Review by Sgood11 -- Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
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Sgood11
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Review by Sgood11 -- Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
[Following is a volunteer review of "Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)" by Janet McNulty.]
Solaris Seethes by Janest McNulty is a Sci-Fi novel and the first of the Solaris Saga. Solaris Seethes tells the story of Rynah of the planet of Lanyran and the adventure she takes to save all that she loves. Not only is her home planet in danger but the safety of the whole galaxy is at stake. Rynah is joined on her journey by four unlikely companions from earth: scholar and scribe-in-training Solon; viking/warrior-king Alfric; the timid and bullied 16-year-old Brie; and hopeful inventor Tom. Together they set off to retrieve six special crystals that, if united by the wrong hands, could become a weapon capable of destroying whole star systems. Throughout their journey the team must evade pirates (and worse) bent on their destruction while navigating the mysterious expanse of space and foreign planets. If they are to succeed in their quest, they must rely on each other, their knowledge of ancient prophecies, and their spunky spaceship Solaris.
Honestly, I found myself a little underwhelmed. On the whole, I would rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. While it was good, it just wasn’t great and I have read other novels (Sci-Fi and not) that have been better. Although the book grew on me (therefore the 3 stars instead of 2) a few elements of the book/the author’s writing really frustrated and confused me. The beginning was probably the worst part. Some people had said it really gripped them from the beginning, but the book almost lost me at the beginning. Not only did the novel open just before a big action scene, there was no build up and no emotional connection to the main character; what was an heartbreaking, traumatic event for the main character was ultimately a confusing mess for the reader. It was melodramatic with plot twists all over the place that created an illogical flow of events. It felt like every time the protagonists were in trouble (at the beginning of the book and later), everything just “magically” worked out - a modern Deus Ex Machina.
Furthermore, the overall plot as well as specific scenes and conversations felt forced or didn’t make sense. While McNulty had good characters, the character building simply fell flat. A few of the characters had these epiphany moments but they felt very forced and/or incongruent with what was going on. Other times, their actions were inconsistent, either with their overall character, or the character they had supposedly developed into just a few chapters earlier.
While there were little to no obvious grammatical or spelling errors, there were multiple instances when the word choice of the author was questionable. Often these words just didn’t fit or could/should have been replaced to improve clarity of event and smooth the overall flow of scenes. (For example, the word “Seethes” in the title does not make sense, even after reading the novel.)
The book, while not flawless in its execution, had many redeeming qualities and by the end, I was engaged and wanted to keep reading. The world building was very well done and gave a unique yet familiar look at a Sci-Fi world, reminiscent of Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy. The part I liked the most was the characters themselves as they were very relatable. The characters even learned some life lessons (although at times in a circuitous and confusing manner). This book would appeal most to people who enjoy a light, whole-some reading, especially those who enjoy Sci-Fi books. There was no profanity or vulgar language (except the occasional words in made-up Lanyran etc. languages). There was mention of prostitution and implication of a prostitute’s occupation and objectifying women. Apart from that, this was a very family-friendly novel, great for teens to read although all ages would probably enjoy it.
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Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Solaris Seethes by Janest McNulty is a Sci-Fi novel and the first of the Solaris Saga. Solaris Seethes tells the story of Rynah of the planet of Lanyran and the adventure she takes to save all that she loves. Not only is her home planet in danger but the safety of the whole galaxy is at stake. Rynah is joined on her journey by four unlikely companions from earth: scholar and scribe-in-training Solon; viking/warrior-king Alfric; the timid and bullied 16-year-old Brie; and hopeful inventor Tom. Together they set off to retrieve six special crystals that, if united by the wrong hands, could become a weapon capable of destroying whole star systems. Throughout their journey the team must evade pirates (and worse) bent on their destruction while navigating the mysterious expanse of space and foreign planets. If they are to succeed in their quest, they must rely on each other, their knowledge of ancient prophecies, and their spunky spaceship Solaris.
Honestly, I found myself a little underwhelmed. On the whole, I would rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. While it was good, it just wasn’t great and I have read other novels (Sci-Fi and not) that have been better. Although the book grew on me (therefore the 3 stars instead of 2) a few elements of the book/the author’s writing really frustrated and confused me. The beginning was probably the worst part. Some people had said it really gripped them from the beginning, but the book almost lost me at the beginning. Not only did the novel open just before a big action scene, there was no build up and no emotional connection to the main character; what was an heartbreaking, traumatic event for the main character was ultimately a confusing mess for the reader. It was melodramatic with plot twists all over the place that created an illogical flow of events. It felt like every time the protagonists were in trouble (at the beginning of the book and later), everything just “magically” worked out - a modern Deus Ex Machina.
Furthermore, the overall plot as well as specific scenes and conversations felt forced or didn’t make sense. While McNulty had good characters, the character building simply fell flat. A few of the characters had these epiphany moments but they felt very forced and/or incongruent with what was going on. Other times, their actions were inconsistent, either with their overall character, or the character they had supposedly developed into just a few chapters earlier.
While there were little to no obvious grammatical or spelling errors, there were multiple instances when the word choice of the author was questionable. Often these words just didn’t fit or could/should have been replaced to improve clarity of event and smooth the overall flow of scenes. (For example, the word “Seethes” in the title does not make sense, even after reading the novel.)
The book, while not flawless in its execution, had many redeeming qualities and by the end, I was engaged and wanted to keep reading. The world building was very well done and gave a unique yet familiar look at a Sci-Fi world, reminiscent of Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy. The part I liked the most was the characters themselves as they were very relatable. The characters even learned some life lessons (although at times in a circuitous and confusing manner). This book would appeal most to people who enjoy a light, whole-some reading, especially those who enjoy Sci-Fi books. There was no profanity or vulgar language (except the occasional words in made-up Lanyran etc. languages). There was mention of prostitution and implication of a prostitute’s occupation and objectifying women. Apart from that, this was a very family-friendly novel, great for teens to read although all ages would probably enjoy it.
******
Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
