I would love to see if the Lancer finds love with a tyree. I'm not going to go into a plot review, as this book already has many reviews. I'm going to round slightly up for an overall score of 4 stars. I will be reading the next book in this series, without hesitation. This book got better and better as it went on and completely sucked me into the world of Alsea. And I'm looking forward to continuing the journey. View all 10 comments. Between the near perfect "Past Imperfect" series and "Without a Front" , I was rather skeptical the author could squeeze another compelling tale out of that universe that we all haven't read before.
I am kinda wary of re-writes and edits for publication--sometimes they're marginally better, sometimes they turn out worse as when short stories or novellas get stretched out, but this is just so surprisingly Alsea is a fertile planet with a thriving but non-spacefaring civilization who li Between the near perfect "Past Imperfect" series and "Without a Front" , I was rather skeptical the author could squeeze another compelling tale out of that universe that we all haven't read before.
Alsea is a fertile planet with a thriving but non-spacefaring civilization who like us, gaze upon the stars and wonder if aliens exist. They get the surprise and shock of their lives when their first close encounter ever is when two alien ships duke it out over their skies. Fortunately, the right one is obliterated, and the surviving aliens appear to be their saviors. But the joy is short-lived, as the Alseans discover that they are a highly coveted prize in an interstellar political tug-of-war. And if the wrong guys win, its curtains for life as it is on Alsea.
This book can stand proud beside the most popular mainstream sci-fi works in terms of the science part of the fiction. The rich, complex world of Alsea and the religious, social and political norms of its inhabitants are well delineated. The details on the physics of space travel, weapons, battle strategies and staging, political alliances--elements so essential to sci-fi world-building--were all there but not dumped on the reader in a way that will make one fall asleep.
What makes it a better read than the typical sci-fi thriller is its accessibility. The expositions are sprinkled in well-timed doses and worded so as to engage rather than bury the reader in technobabble. But what really makes it appeal to us ordinary readers is that underneath the sci-fi exterior lies a beautiful and very powerful story of love and friendship amid a gripping tale of survival of apocalyptic proportions. Plot-wise, after the initial excitement and mini-battle, things kind of simmer down a bit, as the book takes some time with the world-building and character intros.
I was initally thrown for a loop as some major characters were transplanted from the old series but with somewhat similar names but different circumstances, so this was also a good time to get reacquainted with them and figure out their relationship dynamics in this book. The lack of action and conflict during this portion and some of the more techy stuff may discourage some readers, but stick with it, the second half is such a gripping read you won't want to put down the book till the end.
Aside from the inter-species conflicts, the book delves into a number of complex personal, moral, ethical and spiritual conflicts experienced by the main characters while carrying out their respective duties, and whether the ends ever justify the means. These philosophical and personal struggles are what elevate the book far above the usual lesfic or sci-fi fare. Another noteworthy aspect is the author's depiction of the two women protagonists--Type-A leaders, brilliant, headstrong, honorable--torn between loyalty, friendship and their inner moral compass, and their impossibly complicated relationship.
I can't remember a book with two unforgettable protagonists, and the one time it happens, they're not meant for each other! My only quibble and it's a pretty lame one, at that is with the cover. The lighting shading on the Caphenon is off, making it look too shiny and toy-like, rendering the whole scene more cartoonish that it should be. View all 39 comments. And now I'm absolutely thrilled and in even greater anticipation of the next two books in the Chronicles of Alsea. The Caphenon is an awesome book but for romance books fans such as I am the best is yet to come.
View all 16 comments.
- Saying that change my life;
- The Raven and Other Writings (Aladdin Classics).
- Los Hechos (Light To My Path Devotional Commentary Series) (Spanish Edition).
- Keep On Chooglin.
Fletcher's stories are always well written, and this is no exception. I loved her Voyager series and the online version of Without a Front, so I eagerly awaited these, but wanted to wait and read them all together. I found the ongoing descriptions of Alsea's history and the differences in technolog Edited after re-reading.
