Light From Uncommon Stars (2021)

Others: Mostly positive

An adventure set in California's San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts. Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan's kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul's worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline. As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.

ISBN:: 9781250789068
Length:: 376 pages

Genres: science fiction

Lists: …

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Reviews4

Literature Science AllianceMay 2026

Loved it

At its core, it's about community building. It's about resilience. It's about loving your art.

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Thoughts on TomesDec 2025

Mixed

I was like fine with this, but I expected to love it and I kind of didn't. I kept it because I think the cover is beautiful and because it is interesting and weird.