This entry in the Universe of Xuya begins as a murder and a whole bunch of mysteries – not all of which are wrapped around the murder. Although, more are than first appears – which is true for the whole marvelous thing. There’s way more under every single surface than the characters initially believe. Still, it all begins when Student Uyên admits a forceful woman into her rooms, goes to make tea because she’s been taught to be a good hostess, and returns to find that her unidentified guest is dead on the floor.

Uyên may be on the cusp of adulthood, but she definitely needs a MUCH adultier adult to help her figure out this mess, so she calls for her teacher, Vân. Who, fortunately for them both, is in the midst of a discussion with her friend and fellow scholar, the mindship Sunless Woods. And an extremely fortunate happenstance for Vân, Uyên, and very much to her own surprise, Sunless Woods.

Van has secrets she can’t afford to have revealed. Sunless Woods has grown tireder and more BORED than she imagined keeping her own. While Uyên is in danger of being caught in the midst of a militia investigation designed to provide a guilty party for trial whether or not the party is guilty or not. Which Uyên, at the very least, most definitely is not.

Not that THAT little fact has ever stopped such an interrogation. After all, under enough torture, even the innocent will, sooner or later, confess to something, as Vân knows all too well.

Except that Vân really was guilty of the crime her best friends were executed for. It just wasn’t murder. And they weren’t innocent either. Then again, they also weren’t executed – at least not until the levers of justice finally ground one of them under and deposited the body in her student’s rooms.

Not that Vân knows that, yet. Not that much of what Vân thinks she knows is remotely still true. Not the identity of that first corpse, not the reason her former friends have come hunting, and not an inkling of the true nature of the prize that they seek.

All Vân is certain of is that she and her student are in deep, deep, trouble, so she reluctantly reaches out to her only real friend, the mind ship Sunless Woods. Only to discover that she had even less idea about the secrets that her friend was keeping than even the mind ship had fathomed about her own.

Escape Rating A-: I had heard of the author’s vast, sprawling Universe of Xuya and was always intrigued by its loosely connected galaxy of short stories and novellas, but didn’t get the round tuit to actually pick it up somewhere in its vastness until The Tea Master and the Detective was nominated for the Hugo and the Nebula a few years ago and won the Nebula. That particular entry in the series was a great hook for this reader, as it is a science fiction mystery, a reimagining of Holmes and Watson as mind ships(!) and just a cracking good story all the way around.

So I kept my eye out for more entries in the series that were long enough to warrant separate publication, and therefore had a chance of eARCs. Which is rarer than one might think as most entries in this series are short stories that have been published in pretty much every SFF short fiction publication extant. They’ve not been collected, at least not yet, although I hope that happens.

Which led me, admittedly in a bit of a roundabout way, to Seven of Infinites, which I only remembered to unearth from the virtually towering TBR pile because the eARC of a new book in the Universe of Xuya popped up on NetGalley and I remembered I had this.

It turned out to be the right book at the right time, which is always lovely.

The Universe of Xuya, with its alternate Earth history deep in its background and its sentient population of both humans and mind ships – and possibly other species I haven’t’ met yet, puts together three things I wouldn’t have expected in the same ‘verse.

Which is a bit of a hint, because the leg of the trousers of time that produced the Universe of Xuya seems adjacent to Firefly’s deep background. It’s a history where the U.S. did not emerge as a world superpower and China has a much larger place on the pre-diaspora world’s stage.

As did Mexico, and that combination of cultural influences leads by a slightly more circuitous route to a culture that carries some resonances from Arkady Martine’s Teixcalaan in A Memory Called Empire, particular with its lyrical language and long story-filled names and titles and the way it centers and preserves its traditions over everyone else’s through implanted memories. .

But the central question of this universe as a whole is one that is asked often in SF, and is one of the central points of Ann Leckie’s short story Lake of Souls, coming in the collection of the same name next spring.

It’s the question of what, exactly, are ‘people’? Not what are humans, because that’s a relatively easy question – or at least it can be. But what makes a human – or a member of another species, even one from another planet or another origin story – people? Is it sentience? Is it sapience? Does it require physicality? Does it require that physicality in the same way that humans manifest it?

