Multiple points of view allow readers to delve into their beliefs and traumas, creating a character-driven story across space and time. The final book of “The Graven” trilogy, after Azura Ghost, digs deep into the multiverse, along with themes of genocide, utopian idealism, and autonomy.
Parallel universes pop like champagne bubbles in the fizzy and frenetic final space opera of Hansen’s Graven series. … Not for the uninitiated, this outing takes a cosmic perspective, rapidly oscillating between distant pasts and wild futures with Caiden and his friends often caught in the turbulent temporal shifts. Luckily, a deeply human spark of loyalty among the fighters keeps the chill of the multiverse from freezing out its readers. This proves a worthy finale.
Hansen doesn't just build worlds, she engineers fresh universes, weaves depth into incredibly charismatic characters, and balances kick-ass combat scenes with galactic stakes. Ethera Grave pulls it all together and absolutely nails the landing. It'll tear your heart up in all the best ways.
Some writers have a big finish in which worlds collide, but for Essa Hansen, nothing short of a final confrontation in which universes collide will be fitting for closing the tale of Caiden, Leta, Threi and Abriss. It's just as mind-bending as you'd think when the very fabric of existence unravels in this last battle of powerful forces and the wills behind them.
Essa Hansen's spectacular imagination is on full display in her third novel: ethereal ships ride bursting bubble universes, all-powerful siblings battle for the soul of the universe, and ancient alien genetics fuel the machines of war. Her work is catnip for dedicated readers of thought-provoking science fiction.
Nophek Gloss’s sequel brings back all of the incredible characters that revolve around a young man coming into his power. An exciting science fiction story that keeps readers guessing the true intentions of everyone. (*Starred Review*)
Intriguing metaphysical concepts, more fast-paced action, and a climactic revelation regarding Caiden’s mysterious genetic heritage will have fans eager for the next book in the Graven series. (*Starred Review*)
Unpredictable and strikingly unique, Azura Ghost is science fiction without any limits to its imagination. Genre-breaking brilliance!
A blistering crash through bubble universes, seas of the luminous dead, and sleeping alien cities. Liquid-crystal star ships, living machines, reality-cleaving swordplay, and a dynasty whose words command your synapses and cells. Heart-heavy, astonishingly inventive, with language that burns like plasma. A biomechanical sucker punch of a book. The space opera you've been waiting for.
A work of dazzling imagination, lyrically written, and shot through with deep empathy. A triumph in every sense.
Essa Hansen is one of the most imaginative authors in science fiction today, and in Azura Ghost she delivers a thrill ride of a story.
Hansen’s marvelous debut is a fast-paced, action-filled ride through the multiverse, introducing a complex found family of gender- and neurodiverse characters. (*Starred Review*)
The Graven trilogy is now complete!
The final book in The Graven trilogy, Ethera Grave, will release on July 18th in the US and 20th in the UK. The trilogy starts on a personal scale, in limited dimensions and with harder sci-fi technology… and culminates in a multidimensional and metaphysical finale with multiple character points of view. I’m proud of completing this and owe a huge Thank You to all the readers, reviewers, and publishing professionals who supported this series through the pandemic and other turbulence. You’ve made this story possible.
Events & MEDIA
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Blog Interview with Winter is Coming
I’m honored to have chatted with the wonderful Daniel DeVita for Winter is Coming, in an exclusive (and spoiler free) interview covering The Graven trilogy as a whole and Ethera Grave specifically, including how my process has changed over time, how my vision shifted through […]
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Orbit Panel “Creating Otherworldly Cultures”
For part of Orbit Books’s “How to Write Your First SFF Novel” event series, I was part of a panel covering “Creating Otherworldly Cultures,” joining wonderful science fiction and fantasy authors Ann Leckie, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, and Davinia Evans. If you registered for the event, […]
ESSA
Essa Hansen is a swordswoman and licensed falconer working as a sound designer for Skywalker Sound, with credits such as Big Hero 6, Doctor Strange, and Avengers: Endgame.
