What if the Roman Empire survived and colonized the Americas? The alternate history underlying Sophie Burnham's Sargassa provides an elevated stage for a riveting, character-driven series opener filled with political intrigue, revolution, and romance.
Burnham brings to life a diverse cast: Selah, a well-meaning but oblivious patrician daughter; Theo, a scrappy nonbinary blade of the revolutionaries; Arran, a soulful outcast son struggling to find his place in a world that rejects him; and Tair, a bright young woman whose potential is squandered in enslavement. When Selah and Arran's father is assassinated, it sets off a cascade of events that will re-form their understanding of the world they live in and threaten its foundations. The four characters converge in a firework display of friendship, conflict, and queer romance.
Burnham's skillful prose depicts visceral character struggles, as when Selah has a moment of self-awareness: "She repeats these things back to herself, forcing herself to believe them, these truths belonging to the arrogant girl she could have been in another life."
Sargassa is a masterclass in world-building, with its realistic politics, complex and brutal caste system, and gorgeous settings. It takes time to get the lay of the land, but the payoff is worth the effort. The expansive scope multiplies the emotional and conceptual weight of the narrative.
Burnham explores hefty questions: Who's culpable for injustice in a broken system? Can humanity ever be trusted with power? And if knowledge is power, what are the implications of sharing or withholding information? Sargassa co-opts familiar tropes to deliver substantive ideas in a compelling debut. --Carol Caley, writer