The Past (and the Giant Space Spiders) Comes Home to Roost in Starfire: Memory’s Blade

“Memory’s blade cuts deepest of all,” is a mantra repeated throughout Spencer Ellsworth’s Starfire Trilogy, oft-uttered by the broken clone-soldier Araskar and a constant reminder that, no matter the turmoil of the present or the uncertainty of the future, it is the past that can hurt you the most. It’s a theme that resonates strongly in Memory’s Blade, the final book of what has been an over-the-top fun science fantasy series—but not one without deeper moments, worth contemplating.
After introducing us a tumultuous galaxy post-revolution and scrappy underdog revolutionary Jaqi in A Red Peace, and following her ascension through the ranks of the rebellion against the mad warlord John Starfire in Shadow Sun Seven, Ellsworth begins immediately where book two ends, with Jaqi facing Starfire himself on the surface of a desolate planet in the heart of the Dark Zone, surrounded by insane, dimensional spider-monstrosities known as the Shir, freed by John Starfire in a gambit to bring peace to the galaxy. (I said it was fun.)

Meanwhile, Araskar, tasked with keeping Jaqi safe long enough to hold off the Jorian crosses of the revolution, is eager to take out a claimant to the Starfire, a quasi-religious power in the universe. Which goes well enough, until the Shir show up, eager to feed on suns and plant their massive eggs inside of planets. Ellsworth ably bounces back and forth between Jaqi and Araskar, as one finds all of his sins before him, and the other uncovers mysteries millennia in the making, whose solutions could stop the Shir threat.
Throughout this series, Ellsworth’s has delivered us all the pleasure we expect of a space opera—bold heroes, larger-than-life villains, and threats on a galactic scale—delivered in a whole new way. What could have been a standard one-two-three trilogy has delivered one weird flourish after another: death priests, memory swords, planet-crackers, spacewhales, and said giant space spiders, hungry to harvest literal galaxies. The oddities only compound in Memory’s Blade, as Araskar battles the Shir over a dying planet, and Jaqi finds herself in an ancestral home (which may look familiar to some). The battles are bigger and the stakes are higher, yet as we roll to the end of the series, Ellsworth doesn’t forget that all wars are ultimately tragedies, and that just because the fighting is done, it doesn’t mean the violence is ended.

With all of flash, Ellsworth doesn’t fail to tap into  his characters’ raw, human (and not) emotions; they’ve grown quite a bit across the course of these three novella-length books. The theme of acceptance runs through this one, as Jaqi finally comes to terms with her destiny and Araskar finally figuring out he has something to live for beyond the fray. Several secondary characters are also given their own perspectives this go around, widening the canvas a bit, as a;; must decide in the split-second calamity of conflict: who am I, and who am I going to be?
Now complete, the Starfire Trilogy packs a more powerful punch. Ellsworth has crafted a lived-in, breathing galaxy full of strangeness, beauty, humor, and horror. The sins of the past reverberate through each volume, none more so than in Memory’s Blade, in which they must be answered for. How do we forgive ourselves for past mistakes, and how do we reclaim the future for the benefit of everyone, not only the powerful? These questions are answered with fascinating characters, a galaxy of enormous potential, and an electrifying plot. Memory’s Blade may wrap the story of Jaqi and Araskar, but I get the feeling there are more tales to tell here, and I’m eagerly awaiting them.
Starfire: Memory’s Blade is available now.