Review of Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
-
CDBeck
- In It Together VIP
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 04 May 2022, 15:29
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 17
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cdbeck.html
- Latest Review: The Impossible Mock Orange Trial by Thad G. Long
Review of Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
[Following is a volunteer review of "Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)" by Janet McNulty.]
In Solaris Seethes, Janet McNulty tells the story of the ship Solaris and Rynah as she begins her quest for the legendary crystals mentioned in the ancient texts. According to the texts, heroes destroyed a weapon powerful enough to destroy solar systems. They broke apart the six crystals and hid them, scattering them among the planets of the twelve sectors. With this legend comes a prophecy: one day the evil one will reunite the crystals, and heroes will emerge to oppose him. The events foretold unfold when the traitor Klanor steals the crystal on Lanyr, Rynah’s home planet, and wreaks havoc on the planet’s surface. Together, Rynah and Solaris follow the prophecy and gather four heroes from the thirteenth sector, the Terra sector, from the planet Earth. It’s a race against time and Klanor as the heroes search for the six crystals.
McNulty jumps right into the story with action and the main conflict in the first chapter. The story moves from planets to asteroids to spaceships as the heroes pursue their quest. Slower-paced scenes aboard the ship show the characters interacting and break up the background story into digestible tidbits. Every planet the crew visits is unique, and I like that there’s just enough detail provided so that I can easily build these worlds in my imagination. The questing characters are likable. Even though Rynah is mostly angry, I can still sympathize with her loss and frustration. Solon, Alfric, Brie, and Tom fill the roles of a questing adventure: the philosopher, the warrior, the lover, and the inventor. I find myself cheering for Brie in her struggles. Solon, Alfric, and Tom are good people. The ship Solaris is probably my favorite character. Even though she is an artificial intelligence, she treats her flesh-and-blood crewmates with understanding and compassion. Her grit and persistence keep the crew going and on task.
The writing is awkward at times mostly due to run-on sentences. Also, the overuse of parentheses is puzzling and gets to be annoying after a while. The characters seem a bit like stock characters at the beginning of the story. Solaris and Rynah don’t change that much throughout the book, and of the Terran characters, only Brie changes. She’s the only one who grows and feels like a real person. Solon, Alfric, and Tom have backgrounds but I don’t see much of their thoughts and feelings. Klanor looks like a run-of-the-mill comic book villain intent on revenge. However, Solaris Seethes begins a series so perhaps there will be more to learn about these characters in the following books.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars rating. I found fewer than five errors, so I would say that the book is well-edited. Although it is a fun, action-packed read, I felt that it lacked depth. Most of this feeling comes from not getting to see all the characters as unique.
I would recommend this book to teens, young adults, and any science fiction fan who likes a fast-moving sci-fi yarn. Profanity is minimal. There is an acknowledgment that sexual acts happen, but none of the characters indulge in them.
******
Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
In Solaris Seethes, Janet McNulty tells the story of the ship Solaris and Rynah as she begins her quest for the legendary crystals mentioned in the ancient texts. According to the texts, heroes destroyed a weapon powerful enough to destroy solar systems. They broke apart the six crystals and hid them, scattering them among the planets of the twelve sectors. With this legend comes a prophecy: one day the evil one will reunite the crystals, and heroes will emerge to oppose him. The events foretold unfold when the traitor Klanor steals the crystal on Lanyr, Rynah’s home planet, and wreaks havoc on the planet’s surface. Together, Rynah and Solaris follow the prophecy and gather four heroes from the thirteenth sector, the Terra sector, from the planet Earth. It’s a race against time and Klanor as the heroes search for the six crystals.
McNulty jumps right into the story with action and the main conflict in the first chapter. The story moves from planets to asteroids to spaceships as the heroes pursue their quest. Slower-paced scenes aboard the ship show the characters interacting and break up the background story into digestible tidbits. Every planet the crew visits is unique, and I like that there’s just enough detail provided so that I can easily build these worlds in my imagination. The questing characters are likable. Even though Rynah is mostly angry, I can still sympathize with her loss and frustration. Solon, Alfric, Brie, and Tom fill the roles of a questing adventure: the philosopher, the warrior, the lover, and the inventor. I find myself cheering for Brie in her struggles. Solon, Alfric, and Tom are good people. The ship Solaris is probably my favorite character. Even though she is an artificial intelligence, she treats her flesh-and-blood crewmates with understanding and compassion. Her grit and persistence keep the crew going and on task.
The writing is awkward at times mostly due to run-on sentences. Also, the overuse of parentheses is puzzling and gets to be annoying after a while. The characters seem a bit like stock characters at the beginning of the story. Solaris and Rynah don’t change that much throughout the book, and of the Terran characters, only Brie changes. She’s the only one who grows and feels like a real person. Solon, Alfric, and Tom have backgrounds but I don’t see much of their thoughts and feelings. Klanor looks like a run-of-the-mill comic book villain intent on revenge. However, Solaris Seethes begins a series so perhaps there will be more to learn about these characters in the following books.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars rating. I found fewer than five errors, so I would say that the book is well-edited. Although it is a fun, action-packed read, I felt that it lacked depth. Most of this feeling comes from not getting to see all the characters as unique.
I would recommend this book to teens, young adults, and any science fiction fan who likes a fast-moving sci-fi yarn. Profanity is minimal. There is an acknowledgment that sexual acts happen, but none of the characters indulge in them.
******
Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: The Impossible Mock Orange Trial by Thad G. Long
