4 out of 4 stars
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I'm happy to say that Solaris Seeks by Janet McNulty is a vast improvement over the first book of the series. In her second novel, McNulty improves upon many of her past shortcomings, with well-rounded character interactions and a much more intricate plot. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who didn't enjoy the first installment, Solaris Seethes. I also didn't feel like it was important to read the first book to understand plot elements, so for any avid fan of the science fiction genre, this is an excellent starting point for the series. A few conversations have mildly sexual implications, but overall, the book is appropriate for anyone the age of a middle school student or older.
In Solaris Seeks, the alien woman Rynah continues to attempt to find powerful crystals that have been scattered across the galaxy before her evil fiancé, Klanor, can use them to power a weapon of mass destruction. She is joined on her quest by four figures from various points in Earth's history, as well as her sentient ship, Solaris. The supporting cast is much stronger than in the preceding novel, and McNulty continues to impress with punchy action sequences that never failed to draw my attention.
Rynah is guided in her quest by several ancient stories, all of which are written in rhyme. This story element can feel overly prescribed at times, but I didn't find it particularly jarring. The technology throughout the novel is cliché as well, with stereotypical laser guns and teleporters. I found the illustrations to be distracting, and there are some questionably placed parenthetical asides. However, I felt that the character interactions and the overarching plot made up for these flaws.
A main theme throughout the story is Rynah's distrust of others. This was handled much better than in the first novel, and I saw real development in her character over time. Almost every main character in the novel saw some sort of depth or change, including the main antagonists. The book also did a great job of setting up the next installment, and I felt compelled to continue reading the series just to see what happens next.
Despite relying a bit too much on common tropes, Solaris Seeks is an exciting space adventure with engaging characters and a believable, if not airtight, storyline. Its action scenes were particularly well done, and there was no shortage of them. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it, so while it wasn't perfect, I'd rate it a 4 out of 4 stars. I'm pleased to see McNulty's work improving drastically.
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Solaris Seeks (Solaris Saga book 2)
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