Review by LouAnne1971 -- Homecoming by Jude Austin
Posted: 27 Nov 2020, 12:04
[Following is a volunteer review of "Homecoming" by Jude Austin.]
Homecoming by Jude Austin is the second book in the series that began with Project Tau . It began with the story of Kalin who just wanted to fit in. He would have done anything to achieve that goal. Two years later, after escaping from a life of torture and brainwashing with his best friend Tau, Kalin is now known as Project Kata. He is just trying to get home and be safe. Safety not for him only, but for Tau as well. That is where Homecoming begins. He must figure out who to trust and if he should trust anyone.
This is an exciting book that does not follow the normal science fiction genre. While there is technology that makes this a futuristic book, it does not center around that technology. This is more of a psychological science fiction series. You follow the characters as they encounter a variety of people. Some are self-serving while others genuinely try to help them. They travel from planet to planet and try to overcome a variety of obstacles from characters who just want to use them for their abilities have put in their way.
While this book does not focus on science fiction to tell the story, there are elements that make it science fiction. One of the characters was created. Although human, these creations are not considered human but as livestock to be bought and sold. In this fashion, Austin is tackling the moral issues of today with the developing technology of cloning and the moral implications of that. Austin also has shown how deeply embedded some things, such as slavery, can become in cultures while at the same time being overlooked by those that could do something to change that. There are planets that are mentioned, space travel, and futuristic bounty hunters. While there are no lasers as weapons, there are lasers that kill germs on humans simply by walking through them. There are biological security measures that the characters use. All of this is used by Austin to have a very solid science fiction or fantasy novel. Austin is able to pull the reader into a world that seems believable and the characters, both good and bad, are ones that can be related to easily.
I also was able to make connections from the story with events that are going on today. Slavery is still a big issue, though some may wish to ignore that fact. While creating humans is not prevalent today, there are technological advances that allow for cloning which brings up the same moral issues raised in the book about the created humans. It also covers the psychological and physical abuse of children by strangers and people they trust. Eating disorders and the effects it can have years later is another issue that people do not think about but one of the characters must overcome. Austin has been able to weave a tale that brings difficult issues to the forefront and making you think about them.
The characters have a range of development from the childlike innocence of Tau to the greed of the underworld. And Kata is caught somewhere between wanting to believe in the good of people but losing his trust due to the way the characters betray him. While Kata is the protagonist, the secondary characters do play just as important a role. By focusing on these secondary characters, it makes these characters more realistic. By the end of the book, you are rooting for some while hoping the Council throws the bad ones under the bus. There is action, drama and humor to break up the somber and serious issues and situations. By having the characters say something funny or do something so unexpected it becomes funny, she was able to create a balance between the elements of the story.
There is some language so I would not recommend this to someone easily offended. However, I do feel this book would be great for anyone who loves sci-fi and fantasy. I only found one error and felt that this book was well edited. I give this a 4 out of 4 stars . I loved how the book draws you in and makes it so you really don't want to put it down. The way that Austin connects the characters to each other, even those that at first may seem largely unimportant, was done masterfully. I also liked how she gave a brief history of the origins of planets involved and would love for her to write a series on that. I also liked the cover art. The images let you know you are not reading a shoot 'em up space novel but one that centers on two characters. It draws your interest. Once you start reading, you just want more. The only criticism I have would be to not have so much language in the story. While I understand the language is used to convey deep emotions, it seems sometimes it was inserted as an afterthought. Other than that, I found nothing that I could say I did not like about the book. As stated earlier, despite this, I would definitely recommend this book.
******
Homecoming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Homecoming by Jude Austin is the second book in the series that began with Project Tau . It began with the story of Kalin who just wanted to fit in. He would have done anything to achieve that goal. Two years later, after escaping from a life of torture and brainwashing with his best friend Tau, Kalin is now known as Project Kata. He is just trying to get home and be safe. Safety not for him only, but for Tau as well. That is where Homecoming begins. He must figure out who to trust and if he should trust anyone.
This is an exciting book that does not follow the normal science fiction genre. While there is technology that makes this a futuristic book, it does not center around that technology. This is more of a psychological science fiction series. You follow the characters as they encounter a variety of people. Some are self-serving while others genuinely try to help them. They travel from planet to planet and try to overcome a variety of obstacles from characters who just want to use them for their abilities have put in their way.
While this book does not focus on science fiction to tell the story, there are elements that make it science fiction. One of the characters was created. Although human, these creations are not considered human but as livestock to be bought and sold. In this fashion, Austin is tackling the moral issues of today with the developing technology of cloning and the moral implications of that. Austin also has shown how deeply embedded some things, such as slavery, can become in cultures while at the same time being overlooked by those that could do something to change that. There are planets that are mentioned, space travel, and futuristic bounty hunters. While there are no lasers as weapons, there are lasers that kill germs on humans simply by walking through them. There are biological security measures that the characters use. All of this is used by Austin to have a very solid science fiction or fantasy novel. Austin is able to pull the reader into a world that seems believable and the characters, both good and bad, are ones that can be related to easily.
I also was able to make connections from the story with events that are going on today. Slavery is still a big issue, though some may wish to ignore that fact. While creating humans is not prevalent today, there are technological advances that allow for cloning which brings up the same moral issues raised in the book about the created humans. It also covers the psychological and physical abuse of children by strangers and people they trust. Eating disorders and the effects it can have years later is another issue that people do not think about but one of the characters must overcome. Austin has been able to weave a tale that brings difficult issues to the forefront and making you think about them.
The characters have a range of development from the childlike innocence of Tau to the greed of the underworld. And Kata is caught somewhere between wanting to believe in the good of people but losing his trust due to the way the characters betray him. While Kata is the protagonist, the secondary characters do play just as important a role. By focusing on these secondary characters, it makes these characters more realistic. By the end of the book, you are rooting for some while hoping the Council throws the bad ones under the bus. There is action, drama and humor to break up the somber and serious issues and situations. By having the characters say something funny or do something so unexpected it becomes funny, she was able to create a balance between the elements of the story.
There is some language so I would not recommend this to someone easily offended. However, I do feel this book would be great for anyone who loves sci-fi and fantasy. I only found one error and felt that this book was well edited. I give this a 4 out of 4 stars . I loved how the book draws you in and makes it so you really don't want to put it down. The way that Austin connects the characters to each other, even those that at first may seem largely unimportant, was done masterfully. I also liked how she gave a brief history of the origins of planets involved and would love for her to write a series on that. I also liked the cover art. The images let you know you are not reading a shoot 'em up space novel but one that centers on two characters. It draws your interest. Once you start reading, you just want more. The only criticism I have would be to not have so much language in the story. While I understand the language is used to convey deep emotions, it seems sometimes it was inserted as an afterthought. Other than that, I found nothing that I could say I did not like about the book. As stated earlier, despite this, I would definitely recommend this book.
******
Homecoming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon