👑THE QUEEN OF SATURN AND THE PRINCE IN EXILE👑 by Derrick Nunnally is a speculative realism (is this a thing?) story with deep roots in reality. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @clashbooks for the e-ARC. This title dropped in April and is on shelves now!

Sean's mother Sojourner has always told him stories about her home world Saturn. Sean rolls his eyes as she refers to him as "my prince" and he listens with a grain of salt to his mother's stories knowing they are just that...stories. Then Sean's father David and Uncle Rome, former members of a Black power group in the Civil Rights era, start to feel like they are being watched like in the old days. Old wounds are opened and a past vendetta catches up with his parents just as Sean is reaching a personal growth level he was unprepared for.

This book was brutal and beautiful. The specter of brewing resentments were palpable as this tinder box of tension, reaching back decades, heated up. Here are two quotes I found compelling:

“You displace, harass, and kill people who look like me at your whim. Why? To assuage your fragile nature? Are we not a part of this society too?”

"Here, everything is oblique, a charade. It’s impossible to know who’s sincere or what their agenda might be."

This story felt like a love letter to the civil rights era as well as speculative fiction's ability to transport. A unique and gripping story all around!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

While I was immensely intrigued by the setting of the book and the blurring boundary between science fiction and fiction, my ever growing dislike for the main character marred the reading experience for me. The world building was left undiscovered, the story petered out and the majority of characters were either one-dimensional or too opaque. The coming of age aspect was there but also weird, the storylines with systemic racism and police brutality are realistic and important but in the end futile?

I might not have been in the right headspace for the book but it left me disappointed.

2.5 stars

The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile by Errick Nunnally is an absolute blast! It’s like a cosmic adventure wrapped in a fairy tale, with a dash of heart and a sprinkle of wit. The story follows the fierce and intelligent Queen of Saturn, who’s not just ruling a planet—she’s also navigating a whirlwind of politics, power, and unexpected romance. Enter the Prince in exile, a character who brings charm and mystery, and suddenly things get really interesting.

What makes this book so fun is how effortlessly Nunnally blends sci-fi with classic fantasy elements. You get space battles, political intrigue, and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. The chemistry between the characters is spot on, and the world-building is rich and imaginative without feeling overwhelming. It’s a fast-paced, engaging read that’ll leave you wishing for more. Definitely a must-read for fans of adventure, romance, and a bit of intergalactic flair!

This was a quick but impactful read. I really loved the main character and enjoyed the coming-of-age elements. Part of me wishes the historical/social justice elements had been explored further or that the story had been longer because I really wanted to see more of that side of things. I did love that the main character lived a life where he was sheltered from the world’s hate. When he’s finally put face to face with what his parents grew up with, it made that moment so much more painful.

I had to sit with the ending for a bit, trying to determine if I interpreted it the way that was intended, but honestly, whether it was real, imagined, or metaphor, I still felt it was the perfect ending. All in all, I thought this was an excellent book. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I liked this, but it felt like it needed some more work... a lot of this felt rushed.

I thought the characters, were interesting but the story felt a little one dimensional. Also, I do think the language (minus the cursing) was kind of simplistic for a New Adult book.

So much is lost from the historical fiction knowledge in this book by adding the sci-fi element. I'm not sure if it really is a Sci-Fi element or a traumatic brain injury result of a bomb that is not well explained.

This story could have been a great educational piece about the time of the BPD and GIP but it's lost.

One part bildungsroman, one part thriller, this story has a lot going on. Sean is a young Black boy coming of age in the 70s; his parents, especially his father, were very involved in the Civil Rights Movement. His mother, on the other hand, claims she's from Saturn, was a queen there, and Sean has always just sort of brushed that off. But with the onset of puberty and a dangerous new presence that might be either of his parents' pasts back to haunt them, he's got a lot to figure out.
I wanted to like this one, but it was actually pretty boring. I could not stay motivated to keep going. And the sex stuff was uncomfortable.

Thanks to NetGalley and CLASH Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Since I began reviewing NetGalley, I have experienced a lot of new genres and new authors that I might overlook if I was just standing in a bookstore. The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile caught me by the title. A Sci-Fi Fantasy/New Adult/Literary fiction hitting bookstores this April.

Book description: A Black nerd coming-of-age novel set in 1970s Boston about a boy who struggles to learn the truth behind his mother’s claims of otherworldly origins in the smoldering aftermath of the Civil Rights era and COINTELPRO's dying breaths.


It did take a while for me to become invested in the storyline, but I did like the writing and the characterization. At fewer than 200 pages, the relationship between Sean and his mother, Sojourner, was the true gem of the novel. It was good for me to get out of my comfort zone. Days later, I am still thinking about the ending of the book.





TheQueenofSaturnandthePrinceinExile #NetGalley
Expected Publication 22/04/25
Goodreads Review 06/03/25

A mix of science fiction and a look at black life in the 1970s.
It is a quick read so you don't get a super deep look into the story and the life of the main character, Sean. But you get enough to care. His parents were part of a movement associated with the Black Power Movement. His mom is always telling stories of how she came from another world. Police seem to be watching their family, because of their ideology or because they're extraterrestrials? A lot gets packed well into this story.