In the Universe of Xuya, mind ships are people. No more and no less, albeit more differently, than humans are. Society, built on big ships and small space stations out in the black of space, is made to contain both, together and separately.

At the heart of Seven of Infinities is a story about the privileges of power to perpetuate itself, the ties that bind teacher and student in true respect and scholarship, the importance of having old and dear friends who will be there for you when you need to bury a body – even if its your own – and the sure and certain knowledge that the heart wants what the heart wants, whether the heart is made of blood and tissue or wires and circuits.

I came for the mystery, stayed for the world and universe building, and fell surprisingly hard for the romance at its heart. I’ll be back the next time I’m looking for heartbreaking, lyrical, captivating SF. Or for Navigational Entanglements next year, whichever comes first.

Aliette de Bodard https://www.aliettedebodard.com is the author of nearly 10 novels. Seven of Infinities was published in 2020. It is the 33rd book I completed reading in 2023.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to l mature situations, I categorize this novel as R. Vân is a scholar but is from a poor family. She is tutoring a wealthy student, Uyên, while keeping hidden the illegal artificial memory implant she obtained when she herself was a student.

The mindship Sunless Woods arrives in the system. It has led an existence as a thief, but now wants to retire in peace. It has, through its avatar, become a master of disguise. The ship is drawn to Vân.

The body of a strange woman is discovered in Uyên’s apartment. Vân and Sunless Woods begin to investigate the death. They find the remains of an old ship. They uncover secrets that have been long hidden from them.

I enjoyed the 4+ hours I spent reading this 104-page science fiction novel. This is an odd novel. I found the story a bit confusing. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3.3 (rounded to 3) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

My first thought upon finishing Aliette de Bodard's latest Xuya novella was that it was great fun, which comes as a mild surprise. Her stories set in this Vietnamese-inspired space empire universe are always both character-driven and thematically rich, but the ones I've read are often quite melancholy. Seven of Infinites isn't without loss and heartache, moral uncertainty and thorny interpersonal relationships, but at its core, it's a tightly-constructed mystery with a deliciously unfolding romance between two people each harboring their own secrets. As a side note, it's also a story that casually doesn't happen to have any men in its cast of characters. To be clear: there are men in the Xuya universe... just not in this book.

Our first protagonist is a scholar named Vân, who comes from a lower-class background, but is scraping by in respectable society as a tutor to a promising young student with the help of a memory-assisting device called a mem-implant, meant to be the passed-down memories of one's accomplished ancestors. But Vân's "honored ancestor", Laureate An Thành, is no such thing. She's a fabrication of Vân's own from her student days studying mem-implant technology, an incredible testament to Vân's skill, but an utterly scandalous secret that would destroy her meagre reputation should it come to light.

Our second protagonist is a mindship (a sentient spaceship, but with the ability to interact in human spaces usinng an avatar) named The Wild Orchid in Sunless Woods, whom Vân knows as a highly respectable member of her poetry club. Sunless Woods should be well above Vân's social sphere, but she is also not who or what she claims to be. She's a famous thief, lying low with her heist crew disbanded, trying to convince herself that she isn't itching to get back into the action.

When Vân's pupil receives a mysterious visitor who promptly dies on the spot, Sunless Woods comes to Vân's aid in solving a mystery that may start with a dead body, but isn't, as it turns out, exactly a murder mystery. It's all tied up in Vân's secretive past. Of course, Sunless Woods is hiding how very helpful the connections and skills from her secretive past can be in this context, and is also wrestling internally with how deeply she finds she actually cares about Vân. It's a relationship dynamic where both parties' gradually deepening trust and attraction are hindered by potentially explosive secrets that inevitably come to light in a big climactic showdown full of all sorts of messy feelings, and if that's your personal catnip, then yes, this book is for you.

