A Rebel's History of Mars, by Nadia Afifi
2 Jul 2025The Book
Synopsis:
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer member's striking new book of time travel and biological science fiction is a thrilling ride.
Kezza, an aerialist in the Martian circus, can never return to Earth – but she can assassinate the man she blames for her grim life on the red planet. Her murderous plans take an unexpected turn, however, when she uncovers a sinister secret.
A thousand years into the future, Azad lives a safe but controlled life on the beautiful desert planet of Nabatea. His world is upended when he joins a crew of space-traveling historians seeking to learn the true reason that their ancestors left Mars
Separated by time and space, Kezza and Azad’s stories collide in the Martian desert.
My Review
A Rebel's History of Mars is a smart sci-fi novel, written by Nadia Afifi, published by Flame Tree Press. A story split in two timelines that takes inspiration from the dystopian genre, establishing an interesting parallelism that also is used as a narrative device to examine themes such as the building of societies, and how history is written, playing with a well-fleshed worldbuilding.
Kezza is an aerialist in the Martian Circus; she can't return to Earth, but she plans to at least get rid of the person that she blames for it. However, the assassination plan takes an unexpected twist when that same person offers her being part of the new society he's designing; hope to break the dystopian that Mars has become under the current corporate control.
In our second timeline, Azad seems to be living an idyllic life in Nabatea; a "perfect society", however, Azad needs something more to be happy. He joins a group of space-traveling historians whose quest to rediscover what happened in the Martian exodus might also help to bring light over what happened with Azad's sister, Ledo; an opportunity to learn about Nabatea's origins and the last days of Mars.
Kezza is an excellent lead character; not only we have a determined person, but also one that is empathic with the rest. We can see how she's fighting for making things better for the rest, even if that means pain for her; she is brave to confront Juul when needed, but also being an idealist, it means collaborating with his idea of a new society, an escape for the Martians.
In comparison, it is true that Azad is a more passive character, having less weight on the narration, but still you can connect with how he's unable to find a place in this utopical society of Nabatea and his search for Ledo.
Afifi's worldbuilding is superb; the dystopic nature of both societies, but each one in their own sense. It is interesting to see how the author takes an approach to how history is written with agendas in mind, and especially, how it is rewritten by the victorious.
The pacing is relatively fast, alternating between both timelines, making this book an authentic pageturner.
A Rebel's History of Mars is a great sci-fi novel, perfect if you are looking for a thought-provoking story that, at the same time, delivers a memorable cast of characters. A really enjoyable novel by Nadia Afifi.
The Author/s
Nadia Afifi
Nadia Afifi is the author of The Sentient and numerous science fiction short stories. Her debut novel was lauded as ‘staggering and un-put-downable’ in a starred Publishers Weekly review and recommended by Booklist for ‘readers who love a thrilling narrative and welcome moral and philosophical questions in their science fiction.’ Analog Magazine describes her as ‘a brand-new voice in our field, and one you should become familiar with.’ The Sentient is the first novel in a near-future series about a controversial cloning project, human consciousness and a high-stakes conflict between religious fundamentalism and science. Her short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (‘The Bahrain Underground Bazaar’) and Abyss & Apex (‘Exhibit K’).
Nadia grew up in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where she read every book she could get her hands on, but currently calls Denver, Colorado home. She is a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s organization. Her background as an Arab American who lived overseas has inspired her fiction writing, particularly her passion for exploring complex social, political and cultural issues through a futuristic lens.
When she isn’t writing, she spends her time practicing (and falling off) the lyra (aerial hoops), hiking through Colorado’s many trails, jogging through Denver’s streets and working on the most challenging jigsaw puzzles she can find. She also loves dogs, travel and cooking. Follow her latest musings and adventures on her website (nadiaafifi.com), Twitter (@nadoodles) or Facebook (nadiawritesscifi).