What happened in A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

The basics

Title: A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe

Author: Alex White

Series: The Salvagers #1

- A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (2018)
- A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy (2018)
- The Worst of All Possible Worlds (2020)

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Goodreads Summary:

Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she’s washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she might have stumbled on something real–the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.

Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world–until she witnesses the murder of a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah only has one lead: the killer also hunts a woman named Boots.

On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.

Read a full summary of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White below. If you can’t remember what happened in A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.

what happened in A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe?

• Nilah, a racing champion and daughter of a rich and important finance guy, gets trapped by a spell during a race.
• Another racer called Cyril is also trapped. He is confronted by someone called Mother, and they seem to have a deal.
• Mother kills Cyril after he mentions someone called Boots. Nilah escapes through a portal.
• We meet the now infamous Boots. She’s chatting to her AI (called Kin, after a fellow soldier who died during the Famine War). She’s in a lot of debt, and probably trouble, from selling maps.
• Boots has to run when Cordell’s people come after her.
• Boots also has no magic. This is important.
• Nilah arrives in another district. She cleans up and is then confronted by a bunch of people who have been looking for her. There’s a bounty out on her head.
• Nilah escapes them and runs into a Fixer guard, who is also after her. She escapes again and runs into Boots, who wants to turn her in.
• They’re both captured and taken to a ship by Cordell, who Boots used to work with back in the war.
• Boots speaks to Cordell and tells him she knows where the legendary war ship is and that they can loot it.
• Other ships arrive and attack Cordell’s ship.
• Orna and Boots go out and fight them off when they realise the Fixers have been compromised and no help is arriving. They save the ship.
• Boots tries to escape but Orna stops her.
• Orna walks Boots back to the cell. We meet the crew. Orna threatens to kill Boots.
• Nilah gets out of her cell and uses her powers to take over the ship. She makes it teleport light years away from Gantry Station. Orna forces Nilah to let go of the ship.
• Boots agrees to join the crew.
• Nilah fights Orna and loses, so she has to pay for repairs to the ship.
• They land on Carré. The plan is to drop Nilah off at the duke’s place so she can then return home. While they’re on the planet, they see broadcasts that say Nilah is wanted for the murder of Cyril.
• Nilah freaks out, ofc.
• They’re captured.
• Boots and Didier go to another village and find out more info on the Harrow. Instead, they find a bunch of dead bodies. One of the bodies is Jean Prejean.
• Mother arrives and kills Didier.
• Nilah and co. have been captured by the duke (pretty sure that’s the name of a romance novel). It’s all going well because he’s friends with Nilah, until his men turn against him.
• Nilah and co. escape, the duke is killed.
• Malik is poisoned and puts himself into a coma.
• Orna is injured.
• The Captain comes for them. Nilah has to break Ranger to save Orna’s life.
• The crew reach a base on a planet and break in. Here they come across traps, and more information on where the Harrow is.
• The crew head towards the Harrow and they find it hidden away. They board the ship. Kin hacks into the system and finds loads of dead bodies (this seems to be a theme). Turns out the Harrow is part of a fleet, and its commander – Henrick Witts – demanded worship. The other commanders of the fleet include Dwight Mandell – the PM – and Claire, Nilah’s mentor, and Mother.
• These people are planning on casting another spell. The last one wiped out Boots’ planet and played a hand in the Famine War. The spell takes life in exchange for magic.
• Mother and her crew arrive. Boots and co. fight them off. Mother boards the ship, and Boots fights her and kills her. Finally.
• The crew arrive back at Taitu. They kill the PM.
• Everything settles down and the shares get divvied out. Nilah joins the crew permanently after giving up racing.
• One year later, Cordell shows up at Boots’ place. It sounds as though the crew needs her help again.