Review of Casindra Lost

[Prudence Katunasa]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Casindra Lost" by Marti Ward.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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The first book in the Lost Missions series, Casindra Lost, is science fiction. It is based on the 3.5-year space expedition that Captain Jerome Sideris, an engineer, LETO pilot, and certified loner, undertook. Solar Command sends Sideris to the Paradisi solar system in the hopes that he will discover and learn about four worlds, particularly New Eden, since they (the Founders) seek to find a new Earth and, in the near future, populate and inhabit it. Sideris is the ideal choice for this one-man expedition due to his asocial nature, but he is joined by Al, an AI that takes on more personality as the book's final chapters progress. Two cats, Simba and Samba, as well as other animals, are present on the Casindra LETO ship. Sideris' survival through the wormhole clarifies that the mission is so far a success; however, Solar Command violates the communication protocol with little to no feedback from them. This makes Jerome question what is occurring back on Earth.

The one aspect of Marti Ward's book that I particularly liked was the way he always gave us a glimpse into the minds of the three central figures, Sideris, Al, and Simba, in each chapter. Three different viewpoints are provided by this.

The major thing that I didn't like about this book is that it lacked fun. There were so many technicalities and details, but hardly any adventure. I had not really understood anything, but I understood enough to get an idea of what the story was about. I also found it to be a bit repetitive, and it progressed rather slowly.

I give this book a rating of two out of five stars. It's just not for me, so I give it a poor grade. Throughout the entire book, nothing caught my attention. Although I was intrigued by the conclusion, I wish the author had included more intriguing information sooner. This could have been the author's tactic to compel the reader to read the sequel, though. Numerous mistakes were made that could have been prevented. Overall, I found the book to be excessively complicated and dull.

I wholeheartedly endorse this book to readers of science fiction, especially given that it is futuristic and explores topics of humanity and evolution.

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Casindra Lost
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