Moondust

Gemma Fowler

3 min readNov 21, 2020

Essence

Moondust is set in a future where there is no power left, and everything gets engulfed in darkness. Wars ravaged the countries and widespread death and destruction took over. Humans searched desperately for a new energy source and just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a miracle happened. They discovered lumite, a precious mineral found on the moon, which ended the crisis and caused the creation of United Earth and Lunar Inc., the lumite mining company.

Our protagonist, Agatha Sommers, is the daughter of one of the founders of Lunar Inc.. Her father died in an accident, a tragedy with the lumite reactor he was developing, that killed thousands. Agatha was the only one to have survived that incident, with startling violet eyes from the lumite radiation as the only casualty. This mishap only led to more wars on United Earth. Agatha is the angel of Lunar Inc.- their ray of hope amidst a sea of disarray. She understood the pain of those who lost their families in this tragic accident and spent years campaigning for the company, and what it represented.

She retired from her taxing role once things calmed down and moved on to make a home in the Lunar Inc. base on the moon. She lived there in disguise for a decade before her destiny beckoned to her again. Back at United Earth, agitations are rising, causing turmoil and unrest among the citizens. They needed their Angel again. She meets a prison-miner, a rebel who was facing a lifetime sentence providing services for the company when she’s ready to launch into the life she once knew and dreaded. What happens next makes her question everything she thought she knew and strived for. Will she find new hope and belief?

Review

Moondust is one of the most attention-grabbing sci-fi novels I’ve read. It reminds me of a whirlwind (but in a good way); it never slows down.

The characters captured a place in my heart almost immediately. From the moment Agatha introduced herself, she felt like a real person and a relatable one at that, narrating her life. This feeling is often lost in the turbulent occurrences of events in most books, but it was portrayed beautifully in Moondust. All the characters shoot hilarious and sarcastic comments throughout the book, which gives it a very authentic and unique touch. Agatha, unlike most protagonists, is far from perfect— regularly bickering with her only friend Sebastian, and leaving chaos in her wake, which makes her far more charming than a steely, flawless warrior depicted in most books.

The futuristic setting stipulates a lot of thought-provoking viewpoints, making us think about what would happen to this world if we run out of the energy we have left. It gives a raw sense of wakefulness about the precarious position of all life on earth. In the book, a fictional energy source solves the problem, but in reality, what would we do in a similar crisis? You find yourself introspecting several times while reading the book and often long after you’ve left it behind.

I would say this is a must read for all sci-fi enthusiasts. It has an intricate and thrilling plot, and it is great for a light read.

Publisher: Chicken House

Author: Gemma Fowler