Axia has been living on an asteroid for the past 3 years, ever since she was found in a debris pile from a downed spaceship. She has no memory of her past and struggles with this as she works for the one who took her in Tsorik and cares for her giant hamster Flotsam. Everything changes when a vicious assassin tries to kill her. But why? She’s nobody, at least as far as she can remember. Axia soon learns she has an uncanny resemblance to the infamous Pirate Queen Blacktongue, who just happened to disappear three years prior. So it seems like the mystery has been solved who Axia is… or has it? Things are not as they seem in Django Wexler’s Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake (a Dungeons & Dragons novel).
[Note: while I am reviewing this book independently and honestly, it should be noted that I received this book from Penguin Random House for the purpose of this review.]
Django Wexler brings Dungeons & Dragons to space in Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake
When I think of Dungeons and Dragons, I generally think of fantasy stories and roleplaying akin to Lord of the Rings. So I was surprised and delighted when I learned about this Spelljammer setting, which basically blends fantasy, with pirates, and outer space. How cool does that sound?
There are some Spelljammer campaign and worldbuilding books with more information about that available on Amazon and other book stores, as well as some Spelljammer novels that were first published in 1989 and the 90s. (FMI visit this great guide at DungeonsAndDragonsFan.com). I believe this novel is not directly connected to these older books, however, so feel free to dive in without reading them, as I did.
Truth be told, I’ve not really read or done much for D&D prior to this. I decided to give Memory’s Wake a try after reading Wexler’s How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying and loving it. So I was hopeful when I saw this book was coming out soon after, with another female protagonist as the focus. This book is very different from Dark Lord, but I was certainly not disappointed by it.
Pirates of the Shatterspace and a wild cast of characters
The ships of the Spelljammer setting vary as greatly as the crews in this novel, some based on animals or insects, rather than what you would typically think of a spacecraft. But there are also ships that seem more based on The Flying Dutchman or Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean. I will admit the thought of these types of ships floating in space is a cool concept, and I spent some time looking online at artwork to help me visualize them better.
The characters and crew are equally varied, with many based on both your typical D&D creatures, to mythological based, to animal-based humanoids. And then there’s the giant hamster named Flotsam who pulls Axia’s cart like a horse, and loves to be groomed. It all makes for a lot to take in and a bit of a wild ride, especially for the uninitiated like me.
That being said, I found the main three characters of Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake fairly grounded and easy to connect with, despite the wild sci-fantasy setting. It was also refreshing to have this journey with three women, one human Axia, a tiefling or “demonkin” Niamora and half elf Kori. The latter two being a delightfully different, and often playful and bickering, married lesbian couple. All three were very likeable and had an enjoyable chemistry bouncing off one another.
The mystery of Axia and Captain Blacktongue
As I mentioned in the intro, Axia and the missing Captain Blacktongue are nearly identical, to the degree that upon learning about Axia, an assassin has been sent to kill her. Axia is surprised by her response to the attack, and by both an ability to fight she didn’t realize she had, and the fact that she survived the assault.
She soon meets up with Nia and Kori, who were crew members of Blacktongue’s ship. The two tell Axia that they don’t believe that she is Blacktongue, and that they think their captain is dead. But they have ulterior motives in seeking Axia out. They want her to impersonate her to the crew, and go on a quest to find Blacktongue’s treasure, and possibly find out what happened to their captain along the way.
Given Axia has just been attacked, and will likely be again if she stays put, and she has been sitting on a boring old rock for three years wondering about who she was before, she decides to go with them on this very dangerous adventure. Understandably, Axia is anxious and fearful of what might happen, and struggles with the idea that she might be this “the most notorious pirate to ever sail the void in Shatterspace.” not considering the fact that her life before she might not have been a good person before this.
I won’t spoil the ending, but all is not as it seems, or as you’d guess it is, as the mystery of who Axia is and what happened to Blacktongue unravels. I will admit I guessed wrong as I was reading the book.
Swashbucking in space with Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake
There’s some great action and swashbuckling sword play in this Dungeons and Dragons space pirate adventure. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the setting, as well as having the three female characters working together, leading this unique adventure. I hope to see more of them in future.
Because of convenience, I also purchased the audiobook version from Audible and listened to some portions of the story rather than read. It’s listed as 10 hours and 42 minutes, and the narration by Lisa Flanagan was excellent. If you lean more towards audiobooks and this story sounds interesting, I wouldn’t hesitate to get this one.
My rating: 8/10
Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake by Django Wexler is now available in stores including as an audiobook. Have you read this already? What did you think? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus!
Review: How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
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