This Brutal Moon, Bethany Jacobs
This Brutal Moon, Bethany Jacobs
List: $38.99 | Sale: $27.30
Club: $19.49

This Brutal Moon

Author: Bethany Jacobs

Narrator: Natalie Naudus

Unabridged: 17 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 12/02/2025


Synopsis

Bethany Jacobs returns with the thrilling conclusion to The Kindom Trilogy that began with the Philip K. Dick Award–winning These Burning Stars, the debut epic space opera trilogy about revenge, power, and the price of legacy.
 
Violence has erupted across the Treble. The colony that Jun Ironway and Masar Hawks have fought to protect is now woefully compromised, and its people, unwilling to submit to tyranny once more, face a brutal fight for their lives and freedom.

In the midst of upheaval and rebellion, new enemies arise at every corner, including a familiar player who won't let power slip through his fingers again. Not when he has every Kindom Hand under his heel. And whether he will be as bloody-minded as his predecessors remains to be seen. 
 
As the quiet ones launch their attack and all hope seems lost, Cleric Chono looks to unlikely allies to fight a final battle for peace. But one crucial question remains: where is Six? 

Praise for The Kindom Trilogy: 

★ “An exciting start from a fresh talent, offering emotional and political complexity plus plenty of interplanetary action.” – Kirkus (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars

★ “Plotted like a chess match, confident and surprising as Jacobs moves each piece thoughtfully across her board ... If Jacobs’ second entry is anything like the first, we’ll have so much more to discover across her universe in the years to come." – BookPage (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars

"There’s no shortage of twists, betrayals, and unexpected alliances in this intricate story of revenge and survival. This sets things up nicely for a grand finale in book three." –Publishers Weekly on On Vicious Worlds 

Reviews

Goodreads review by Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ on November 10, 2025

You must read the author’s note at the end. This is a science fiction that deals with events going on in our current world, but with high tech and in space. Oh, and it’s all fictionalised. This series makes it clear that there is no one-side to any conflict. That there is no innocent bystander. Awar......more

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) on November 16, 2025

3.5 Stars This was a solid conclusion to this science fiction trilogy. I generally enjoyed the earlier books and found this one on par for that. As a piece of science fiction, this one was quite accessible. There were some interesting details in the world building but generally this one was easy to un......more

Goodreads review by brewdy_reader on October 03, 2025

4.5⭐️ I love this series and while I’m sad that my time with these characters is it at its end, it was a satisfying conclusion to one of the best space opera and political scifi trilogies I have read. My fave of the series is still the first book, but this book was absolutely needed to complete the s......more

Goodreads review by Miranda on November 23, 2025

Bringing a long and complex science fiction trilogy down for a landing is such a highwire act, and Jacobs’ long awaited Finale to This Brutal Moon is a very satisfying ending to one of my favorite currently running trilogies, despite some occasional pacing weirdness in certain places. I don’t want t......more

Goodreads review by Suki on November 29, 2025

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars. I spent the first two books utterly confused but very much enjoying this intricately woven, politically charged sci-fi. This final book in the trilogy brought everything together in a most satisfying way, and I f......more


Quotes

"There’s no shortage of twists, betrayals, and unexpected alliances in this intricate story of revenge and survival. The byzantine plot combined with the constantly shifting narrators, all with their own agendas, occasionally make it a struggle to stay on top of everything, but readers willing to be kept on their toes will find plenty to enjoy. This sets things up nicely for a grand finale in book three."—Publishers Weekly on On Vicious Worlds

“An intricate plot for revenge drives this far-future SF political thriller. An exciting start from a fresh talent, offering emotional and political complexity plus plenty of interplanetary action.”—Kirkus (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars

"Readers who love smart thrillers and explosive sf won’t want to miss this book."—Booklist (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars

"Warps readers across the galaxy on a devilishly fun thrill ride ... These Burning Stars is plotted like a chess match, confident and surprising as Jacobs moves each piece thoughtfully across her board ... If Jacobs’ second entry is anything like the first, we’ll have so much more to discover across her universe in the years to come."—BookPage (Starred Review) on These Burning Stars

"The resulting multiplayer cat-and-mouse game is intricately plotted and tightly paced with a satisfying ending that sets the stage nicely for the next installment. Space opera fans will eat this up."—Publishers Weekly on These Burning Stars

“Immersive and epic; a sprawling space opera perfect for fans of A Memory Called Empire and Too Like the Lightning.”—Kameron Hurley, author of The Light Brigade on These Burning Stars

“Like every good revenge story,These Burning Stars is baroque, intense, inventive, vivid, violent, and visceral. An impressive debut.” —Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun on These Burning Stars

“A richly imagined space opera packed with intricate worldbuilding, compelling prose, and twisty politics, artfully woven together and delivered through a cast of fallible, endearing characters. An incredible debut perfect for fans of Ann Leckie, Kate Elliott, and Scalzi’s Interdependency series.”—J. S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch on These Burning Stars

“A sizzling political space opera exploring the borders of passion and monstrosity, hunter and hunted, obsession and devotion. Jacobs is an exciting new author to watch.”—Essa Hansen, author of Nophek Gloss on These Burning Stars

"I love a book that makes me pay attention and rewards me for it. I love even more a book with complicated, messy politics. But really, I'm here for the characters, and Jacobs ' are compelling, flawed, tragic and hopeful at the same time. What's that? There's a sequel? I can't wait."—K. Eason, author of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse on These Burning Stars