I'm sure Sci-fi fans who love action stories would find that storyline more interesting than I did. I wish more of the story had focussed on those aspects, but what was there was wonderful and I loved the richness of what transpired between them all. This lays a great foundation for the books that follow. DeLancey is a genius. I don't generally read sci-fi but was a Trekkie fan so can relate to life on board a starship and the structure of command needed to train a crew. What blew me away in The Caphenon was the world building. Alsea and the empathic Alseans are so well drawn you feel like you are right there, on ground, worrying about protecting the planet, these gentle or not so gentle if you insult one people and discovering their belief systems and way of life.
I would recommend Brilliant. I would recommend this book to anyone. You will be drawn in by the relationships and the world Delancey has created. There were times when I was thinking a whole wiki could be designed as there is so much fascinating cultural information here for all you nerds. For the rest of us, the author has kindly included a glossary so you can keep your bondmates and your tyree sorted out. One of my favourites for There are so many interesting social dynamics in this story. I cannot wait to see where it goes in the next books in the series.
This is definitely one of my all-time-favorite reads. It is even better the second time around. I am sure I will read this again and again. Now, on to Outcaste! View all 4 comments. I love Andira Tal. The main theme of the story is that the most technologically advanced civilization is not necessarily the best civilization. This idea is not shown as explicitly black-or-white as, for example, in Avatar, yet we found in the planet Alsea a highly moral society, while the Protectorate, the confederation of "high evolved" planets in charge of the order of the galaxy falls short of expecations because of its tendency to judge, to protect its own privileges and to serve its own prof I love Andira Tal.
This idea is not shown as explicitly black-or-white as, for example, in Avatar, yet we found in the planet Alsea a highly moral society, while the Protectorate, the confederation of "high evolved" planets in charge of the order of the galaxy falls short of expecations because of its tendency to judge, to protect its own privileges and to serve its own profits. The alsean population is very rich of traditions, religious and spiritual beliefs, it's technologically very advanced, expecially in medical field and in nanotechnolgy. Also it's a free society and, because of their peculiar empathic powers, higly respectful of their neighbor's feelings.
The community is subdivided in an ordered system of castes, based on the natural tendencies of individuals, like global corporations. Not too perfect, but still a good place where to live. The story begins when the Caphenon, a Protecotrate startreklike starship guided by Captain Serrado, crashes on the planet while defending it from a malevolent, conquest-aimed, alien population.
We follow three strong women, three heroines: On one side there are Ekatya, Lhyn who is also scretely Ekatya's lover and mate and the remaining crew of the Caphenon, on the other Lancer Andira Tal and the Alseans she leads. The adventure then is a pinwheel of happenings while the two groups of heroes learn at first to know each other and gradually come to mutual respect and like, they work together, face a great danger together, and eventually come to love each other in true friendship.
The book is so complex and yet the reading is so flowing, enjoyable and easy. That, for me, is a proof of its high quality. Now, is this book really a lesfic? For a very large part it is a wonderful adventure where two of the leads just happen to be lesbian. But in the last section, Ekatya and Lhyn learn something really important and beautiful about their love and there is an important turn toward the romance. And also Andira Tal Last but not least, the book is really about the wonderful character of Andira Tal, so noble, sacrificing, generous, emotionally rich, the true heroine and symbol of her planet.
She is strong like a thunder as a front line warrior, an intelligent, smart politician and yet, secretly, a total sweetheart.
The Rashade
Such a lovely contrast, all in one person. Did I already say that I love Andira Tal? I've already said so but it bears repeating: Fletcher DeLancey is one hell of a storyteller. In The Caphenon we are introduced to Alsea, its inhabitants and the changes that come with an alien ship crashing on the planet. I thought the story dragged a bit in the beginning, but soon things start to pick up and it's nearly impossible to stop reading. I'm pretty sure I had to hold my breath several times during the second half. There are plenty of brilliant fight scenes and emotional Terrific book.
There are plenty of brilliant fight scenes and emotional scenes and moral debates. It's awesome and extremely well written. Now I'm super excited for the next volumes Salomen, I heart you and I miss you. Also, my birthday is only in December, but I'm already accepting some Scholar merch. View all 3 comments. An excellent beginning to a Star Trek like series. I loved everything about it, the characters, the alien culture, jargon, science part of it was well thought out. I especially like how the story is mainly approached from the view of the aliens. Very few humans show up in the story.