On a less fangirlish front, I think this novella should also appeal to fans of last year's Hugo Award-winning novel, A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. There are some obvious parallels in the themes of imperial space cultures, the cultural significance of poetry, and the use of implanted memory technology as a means of preserving knowledge from generation to generation. But the lens through which de Bodard views these themes is quite different. Unlike in Martine's novel, the mem-implants here are used by the powerful families maintain a hold on knowledge, power, and status. The story raises questions about who is worthy, not just of knowledge or family heritage, but of the social status they can impart. But regardless of whether you read it for the big-idea themes, for the relationship drama, or both, Seven of Infinities delivers exactly what I've come to expect from de Bodard's novella-length fiction: a story with more nuance than meets the eye that doesn't overstay its welcome.

An amazing combination of a space opera combined with a detective story, but something much more delicate and lovely than that. This book is a good introduction to the Xuya Universe for those unfamiliar, and an excellent visit for those who are past visitors. Highly recommended.

de Bodard's Xuya universe is absolutely unique among imagined science fiction futures. The incorporation of Confucian ideas and Vietnamese culture (two inextricable clusters) into this space operatic tale provide a deeply engaging framework for a rollercoaster of a book.

Vân opens the front door to her room to see that the avatar for the mindship The Wild Orchid in Sunless Woods is in the common access area used by Vân and her student, Uyên. Sunless Woods is there to tell Vân that the poetry club in which they are both members is considering ousting Vân on the grounds that she is “commonplace” and “vulgar,” limited by her birth into poverty rather than as a privileged member of the scholarly and wealthy class. It’s a judgment with which Sunless Woods does not agree, so she’s come to warn Vân.

Vân fears this action for several reasons: she’ll lose her job as a private teacher for the wealthy Uyên; but more than that, she risks exposure. For Vân has a mem-implant that is not only unconventional but illegal: a conglomeration of sharp minds and not an ancestor at all. But that problem quickly takes second place when Uyên comes into her teacher’s quarters to tell her that a visitor who just joined her a few minutes ago is dead.

So begins Seven of Infinities (2020), a lovely novella by Aliette de Bodard that has been nominated for a Locus Award. It’s a science fiction mystery, an unconventional romance, a glimpse into an entire culture de Bodard has created in her Xuya universe (though one need not have read other stories set in this universe in order to appreciate Seven of Infinities).

Sunless Woods is an especially fascinating character, a thief, a lover, a scholar and a fundamentally decent person who also happens to be a starship. Vân is mostly meek and mild, filled with guilt and fear, but with a steel core; people regularly underestimate her. De Bodard manages to convey the utterly alien character of her deep space setting and how humans have adapted to it.

But the intricate plot is really the star of this tale. I often have trouble with de Bodard’s work in that I tend to feel like I’ve been thrown into the deep end of a pool with no swimming lessons. Perhaps it is my unfamiliarity with Vietnamese folklore, religion and customs that make her work difficult sometimes for an American of Eastern European descent like me.

This novella speaks past my ignorance, however, and gives me a completely engrossing tale that stretches my imagination. It’s one of the best stories she’s written yet.

Five stars rounded up from 4.5.

Originally published at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/seven-of-infinities/.

A compelling read with a sapphic relationship that had a lot of depth to it despite this being such a short novella.

Seven of Infinities is a novella set in the Xuya universe by Aliette de Bodard. Released 20th Oct 2020 by Subterranean Press, it's 176 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Well written speculative fiction has the ability to engage, to inform, to inspire, and to take us out of ourselves. This is beautifully written SF and combines many of my Favorite Things - science fiction, intellect, beautifully written prose, appealing character driven plot, and a solid murder mystery.

Although part of a wider fictional setting, I read this one as a standalone and had no trouble inserting myself into the story. The author is adept at providing the necessary context without spoon feeding or info-dumping. In fact the writing is sublime, with well rendered 3 dimensional characters subtly and realistically drawn. It's no surprise, the author has collected an impressive list of awards and accolades from the public and her peers (multiple Nebulae, BSFA, etc). Although her first language is (apparently) French, she writes in English and indeed, quite impressively well and subtly.

This was one of my best reads for 2020 and I fully intend to go at once and find the other ancillary books. Gorgeous and well written. Although the plotting is completely dissimilar and I dislike comparing authors, a lot of the most beautifully wrought phrasing contained here reminds me of the same things which appeal to me in the short stories of Cat Rambo.

