Book Review: Hegira Contravention
The triumphant first entry in an incredible new space opera series from Drew Wagar, set within the wider Shadeward universe.
A new book from Drew Wagar is always a cause for excitement. I cannot stress enough how good the Shadeward Saga is, and as you’ll have seen if you’ve been following these book reviews, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his other works, too. It feels like a long time since we first heard about Drew’s plans for the Hegira Saga, bringing more stories to the fantastic universe of Shadeward, and then it felt like the release date for this first novel, Contravention, came upon us so fast I hardly had time to think. I received my paperback copy of the book just at the right time, too, since I had COVID and was isolating away in my bedroom in danger of going doolally. It is a good time to be a fan of Shadeward, too, since a new novella set on the planet Esurio itself featuring the ship Mobilis in its heyday is currently in the works. A lot to look forward to! But for now, the Hegira Saga ventures beyond the Lacaille 9352 system and takes a look at what else humanity has been up to among the stars—a setting on a much grander scale with interstellar factions and starships, tramp traders and political machinations, yet retaining the previous series’ robustness for hard science.
Blurb
The legacy of a recent war still haunts humanity’s attempts to spread out into the galaxy, its progress thwarted by a mysterious force known only as ‘The Enclave’. The Hegemony and the Coalition, vast space-faring factions, vie for supremacy whilst resources diminish, pushing star systems to the brink of war.
The promise of a new and rapid interstellar travel technology results in a desperate race across the stars, whilst a crucial peace conference is interrupted by the abduction of the young and beautiful heir to the Empress of the Hegemony.
A tramp trader crew gets caught in the crossfire, just trying to turn a profit in a hostile universe.
Review
Crikey, this book is great. I mean it. Drew is on top-form here, and it’s the perfect opener to the series. Everything’s here: the thoroughly engaging lovable and hate-able characters, the interstellar politics, the spaceships and physics, the worldbuilding, the mystery and intrigue. Drew has always been good at writing in other people’s universes—be that Elite, or Midnight—but when he’s let loose into his own universe, the results are on a totally different level. Shadeward was a triumph, and Hegira really does feel like a full evolution of that. It’s got me excited and restless to read the rest of the series; the wait will be agonising!
So, first of all let’s talk plot. It’s all set against a backdrop reminiscent to that of Drew’s Elite: Dangerous and Elect Saga books, within a collection of core star systems controlled by major factions all vying for territory. There are several intriguing mysteries at play featuring the heiress to the Hegemony, the Mesh (jump) gate wormhole network, and the plans and machinations of other enigmatic powers. Caught up in the middle is a tramp trader crew just looking to make ends meet and pay off substantial debts while being chased by pirates and bounty hunters. Drew is great at writing truly character-driven stories, and everything in the book really does feel like it wouldn’t happen without the agency of each and every one of the characters involved—even in the situations where things happen to them.
The substantial cast of characters themselves are all brilliant, well-realised, and I got immediately invested in them. The captain of the tramp trader crew in particular is a cantankerous elderly woman who, bizarrely, really put me in mind of Mrs Packard from Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Their ship has great character of its own, too, and I can see it becoming just as iconic as the Mobilis from Shadeward. The rest of the characters from the other plot-lines are just as engaging, and the way the threads weave together as the story progresses was masterfully done.
There’s really some great set-pieces in this as well, all brought about by the excellent worldbuilding. The physics of space travel and the dangers inherent in that environment are rock solid, and Drew has taken an “Expanse” style approach to ship-building where the decks are oriented perpendicular to the length of the vessels. This also allows for the ships to have pseudo-gravity from thrust, and means that we frequently see the ships accelerating halfway to their destination, cutting thrust, flipping over, and decelerating the rest of the way. The mechanics of high-acceleration manoeuvres are excellently done, especially within a particular set-piece that was just plain awesome to read. For fans of Shadeward, there are plenty of little references to Lacaille 9352, and we get hints of a mystery as to why the world of Esurio is unknown to the wider human diaspora. As always, the worldbuilding is meticulously planned and well detailed, including the developing system of Mesh Gates for interstellar travel, the limitations of which are clearly defined.
Pacing and prose are top-notch here. The book is so easy to just keep on reading that I had to force myself to slow down and savour it. I didn’t want it to end! And that’s helped along even more by the style of Drew’s writing. In his Midnight Chronicles books, Drew adopted a certain writing style to go along with the epic quest fantasy vibe, but I have to say I do much prefer the style he uses for his sci-fi works.
Overall Hegira: Contravention is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and the easiest five stars I’ve ever given. Can’t wait to continue the series.
