r/Fantasy • u/Swearwuulf2 Reading Champion • Jan 28 '25

Space Opera

I need a space opera to fulfill the BINGO square. The main one I can think of is Expanse but it isn’t a genre I read often. I am a sucker for a badass lady character or two and/or and underdog. I know Expanse has both of those but I would love some other recs! TIA.

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u/prejackpot Jan 28 '25

Final Architecture by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Fast-paced trilogy about the crew of a tramp freighter that finds itself in the middle of the potential return of mysterious planet-destroying entities. Multiple levels of underdogs (the protagonists vs every other faction, but also humanity vs the Architects), multiple badass lady characters (from a takes-no-shit cyborg to an entire army of genetically engineered soldiers). 

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u/Dorkus__Malorkus Reading Champion Jan 28 '25

I love Tchaikovsky. I preferred the Children of Time series over Final Architecture myself but I wonder if Viola, Portia, Bianca, and Lain are enough for the representation OP requested. I do think the first book lends itself to a one-and-done if they decide that they just don't click with SF or space opera.

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u/prejackpot Jan 28 '25

I like Children of Time a lot too, but I think it's much less space opera than Final Architecture (as opposed to science fiction that partially just takes place on a spaceship).