In the wake of an environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London's Royal Ballet, has become a refugee in Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. There, January's life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger—a person whose body is not adjusted to lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January's job choices, housing, and even transportation are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to naturalize, a process that is always disabling and sometimes deadly.
When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January's life is thrown into chaos, but Gale's political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January's future without naturalization and ensure Gale's political success. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. They're kind, compassionate, and much more difficult to hate than January would prefer. As their romantic relationship develops, the political situation worsens, and January discovers Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay—and January may be the only person standing in the way.
Un-put-downably immersive and utterly timely, Natasha Pulley's new novel is a gripping story about privilege, strength, and life across class divisions, perfect for readers of Sarah Gailey and Tamsyn Muir.
In the wake of an environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London's Royal Ballet, has become a refugee in Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. There, January's life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger—a person whose body is not adjusted to lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January's job choices, housing, and even transportation are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse: Gale wants all Earthstrongers to naturalize, a process that is always disabling and sometimes deadly.
When Gale chooses January for an on-the-spot press junket interview that goes horribly awry, January's life is thrown into chaos, but Gale's political fortunes are damaged, too. Gale proposes a solution to both their problems: a five year made-for-the-press marriage that would secure January's future without naturalization and ensure Gale's political success. But when January accepts the offer, he discovers that Gale is not at all like they appear in the press. They're kind, compassionate, and much more difficult to hate than January would prefer. As their romantic relationship develops, the political situation worsens, and January discovers Gale has an enemy, someone willing to destroy all of Tharsis to make them pay—and January may be the only person standing in the way.
Un-put-downably immersive and utterly timely, Natasha Pulley's new novel is a gripping story about privilege, strength, and life across class divisions, perfect for readers of Sarah Gailey and Tamsyn Muir.
Reviews-
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Starred review from January 8, 2024
Bestseller Pulley (The Half Life of Valery K) astonishes in this thorny and addictive sci-fi romance. When climate crises force Royal Ballet of London principal January Stirling to seek refuge on Mars, an unexpected array of circumstances takes him from a life of manual labor and poverty to an arranged marriage to the wealthy Senator Aubrey Gale, who favors harsh immigration policies that January disagrees with. The faked relationship is both a political maneuver for Gale and a means of survival for January. Through the societal inequalities of life on Mars due to the differences between “Natural” citizens—those who were born on Mars and have adjusted to its atmosphere, like Gale—and “Earthstrong”—those born on Earth, like January, who don’t know their own strength in the lighter gravitational pull—Pulley introduces some truly complex ethical and political questions. Even better, she refuses to offer black-and-white answers, and never loses sight of her characters’ empathy and humanity. The worldbuilding is carefully considered, linguistically nuanced, and technologically fascinating. The unlikely love story between January and Gale, who, like all Natural Martians, is genderless, is the cherry on top. Their romance is touching in its simplicity—stripped of all the politics and advanced technologies involved, they are two people who find themselves drawn closer together as they realize that, though their opinions may differ, their core belief in human decency is the same. With dark humor and a gift for making the complex accessible, Pulley gives readers much food for thought. Agent: Jenny Savill, Andrew Nurnberg Assoc. -
Listeners will find it hard to pause this sci-fi political thriller--and unlikely love story. January is a climate refugee who has relocated to a colony on Mars. In London, he was a professional ballet dancer; on Mars, because he's dangerously "Earthstrong" in the lower gravity, he must wear a metal exoskeleton that inhibits his strength. With his British accent and confiding delivery, Daniel de Bourg convincingly inhabits January's point of view as he struggles with all he has lost and tries to make a new life. Then January crosses paths with Aubrey Gale, a wealthy and influential politician born on Mars. De Bourg's naturalistic narration effortlessly propels the twisty plot and fascinating world-building and illuminates the wonders and dangers that January encounters. It's all absolutely riveting. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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Starred review from September 1, 2024
Pulley's (The Half Life of Valery K) science fiction novel explores topics that range from prejudice and politics to relationship advice from woolly mammoths--all against the backdrop of a terraformed Martian colony. Xenophobic senator Aubrey Gale is intent on making Martian colonists understand the danger of Earthstrongers, or refugees from Earth, whose earlier life at higher gravity poses a threat to those born or naturalized on Mars. The only solution is to force Earthstrongers to undergo a dangerous medical procedure that could shorten or even end their lives. When Gale's political games cause January, a recent �migr� from Earth, to lose his few noncitizen rights, January strikes back. Then, a mixture of kindness and political savvy pushes Gale to offer January their hand in marriage for five years. Daniel de Bourg's smooth, pleasant narration meshes well with Pulley's graceful prose. Though much of the colony is of Chinese descent, Gale's flat, American accent balances January's British as listeners wait to discover whether politics and love can coexist. VERDICT Together, Pulley and de Bourg create a delightful listening experience, balancing a slow-burn romance with clever worldbuilding.--Matthew Galloway
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2024 Already one of my favorite books of the year . . . There's palace intrigue, a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers plot, sassy footnotes, and also there are mammoths! It's a total delight from start to finish.
- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review Pulley astonishes in this thorny and addictive sci-fi romance.
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Full of charming details and gender-bending gallantry, this imaginative thriller is a pleasure to read.
- Library Journal Readers will appreciate all the delightful details of worldbuilding, character arcs, and slow romantic tension. Exquisitely layered and entertaining, Pulley's latest novel is a queer tale of planetary refugees, politics, and populist views (and mammoths).
- Reactor Magazine An incredibly ambitious novel . . . The Mars House is a complex and captivating story.
- Catriona Ward Few writers combine such warmth and heart with such consummate skill at Natasha Pulley. She sends the reader our into the skies, and deep into themselves, places we never knew we could travel. Reading her is both a joyful and profound experience—and The Mars House is her most daring, ambitious and exciting book yet.
- CrimeReads Queer Mysteries and Thrillers to Read All Year Long on THE HALF LIFE OF VALERY K Natasha Pulley heads to the gulags, then to an atomic village, in her latest to combine fast-paced action and imaginative settings with beautifully developed queer relationships.
- Christian Science Monitor on THE HALF LIFE OF VALERY K Natasha Pulley builds a surreal world that slowly reveals immense dangers. It's an absorbing Cold War thriller as well as a tribute to courage and determination.
- Booklist, Starred Review on THE HALF LIFE OF VALERY K Brilliantly conceived, vibrantly realized, and complexly suspenseful.
- The New York Times Book Review on THE KINGDOMS Fans of such stories will be richly entertained by the lavish world-building and breakneck plotting of Natasha Pulley's The Kingdoms...Beautiful, surreal imagery appears throughout the novel, too . . . Clear a weekend if you can, and let yourself be absorbed.
