Official Review: Solaris Seethes by Janet McNulty

[MaggieK]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)" by Janet McNulty.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Ready for a twist on the typical space adventure? In Solaris Seethes, book 1 of the “Solaris Saga” by Janet McNulty, you get not only space battles and laser fights but also jaded lovers, time travel and an ending with a twist that leaves you reaching for book 2.

The story follows Rynah, a quick-tempered former pilot now a security guard, who the fate of the universe gets thrust onto her shoulders by an equally temperamental spaceship left by her estranged grandfather. Her only guide -- besides her ship -- is an ancient prophecy of four heroes from another world whom would save the universe from those who seek to use six crystals of mass destruction. Rynah along with her four kidnapped heroes travel the universe collecting the crystals in a deadly race for time, meeting both friend and foe along the way. Through teamwork and playing on each other's strengths, the band of heroes exceeds all odds, even at the cost of a friend.

Throughout the journey, Rynah learns what it means to be a leader and what it takes to accept your own faults and failures. Even with the guidance of her ship and her new found friends, Rynah struggles to accept her destined role as a leader. Her stubbornness comes at a cost, however, one the Rynah doesn't know if she can ever take back.

Out of 4 stars, I would rate this book 3.5 out of 4 stars. The story is riveting, it takes the basic sci-fi space adventure and gives it a fantasy twist filled with heroes and prophecies that gives a new breath to the sci-fi genre. The characters are unique and diverse, Miss McNulty really gave life to her characters by giving them not only gifts but faults as well, making them come alive on the pages. The main character is a strong female character, no damsel in distress here, but she's not perfect: She's stubborn, proud and thoroughly against accepting advice that's not her own. Rynah has her failures. She has her moments when her plans don't work. Her stubbornness gets the best of her most of the time and this faulted hero greatly appeals to me as the main character because it shows that you don't have to be perfect to be the hero.

While the book overall is great, there are some minor issues. Miss McNulty has a very interesting way of describing detail. At some points, she goes at length describing an object or feature that adds no real meaning to the story while at others she doesn't add enough to a crucial character or object for the scene, making the reader (myself) wonder what's going on or how it is happening. This problem seems to be heavier at the beginning of the book verse the latter half of the book but even near the end, there are moments of unnecessary detail. This strange use of detail would be why this book doesn't get a perfect 4 out of 4-star rating.

Overall, "Solaris Seethes" by Janet McNulty is a great book. One that I would highly recommend. This book would greatly appeal fans from both the sci-fi world and the fantasy world. There is a healthy mix of both in this action-packed story. Romantics might be turned off by the story since there is no real romance or romantic pairings but if you enjoy a jaded lover wants revenge tale then this might be the book for you. Don't take my word for it, please enjoy and see for yourself!

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Solaris Seethes (Solaris Saga book 1)
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