I think I only managed to read one book in May, which is somewhat embarrassing. OTOH, it was Judith Tarr’s FORGOTTEN SUNS, which is strong, appealing space opera.
It’s space opera with YA sensibilities: only one of the main characters is actually a young adult, but all three of the main characters are on journeys of self-discovery. The character I felt was the lead (a hard call, as all 3 stories are insanely well balanced, but hers is the catalyst for all that follows), Aisha, is the 13 year old daughter of planetary archaeologists; this is a story of history’s haunts and the actions we take to protect the future, with an interstellar war and psionic powers to boot.
Judy has often said she’s a Writer’s Writer: writers tend to fall madly in love with her words and her worlds, both of which she handles masterfully, but which have for some reason never reached really wide popular appeal. I can sort of see the argument in so far as the writers I know really *do* love her work hugely, although I’ve always had a hard time understanding why everybody in the world doesn’t.
That said: I think FORGOTTEN SUNS is possibly the most immediately accessible book of hers I’ve read. Everything about it works beautifully, from Aisha’s explosive introduction to the regrets and ambitions that drive the other characters. If you haven’t read Tarr before and you like YA or space opera, I highly recommend discovering her through this book.