This is a beautiful Sci-fi folklore inspired story. I have a weakness for kickass heroines that don’t go around always kicking ass, but that move through their worlds with their wits as their most powerful weapon. Thurava, daughter of Sitarva of the Astravans is one of those heroines.

Yes, she is heroic but not in the violent way many stories associate with being a hero, but in a more reflective and quiet way, which is not less powerful than blasting laser left and right—btw there are no lasers in this story.

I also really liked that the story focuses on a friendship instead of a romantic relationship. These days, romance—wonderful as it is—permeates about every published book, but this story gives platonic relationships, like friendships, a privileged place, which feels refreshing. After all, we all need friends. Good friends. Friends that will show us a wider sense of reality. I think that was a big plus of this story.

That the chapters are named as the constellations in Thurava’s home world is a delightful detail. That the story follows the lesson taught by the stories behind those constellations is just very clever. That it all works together to give this book a sense of timeless and the weight of a reality that may actually exist, well, that’s just good writing.

This book presents a refreshing take on storytelling, and conflict within a story, where defeating and vanquishing is not the ultimate goal, but rebuilding and understanding are.

A bit slow in places, but as a whole very readable, A Hunger With no Name surprised me in the best possible way.

Thurava is a young woman who lives and works on the plains with her small community. Despite hardships, she loves and values her way of life until environmental changes upend the traditional ways of living off the land. Thrust into a new life, Thurava learns how bring her deeply held values in line with her new reality.

This was a lovely novella. It was a quick read but still had a deeply considered world. This is a great speculative fiction pick for adolescent readers-- I will definitely be recommending it to the young folks in my life. As an adult reader, I also enjoyed this book and would certainly consider picking up another book set in this world. There were some big moral and ethical implications at the end of the book, and while I don't think there is space to explore them in a novella length, I think there is opportunity to continue the plot.