10 December book releases to help SFF fans end the year right

Scornful Stars by Richard Baker

Richard Baker’s Breaker of Empires series is full of action and political intrigue, and the latest addition promises to bring more of those elements to the table. Scornful Stars hits shelves on December 3, and though it opens on a high note for Sikander Singh North, it’s clear that his problems are far from being over.

Scornful Stars begins with Sikander as captain of the Ardent, and he’s taking the destroyer on a mission to Zerzuza, where he’ll need to handle all the piracy happening there — and navigate the next part of the “Great Game.”

As the story continues, the synopsis promises to raise the stakes for Sikander, stating:

"“The Aquilan Commonwealth and the Empire of Dremark vie for the allegiance of local ruler Marid Pasha, a competition with stakes that reach far beyond the sector’s pirate-infested limits. Sikander must stop the pirate attacks while charting his course between the ambitions of Marid Pasha, a dubious alliance with a shipping magnate, and the inexperience of Ardent’s crew…a situation that only grows more complicated when an old enemy returns.”"

This new installment in Baker’s series raises the stakes for the novel’s main character, giving readers plenty of suspenseful developments to look forward to over the course of the story. And of course, who doesn’t love a tale about pirates in space? With politics! That alone is enough to sell most science-fiction fans on this one.