The Deep Sky: A Novel

· Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Sarah Skaer
4 reviews
Audiobook
12 hr 15 min
Unabridged
Eligible
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About this audiobook

“Sarah Skaer uses her considerable vocal skill to make each crewmember instantly recognizable. Asuka is strongly characterized by her insecurity and self-doubt, though listeners will likely have more faith in her.”- Library Journal

Yume Kitasei's The Deep Sky is an enthralling sci fi thriller debut about a mission into deep space that begins with a lethal explosion that leaves the survivors questioning the loyalty of the crew.

They left Earth to save humanity. They’ll have to save themselves first.

It is the eve of Earth’s environmental collapse. A single ship carries humanity’s last hope: eighty elite graduates of a competitive program, who will give birth to a generation of children in deep space. But halfway to a distant but livable planet, a lethal bomb kills three of the crew and knocks The Phoenix off course. Asuka, the only surviving witness, is an immediate suspect.

As the mystery unfolds on the ship, poignant flashbacks reveal how Asuka came to be picked for the mission. Despite struggling through training back on Earth, she was chosen to represent Japan, a country she only partly knows as a half-Japanese girl raised in America. But estranged from her mother back home, The Phoenix is all she has left.

With the crew turning on each other, Asuka is determined to find the culprit before they all lose faith in the mission—or worse, the bomber strikes again.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

“Sarah Skaer uses her considerable vocal skill to make each crewmember instantly recognizable. Asuka is strongly characterized by her insecurity and self-doubt, though listeners will likely have more faith in her.”- Library Journal Yume Kitasei's The Deep Sky is an enthralling sci fi thriller de...

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Ratings and reviews

4 reviews
Ari
August 12, 2026
I could be convinced to give this a 3.5, if that was a possibility. I listened to the audiobook version of The Deep Sky over the course of several flights and some projects. It kept me mostly engaged and interested, and I did like some of the characters, but it didn't particularly stand out as a favorite for me. I'm sure, for the right audience, it would easily be a 5 star experience. It has a lot of good character building and storytelling through the form of flashbacks that weave into the current narrative, the subject matter is interesting and feels current, and the setting is fresh enough that it doesn't feel done to death. I do enjoy a good "arc of humanity" setting, and there were enough new features that it didn't feel overplayed. I definitely think people who are interested should give it a shot. I did like it, just didn't love it.
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Teresa Calhoun
August 8, 2023
Hi my first time listening to this story I'm in Texas I feel think she is doing a good job I like story and history of author most interesting I would buy or referred book to many thanks everyone help those by rating writing a good review im happy I came across carry on beautiful hi everyone
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About the author

Yume Kitasei is a writer of speculative fiction. She is half-Japanese and half-American and grew up in a space between two cultures—the same space where her stories reside. She lives in Brooklyn with two cats, Boondoggle and Filibuster. Her stories have appeared in publications including New England Review, Catapult, SmokeLong Quarterly, and Baltimore Review. The Deep Sky is her first novel. Visit her online at yumekitasei.com.
Yume Kitasei is a writer of speculative fiction. She is half-Japanese and half-American and grew up in a space between two cultures—the same space where her stories reside. She lives in Brooklyn with two cats, Boondoggle and Filibuster. Her stories have appeared in publications including New Engl...

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