Stellar Spy by Maya Darjani

Blurb:

A futuristic, magic-fueled homage to the great classics of the spy genre: the cerebral musings of John le Carre with the excitement of The Americans.

Devoted mother and career woman.

A sleeper agent, poised to act.

Tessa lives a double life. She’s the security counselor to Finn, the leader of the planet.

He’s her ex-husband and father of her children.

She’s still in love with him.

But she has a far worse problem. Tessa is also a deep cover operative for an enemy planet, and turns out, her next mission is to betray him.

After overpowered mages target and attack the seat of government, Finn wants to remove their magic completely—a brutal action Tessa can't support. So she does the only thing she can do: she contacts her handler.

But every action she takes increases the chance of discovery. If caught, she can't protect the mages from retaliation or prevent future attacks against Finn and the children. And when her two roles collide, she must choose: fail her family, or forsake her ideals.

Review:

Investing in Darjani's characters isn't just easy; it's automatic. 

Tessa is an ex-wife, mother and a spy that has left that life behind.  Her ex-husband?  Fin, he just happens to be the planetary leader of the planet Tessa was sent to spy on!  Enter a spy-master you’ll only find in a tale set in a science fiction universe.   

A bevy of supporting characters that breathe life, suspense, humor and intrigue into the tale.  Relatable family dynamics, that many parents will find themselves nodding to as they read, just make Tessa’s life even more difficult.

A Stellar Spy follows Tessa as she navigates conflicting loyalties, living up to her values and running to stay a step ahead of her secrets.  Secrets that will make her a hero or a reviled villain, maybe both.  

Set in an interstellar universe with competing political powers with twists you don’t see coming.  Far from being dystopian, the setting approaches what may seem like a high point for humanity.  You know humans though, we can screw anything up, especially where power, bigotry and paranoia come to play. Oh! Of all things there is Magic!

What happens when the spy finds herself reactivated? Chaos! Double and triple crosses ensue. 

While the stars are within reach, this story unfolds mostly on a world-spanning scale, pitting the grit of traditional human centric tradecraft of spies against the sophisticated surveillance of a hyper-integrated planet.

A great part of the strength of the book lies in its execution. Wonderfully timed and charged with emotion, the narrative flows with a seamlessness that makes the building suspense feel inevitable. Quite simply, it was a joy to read from start to finish.

The story centers on a failed assassination and the forced reactivation of a sleeper agent. Darjani weaves a plot where the stakes are nothing less than catastrophe for an entire population. It is a race against time to stay hidden, foil the conspiracy, and keep her and her family’s lives from crumbling.

Readers will find a worthy tribute and entry to the spy genre here. With sleeper cells and authentic tradecraft providing the framework, the book delivers a steady escalation of tension.

My own training and practical experience in interview and interrogation techniques gave me a unique perspective for this story. Darjani handles these skill sets with a precision that stands out. Her execution of these scenes was grounded enough that I messaged her to inquire about her background.

Magic in Sci-Fi? Preposterous! Not so fast my friend. I will not give away the game, but I will say that the magic system in Stellar is—and is not—what it is all about. While these abilities form an integral part of the characters' makeup, magic does not define them. Maya finds use for this system across a spectrum of circumstances, from deadly stakes to well-timed comic relief. 

Where magic is 'what it is all about,' it serves as the basis of fear and a brand of bigotry central to the plot. Discovering this system as the story progressed was a highlight of the experience, so I refuse to spoil the details here. Read and find out. Maya integrated magic into this Sci-Fi world in impressive fashion.

The blend of authentic tradecraft and imaginative world-building makes Stellar Spy a standout. I enjoyed every minute of the journey and recommend it to anyone who appreciates a smart, high-stakes thriller. It is a story well worth your time.