YOU SEXY THING by Cat Rambo – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
Published by Tor Books on November 16 2021
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A delightful combination of space opera, mystery and loveable characters, You Sexy Thing is a hopeful adventure and an excellent start to a new series.

What a wonderful surprise this was! You Sexy Thing was a delight from start to finish, and before I start this review, I want to mention that yes, this is going to be a series, even though it doesn’t say so on Goodreads. You Sexy Thing is being compared to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series and for good reason. This is a (mostly) feel good story about friendship, found families, emotional exploration and hope, with a diverse cast of alien characters who will burrow into your heart and stay there. 

Captain Nicolette “Niko” Larsen owns a small restaurant called the Last Chance, tucked away on TwiceFar station, a waypoint that caters to several nearby planets. Niko was able to escape the Holy Hive Mind, the military faction she served in for many years, by claiming she was a “thwarted culinary artist.” This allowed her to start her restaurant, safe from the Hive Mind’s clutches. Niko’s fellow coworkers are a diverse group of alien life forms, including head chef Dabry, who served with her in the Hive Mind and is her closest friend and advisor; Skidoo, a Tlellan who organizes the restaurant’s reservations; Milly, a pastry chef; Talon and Thorn, twin were-lions who serve as busboys; Lassite, a Sessile prophet who acts as maitre d’; and Gio, an ape-like creature who communicates through sign language. When the story opens, it’s a big day for the Last Chance, because a well known restaurant critic named Lolola Montaigne d’Arey deBurgh is coming to evaluate their food, and Niko and Dabry think they could earn a sought-after Nikkelin Orb if everything goes as planned.

But an unexpected appearance by Arpat Takraven, a rich playboy who owns a rare and expensive bioship called You Sexy Thing, upends their plans, and things go from bad to worse when an explosion sends them running for their lives. Takraven dies in the explosion, but before he does, Niko convinces him to give them the password to his ship so they can escape. They manage to make it to the ship—along with Lolola and a young girl named Atlanta—but later discover the password Takraven gave them was actually a signal to the ship to set course for the prison planet Scourse, where they will be arrested as thieves. But there are worse things than a prison planet, as Niko and the rest are about to find out.

Space pirates, aliens, and living ships aren’t new elements, but I thought Rambo did a great job of putting their own spin on these familiar sci-fi tropes. The world building is vivid and intricate. Rambo has set up a political enemy—the Hive Mind—and given Niko a past history with them, which is explained through flashbacks. I hated the pirates, who are feared throughout the universe, and for good reason. Tubal Last is a dreadful man, and he’s fond of torture, so do be aware that there are tough-to-read torture scenes late in the story. There’s also plenty of exciting action, and I loved the balance the author struck between the fast paced action scenes and the quieter, more introspective moments between the characters.

And speaking of the characters, they are without a doubt the heart and soul of this story. Niko is a tough but empathetic older woman. Her terrible experiences in the Holy Hive Mind have left her emotionally scarred, yet she’s determined to live a purposeful life outside the confines of the Hive Mind. Niko cares deeply for her fellow Last Chance coworkers, most of whom served with her during her Hive Mind years, and she’s determined to keep their little restaurant up and running no matter what. Niko has a secret plan, though, that involves rescuing her former lover Petalia, a Florian who was captured by a pirate named Tubal Last decades ago, although her plan is risky and probably impossible to pull off.

Each of the other characters brings something special and unique to the table. My favorite side character by far was Skidoo Skiddleskat, I mean just saying her name makes me smile! Skidoo is a squid-like creature who loves to cuddle. She explores the world through touch, and there are some very funny scenes where she’s trying to get to know Atlanta with her tentacles. Skidoo is a beam of sunshine, always happy and trying to make others happy, and I loved the way she talks: “I am being securing an important reservation!” I also loved the “lion” twins, Thorn and Talon, teenager-like were-lions who never leave each other’s side, and Milly, a bird-like alien who is the restaurant’s pastry chef. Even Lassite, who I did not like at first because he appears to be plotting against Niko, really grew on me later in the story. There is a wonderful subplot about Lassite and the restaurant ghosts he brings with him on You Sexy Thing, and I know those ghosts are going to pop up in future books!

Atlanta was another favorite character of mine, a naive young heir to the Paxian Empire. The longer she spends with the crew and Thing, the more she longs for a different life outside of the palace. Atlanta has an implant that allows her to access a private virtual space, where she can speak to her “advisors” whenever she needs advice. I loved this idea, especially because her advisors are different versions of herself.

And then there is Thing, the sentient bioship who really steals the show, in my opinion. Thing starts out as a ship who isn’t used to having strangers on board, strangers who have completely different needs and desires from Arpat Takraven, and it was a joy to see Thing slowly change and adapt over the course of the story. One of my favorite parts is when Dabry teaches Thing how to cook—considering Thing normally uses a food replicator, this is a big deal—and discovers a whole new world. Thing also discovers emotions and ideas as it gets to know its fellow travelers, like camaraderie and sadness and humor, to name a few, and each time it made a new discovery, I fell in love just a little more. All of the core group of characters come to care for each other, and it was their interactions during the quieter moments on the ship that really stand out for me.

Rambo uses third person omniscient POV to tell their story, which is a style that I haven’t run across that often. At first I struggled a little with the way the author would drop you into one character’s head and then abruptly switch to someone else with no warning whatsoever, but eventually it grew on me, and it has the benefit of giving the reader insight into all the characters’ thoughts. This style might be a negative for some readers, although there is so much to love about this book that it’s a very minor sticking point.

In an interview, Rambo says that they’ve already sold the next two books in the series to Tor, and overall they are planning on a ten book series. That is music to my ears, since the episodic nature of the plot and the vast size of the Known Universe and its many fascinating inhabitants promises many exciting adventures to come. You Sexy Thing wraps up the main conflict at the end, but there are several unsolved mysteries to be explored in future books, like Lassite’s ultimate goal with his Spiral of Destiny, and a mysterious race called the Arranti who may have been responsible for the explosion at TwiceFar. I’m dying to know more about the ghosts, who appear to be more important than they seem, as well as several twists at the end that I can’t talk about here.

The ending is slightly rushed, but it didn’t really take away from my overall love of this book. You Sexy Thing was thrilling and emotional, a joyful reading experience that I will remember for a long time.

Big thanks to the publisher and Wunderkind PR for providing a review copy.