The Oceans between Stars

"Thrillingly ambitious and imaginative." —Soman Chainani, bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil, about Last Day on Mars

It is Earth year 2223, but the Earth, along with the entire solar system, is gone.

Liam and Phoebe, having barely escaped our exploding sun with their lives, are in stasis for the decade-long journey to the rogue planet Delphi, where they hope to meet up with the rest of the human refugees, find help for their injured parents, and pass along the devastating things they discovered on Mars: that someone destroyed their world intentionally, and that that someone might still be after them, trying to finish the job.

Phoebe is carrying her own dark secret. One that finds her waking up secretly at various points in their journey, changing their path through space. One that will decide the fate of the human race, and many more besides. One that, very soon, she must reveal to Liam, whether he’s ready for the truth or not.

The second volume in Kevin Emerson's thrilling sci-fi epic is a bold and terrifying quest into the outer reaches of time and space—one that will change our heroes, and their friendship, forever.

With the fate of humanity at stake, can their friendship survive the truth?

• A Desperate Survival Story: With their parents injured and the sun destroyed, Liam and Phoebe must navigate the dangers of deep space alone, hunted by the very forces that shattered their world.
• Secrets and Lies: Phoebe is hiding a universe-altering truth, one she must soon reveal to Liam—whether he’s ready for it or not.
• A Race Against Time: Armed with a mysterious alien artifact that can bend time, Liam and Phoebe must outwit their enemies and uncover a conspiracy that spans the stars.
• An Epic Space Adventure: The thrilling second book in an action-packed sci-fi series perfect for middle grade readers and fans of galaxy-spanning quests.

Praise for Last Day on Mars: “Emerson’s writing explodes off the page in this irresistible space adventure, filled with startling plot twists, diabolical aliens, and (my favorite!) courageous young heroes faced with an impossible task.” - Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of The Unwanteds series

“Last Day on Mars is thrillingly ambitious and imaginative, a rousing space opera for any age, meticulously researched and relentlessly paced. A fantastic start to an epic new series.” - Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil

“This is perfect science fiction: a terrifying yet very cool vision of the future, lots of technological awesomeness, mind-bending alien mysteries, a mission to save the human race—and two funny, resourceful, very real kid heroes who I’d follow to the edges of the universe.” - Tui Sutherland, New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series

“A hugely enjoyable blend of adventure, humor, science, and kids trying to find their place when humanity itself doesn’t have one.” - Emma Trevayne, author of The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden

“With high-stakes tension, propulsive action, multidimensional characters, and vivid scenes, this well-wrought and thrilling series starter is perfect for middle-graders who prefer their sci-fi to be grounded in the realm of the possible.” - Booklist (starred review)

“Enigmatic enemies, sabotage, space travel, and short, bone-wracking bits of time travel make for a banging adventure.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This first installment of the Chronicle of the Dark Star trilogy is ambitious, exciting, and just a shade terrifying.” - Publishers Weekly

“With a focus on space and time travel, including well-researched and accurate science, the novel will be an easy sell for sci-fi enthusiasts.” - School Library Journal

“Action-packed science-fiction adventure.” - Brightly

“Thrills, violence, time/space questions, and some contemplation about colonization make for action on the thoughtful side.” - Kirkus Reviews

“With the same enthralling, cinematic pacing he used in Last Day on Mars, Emerson unspools nail-biting suspense. Through all the engrossing sci-fi action, however, Emerson keeps the plot solidly grounded in the characters, who are vivid and complex. A cliff-hanger ending promises deepening adventures in forthcoming volumes.” - ALA Booklist

“[A] well-written and exciting sequel. Emerson, who has clearly done his research, uses humor and age-appropriate metaphors to present the science in a way that readers will be able to understand.” - School Library Journal