The Last Gifts of the Universe is like no science fiction novel I have read before. When Rory August reached out to me about this book, they described it as literary science fiction. It took me some time to move it from my TBR to Currently Reading to Read but I have done it and I am very happy to have read this book. Let’s take a look at what it’s about:
The Last Gifts of the Universe
A dying universe.
By Rory August | Goodreads
When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilizations, a sea of lifeless gray planets and their ruins. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last civilization left in the universe, and whatever came for the others will come for them next.
A search for answers.
Scout is an Archivist tasked with scouring the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals—anything left behind that might be useful to the Home worlds and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.
A past unraveled.
Blyreena was once a friend, a soul mate, and a respected leader of her people, the Stelhari. At the end of her world, she was the last one left. She survived to give one last message, one final hope to the future: instructions on how to save the universe.
An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.
With the fate of everything at stake, Scout must overcome the dangers of the Stelhari’s ruined civilization while following Blyreena’s leads to collect its artifacts. If Scout can’t deliver these groundbreaking discoveries back to the Archivists,Home might not only be the last civilization to exist, but the last to finally fall.
Content notes include profanity and death.
The Last Gifts of the Universe – Review
Kriti: When one of your favorite people loves a book, you have to make time for it. At least I do when SK recommends a story. I loved the premise of The Last Gifts of the Universe. Scout belongs to the only existing civilization out there. They are an archivist, someone who travels the universe to collect information and distil it into knowledge and insights. Unfortunately, all planets that archivists have been to so far have an uncanny commonality: they are all long dead and it seems to be at the hands of the same thing. Through Scout, I felt the loneliness of this existence. I have never pondered that before. We always talk about making connections with alien species but what a dark thought to be alone in the universe.
SK: This was something that caught my attention about it as well! Normally with science fiction I love seeing alien civilizations and such, but the idea that it’s just them right now, all alone in the black of space, wondering what happened to everyone else… I thought that was a novel idea, sort of exploring The Great Filter, and really well done. Though the Great Filter is a science concept, it’s not hard sci-fi, so if getting hung up on the nitty gritty of mechanics isn’t your thing as a reader, you don’t have to worry about that here. It’s more of a musing, thoughtful piece with some excellent adventure and relationships along the way (and a fantastic cat named Pumpkin)!
The Last Gifts of the Universe is about finding our place in the world as well as being ok with how others want to live their lives. Through the course of the book, Scout is dealing with grief for losing their mother. They tried their best to get her advanced treatment but she had other plans. Later conversations with their brother, Kieran, revealed that their universe-faring days may be coming to an end. While Scout loves space and finds being on the planet suffocating, Kieran wants the stability of home and being able to eat his favourite foods, start a family and put down roots. This was another new perspective for me to read in a space-opera style science fiction. As a planet-side person, I have no clue about living in space and I totally related to Kieran about the comforts of the ground.
Scout’s conversations with their brother about their differing wants for the future were so poignant for me, because I really felt their love for each other as well as Scout understanding that Kieran needs to be free to pursue his own dreams, even if Scout would rather be able to continue spending their life in space with their brother. It’s so hard when you want to enjoy someone’s company but understanding that you can’t be selfish about it at the same time, that you have to let the people you love go do their own thing, too, it really worked well for me.
Early in the book, Scout and Kieran stumble upon a data cache that was meant to be found. Scout believes that it has information about the mysterious beings that have destroyed civilizations before. But nothing is ever easy and they seem to be in a race against an advanced group of operatives called Verity Co. Scout’s distaste for this organization is deep-seated and revealed over time. Inevitably, their paths cross again and again, at times each group giving the other much-needed help, even if begrudgingly. As they traverse the vastness of the universe to get answers, Scout examines the data cache they have been able to get a copy of. They find themselves engrossed in the life story of a Council Member named Blyreena of the planet Panev which is one of the destroyed civilizations. Their species was named Stelhari and they were quite advanced as well. They had researched the threat that had come for their civilization and were offering Scout the chance to use it, if found.
This was one of my favorite parts of this story! (Ok, I have a lot of favorite parts.) Normally I like it best when plots are fairly straightforward, without a lot of back and forth in the timeline. However, I thought that Blyreena’s plot as her story is uncovered and the way that intersects with Scout’s plot was masterfully done. Blyreena’s message to the universe, the last thing she’ll ever say, the one thing she can leave behind for future generations, too, is so powerful.
The archivists have technology to translate all languages and it was fascinating how that was still not enough. As Scout listened to the account, they were able to get more context and make adjustments to the translations. To confuse ‘the last stand’ (defense) with ‘the last stance’ (a position) changes the meaning of everything. I found this Stelhari rite unique and definitely want to do something with the idea.
Yes! There’s so much nuance with languages and I loved how that little tidbit really shifted perspective on everything. That sometimes there is no last defense we can take, but we always have a last stance, a last message, a last position. And the power that these last words can have to carry on even after we’re gone.
I loved how The Last Gifts of the Universe was not a technology-heavy book. There were things happening and I was so invested in the characters that the minute details around technology and equipment did not matter. I trust it all to work and Kieran to fix it. 😀
Did I forget to mention Pumpkin, the space-cat? The cat in space. My kitties had fun getting to know his shenanigans.
Definitely joining you on the Pumpkin love! And Kieran is great too, supportive and caring even though he decides he wants to go a different path. I admired him for how he brought it up, knowing that it’d be a big change with them both being used to it just being the two of them for so long and Scout still coming to terms with their mom’s death. Kieran’s excellent. And Pumpkin, with his little kitty space suit! Fantastic. I love him so much.
I’m so glad you loved this book! I had a feeling you would enjoy it.
Thank you for joining SK and I as we discussed The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August. Add this book to your Goodreads. Be sure to visit tomorrow for an interview with Rory!
I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review through the author and BookSirens. I bought a copy of it for my home library! All opinions about the book are mine and honest.
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