Sammaël, an eldritch entity, the only one of its kind, has been travelling the universe forever, when its path is interrupted by a strange new sound. Interest piqued, it decides to investigate this thing called music and finds itself hovering over a blue planet, which it might have devoured whole during any other time. When an opportunity for a fresh, recently emptied vessel presents itself when Abe falls and dies in an alley, it takes the chance. At first, most of its attention is focused on the more immediate sensation of concussion, but soon other experiences crowd in, such as the fact that something feels deeply wrong with the body she has taken, the name that is being used and the pronouns applied to her. To be able to enjoy music however, she has to convince Sierra, Abe’s ex, that she is not Abe, the man who died in the alley, without driving her insane through cosmic knowledge. And if all that wasn’t enough to deal with for an eldritch entity’s first foray into human interaction, she finds herself dying over and over and over again.
Sam is a fascinating character (and not just because we have the same name, but I always find that funny too) and her learning about humanity, trans identity and how to experience happiness was a joy to read. Sierra too, was incredibly interesting and I liked that her reactions weren’t always positive, but that she was supportive when it really counted and that once she had gained the knowledge that Sam was not Abe, she really got to shine as a kind and compassionate woman. It was also fascinating to read how their relationship changed and shifted during the various time loops. (Slight spoilers) I also really loved that at some point during it all Sierra gained knowledge of the time loops, allowing their relationship to grow despite the gruesome deaths.
I enjoyed the way space and time very depicted in a very fun and approachable way and the story mentions Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to set reader expectations and then manages to fulfill them very well. This story takes cosmic horror and manages to tell a very touching and sweet romance through it. Because even the cosmic horrors sometimes want to experience new things.