Book Reviews

Book Blurb

When the Voloth invaded Alsea, Lancer Andira Tal thought the hard part would be fighting off a technologically advanced army.

 

It wasn’t. In the aftermath of war, Alsean society is deeply divided and Tal is facing issues no Lancer has ever dealt with before. How to rebuild, what to do with the Voloth prisoners, when and how to release the new technologies—the pressure is building and Tal is showing cracks, which her enemies are glad to exploit.

 

The most divisive of the new technologies are the matter printers, desired by some castes and feared by others, especially the producers. When a challenge gives Tal the opportunity to bring the producers to her side, she leaves the capital to work in the fields of Hol-Opah. There she finds an unexpected sanctuary—and the promise of something she has wished for all her life.

 

But sanctuary and dreams are distractions, and Tal’s inattention may cost her everything.

 

Book Review

This second book in the ‘Chronicles of Alsea’ series is just as impressive as the first. It is set in the aftermath of Alsea, a pre-faster-than-light-flight society, fighting off an invasion from the technologically superior Voloth. The Alseans may have had help from the Gaians - humans of the future – but the final victory was won by using Alsean empathic abilities to destroy Voloth minds. The novel deals with the mental and emotional trauma suffered by the veterans of the Battle of Alsea, the difficulties everyone has adapting to the sudden influx of superior technology, and Lancer Tal’s very personal confrontation with her feelings in the context of a world trying to find its feet in a galactic context.

The world building continues to be excellent, and gave me an even deeper look into the priorities, issues, and morality of a society of empaths of varying levels whose laws and behaviors are determined by their mental abilities – abilities that are unique in this universe. In a society ruled by six castes, where everyone has a predefined position, any change causes all kinds of uproar. But even more than the world itself, what impressed me were the people. Lancer Tal is the main character, and I loved getting to know even more about her. Colonel Micah, her loyal friend and mentor, is as fierce and funny as ever. Lead Templar Satran gives more than spiritual advice; her comments and thoughts are among the key drivers for Lancer Tal’s personal journey. And there are a few new favorites as well, and I got very attached to them very quickly.

The first part of this book focuses on Lancer Tal dealing with the political implications of her planet discovering alien life populating the galaxy at large and the aftermath of an invasion that almost ended her civilization. The physical rebuilding is almost easier than the mental repairs that need to be made. Then there are the Voloth prisoners of war, most of whom are insane, and some of whom are applying for asylum. The biggest stumbling block, politically, is the introduction of matter transmitters into a society that has almost every one of the six castes worried about their survival under the new conditions. One of the groups most opposed are the producers (farmers), and Lancer Tal ends up accepting the challenge of finding out first-hand why the new technology will destroy their existence.

In the second part, Lancer Tal finds herself working on the agricultural holding of one of her most vocal opponents. Salomen may have been convinced it would be an easy win, but the two women are both equally stubborn, proud, and tough. This results in a more challenging battle for both of them than either would have predicted. And when Lancer Tal’s enemies step up their attacks, the effects are no longer limited to her or the warriors responsible for her security arrangements.

If you like science fiction with alien societies very different from ours, if you enjoy watching tough women fight and argue before they realize they have more in common than either would like to admit, and if you’re looking for a read that is as fascinating and suspenseful as it is amazing, then you will probably like this novel. There is one warning I need to issue – other than cautioning you about a possible addiction to this series – book two is not the whole story. The titles of books two and three being essentially the same pretty much make this clear, but the full impact of what that means did not hit me until the last page of book two. Talk about a cliff-hanger!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Ylva Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 370 pages/140000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	15-October-2015
Price	$8.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback
Buy Link	http://bit.ly/1Hv3dAW