Emergence by Poppy Orion

SPSFC 2024

Two galaxies. One microbe. Trillions at risk. When an unidentified microbe sweeps across Earth, curing all disease but crippling the global economy, heiress Aubrey Hope hatches a risky plan to save her family’s pharmaceutical empire. To succeed, she’ll need the help of a brilliant microbiologist, a master hacker, and a pop star with a secret. In another galaxy, Matthai Valtrellin, unexpected heir to the high priesthood, is burdened by grief and duty. But when a bloodied alien claiming to be his mate teleports from the future, his world turns upside down. Caught between his obligations to her, his family, and the countless Valmoran citizens he is meant to lead, he finds himself torn between fate and destiny. But with the help of a luck-obsessed smuggler, an empathic politician who finds most people ‘invariably intolerable’, and a four-armed ex-gladiator, he may just find himself on a perilous journey to a mythical planet … called Earth. As these complex characters navigate love, duty, and the weight of their choices, their paths intertwine in unexpected ways. Nothing is as it seems, and the truth could reshape two galaxies forever. Perfect for fans of the grand-scale world-building of Dune, the ragtag crew dynamics of Firefly, and the mind-bending twists of Black Mirror, The Valmoran Chronicles: Emergence is a thrilling space opera that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Adult • Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense • Science Fiction/Superheroes • Science Fiction/Colonization • Science Fiction/Weird • Science Fiction/Space Opera