An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Living on a space ship is like living on island.  Those with money and power live in the best sections of the ship, those who are poorer are in the outlying sections.  Even in this imaginary world, there are race issues.  Those of darker color are treated like lesser beings.

Akashic and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 3rd.

Aster is a healer.  She's been working with the surgeon on patients and is learning techniques for healing.  She also learns from the women in the lower sections.  They've been healing themselves for years and they grow their own herbs to do so.  Her problem is she says what she thinks without filtering it or lying and she hates being humiliated.  Fighting with the guards gets her back lashed and for a bad enough offense, she's put in solitaire for eight days with no food or water.  This is not a nice place to live.

The Sovereign Authority is one man who acts as God in this world.  He's ill, the next one to be appointed is worse and is Aster's enemy, they kill a young girl in front of Aster to show her she's marked and vulnerable, and suddenly it looks like there will be a civil war aboard the ship.

If that's not enough, Aster is still looking for her mother who disappeared when she was a baby.  They tell her she committed suicide but she doesn't know if she believes it.  She's found her journals and she's reading them.  But it's her friend who shows her the entries are in code...

This is a tense dramatic read with lots of bad things happening.  Despite that, the oppressed still have hope.  I found this an interesting read with lots of nuances.  This author takes you to her world and immerses you in the turbulent times they are living...