This is not, strictly speaking, a novel; it’s the promising first episode of a Space Opera serial. It is short, episodic, light, and irreverent to both modern life and Sci-Fi convention.
Don’t expect any sort of scientific plausibility or day-to-day veracity. It’s not that kind of Sci-Fi. If a guy needs to open a hatch on the ship and feel the cold of outer space, he just does it, and we have to assume that some scientific magic keeps the atmosphere from blowing out of the room. On the other hand, some of the invented tech is quite interesting. The description of artificial gravity and its idiosyncrasies is fascinating. Most of the tech is well thought out, with just enough explanation to let us believe in it.
While the plotline requires the main character to spend a lot of the story talking to himself or his ship, there is a constant stream of minor conflicts that keep the action going as well.
The success of the tale hinges on the personality of Frank, the hero. He may be a poorly educated, impulsive teenager, but he is endearing in his own way, and doesn’t blame others (except his father, who dumped him in this mess) for his problems. All the new difficulties that crop up as the adventure progresses are strictly caused by his own personality traits.
The other characters play their parts nicely (or nastily, as the case may be), especially his ship, Fetch, whose sense of humour helps keep the dialogue light. The aliens are imaginatively conceived, but just too different for us to get a picture of what they really look like. None of the specific species stay in the frame for long enough for us to develop a relationship, which is pretty standard in episodic Sci-Fi.
In all, this episode is put together with more skill than the average, and it fulfills all the requirements of the lighter end of the Space Opera spectrum. The writing style is smooth and well edited.
In other words, it’s not deathless prose, but it’s really a fun read. Highly recommended for all Space Opera fans, especially in the Young Adult bracket.
(5 / 5)
This review was originally published on Reedsy Discovery.
