The author of the YA phenomenon Eragon crafts a first adult novel featuring Kira Navarez, who's thrilled to be given the opportunity to explore a new world—a far-off planet that looks ready to be colonized. But there she finds a relic that transforms her life even as it poses a monstrous threat to humanity. With a whopping two-million-copy first printing.

Bestselling YA author Paolini (Eragon) ventures into the realm of space opera with a satisfying, far-future epic that questions what it means to be human. Upon discovering evidence of alien life during a survey mission, xenobiologist Kira Navarez expects her career to skyrocket—but a single mistake has disastrous repercussions as an alien organism bonds to her body, forming a second skin. Political frustrations between Earth and its colonies across the galaxy brew in the background as Kira and the alien organism, which calls itself the Soft Blade, enter biocontainment aboard a United Military Command ship. As unfeeling doctors conduct invasive tests, a new species of aliens, dubbed Jellies, attack the ship, drawn by the Soft Blade. The quick-moving plot becomes somewhat formulaic as Kira is rescued by the Earth spaceship Wallfish and slowly finds her place among its misfit crew. Together, they follow clues from the dreams Kira shares with the Soft Blade to find a way to broker peace between humans and Jellies. Kira's tedious inclination to wallow in guilt gives way to some satisfying character development as Paolini builds to a thrilling finale that more than makes up for the predictable midsection. The high-stakes quest and developing bonds of found family make for a fun epic grounded in an earnest exploration of human consciousness. (Sept.)

Gr 9 Up—;Kira is a xenobiologist who explores the flora and fauna of new moons and planets for the Lapsang Corporation within the League of Worlds. On a barren moon, pale-skinned Kira encounters an alien artifact, a black dust that horrifyingly bonds to her skin. Kira frantically tries to adapt to the alien entity fused to her like a skinsuit, which can control her body and mind, yet also gives her powers she never could have imagined. The League of Worlds and newly discovered hostile aliens pursue her to fight for control of the entity suit, precipitating a brutal war that humans cannot win without the entity's power and Kira's compliance. Kira, along with the crew of the Wallfish and their captain, tan-skinned Salvo Falconi, unlikely allies who rescue her from deep space, must develop a détente with the entity, or it will subsume her and perhaps all of humanity as well. This is epic adventure is fascinating and complex. The book is written in six sections, and though over 800 pages, this is a tense, fast-paced read with nonstop action and a poignant ending. VERDICT With a classic and well-calibrated mix of science and fiction, Paolini has moved from fantasy to sci-fi with a book that will appeal to sci-fi lovers everywhere.—Gretchen Crowley, formerly at Alexandria City P.L., VA