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap scrips for poor people who can't otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane.
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Came For The Science, Bailed For The Porn
- By Becca Mellema on 08-05-19
By: Annalee Newitz
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Masquerade
- By: O.O. Sangoyomi
- Narrated by: Ariel Blake
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Òdòdó's hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland. Already shunned as social pariahs, living conditions for Òdòdó and the other women in her blacksmith guild grow even worse under Yorùbá rule.Then Òdòdó is abducted. She is whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, where she is shocked to discover that her kidnapper is none other than the vagrant who had visited her guild just days prior. But now that he is swathed in riches rather than rags, Òdòdó realizes he is not a vagrant at all.
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From the forge to the throne!
- By Rose Carmel Gaspard on 09-29-24
By: O.O. Sangoyomi
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The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Brooks
- Narrated by: Katie Leung, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train's last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train’s secrets.
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Narration cadence too clipped
- By ulan25 on 08-03-24
By: Sarah Brooks
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Rubicon
- By: J. S. Dewes
- Narrated by: Eunice Wong
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Sergeant Adriene Valero wants to die. She can't. After enduring a traumatic resurrection for the ninety-sixth time, Valero is reassigned to a special forces unit and outfitted with a cutting-edge virtual intelligence aid. They could turn the tide in the war against intelligent machines dedicated to the assimilation, or destruction, of humanity. When her VI suddenly achieves sentience, Valero is drawn into the machinations of an enigmatic major who’s hell-bent on ending the war—by any means necessary.
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some twists and turns
- By Ocean State Prime on 06-24-23
By: J. S. Dewes
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A God in the Shed
- A God in the Shed, Book 1
- By: J-F. Dubeau
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The village of Saint-Ferdinand has all the trappings of a quiet life. Though if an out-of-towner stopped in, they would notice one unusual thing - a cemetery far too large and much too full for such a small town, lined with the victims of the Saint-Ferdinand Killer, who has eluded police for nearly two decades. It's not until after Inspector Stephen Crowley finally catches the killer that the town discovers even darker forces are at play.
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So Disappointing
- By NNN on 03-11-18
By: J-F. Dubeau
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Light from Uncommon Stars
- By: Ryka Aoki
- Narrated by: Cindy Kay
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: To escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four.
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Awesome with a few hitches.
- By Levi Fay on 10-01-21
By: Ryka Aoki
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The West Passage
- By: Jared Pechaček
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Guardian of the West Passage died in her bed, the women of Grey Tower fed her to the crows and went back to their chores. No successor was named as Guardian, no one took up the fallen blade; the West Passage went unguarded. Now, snow blankets Grey in the height of summer. Rats erupt from beneath the earth, fleeing that which comes. Crops fail. Hunger looms. And none stand ready to face the Beast, stirring beneath the poisoned soil. The fate of all who live in the palace hangs on narrow shoulders.
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for lovers of strangeness
- By Kat on 09-18-24
By: Jared Pechaček
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Foul Days
- The Witch's Compendium of Monsters, Book 1
- By: Genoveva Dimova
- Narrated by: Zura Johnson
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice treating lycanthrope bites, bargaining with kikimoras, and slaying bloodsucking upirs. There’s only one monster she can’t defeat: her ex, the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed by someone close to her, Kosara’s only choice is to trade her shadow—the source of her powers—for a quick escape.
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Unique and Enjoyable
- By Darcia Helle on 10-26-24
By: Genoveva Dimova
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The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel
- A Story of Sleepy Hollow
- By: Alyssa Palombo
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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When Ichabod Crane arrives in the spooky little village of Sleepy Hollow as the new schoolmaster, Katrina Van Tassel is instantly drawn to him. Through their shared love of books and music, they form a friendship that quickly develops into romance. When romance gives way to passion, Ichabod and Katrina embark on a secret love affair, sneaking away into the woods after dark to be together - all while praying they do not catch sight of Sleepy Hollow’s legendary Headless Horseman. That is until Ichabod suddenly disappears, leaving Katrina alone and in a perilous position.
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boring, terrible bodice-ripping drivel
- By BooksAndTrouble on 10-04-18
By: Alyssa Palombo
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Ultra 85
- By: Logic
- Narrated by: Steve Blum, Logic
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In the year 2115, when the Earth is no longer inhabitable, the remainder of humanity lives in Babel, a giant space station. Two pilots, Quentin and Kai, must find the planet Paradise, where only the most promising citizens are allowed to live. On their journey, Quentin and Kai encounter Quentin’s estranged father, who left Babel for Paradise when Quentin was a child, and they discover just how different Paradise is from what they imagined—and how they must change it for the better.
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Steven Blum is the only reason to listen to this.
- By Vash Kimura on 01-08-25
By: Logic
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The Knight
- The Wizard Knight Series, Book One
- By: Gene Wolfe
- Narrated by: Dan Bittner
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical realm that contains seven levels of reality. Very quickly transformed by magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Able and sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, a sword he will get from a dragon, the one very special blade that will help him fulfill his life ambition to become a knight and a true hero. Inside, however, Able remains a boy, and he must grow in every sense to survive the dangers and delights that lie ahead in encounters with giants, elves, and wizards.