Really exceptionally good. More, please.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I received a digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher though all thoughts are my own.
This is set in the Xuya Universe which is a futuristic Asian-inspired world which I first read of in The Master and the Detective.

Van is a scholar who is not what she seems and worries about being found out as well as losing her position as a Teacher to a very well off family.

Sunless Woods is a mindship who is also not who she appears though is close to retiring from the life she leaves and just happens to visit the area that Van is living.

Soon they find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery which has a connection to Van's past and that past is about to show up with a vengeance.

Van and Sunless will have to work together to solve the mystery before time runs out and the killer attacks another victim.

They also find themselves drawn to each other and possibly falling in love though both will need to overcome obstacles that haunt them from their past.

Full of mystery, Asian-culture, a potential Sapphic romance, sci-fi and Aliette's wonderful storytelling, she has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

I highly recommend this book.

Another fun novella from someone who is rapidly shifting from “author I really like” to “one of my favorite authors.” De Bodard is just always so creative, distinct, and evocative, at this point I’d be excited to read the back of a shampoo bottle if it was written by her. And I’d assume there’s some interesting bits of Vietnamese culture sprinkled among the ingredients.

This is something between a murder mystery and a heist story. The main protagonist is a tutor, talented but from a lower-class family, helping a young wealthy woman prepare for the civil service examinations. The other main protagonist is someone she knows from her poetry club, the holographic (or something) avatar of a sentient starship. Both the tutor and the mindship have a secret, and both are so caught up in their own secret that it takes them a long time to consider that maybe the other is hiding something of her own.

The stakes rise early on, when the tutor’s student has an unknown visitor who promptly drops dead in their sitting room.

The mystery of what is going on is fine, but what really shines is the setting (de Bodard is absolutely brilliant at settings) and the relationship between the tutor and the mindship. Another gift of de Bodard’s is writing books about relationships between very, very unequal beings (check out In the Vanishers’ Palace for a great story featuring a relationship between a village girl and a dragon).

There is no info-dump about this universe in the book. Along the way, little details are scattered and included where needed. Attention must be paid and it helps to know how strong family duty and responsibility is in Vietnamese society. One example in the story is how Van ponders whether or not the family members of a dead mindship, left adrift in an asteroid field, mourn her. Scholars are looked up to but the Empire has had terrible battles in its past and doesn’t look on lawbreaking kindly.

I enjoyed watching the two main characters really get to know each other. In many ways, Van and “Sunless Woods” are total opposites. Van is human while “Sunless Woods” is actually a sentient spaceship. The power balance is obviously large but there is consent asked for, demanded, and given between them. While Van has had to fight for her place in society and sometimes used less than honorable means, she also has a rigid sense of duty and skirting around the edges of honor bothers her deeply.

“Sunless Woods” appears to have the easy acceptance and position Van has craved since her “poor student” days but the reality is far different. They are attracted to each other – and yes a human and a mindship can have a physical intimacy – but face many of the same issues that bedevil any growing relationship. When this becomes an issue in the climactic scene, I cheered that Van got angry and demanded her due. The way the conflict was resolved also stays true to the Xuya world and traditional Vietnamese values. I definitely want to see more of the character who manages things so neatly.

The book is short in length and as such, when it was over, I did feel that some explanations and things had been skimmed over. Why was this or who was that? What led from A to C? Sometimes little details might have helped but then they could also have been spoilers, so okay. With each book I read, I get more intrigued by this world that has been created, I like that it isn’t spoonfed to me, and am looking forward to exploring it more deeply. B

Vân is a poor scholar, eking out a living as a personal tutor rather than trying to advance into the ruling class. This is largely due to the illegal memory implant she had created, so staying off the radar is paramount. Sunless Woods is a mindship in retirement from being a thief and master of disguise. She's drawn to Vân's integrity, and the two are bound together further when the stranger visiting Vân's student dies. Trying to discover what happened will expose all the secrets they tried to hide.

