Audiobook Review: Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander by Christian Hurst

Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander

Author: Christian Hurst

Narrator: Aryn Mello Pryor
Series: Lily Starling (Book 1)
Publication: Outpost Books SE (May 6, 2026)

Length: 12 hours and 34 minutes

Description: Lily Starling wakes up in a city she barely recognizes, with no memory of her past—only a metal tag bearing her name and an instinct for survival. When a Union starship crew claims she belongs with them, she's pulled centuries beyond her own time and into a desperate mission against the psionic Krythar.

Aboard the starship Salamander, Lily is drawn into a found family of misfit officers, warriors, and exiles. Together, they uncover mysteries hidden among the stars: an ancient memory seed carrying the voices of the dead, and a weapon capable of unraveling time itself.

But when Lily faces her greatest fear, she must choose—confront the demons of her past, or risk losing everything.

Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander is an award-winning, bestselling YA space opera about identity, connection, and courage at the edge of what's known. Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers, N.K. Jemisin, and Mass Effect, with the heart of found-family adventures like Firefly and Red Rising.

If you love found family, queer identity, time travel twists, and lyrical, fast-paced sci-fi adventures, you'll love joining Lily on her voyage.

My Thoughts: This YA space opera stars Lily Starling who begins the story on the street in the 20th Century. She's homeless, hungry and has lost her memory, but she is still kind and caring especially when she comes across a homeless kid. She is soon rescued by space travelers from the future who tell her that she is an orphan, but also a member of the crew of the Salamander. 

Lily is told that she's a genius with special talents that can defeat the psionic Krythar who want to conquer the galaxy and remake it to their design. She and her companions on the Salamander want to stop that from happening. The crew is a mixed bag of characters from many of the worlds the Krythar want to conquer. 

Even with her memory loss Lily still wants to be of use. She finds herself making friends and having adventures, most of which are solved successfully because of her genius. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. The characters from all the different races were interesting. The action scenes were exciting and the suspense kept building. I liked the way Lily manages with her memory loss and the great blow that comes late in the book. She is an interesting character. 

I bought the Kindle copy May 13. The audiobook was available as part of my Audible subscription. You can buy your copy here.