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Confusing as hell.
- By Zachary on 09-26-18
By: Gene Wolfe
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Spiderlight
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The Church of Armes of the Light has battled the forces of Darkness for as long as anyone can remember. The great prophecy has foretold that a band of misfits, led by a high priestess will defeat the Dark Lord Darvezian, armed with their wits, the blessing of the Light and an artifact stolen from the merciless Spider Queen. Their journey will be long, hard and fraught with danger. Allies will become enemies; enemies will become allies. And the Dark Lord will be waiting, always waiting…
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First listen to this author went well
- By nikolaus matheis on 11-04-24
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Solar Express
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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You can't militarize space. This one rule has led to decades of peaceful development of space programs worldwide. However, increasing resource scarcity and a changing climate on Earth's surface is causing some interested parties - namely India, the North American Union, and the Sinese Federation - to militarize. The discovery of a strange artifact by Dr. Alayna Wong precipitates a crisis. What appears to be a hitherto undiscovered comet is soon revealed to be an alien structure on a cometary trajectory toward the sun.
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I Really Enjoyed This -- Far More Than Expected
- By C. Hartmann on 11-11-15
What listeners say about The Stardust Grail
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- SW;MDA
- 01-15-25
Science fiction as meant to be
To me the best sci to is about humans, alien. species and exploration. This author has created a universe where humans and aliens all interact with unexpected consequences. What is is normal and expected behavior, even necessary for survival, may be impossible to understand and detrimental to other aliens. This book has an excellent plot that slowly exposes all of the above. The narration is great and the characters likeable. The world building is fascinating. Highly recommend listening to or reading this book.
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- Jessica Simonetti
- 07-27-24
Interesting premise
I think I would’ve enjoyed this book had I read it on paper. The audiobook makes the slow pacing stand out more and the alien pronunciation game hard to follow. I also would like to see Auncle’s speech written out and see what the narrator based her interpretation on, for me it took away from my enjoyment enormously. Rather undoable really. Didn’t enjoy listening.
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- Christina Hubbard
- 10-05-24
Performance
Excellent use of tone and voice changes. The characters could be easily identified, which made the entertaining story even more interesting.
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- T Huggins
- 12-31-24
Interesting mix of Sci-fi and mystery
Liked this title, it was an interesting mix of Sci-fi, gore, and seeing an alternate future
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- Anonymous User
- 07-08-24
Great story, interesting characters
Very much liked the story, and the pacing was great . Ignore the review that says they've read this before, because they are either lying or didn't read it. It's obviously not objectively great; I'm not insane enough to boldly state my opinion as a fact.
But if you like To Sleep In A Sea of Stars with a slightly higher chance with the writer going back to this universe soon, you may want to check it out.
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1 person found this helpful
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- ForgetIt
- 12-31-24
Entertaining YA sci-fi
This will not give anybody a headache, I speculate. Don’t expect sparkling writing, but a serviceable read when concentration might be hard to find.
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- C P
- 09-11-24
Pronouns are out of control
For literary purposes it might have been interesting idea to give alien pronouns to every character (including humans), but for comprehension and enjoyment this was a very bad idea. The narrator does her best but it becomes very tedious very quickly. It’s also hard to follow which character is being referred to during conversations with more than two characters.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Priscilla
- 06-30-24
Seen this premise before.
The narration of UNCLE in this book is incredibly annoying--pull my hair out annoying. I just couldn't continue. This is a DNF for me.
While the writing is good, the premise fell short. We've seen this premise over and over again: scholar girl with a cause, leaves everything behind for it, blah, blah, blah.
Toss in not enough humor and not enough tension, boom you have The Stardust Grail.
Hard pass.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Steeramos
- 04-24-25
Really Frustrating
Most of this story is just irritating. The main character grew up poor on a colony world and had to endure a terrible sickness, but despite such difficult and humble origins she is accepted to Princeton, not once, but twice. She has also spent a great deal of time traveling the universe with her best alien friend. She has family, friends, and a promising future. But don't expect her to be grateful or content. She spends the entire book vassilating and mopey. It gets old fast. She never seems to be able to commit to anything. When she's on earth in school, she's procrastinating and squandering opportunities. When she goes back into space, she's adamant that this is the last time and she can't wait to get back to school. Then, when it seems like the job is done, she's whining about not being ready for it to end. Following this character's journey is like taking a long walk with sand in your shoe. Now, let's talk about the story itself. While the premise is good, there is a lot left to be desired. Whenever something comes up that the author doesn't want us to understand, the explanation is just "There have been wars in the universe, and lots of stuff has been forgotten." The alien races and technology portrayed are so briefly explained that you never really understand how or why they are reacting the way they are. Maybe the intent was to be mysterious, but it just leaves you saying "What?" Over all the whole thing is very unsatisfying.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-10-24
Not my cup of tea
Unfortunately, *Stardust Grail* wasn't to my taste. The constant cry of "Mayyaaaa!" became a grating refrain throughout the book. The plot lacked originality and was filled with rather unlikable characters. While it drew inspiration from adventurous tales like Indiana Jones, it didn’t quite live up to the expectations or the hype.
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