Review of Unholy Alliance

[Rebecca Zirkelbach]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Unholy Alliance" by Tyler Chase and Laura J. Quinn.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Before reading Unholy Alliance: Space Opera and Sci-fi Romance (The Van Laven Chronicles Book 1) by Tyler Chase and Laura J. Quinn, I had never heard of a space opera. After doing a bit of research, I found an AI-generated summary on Google describing a space opera as “a subgenre of science fiction that typically features intergalactic warfare, epic battles, and large-scale conflicts between civilizations, often set in a futuristic, space-faring environment. It often includes elements like space exploration, relationships, and romance, alongside the larger themes of good versus evil and the struggle for survival.” This book touches on all of those major elements.
The story is fast-paced and evokes the feel of several well-known works of literature and film. It carries the grand scale and action of Star Wars, with its numerous space battles and interplanetary travel. The romance element reminds me of Romeo and Juliet, with a forbidden love between members of two warring houses. The political intrigue and power struggles are reminiscent of Game of Thrones, with many major players vying to “rule the world.”
The book opens in what feels like the climax of a story, and readers don’t truly “meet” the characters until at least a chapter in. However, it’s easy to get swept up in the drama and mystery surrounding Varush’s possible rise to power. Since this is the first installment in a series, I’m hopeful that later books will further develop some of the less prominent characters to enhance the depth of the overall narrative. Each chapter begins with a quote from what seems to be an important figure within the book’s universe. While these individuals are not introduced or referenced in the first book, I hope they will become more central or their significance will be explained in future installments.
Overall, I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I didn’t give it a full 5 stars for a few reasons. The primary issue is a lack of descriptive detail. While the sexual scenes are graphic and richly described, the same attention isn’t given to the rest of the narrative. Because the story takes place in a completely unfamiliar universe, the reader needs more vivid depictions of the planets, the various civilizations, and the space battles to fully visualize the world.
My second reason, while acknowledging that this is part of a series, is the limited backstory for many key characters. We are given brief glimpses when convenient, but not enough to fully understand their motivations or histories. Lastly, and this is more of a personal preference, I struggled with the structural choice to repeat the entire opening chapter later in the book when the timeline catches up. While the opening is exciting, repeating it felt unnecessary and could have been approached in a more effective way.
Despite these critiques, I truly enjoyed the book and fully intend to continue the series to see how the characters’ journeys unfold. Due to the presence of graphic sexual content, I would recommend this book for adult readers only.

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Unholy Alliance
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