Review of Nowhere to Hide

[Salome Ogani]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Nowhere to Hide" by Jude Austin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In Akkhen, nineteen-year-old Kalin (Kata) sought refuge at the Lioret Planetary Hospital. This young man, who went by the name of Kata, had endured immense suffering and emotional abuse in his short life. Kata was kidnapped by a group of GenTech scientists. For two long years, he was held captive, experimented on, and transformed into a test subject. The scientists' experiments left him with physical changes, including the growth of claws.

When Kata finally managed to escape from the clutches of his captors, he fled to Akkhen. There, a kind man named Alan Morgan took Kata under his care, providing him with a safe haven to begin recovering from the physical and emotional trauma he had endured. Alan did his best to comfort the young man, offering wisdom and reassurance. But is that the end of Kata's troubles? Get a copy of "Nowhere to Hide" by Jude Austin to find out. This is the third book in the "Five Worlds" series.

I so much love the plot of this book and the author's unique style. In the realm of science fiction, author Jude Austin has carved a sci-fi realism niche. Her stories focus on character-driven narratives set in non-dystopian futures, eschewing many of the common sci-fi tropes like advanced technology, aliens, artificial intelligence, and epic space battles. Though the worlds Austin builds contain imaginative new elements, she aims to keep science grounded and human relationships central.

One of the highlights of "Nowhere to Hide" by Jude Austin is the development of the relationships between characters. At the heart of the story is Kata, a young man burdened by deep trauma from his torturous past. Austin portrays the realistic ways this trauma shapes Kata's interactions, from his wariness around strangers to the slow buildup of trust with Alan.

To get the full experience, I recommend reading the previous installments, "Project Tau" and "Homecoming." The history established there provides important context. But even without that background, this novel stands on its own as an ambitious and rewarding sci-fi epic distinguished by well-built characters and Austin's gift for immersive world-building. I recommend this book to any fan of intelligent, character-focused science fiction. The book was well-edited, and I didn't find any negative aspects to it. Hence, I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Nowhere to Hide
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