As a novella within the Xuya series, you need to know some of the background. In this series, the Vietnamese imperial dynasty not only persevered but took to the stars and created an empire of numbered home worlds. There are many technological advances, including the mindship, a starship bonded to a person essentially since birth, so that they are the ship and can have an avatar that takes physical (human) form when they wish. People are aligned into strict social classes and can have small robots assist them with tasks or help connect them to the wireless network. Plain rooms, books, clothes, and even people can have virtual overlays adding to their decoration. Gene therapies and modifications are possible as well, and can drastically alter people.

Vân is caught up in a game far above her level, especially because she doesn't want her implant to be discovered. Memory implants are commonplace for the elite scholars, but they're replications of the scholars' ancestors. Vân created hers from discarded fragments of others' memories, creating a new background for herself that might not pass muster if poked at too closely. This is the fear she has to live with, and she isn't proud of her past actions; as a result, she tries to instill absolute integrity in her student and live by that code in the five years since she's had the implant. Mindships are nearly immortal if the ship is well maintained, so Sunless Woods is drawn to that. Vân is her opposite, and her retirement has left her bored. Initially, she wanted to keep Vân in the poetry club, not dismissed because she didn't have wealthy parents. The draw of a murder mystery pulls at Sunless Woods, bringing her out of retirement and back in contact with her unsavory but very loyal and capable friends.

I haven't read all of the Xuya novels, so I don't know if Sunless Woods figured in some of them or if her past exploits are just part of her history that isn't well explained. That history hints at wild capers and escapades, which Aliette states was inspired by the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. I can definitely see that, and I love how Sunless Woods tries so hard to be aloof even when she flirts madly with Vân and protests too hard that she doesn't care. Aliette's language is very carefully chosen so that concepts which are part of Vietnamese culture are still easily understood by readers regardless of background. This also makes the story feel much bigger than it is, and part of a much wider epic. I would love to see future novels with Vân and Sunless Woods in the Xuya-verse because we need some happiness for them after the struggles they endure in this book.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

The cover drew me in and three things convinced me to read this book:

1) I love the author's Universe of Xuya;
2) It is a Subterranean Press book and they do great work; and
3) Do I need another reason? . . .

I was introduced to the Universe of Xuya with Subterranean's edition of the tea master and the detective.  The author’s excellent page discussing this world says that:

The premise of Xuya is that China discovered the Americas before the West, and that the exploration of this new continent prevented China from sinking inwards (not to mention being invaded by the Manchu, who later founded the ill-fated Qing dynasty, China’s last imperial dynasty). Xuya (旴 涯), a Chinese colony founded in the 15th Century in North America, plays a central role in the stories.

I have a soft spot for ships of any kind (Arrr!) and this world has mindships.  They are awesome.  In this new story, the mindship is The Wild Orchid in Sunless Woods who pays a visit to Vân, a human, to discuss the inner politics of their poetry club.  But soon there are bigger problems when a person suddenly drops dead in Vân's household.  From the outside it looks like murder.  From the inside it is the part of a bigger mystery.

Like other Xuya stories, the dead body problem is not the focus of the story.  The murder drives the character interactions and growth.  The point is very much the inter-character dynamics between the AI ship and the human.  There is also a strong look at past secrets and choices of each character and how those issues affect their relationship.

Some of the plot points of this story were not what I was expecting but for the better.  I have to admit that I find meself more and more driven to read all the Xuya tales.  I am very glad to have read this one.  

So lastly . . .

Thank you Subterranean Press!

This is a novella set in The Universe of Xuya series of stories. Vân is a tutor with a secret that can ruin her if it comes to light. She is not from the typical scholar background and she has an unusual memory implant that if society found out what she did to it, she would be ruined. While talking with the ship mind Sunless Woods about the poetry club they belong to an visitor comes to visit Vân’s student and then promptly dies as her student left the room to get tea. Sunless Woods insists on helping Vân with this mystery and in the process Vân and Sunless Woods’ shadowy backgrounds come to light.
Another great story in this setting and once again it is written where the reader doesn’t need to be familiar with setting to find out what is going on but you do get a deeper appreciation of it if you have read some of the previous stories.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

Aliette de Bodard is one of my favorite authors; her stories are filled with grace and wonder, and her newest novel is no exception. Seven of Infinities is a spectacular addition to her award-winning Xuya universe.

