A fast-paced, courageous tale of a teen’s relentless journey toward self-discovery as she hurtles through space, uncovers family secrets, and faces alien threats.
In the midst of an interplanetary war, Abriana and her father are stranded on an alien planet after being reunited with Abriana’s long-lost mother, who turns out to be a general in an alien army. Abriana’s teenage life is upended as alliances shift unexpectedly and chaos erupts around her. Now, she must team up with a band of alien teens, including a prince, to stop tyranny from spreading.
My favorite things about this book
I like Abriana as a protagonist. She’s smart and passionate but not without flaws. She’s headstrong, angry, and struggles with almost crippling anxiety. I also appreciate that her growth is believable. She doesn’t just immediately become a hero. She grapples with the monumental changes in her life, and she has to learn to trust and to fight. Things don’t come easily for her. Finally, her complex relationships with her estranged mother and Prince Nasol add depth to the story. It’s refreshing to see these connections explored with nuance, and I feel it adds another dimension.
What I wanted more of
I appreciated the fast pace of this novel, but there were a few times when I wanted to slow down and be lured into a false sense of security, of sweetness between Abriana and Nasol, and of falling in love with some of the side characters so that some of the abrupt changes stung more. I wanted to know more about the worlds Abriana visits. I wanted to see more of the people, the traditions, and the landscapes to better understand what is at stake.
There were quite a few grammatical and typographical errors in this book, but overall, I did not feel that they detracted from the story.
Rating
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I recommend this book for young teens who like reading science fiction, fantasy, and romance. I especially recommend it to those who are fans of shows like CW’s The 100 or Veronica Roth’s series Carve the Mark. Lastly, I recommend it to anyone looking to support a remarkably kind indie author on her publishing journey.