Book of the Month January 2025
Hope is the Thing With Feathers
This month’s book of the month is Hope is the Thing With Feathers. I love this story—so much that I’ve now written a sequel—which is currently with my editor. If all goes well, book two will be released this year.
The dirty little secret about this book is that it is essentially an oceanography book—because in my day job I’m an oceanographer. This is the first fictional world where I’ve managed to use my day job knowledge. The book is a twist on a submarine voyage down into the depths of an unknown ocean.
If you haven’t read it, now’s your chance!
An airship. A message. A stowaway.
On the floating islands of New Venus, humans have lived for centuries. From far above the planet's surface, they mine the mineral-rich atmosphere, yet they know little about the opaque atmosphere below.
When Stella's father is given the opportunity to join the first scientific mission to descend down and explore the surface, he has to go—it's an honour he would never refuse. He joins the mission, promising Stella that he'll send a message from the surface far below—but that message never comes. The airship crashes, all onboard are lost.
Now, five years later, Stella is consumed by the desire to uncover the truth about her father's disappearance when she hears that another airship, the Minke, is attempting the perilous descent. She stows away on the ship, determined to reach the wreckage of her father's ship and find the message he promised to send.
As she descends towards New Venus' core, Stella begins to uncover secrets about her father's disappearance and the true nature of the world she's lived on for most of her life. She must ultimately decide what she's willing to risk to find her father and his missing message.
What happens on the Minke will change Stella's life forever.
Do you dare to descend into the heart of New Venus?
If you’re a free subscriber, use code Jan2025BookoftheMonth for a 50% discount on Hope is the Thing With Feathers over on the store — or subscribe if you want to join the club.
If you prefer, Hope is the Thing With Feathers is also available in all the stores (use this link).