Vân’s quiet life is threatened when she captures the attention of one very bold mindship named Sunless Woods. In this alternate history set in a galactic empire based on Vietnamese culture, their harmless flirtation becomes muddled by murder and unraveling secrets. It’s a dark, beautiful mystery.

Like everything written by Ms. de Bodard, Seven of Infinities is something to be savored.

Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard 4 stars

This book is a stand alone novella set in the same world as her previous novella "The Tea Master and the Detective" (Subterranean Press 2018 and winner of a Nebula Award for Best Novella). I did not read "The Tea Master and the Detective", so I went into this with no background whatsoever. Although I received an e-ARC, the cover treatment for this book is gorgeous. (Kudos to Subterranean Press)

Van is a scholar from a poor background and employed as a tutor for a teenager on a space station. There is a mystery surrounding Van that might not stand up to scrutiny. She appears to be trying to stay below everyone's radar. Sunless Wind is a mindship with a secretive background and is intrigued with the quiet scholar. All this leads up to a mystery and a relationship dance that is mindblowing and unusual.

I enjoyed this book, however, I am sure that I missed some of the nuances between the two main characters. Some of the background mystified me, but the writing was poetic and beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley and Subterranean Press for this ARC.

Vân is a poor scholar with a career-ruining secret. The mindship <em>The Wild Scholar in Sunless Woods</em> is a retired world-class thief posing as a well-ranked scholar. While <em>Sunless Woods</em> is visiting Vân, who is in her poetry club, Vân's student Uyên has a visitor who drops dead just after her arrival. Fearing scandal and accusations of murder against Uyên, Vân and <em>Sunless Woods</em> decide to investigate who the mysterious woman was, how she died, and why she was there.

If you're looking for an entry point into the Xuya Universe, which was nominated for a Hugo for Best Series, this is as good a place to start as any. In this universe, China colonized North America before Europe got there, which eventually resulted in an Asia-dominated space age, and Chinese (Xuya) and Vietnamese (Đại Việt) galactic empires. This novella, like the author's other recent work in this series, takes place within the Đại Việt empire. The world building is richly imagined across the series, and I loved how Seven of Infinities built upon it.

The story is centered on relationships: the budding romance between Vân and <em>Sunless Woods</em>, Vân's old friendships, and Uyên's deep regard for Vân. It's a story of forgiveness and acceptance, both for oneself and others. The romance between the two women is kind and tentative (and a little steamy).

I didn't connect as well to the plot, since I thought the overarching mystery was less well developed. Still, the setting and thoughtful exploration of relationships made this worth reading. The kindness in it was welcome, at a time when so much of the world feels unkind.

Since this is a standalone, readers new to the Xuya Universe should have no trouble jumping in here. If you're looking for a space opera inspired by Vietnamese culture and featuring a gentle queer f/f romance, this is the book for you.

I loved this book! Like Aliette de Bodard's previous books, this one is highly influenced by Vietnamese culture and language. This is also another installment in her Xuya universe of mindships and humans, and like The Tea Master and the Detective, this story centers around a mindship and a human. It is also a murder mystery.

The characters are well-crafted and sympathetic, and the growing romance is sweet. Vân is an impoverished tutor with a secret she fears will ruin her; Sunless Woods is a thief masquerading as a scholar. Of course keeping these secrets gets them both in trouble, and they have to give in and share them in order to save their relationship. I sympathized with both Vân and Sunless Woods, and was definitely rooting for them and their romance.

The worldbuilding was excellent and comprehensive, taking the previously established world of mindships and space stations and expanding it to include memimplants - fascinating idea, carrying the knowledge of your dead ancestors in your head, the better to succeed on exams. The world felt real and complete and rich with setting and characters.

The language is still a bit challenging, though it gets easier the more I read, and it often uses hinted and unspoken information, which requires reading between the lines to get the full understanding. Every book of hers that I read intrigues me more and I will definitely be putting Aliette de Bodard on my autobuy list.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an e-arc to review.

this was a great scifi novel, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey with the characters,

Included as a top pick in bimonthly October New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).