*spoilers*





I enjoyed reading this but I also wish we'd had a few more loose ends tied up at the close than we did. The main enemy felt more like a macguffin and the evil corporation had more of a presence in the long run but there wasn't a solution for either problem, This book was just a snapshot of characters in the middle of their journey dealing with grief, essentially. I'll read more from this author in the future, but I wish we'd had more time with the story in the long run, because what we got from this novella was interesting nonetheless.

Thanks for the free Netgalley book!

This book started off a bit slow, but once it got going, it really ran. Pumpkin is the GOAT, and provided much needed levity.

The way this book tackles the themes of grief and seizing each moment for what it is were heartfelt, well written, and poignant.

This was a beautiful and heavy story about preserving hope and memory even when facing the end of the world. It felt very timely. I also appreciated the sibling bond between Scout and their brother.

This cover has a chokehold on me, it’s adorable and has a cat wearing a spacesuit and literally this cover is exactly what you get in the story, okay actually it does have it’s more serious moments that are hard hitting but don’t worry, nothing happens to the cat. I also cannot do animal death, I don’t want to see or hear about animals passing away so no need to worry. This follows a couple characters. We have Scout, their brother Kieran, and their cat, Pumpkin and they are space archivists scouring the universe for information on what has decimated every planet but their own. They’re traveling through outer space and visiting planets, searching for any reason there’s no longer any life on these once inhabited places and Along the way, they find a message left from one of the planet’s occupants. That kind of kickstarts the race from dead planet to dead planet, trying to get answers. And along the way they encounter danger at every turn. This book is like alien, world-ending plague science fiction but with a cute cat. The writing in this is the type that is buttery smooth, it’s easy to read. It’s not a complicated scifi, the inner workings of the plot are easy to understand. I walked away from this book feeling deeply moved, sure it was cute and sweet, I loved the message about how precious life is, and how every living thing is connected by that but don’t think you won’t walk away having shed a tear or 2. If you’re looking for a hug in form of a book, this is definitely one I recommend.

Scout and Kieran are Archivists, exploring space in the hopes of encountering research and treasures from ancient civilizations that might help humanity survive a dangerous, ineffable entity called the Remnants.

This book is an utter delight, and it gives me hope in a dark, dark world. It’s short, beautifully written, and has a cheeky cat named Pumpkin. Really can’t get better than that.

Highly recommended.

Traveling through space with a cat? Sign me up. I am a big fan of sci-fi crews with pets. This is a cozy sci-fi story but does have some world stakes in trying to survive extinction. It has a 1st person POV and while I really liked the plot and characters, I was not the biggest fan of the writing style. It didn't stop me from enjoying the book, but it did give me a little pause every now and again. It does have some interesting relationship development involving family obligations between the siblings. I did want to know a little more about the civilizations they are gathering information about, but since it wasn't directly related to the plot, I can understand why it was limited in some places.

Overall a solid queer cozy sci-fi adventure.

This is the year I am just picking everything with cats on it and embracing my cat lady role.

Except this might have started as a "yay cat" read but ended up being one of my favorite reads of the entire year.

I am not using the term lightly when I say this is a masterpiece of emotional science fiction that transcends typical genre boundaries with its profound existential theme, having you feel so cynical yet so incredibly hopeful in equal measure. Following Scout's desperate mission to save civilization, this gripping tale evokes every emotion imaginable, from wonder to devastating grief that left me ugly sobbing into my pillow. August gives us an unforgettable tale about the end of existence that will resonate with you--even if sci-fi isn't your typical go to. This haunting exploration of humanity's last chapter proved to be both epic in scope and deeply personal in its emotional impact.

Thank you to the author, Hanover Square Press, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a charming novel! I found this book to be so cozy and entertaining, exactly what I needed to get in the spirit for the season as things start getting colder. If anyone is looking for cozy sci-fi this book will scratch that itch most assuredly.

In the The Last Gifts of the Universe, author Riley August delivers a classic save the universe sci-fi adventure, that is also cozy and a profound meditation on grief and the ties that bind each of us together. Scout is an archivist travelling with their techie brother and space-faring cat across a dead universe dredging up useful technology from worlds that were abandoned centuries ago. One such cache suddenly reveals the potential for the answers to what killed hundreds of planets and may soon threaten Scout's own world. This sets off a race across the universe to beat out the money- and power-hungry corporation also seeking the information. Between the action, Scout can't stop themselves from watching the last words of the woman who put the cache together, telling the story of her great love in beautiful prose that might not be expected but is most welcome. The nonbinary representation is nuanced and authentic.

This is a fantastic read that packs a lot of heart into a slightly shorter page count. (I wasn't expecting this to be less than 300 pages, but it made pretty good use of each one). Despite its short length, the story feels complete and incredibly well-crafted, with a compelling plot and well developed characters. I loved how the author balanced moments of quiet introspection with thrilling discoveries, creating an emotional and captivating experience. It's a gem of a book with a great cover--I can't wait to get our physical copies in here at the branch!

I think this book was a unique concept I had never heard of before. I mean, c’mon, traveling the stars with a CAT? That’s just PERFECT for pet lovers! Surprisingly, even amongst the quirky kind of sci-fi, everything felt genuinely real when it comes to the characters. I highly suggest this book for those who are fans of Japanese translated fiction!

