The Last Gifts of the Universe
ISBN: 9781804950647
Description
Scout is an archivist, searching the dead worlds of the cosmos for clues as to the fate of all these lost civilisations. While exploring another lifeless planet they discover something unbelievable: a message from a witness to that worlds-ending entity thousands of years ago.
Reviewed on 31st August 2025
This is the tale of Scout, told in first-person present tense. Scout is an Archivist, scouring the galaxy for lost alien tech that might benefit their society as a whole. But there's another faction, representing unbridled capitalism, who are after the same tech for different outcome. There's also a cat and a lot of past trauma to deal with.
The book isn't quite what I think I was expecting - there's a lot more action and adventure, alongside some fairly light world-building, and an emotional aspect that grows throughout. I think actually that's what caught me out a bit at the start - the balance between action and emotion starts leaning more toward the action side, and then pivots as the story progresses.
It's a good tale though, enough that I've added the author's forthcoming works to my wishlist.