Book Review: The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August
About the book
A dying universe. A search for answers. An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.
When the home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilisations.
What befell these worlds is unknown. All they know is that they are the last ones left – and whatever came for the others will one day come for them.
Scout is an Archivist who scours the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals – anything left behind that might be useful to home and their survival.
During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.
Now Scout, their brother and their sometimes-fearless, space-faring cat, Pumpkin, must race to save what matters most.
Why we love it
Space-travelling cats? What's not to love?!
Well, there's only one cat to be fair - a fiercely brave and adorable orange fur-ball called Pumpkin, who I would adopt in a heartbeat.
The Last Gifts of the Universe tells the story of Scout, an archivist who travels through space with their brother Kieran, Pumpkin the cat, and an emergency supply of pizza, seeking out data caches from long-dead civilisations.
Some unknown calamity has turned the universe into a graveyard of dead planets and when Scout uncovers a first-hand account from an ancient alien, it could hold the key to the survival of all remaining life in the universe.
But people being what they are, there are those who'd rather hoard and monetise the information for corporate profit, so Scout must race from planet to planet to acquire the data first.
Part treasure-hunt, part space heist, there's enough tension and drama to keep the plot constantly moving forward and it's a book I flew through in a single sitting.
However, amidst all the humour and adventure is a deceptively poignant, heartfelt reflection on loss and grief, on appreciating the moment and learning to let go of things you can't possibly control.
Scout's connection to this long-gone alien society gives so much heart and emotion to the story. It's a profoundly beautiful, often contemplative, novel that will resonate with anyone who's ever experienced loss.
I loved the characters (especially Pumpkin!) so much and became so invested in their story that I didn't actually want the book to end, always a sign of a really enjoyable book. This is a world I'd happily revisit if the author were to write a sequel.
If you're looking for a clever, engrossing and powerful read that will make you laugh, cry and cheer all at the same time, then this is the one.
(Also, did we mention the super-cute space-travelling cat?)
