8 science fiction book series to read if you love Dune
By Daniel Roman
The Devoured Worlds by Megan E. O'Keefe
The Devoured Worlds is the latest trilogy from Velocity Weapon author Megan E. O'Keefe. As of this writing, the first two books have been released: The Blighted Stars and The Fractured Dark. But if you're worried you'll have to wait on book 3, don't. O'Keefe is a writing machine, and the third and final book, The Bound Worlds, is due out this May.
This series combines sci-fi action, mind-bending technology, mystery and romance with an interstellar threat that had me on the edge of my seat. The set up of The Blighted Stars is that the heir to a powerful mining family, Tarquin Mercator, has gone to a supposedly lush planet to clear his family's name, only to find upon arrival that the entire ecosystem has collapsed. He's stranded on the planet with a genetically enhanced space marine named Naira Sharp who has a serious grudge against the corrupt Mercator family and wants nothing more than to see them ruined.
Of course, that means that Tarquin and Naira will have tumultuous, complicated feelings for one another as they try their best to stay alive on the planet.
The Blighted Stars is a sci-fi novel that has a good dose of horror. The planet where Naira and Tarquin are stranded has some huge secrets which call to mind stories like Aliens and The Last of Us. By the end of the first book, there's good reason to think those secrets will have ramifications that reach far beyond the ruined world where Naira and Tarquin make their stand.
Beyond the incredibly cool (and sometimes unnerving) technology that is employed in The Devoured Worlds, the other big element that's reminiscent of Dune is that great houses vying for power are at the center of the story. There are alien powers, and those outside the traditional power structure who shift events dramatically...but similar to the Harkonnens and Atriedes, the great houses of The Devoured Worlds can cause things to get really complicated, really fast. Add in the breakneck pacing and downright creepy moments, and this series is a very solid choice to add to your science fiction shelf.