Review by Misphantom -- Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga bo...
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Misphantom
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Review by Misphantom -- Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga bo...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)" by Janet McNulty.]
3 out of 4 stars
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A fantasy space adventure, Solaris Seethes is the first book of the series Solaris Saga by Janet McNulty. It blends science and technology with fiction and legends. With its plot and setting, the book reminds me a bit of Star Wars and Star Trek.
The hero of the story, Rynah, is just a normal security guard on the planet Lanyr. Her happy life changed when a group of terrorists attacked and stole a powerful crystal, destroying her home. Together with Solaris, a ship’s artificial intelligence, Rynah must recover the crystal and follow an ancient prophecy to stop the enemy. Much to her irritation, she must also cooperate with four unlikely heroes from the primitive planet Earth: Alfric (a Viking king), Tom (a young inventor), Solon (a scholar’s apprentice), and Brie (a bullied student) in order to fulfill what was foretold. The ragtag group must overcome their differences, defeat powerful enemies, and learn to work together to save the universe.
Like many fantasy novels, the plot revolves around a prophecy. What I disliked about this was how straightforward the prophecy was and how easy it was to decode it. Since the crystals were very powerful objects that are foretold in the lore’s myths, readers would expect them to be more mysterious and dangerous, but the author made their discoveries too simple.
The author's writing style builds up the tension and the atmosphere through detailed descriptions and actions, making it thrilling. By merging the environment, direness of situation, and how the characters respond to it, the author succeeds in bringing excitement to her readers. There is always something important happening: interactions or conflict, so there is never a dull moment.
Furthermore, the sentences aren't long so the book was easy to read. Since it does not have a high level of vocabulary, I could read it with no complications. Teenagers would not have a hard time reading this, especially those who dislike lengthy chapters and deep words.
The characters have unique personalities which made their interactions and banter amusing. Since they came from different eras, they think, speak, and act differently which gives spice to the chapters. The author also gave some characters depth. Their fears and insecurities were an important part of the plot. Even the heroes had bad attitudes that they had to overcome. This made them relatable and likable.
Throughout the plot, there was excellent character development. However, it would be better if each hero was highlighted instead of focusing only on Rynah and Brie. I also liked the author’s decision to include chapters with the villain’s point of view (POV) and that he had humane reasons and a personality that was not completely evil.
Unfortunately, the new planets, species, and lore introduced, although interesting, were not that detailed. Since the book involves different worlds, I expected them to have a society and an environment different from Earth's. However, the author made them almost exactly as human civilizations and biomes. Practically all the alien flora and fauna are based on Earth’s (if not, some are just merges of different species). These aliens and planets were not given much depth; they don’t have unique characteristics and history.
On the other hand, there were good quotes throughout the book, told by the philosophical Solon (a reason why he is my favorite character). I even highlighted some of these. Solaris Seethes also teaches its readers to overcome their fears through Brie’s storyline. Its morals include compassion, teamwork and faith in people which are displayed through Rynah’s POV.
I only noticed one grammatical error while reading the book: “They are my ally” should be “They are my allies” since “allies” pertains to a plural pronoun.
Because of its entertaining writing style and great characterization, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I did not rate it 4 stars because I think it lacked mystery and lore detail. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book and I want to read the sequels. I recommend it to young readers who like mild space adventure, fantasy, and fans of Star Wars or Star Trek.
******
Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
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3 out of 4 stars
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A fantasy space adventure, Solaris Seethes is the first book of the series Solaris Saga by Janet McNulty. It blends science and technology with fiction and legends. With its plot and setting, the book reminds me a bit of Star Wars and Star Trek.
The hero of the story, Rynah, is just a normal security guard on the planet Lanyr. Her happy life changed when a group of terrorists attacked and stole a powerful crystal, destroying her home. Together with Solaris, a ship’s artificial intelligence, Rynah must recover the crystal and follow an ancient prophecy to stop the enemy. Much to her irritation, she must also cooperate with four unlikely heroes from the primitive planet Earth: Alfric (a Viking king), Tom (a young inventor), Solon (a scholar’s apprentice), and Brie (a bullied student) in order to fulfill what was foretold. The ragtag group must overcome their differences, defeat powerful enemies, and learn to work together to save the universe.
Like many fantasy novels, the plot revolves around a prophecy. What I disliked about this was how straightforward the prophecy was and how easy it was to decode it. Since the crystals were very powerful objects that are foretold in the lore’s myths, readers would expect them to be more mysterious and dangerous, but the author made their discoveries too simple.
The author's writing style builds up the tension and the atmosphere through detailed descriptions and actions, making it thrilling. By merging the environment, direness of situation, and how the characters respond to it, the author succeeds in bringing excitement to her readers. There is always something important happening: interactions or conflict, so there is never a dull moment.
Furthermore, the sentences aren't long so the book was easy to read. Since it does not have a high level of vocabulary, I could read it with no complications. Teenagers would not have a hard time reading this, especially those who dislike lengthy chapters and deep words.
The characters have unique personalities which made their interactions and banter amusing. Since they came from different eras, they think, speak, and act differently which gives spice to the chapters. The author also gave some characters depth. Their fears and insecurities were an important part of the plot. Even the heroes had bad attitudes that they had to overcome. This made them relatable and likable.
Throughout the plot, there was excellent character development. However, it would be better if each hero was highlighted instead of focusing only on Rynah and Brie. I also liked the author’s decision to include chapters with the villain’s point of view (POV) and that he had humane reasons and a personality that was not completely evil.
Unfortunately, the new planets, species, and lore introduced, although interesting, were not that detailed. Since the book involves different worlds, I expected them to have a society and an environment different from Earth's. However, the author made them almost exactly as human civilizations and biomes. Practically all the alien flora and fauna are based on Earth’s (if not, some are just merges of different species). These aliens and planets were not given much depth; they don’t have unique characteristics and history.
On the other hand, there were good quotes throughout the book, told by the philosophical Solon (a reason why he is my favorite character). I even highlighted some of these. Solaris Seethes also teaches its readers to overcome their fears through Brie’s storyline. Its morals include compassion, teamwork and faith in people which are displayed through Rynah’s POV.
I only noticed one grammatical error while reading the book: “They are my ally” should be “They are my allies” since “allies” pertains to a plural pronoun.
Because of its entertaining writing style and great characterization, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I did not rate it 4 stars because I think it lacked mystery and lore detail. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book and I want to read the sequels. I recommend it to young readers who like mild space adventure, fantasy, and fans of Star Wars or Star Trek.
******
Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like Misphantom's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "The 11.05 Murders" by Brian O'Hare
