Reviews
A FanFiAddict Most Anticipated Title!
A NewScientist Best Science Fiction Book of 2026!
“A vivid, poignant, and compassionate story about our desperate search for meaning...whether on Earth or far beyond it.” —Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of the Divergent series
“Matthew Kressel weaves tales of humor, heartbreak, and high adventure under a changing Martian sky. The Rainseekers is a stirring tribute to human resilience and ingenuity—and simply a whole lot of fun.” —Jedediah Berry, author of The Naming Song
“This story reminds me why I read science fiction. The Rainseekers is unflinching and profound, shedding light (and rain) on the search for purpose and wonder.” —Sarah Pinsker, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of A Song For A New Day and Lost Places
“Kressel’s writing is simple yet rich, unspooling a vast breadth of storytelling in a small and compact package that will tug at readers’ heartstrings by book’s end.” —Booklist
“This novella is about the journey and not the destination…. Will appeal to readers who enjoy sci-fi adventures that are about the search for marvels, wonders, and human connections among the stars.” —Library Journal
“Lovely and poetic….This is an enjoyable and very human companion piece to terraforming classics such as Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars trilogy.” —New Scientist
“Wonderfully clear and evocative writing. I’d read more SF if there was more like this.” —Jeffrey Ford, author of A Natural History of Hell and Ahab's Return
“A story that speaks to our fractured time, and leaves us with both catharsis and hope. I too would risk everything to see the first rainfall on Mars. A lovely piece of work.” —Nathan Ballingrud, author of The Strange
“Matt Kressel shows his talent both for robust speculation and deep characterization.
Think The Canterbury Tales meets The Martian and start reading!” —James Patrick Kelly, winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards
“This sci-fi pilgrimage [is] the perfect way to end a gloomy winter.” —LitHub
Praise for The King of Shards
“A surreal and exotic adventure in a unique mythological setting. Scary, exhilarating fun!” –N.K. Jemisin, multiple Hugo Award-winning author of The Broken Earth trilogy
“A radical reinvention of faith and folklore, not to mention the portal fantasy...majestic, resonant, reality-twisting madness.” –NPR
“An imaginative, intelligent, and soaring debut...A hell of lot of fun.” –Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“With surprising twists and a deep and detailed universe, King of Shards, the first in a trilogy, is likely to be remembered.” –Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog
“In this prismatic tale of demons, righteous warriors, and multiple universes, Kressel plumbs the depths of Kabbalistic lore to create a unique fantasy cosmos... [An] engaging new epic fantasy.” –The Huffington Post
“A robustly imagined fantasy world... pleasingly unpredictable. His skill at extrapolating traditional religious lore into the stuff of fantasy bodes well for future books in the series.” –Publishers Weekly
