A winner for a debut, Angelfyre (Destiny) by Lydan Francis is a wonderful meld of science fiction, dystopian, and space opera, a story with a setting in the distant future in the twenty-fifth century, a time when humanity has experienced migrations in other planets.

Human beings live side-by-side with the extra-terrestrial race known as the Fel. With time, a new species occurs through the illegal splicing between humans and Fel, resulting in the hybrid called the Felsians, who are eventually treated as low-class and unwanted citizens. But a young felsian girl called Casey who lives with her foster human mother uncovers an artifact that leads to the discovery of Angelfyre, a ship that has a life and intelligence of its own, behaving like a real animal and having the ability to feel and communicate with Casey. The cosmic community faces many threats, and Casey and Angelfyre must determine their place in the struggle to preserve the peaceful co-existence of galactic cultures. Can Casey succeed to win an enviable place for her kind in a world that looks down at them?

Angelfyre (Destiny) is a fast-paced, unique blend of space-faring adventure, and while it imagines a galactic world where different races share the same space, the author examines social class and creates a conflict that contemporary readers can still relate to. The young female protagonist is a character that readers will want to follow, a girl from the class that is considered sub-human or sub-fel, who makes an incredible discovery and sets out on an adventure to create purpose with a unique spaceship. The world-building is impeccable, with fearlessly imagined and perfectly written settings. The characters are unforgettable and fully drawn, and the plot offers twists that are hard to predict. You’ll root for Lydan Francis’ confident writing and bold imagination. The images will be as vivid as any can be in your mind as you read this page-turning story.