Review: Good read; low on plausibility
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 16, 2012
Perhaps the most novel feature of the series is the portrayal of humans as villains who are attempting to subjugate a planet full of sentient beings in order to exploit its resources. The native Kellani are endowed with humanoid personalities and characteristics, and their struggle to survive keeps the story interesting.  Mr. Whiteway does a good job creating two distinct societies out of whole cloth, one feudal and one more modern. Both are fighting the human enemy, each in different ways, with neither being aware of the other.Unfortunately, the band of Kelanni who are waging this battle are a bit too good to be true.  They survive a succession of nearly insurmountable hazards too neatly. Like a children's book, the reader can be confident that the good guys will win, no matter how hopeless it may look. One hero follows another.The laws of physics do not limit the narrative. Thus the plausibility suffers. The writer lapses into fantasy, which detracts from the serious sci-fi reader's enjoyment.Nonetheless, the books are good reading, as the story line winds to the inevitable final clash.  One wcnders just how the intrepid group will pull off its miracle.