I thought this was very charming! The way familial ties and obligations are talked about is truly stunning. Also can we please talk about the way grief is talked about in this book!!! The way The Last Stand is viewed took my breath away. Yes. Yes. Yes. I had so much fun having out in space and eating pizza. The way they talked about being archivist, made me wish that was an actual job that I could apply for.

“Life is what we have the most in common with every other creature. We all want to live and we become scared when living is threatening. All of us just want to survive and be comfortable and be happy.”

This was really not what I was expecting but what an enjoyable reading experience!

I am not a typical sci-fi reader but when I saw the colorful cover of this book I knew I needed to read it. The entire story takes place in space and while some may think that could be boring, it was absolutely not. This is a shorter read at a little over 200 pages with sibling love, a cat named pumpkin that is LIVING IN SPACE (how cute), and a race to save the planet. There is grief and adventure too which I found extremely relatable.

This story has so much heart and I think you’ll like it too!

Thank you @netgalley and @thehive @htpbooks for the early copy

This one is out now!

A cute and cozy sci-fi story with relatively high stakes (something is causing extinction events) but with the camera in close on two siblings and their cat who are charged with finding alien artifacts and archiving information about them. Except there's a for-profit corporation who keeps beating them there and then copyrighting the information and locking it behind paywalls.

It's super cute and cozy, but I found the writing a little YA--I don't believe this was advertised as YA (it's tagged as adult on goodreads), but it has that first person POV where emotional things are said directly instead of shown more often (ie, "I was so mad at him. At myself.") and jokes or references that aimed a bit younger (an ailment called "Popping the cosmic grape" that caused welts which looked like grapes; a last recording from an alien from a wiped-out species who liked to sit on the sofa and watch cartoons with her dad); which is fine if I were going in for YA. Not a flaw with the writing, which was absolutely solid in that specific style, but perhaps with the marketing! I did have trouble with viewing the aliens (whose ancient recordings our protagonist Scout is watching) as alien in any interesting way; their society was exactly like ours, down to marriages and weddings (with honeymoons), couches, tv shows, etc--which I guess was the point, to be honest, but wasn't personally what I like in my sci-fi; I enjoy when aliens are relatable emotionally but culturally distinct.

The emotional core of the story is very strong, though, and when the feelings come out, they come OUT. The impact is real and it's all about the little moments that matter.

If you're looking for cozy sci-fi with a lot of feelings, this is a great choice. There's lots of lingering on daily life, eating food and petting cats, in between all the cosmic adventure! Definitely a fun read.

The Last Gifts of the Universe is a quick and emotional story- in fact, much more emotional than I'd assumed based on the cover! (I do love the cover- I just didn't expect the feels, basically!) It's a pretty cool concept, humanity has figured out how to explore the universe, only... there's no one left to visit. There's evidence of plenty of long-dead civilizations, but no one is still currently around. So when we meet Scout, their brother Kieran, and cat Pumpkin, suffice it to say things are a little lonely. Scout's mission is basically recovering relics from the long-gone groups on the planets they check out.

I really enjoyed the sibling dynamic of this one, and the differing perspectives. I, personally, am more of a Kieran. I want to be where the people are, where Scout is super content to be on the ship with their tiny family forever. But before they can worry about all of that, they all need to figure out how to keep humanity from facing the same fate as the ancient aliens did. So the stakes are certainly high, and the emotions are too. I feel like this might be a series, or at least, has the potential to be one? I'm here for it, if it is!

Bottom Line: Loved this sibling adventure to the edges of the universe, and the cat, we cannot ever forget Pumpkin the cat.

Normally I would be all over a book that involves space adventures and a cat, but this one just never got going. The characters were a bit two dimensional and the story never really took off, everything seemed a bit repetitive. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

I would definitely this as cozy sci-fi. Scout is out in space with their brother and their cat, looking for caches of information left by fallen civilizations. They come across one that seems to promise information about the entity that caused its collapse and go on a hunt to find further information, competing with another company.

The themes in this book revolve around loss and grief while maintaining a hope for the future.

Also there's a cat in a spacesuit, so you can't go wrong!

I was drawn in by the cute cover and stuck around for the fun queer space opera slash apocalyptic treasure hunting survival story. This debut takes place in a world that is barely surviving in the midst of many deteriorating or extinct societies. Protagonist Scout is an archivist who searches the universe for its last remaining artifacts with their trusty feline companion Pumpkin and sometimes their brother.

With wit and heart, this was great on audio with fantastic clips from the past interspersed with the main storyline. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Andy Weir or the book Moon dust in my hairnet by J.R. Creaden. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Last Gifts of the Universe is a sci-fi novel that follows Scout, their sibling, Kieran, and their cat, Pumpkin, in outer space as archivists scouring dead planets for clues to prepare for apocalypses. Scout and Kieran's relationship is sweet The cover is very cute and Pumpkin is so adorable.

I do find the book to be a little anticlimactic and relatively low risk, which led to me being quite bored the whole way through. Since it's short, I felt like the themes weren't sufficiently addressed. I'm not the biggest fan of Scout's personality. While I didn't connect to the main characters, I did to the ones from the message, which is a testament to how strong that plot line is.

If you're a fan of cats and cosy stories with slight tension, you might like this one. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Riley August, and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

this was a surprisingly cute, funny, sentimental book about the entire universe ending! i enjoyed all of the characters, the adventures they went on, the cat with insane attitude. It also was a perfect palette cleaners

thank you to netgalley and the publisher and for eARC in exchange for an honest review!