2 out of 4 stars
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Solaris of Solaris Seethes by Janet McNulty is a spaceship, and the only companion of her creator’s granddaughter, Rynah, after their home planet of Lanyr is destroyed. Unlike most spaceships, Solaris has a personality. More importantly, she has a plan: gather the heroes spoken of in ancient prophecy, restore Lanyr, and save the universe. She summons these four strangers from the past, present and future of Earth, a forgotten planet in a “primitive” sector of the galaxy: Solon the philosopher, Tom the inventor, Alfric the warrior, and Brie the lover.
While entertaining, the book has several technical problems. The narrative is clunky and inelegant. The excessive parentheticals, especially, are jarring enough to draw the reader out of the story to process what exactly the author is trying to say. Important details are left unresolved. For example, the prophecy that Solaris guides the team with is simultaneously believed to be scientific history, archaic myth, and familiar fairytale, sometimes by the same character. Rynah is reportedly a skeptic about the powerful artifact mentioned in the prophecy, despite being employed to guard it at the lab where it serves an essential and well-documented scientific purpose. This is mentioned to her, but never really adequately addressed. Similar issues, such as Solon appearing as a young Egyptian in his portrait when he is actually Greek, break the reader’s immersion and prevent them from fully engaging with the story.
That said, the character portraits and other pictures in the book deeply add to the reading experience. They’re rendered in a hazy, almost Impressionistic style, a welcome departure from science fiction’s usual penchant for photorealism. They reflect an overall trend of the story; it leans more towards fiction than science. If you're the type of person who owns detailed specifications of the Enterprise, this may not be the book for you! I enjoy geeky minutiae as much as the next Trekkie, but I still enjoyed this more whimsical romp through the cosmos. The third person omniscient narrator speaking from an Earth-centric viewpoint (for example, describing an alien animal as a cross between two Earth animals) is a personal pet peeve, but not something that would trouble most readers.
I personally appreciate that the book didn't fall prey to any sort of forced romance. Plenty of works, even those I count among my favorites, are willing to sacrifice pacing and even character development to shoehorn in a couple cliches and a kiss, but the Solaris crew doesn't have time for that. Their relationships feel realistic for their setting and develop naturally. Furthermore, the characters as individuals are singular and compelling. Rynah, in particular, is a type of flawed heroine who I have rarely seen explored. She is short-sighted and lacks empathy; one might even call her selfish, and yet she is not heartless. Rather, she is one of the most deeply feeling characters in the book. Brie is one of the most accurate depictions of a frightened teenager I have ever seen. She’s a scared kid in an unforgiving cosmos and the narrative does not shy away from that. Her growing friendship with Alfric actually made me tear up once or twice. I would have liked to see Solon and Tom recieve a little more of the same narrative attention, but this is only the first book in a series, so I will give the benefit of the doubt and assume they receive further development in subsequent volumes.
Overall I give the book 2 out of 4 stars. While the book had interesting and unique elements, the technical problems seriously hindered immersion in the story. Additionally, the book demanded a somewhat higher suspension of disbelief than most science fiction geared towards adults. There are parts that I enjoyed, but I would not recommend it as a complete work.
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Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
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