A Starbound Solstice by Juliet Kemp

Chipped Cup

A festive space queer romance that will melt your heart and warm your exosuit. Linn and xyr crew are halfway through their long journey from Earth to Cetalla; what better time to celebrate a solstice? Bid farewell to Sol and hello to a new homestar. Traditions around mistletoe—not to mention Linn’s totally non-existent crush on xyr crewmate Taye—have nothing to do with it. Explaining paperchains to xyr alien crewmate and plotting present-giving keeps Linn busy enough, but then something goes wrong with Heron, the ship’s AI. Tracing the cause to a giant hullbreach onto needlespace, Linn and Taye have no idea what to do about it, or the stranger who came through it. Can they save their ship and get to their new home before the pressures of needlespace damage Heron beyond repair? And is Linn ever going to get that kiss under the mistletoe? "This is such a sweet science fiction holiday story set on an interstellar ship, with just enough natural tension to be fun but with an overriding message of hope and kindness and a real feeling of light - just perfect for the theme of a solstice celebration." — Stephanie Burgis, author

Adult • Science Fiction/Romance • Science Fiction