Have finally got around to catching up on my reviews here! I first heard about this book back in 2020, when Gina Cole was talking about her current WIP at a convention. She described it as "Fijian women in space" and I made a note of it because that sounded awesome. And it is! If you've heard of Africanfuturism (coined by Nnedi Okorafor, who writes fantastic books that you should also read) this is Pasifikafuturism, and I want to read more of it. 

In a future where Pacific Islands have been deeply affected by climate change, Tia has just finished up at the Academy, and has eschewed a career in deep space in favour of joining the Global Indigenous Alliance to map ocean currents. I'm particularly interested in science fiction stories where people choose to stay on Earth, so I was highly sympathetic to Tia... especially when her sister, Leilani, is lost in space and Tia has to go rescue her. That's a very bare-bones description - I don't want to spoil anything - but the currents of colonialism, ethics (or the lack thereof) in exploration and academia, and family conflict permeate the narrative. It's really, really good... and apparently there are follow-up volumes to come. I can't wait!