Whalesong (Arcana Imperii book 3) by Miles Cameron (book review).
‘Whalesong’ by Miles Cameron is the third novel in the *Arcana Imperii* space opera series.
The morning after Marca Nbaro and Horatio Dorcas’ wedding ought to have been a time for celebration and quiet enjoyment. Instead, Dorcas points out that an alien Hin ship took a full dose of radiation during their previous battle at Medulla. That ship is now adrift and potentially salvageable, offering a rare opportunity to uncover Hin technology. The conversation quickly shifts from the maths of possible intercept trajectories to the politics of securing resources and assembling the right crew to capture the prize. So much for a peaceful honeymoon.
In the process, Marca is reminded that their captured spaceship, *Silver Star*, currently being placed into a parking orbit around the Nouveau Montreal space station, is due to be sold to a private buyer. She wants Thor Storkel to have it, and intends to use her newly acquired patrician authority to ensure he does.
The newly married couple then visit Old Terra. While observing a whale in Hawaii, destined to be transported to the Sahel system as the first ambassador of its kind, disaster strikes. A bomb detonates, killing the whale and nearly taking Marca with it. She survives, but only by being placed in a clamshell, requiring months of recovery. The incident leaves her with a burning desire for revenge against whoever orchestrated the attack.
Marca and Dorcas devise a plan. It will place Thor Storkel in considerable danger, though not without providing him with some carefully arranged advantages to improve his chances of survival.
Thor, meanwhile, is unaware of what lies ahead. As he assembles a crew, he gradually realises they are rather more capable than typical recruits. Suspicion begins to creep in, but his more immediate concern is the *Silver Star’s* sub-AI, which is behaving erratically. Ever cautious, Thor rigs a system to bypass the sub-AI’s navigational control should the need arise.
Unsurprisingly, complications mount for Thor, Dorcas, and Marca, resulting in a space opera filled with action and intrigue. Like many modern entries in the genre, the space battles echo classic seafaring tales from centuries past, lending them a familiar rhythm and added excitement.
I did, however, have one issue with a central premise of *Whalesong*. Early on, humans are unable to understand or communicate with whales. Given that, even today, we are beginning to make progress in decoding whale communication with the aid of AI, it seems unlikely that a far more technologically advanced future would still find this beyond its reach.
This is undoubtedly a fun read for the fans of Marca Nbaro. However, to me, this felt like a novel that is setting things up for the next great story in the saga.
Rosie Oliver
April 2026
(pub: Gollancz, 2026. 416 page paperback. Price: £10.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-3996-1510-5).
check out website: https://store.gollancz.co.uk/products/whalesong