Synopsis
8 HOURS TO STOP AN EXPLOSION ... 8 HOURS TO FALL IN LOVE.
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-octane, high-chemistry, sci-fi adventure about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing against the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.
It's 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from a lifeless rock into a chaotic patch of settlements - equal parts national pride, and corporate power grab.
Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up unannounced at the United Nations base just in time for a toxin alert to set off every alarm they've got. Then the evac pods leave without him.
Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tongued stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy is the jerk who might just help you survive.
There is no toxin. There is a team of invading mercenaries planning to blow up the base - and every trace of their crime - in eight hours.
Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they're falling for each other.
The clock is ticking.
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-octane, high-chemistry, sci-fi adventure about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing against the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.
It's 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from a lifeless rock into a chaotic patch of settlements - equal parts national pride, and corporate power grab.
Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up unannounced at the United Nations base just in time for a toxin alert to set off every alarm they've got. Then the evac pods leave without him.
Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tongued stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy is the jerk who might just help you survive.
There is no toxin. There is a team of invading mercenaries planning to blow up the base - and every trace of their crime - in eight hours.
Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they're falling for each other.
The clock is ticking.
Details
10 February 2026
9781471420962Imprint: Hot Key Books
Reviews
Time is ticking in Amie Kaufman's Red Star Rebels, an enemies-to-lovers adventure in space (surely enough to get anyone hooked, no?). Rich boy Hunter is the grandson of the first man on Mars the genius who gave us the red star , convinced that his family play hard, but fair . Cleo is a hitcher , the kind of illegal stowaway Hunter despises, and the only other person left stranded there when an emergency evacuation happens. They must team up to save the day and the planet from a gang of mercenaries, but neither is expecting to see familiar faces show up. (There is also kissing. Hurray!)
The best new science fiction books of February 2026 round-up: 'This is a young adult book, aimed at teenagers, so it might not be for you. I'm always up for a bit of YA, however, so I'll be giving it a try. There isn't enough teen-focused sci-fi published, in my opinion, particularly in comparison with the firehose of romantasy aimed at kids.
This science-fiction adventure digs into survival, corporate power and the uneasy bond that forms between two very different people under extreme pressure. With a sharp premise and stunning delivery, Red Star Rebels will grip 14+ year olds.
From the "Queen of Sci-Fi YA" comes this thriller-come-love story set in 2067 on Mars, where human settlements and a UN base have been established. Strangers Hunter and Cleo suddenly find themselves alone on the newly evacuated planet with only eight hours to stop terrorists blowing up the base.
