The Devoured Worlds

Stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, a spy must survive and uncover a conspiracy in the first book of an epic space opera trilogy by an award‑winning author. The Devoured Worlds series - comprising The Blighted Stars, The Fractured Dark, and The Bound Worlds - marks Megan E. O'Keefe's return to space opera after her acclaimed Protectorate trilogy, delivering what readers call an improvement on an already amazing foundation.

In this future, humanity has achieved virtual immortality through relkatite technology. Neural maps can be "printed" into new bodies upon death, making identity fluid and impersonation possible - but only for those who can afford it. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity's expansion. But habitable planets are being destroyed by the Shroud - a mysterious fungus that devours entire ecosystems - and revolutionary spy Naira Sharp believes the Mercators are responsible.

Disguised as Tarquin Mercator's new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy the settlement ship before they make land. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. Tarquin, the reluctant heir who'd rather study rocks than run an empire, must survive alongside the woman who hates everything his family represents. Together they'll uncover a plot bigger than corporate greed - something that threatens humanity's very existence, combining sci-fi horror with political conspiracy in ways readers compared to Mass Effect and The Expanse.

Library Journal praised the series for "emotional arcs and action sequences, vivid worldbuilding, and interesting explorations of body printing and corporate servitude." Connie Willis called it "riveting adventure at a rocketing pace, with engaging characters," while Karen Osborne declared it "space opera for the ages, wrapped in complicated and delicious layers of family and loyalty and science and love and duty." The slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance between Naira and Tarquin adds emotional depth without overshadowing the high-stakes conspiracy and fungal horror elements that make this series unique.

With feudal space dynasties, body-hopping identity crises, environmental themes about consumption and exploitation, and characters navigating privilege versus revolution, The Devoured Worlds explores what it means to be human when bodies are disposable and corporations control existence itself.

Perfect for readers seeking space opera with horror elements, enemies-to-lovers done right, complex worldbuilding about identity and immortality, fungal nightmares worthy of sci-fi thrillers, and stories comparing corporate exploitation to environmental destruction.