We killed Earth. Thousands of years later, the survivors, having fled their dead planet in great generation ships, eke out a tenuous existence among the local group of stars. This could have been the end for the last dregs of humanity, but for the rise of a dictatorial church that draws humankind under its wing and flogs it to prosperity. Now, Miranda St. Billiart, a soldier for the Community of God, seeks to escape the power that made her in the first place. With her sister Ilyanya, she uncovers the corruption that made the Church possible. The two of them fight to expose the great lie, to redress the evils heaped upon their people, and to discover within the wreckage of their universe who they are and why they matter.
Reader praise for Shining Star: "As we've come to expect from a Loy novel, the characters are rich, the plot is thick, and the hook is deep. But what is important about this work are questions it asks of us in its wake, when the pages are turned and the story has cooled within us. And also the space ninjas."
"This book is a great read. If you like the works of David Weber or Jerry Pournelle, I can recommend this book to you."
"Stephan Loy, in his own sneaky way, was showing us how good Star Wars could have been. How it could have been a story where the villains have real motivations. How it could have been a story where the heroes had revelations and remorse."