Review: Absolutely brilliant science fiction fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2014
Starchild: The City of Souls is a journey into a highly imaginative world filled with fantastical creatures and beings who have special abilities, an intricate plot containing many elements of surprise, heroes you’ll find yourself rooting for, and heinous, creepy villains originating from the underworld who will stop at nothing to wreak havoc and destruction.  Underlying the series as a whole is the prophecy which is set into motion when Akra the Starchild arrives on planet Sage.  The prophecy is the element tying the books together, but each book also has its own standalone plot.  In The City of Souls, the children’s quest is to find and secure Silvershade before their enemies do.  The book also ends with a clear mission for the kids in Book 3:  to save Long by finding a way to extract the black pebble (you’ll have to read the book to figure out what I’m talking about!)As with the previous book, I found myself thinking about Star Wars while reading The City of Souls.  The sand slavers reminded me of the Tusken Raider Sandmen from Star Wars and Viridi, the green healer reminded me of Yoda: “Collar, collar, collar. Mystical things they are. Hard to unlock.”  I also sometimes felt like the author was influenced by Tolkien’s Lord of Rings with descriptions of a dark force stirring and armies assembling.  The story even had elements à la Indiana Jones as the children have to navigate through a booby-trap laden chamber.  So, in short you can expect a real mix of genres with this science fiction and fantasy adventure.  As my daughter would say:  I loved, loved, loved it!My Bottom Line:Starchild: The City of Souls is the second book in a science fiction fantasy featuring an intricate and engaging plot, well-developed characters who are faced with new challenges, a well-described setting reminiscent of Star Wars with a hint of Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones-style action and suspense.  I’m in this series for the whole haul as I feel completely invested in what happens next as the prophecy continues to roll forward.  I highly recommend this book as well as the series to science fiction aficionados ages 10 years and older looking for something a little different.* This book was provided to me by the author free-of-charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.