Review: Unique Sci-fi
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 10, 2013
I thought the world concept was interesting - how changed our earth had become. I found it very interesting how the societies got their names - something that was gradually revealed to the reader. Not sure how the world got this way, but I'm sure later book will expand on that.I also liked Astra and Kai. Both were mysterious and then showed their humanity. Most of the characters in this novel were likable. Even if they weren't initially, there was some understandable reason behind it, except for the villainous ones of course.Some plot points were quite repetitious. Some bits were awkward or out of place - like how Ben seemed to understand Astra better than her sister of fifteen years, and how Petta for an instant went from scared doe to judo master (an action more befitting of Leda I think.).There were a few cases of modern slang creeping in, lingo you'd think would be outdated - "heck," "not cool," and "well duh." Thankfully, they only appear a handful of times. There was an omni pov often with no break for transition between minds (a common trend of the author's.) There were it's/its mistakes, capitalization errors, and misspellings.Thankfully, in this novel, the author shows noticeable improvement from her last two works, at least grammatically. She has definite potential as an writer, with unique world ideas and interesting characters.I was disappointed by the ending, or rather lack thereof. It was never explained why it was so terrible for Ben to know about Astra's situation in Tula. Everyone in Tula knew about it. If you flaunt her in front of a senator, of course he's going to notice this girl who dresses differently and doesn't eat. It's no real secret. Also, if a certain person wanted to put on a good face for the Free Nation, he should have kept her in private. Another disappointment was they kept dangling this secret about Astra and Kai, something that went deeper than the surface reason. I expected a big reveal in the last quarter, but nothing. There was no real climax either. I guess it's like that to make you read the sequel to find out how everything gets resolved. Still, I wish I had gotten a bit more than a tease.3.5 starsNote: I received a free copy from the author for a fair and honest review.3.5 stars