Sometimes, the best sales pitch for a book is its synopsis. I know, that sounds very obvious, and well, sure.
However, Errick Nunnally’s The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile made me interested with the first part of the synopsis, like so…

A Black nerd coming-of-age novel set in 1970s Boston about a boy who struggles to learn the truth behind his mother’s claims of otherworldly origins in the smoldering aftermath of the Civil Rights era and COINTELPRO's dying breaths.
Sean’s mother, Sojourner, consistently claims otherworldly origins—Saturn, specifically…

From those few sentences, I had to try and get a copy for review and I really enjoyed reading this one.
Sean was an endearing child to follow as he came of age in 1970’s Boston, and for the most part, I liked that the otherworldly origins were kept vague and mysterious while sounding like the types of tall tales that parents tell their children.
The story flowed fairly well, but I quickly realized that this was a very quick, short book at fewer than 200 pages. It had romance and self-discovery and the interweaving of post-Civil-Rights America with an unique otherworldly twist made for a book that left me wanting more, yet understanding that not getting more plot and more pages worked for this story.
I was reminded, somehow of Astrid Lindgren’s book The Brother’s Lionheart. I can’t explain why that connection makes sense to me, but it does. I suspect it has something to do with the ending.
I would like to see more of Sean and his mother Sojourner, but I genuinely do not know if a full fledged sequel would undermine some of this book’s message or not. I’m torn on that front.
The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile was an excellent little story, and I think that I want more from these two characters.
Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.
Peace, Love, Pages.

I stumbled upon this one while browsing @netgalley and the description drew me in immediately. THE QUEEN OF SATURN AND THE PRINCE IN EXILE is set in 1970s Boston and follows a young black boy, Sean, as he is raised by parents who are closely tied to the BDP, a local auxiliary branch, of the Black Power Movement.

The momentum of this plot is exquisite; the orientation, exposition, and resolution blend so smoothly together and none outpace the others. Nunnally’s prose is gorgeously atmospheric to a level at which I felt swaddled in it from beginning to end. For a novel under 200 pages, its pure literary artistry leaves a lasting impact.

Similar in scope to GREEN and poignant like THE MARROW THIEVES, I would highly recommend picking this one up in the new year! If you’re hesitant about the sci-fi themes, don’t be; Nunnally’s tasteful and accessible inclusion of sci-fi motifs offered just the right amount of mystery to drive the plot forward.

Thank you to @clashbooks and @netgalley for the digital review copy! THE QUEEN OF SATURN AND THE PRINCE IN EXILE officially releases on 4/22/25. Definitely one I’d recommend you add to your 2025 anticipated releases!

This book was not what I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The storytelling was beautiful and emotional, and really helped bring the wonderful characters to life. I particularly enjoyed how all of the different relationships Sean had with all the different characters were explored, as they felt so honest and real.

The mystery and intrigue around the backstory of some of the characters, particularly Sojourner, was compelling, and I really wanted to know more!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to people!

This was not a book for me and I DNF:ed it about 100 pages in because I could not get into the story. I would like this to not be a fantasy because the political stand point is so important. I received a free eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

The story revolves around a boy, who has grew up listening to his mother's ridiculous stories about being some otherworldly creatures. He has always thought about those stories as the product of her imagination, but the story starts to be distorted when the cracks in reality appears. He has lived all his teenage years under the shelter of his parents, having a privileged life, pursuing an innocent love, now faces the gruesome reality of terror as faced by black people.

The story is well-written and I was firmly intrigued by the character of sojourner. Her story is truly fascinating and saddening. The dialogues are well-intended, the only query I faced was the awkward scene of intimate connection between Sean and his lover. I didn't felt that the scene needed to be there.

Anyone looking for a good science thriller with an in-depth background of characters perspective and the whys of their perceptions, they can read this story.
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This was a wonderfully done novel, it had that parallels to real life events in the 1970s and had a scifi element that I was looking for. The concept worked well overall and I thought it worked well overall with the characters. I thought the Civil Rights era worked overall and glad it told the story it did. Errick Nunnally has a strong writing style and glad I got to read this.

I cannot describe The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile as a coming of age book. It is a fantasy-tragedy about a young teen, Sean, whose parents are involved in a Black power group.
As someone interested in the era, and who enjoys political analogies in a fantasy book, I was interested in reading this book based on the blurb.
Though, after careful consideration, I do not recommend this book.
Nothing about it held my interest, and unfortunately, the idea, the clever, and perhaps curious idea behind this book did not feel well-executed to me at all.
The writing is not subtle, the coming of age aspect, and Sean’s position in this story are not detailed, which is unfortunate. The major twist/event takes a large chunk of this book, and the potentially more informative and insightful parts are given less space.
I wish the book the very best of journeys. This was not my cup of tea.