And it all is presented in a very compelling way. I rooted for Alseans all throughout the book, it's, in fact, impossible to dislike them due to their emphatic nature. I don't want to spoil too much about t 4. I don't want to spoil too much about that but the empathy angle was used excellently. The plot kinda falls into ye old greed of humans trope like so many stories featuring aliens do.
Avatar flashbacks or any native American vs the white man movie ever But it didn't bother me too much in this case. There's so much of quality world building and a good dose of excellent characters that it balances out. There is some romance in this book but it's definitely not the focus. It was done well though and tied in nicely with the empathy plot line.
Overall a great read and I'm definitely grabbing the sequel. The second book in the series has been published and the third is on the way. Seems like a happy dance is in order. My first book by this author. I went into this both interested and somewhat concerned. Interested because the story itself sounded interesting. The book kept my interest from beginning to end. And the interesting little description, turned into an interesting read.
If I keep using the word interesting, it will begin to lose its meaning. If I recall My first book by this author. Though the more important part was the relationship itself, regardless of the person, or genders involved. As in, the issues and conflicts like, say, conflict of interest , would have been the same regardless of the genders involved, same sex or otherwise.
In other words, the nature of the relationship was an important plot point in the story, but the book itself is more of a science fiction book that happens to have a couple making up two of the prominent characters, as opposed to a romance that happens to have a science fiction backdrop. My point in bringing this up is that I went into the book with this idea, so that kept popping up in my mind as I was reading.
Because it served as an unneeded distraction. This specific book here works quite well on its own merits. There were similarities but this had its own little self-contained universe to play in. Well, the book itself, or, I mean, the story — the book opens as a watcher type watches a screen, watching stuff fall onto a planet.
Then more falling objects appear. Then one breaks apart into tiny bits, while the other continues to fall. And is really really huge. And is headed directly towards a city. People are warned, specifically one Lancer Tal, evacuation orders are begun to be ordered. Then something strange occurs — the object looks as if it is starting to glide away from the city. Though it will still land nearby. Lancer Tal and a group of guards head out to the crash site. And stare at what appears to be an alien ship.
One long running question has been answered. Aliens do in fact exist. Tal watches as three figures stumble out of a hatch onto the ship and begin the slow process of walking across the ship down a ladder. Lancer Tal comes face to face with Captain Serrado. And they accidentally ended up on their planet because their fusion core was about to explode. Damaged, as it was, during a battle against a third group of aliens, the Voloth sp?
The Voloth were there to invade and conquer. The Gaians had been there to observe the Alseans that being the name of the planet , and intervened when Voloth forces attacked. The primitives turn out to be a lot less primitive than expected. More in that a lot of stuff, interesting stuff, was happening.
I should probably scrap this write up and start over. I liked this book. I might read the next book in this series immediately. The start is very messy for me, had to keep reading to see who the hell was talking and who was referring to whom. It had some great moments, and some "meh" times. The second half read better and easier than the first half and although I understand this grew out of star trek, this reminded more of star wars. Apr 17, Marilyn rated it it was amazing Shelves: The revised edition is absolutely wonderful. The story grabs you from the very first chapter as you are thrown right into a battle.
After that, it is a wonderful exploration and introduction to a world where gender roles are non-existent, and empathy is front and center. Ethical and actual battles lie ahead. I was in the mood for a good Sci-Fi book and this fit the bill. It has been quite some time since I read a book that had such good world building that I could easily slip into the setting. The world was rich and vibrant and filled with interesting characters.
The three main characters Ekatya, Lyhn, and Lancer Tal were all unique and very interesting characters and I could really empathize with the hard decisions they had to make I was in the mood for a good Sci-Fi book and this fit the bill. The three main characters Ekatya, Lyhn, and Lancer Tal were all unique and very interesting characters and I could really empathize with the hard decisions they had to make. Though Lancer Tal was my favorite character and am happy to see she has a book of her own to learn more about her and see if she gets her happy ending.
The Caphenon definitely runs you through a gamut of emotions that any good form of media should invoke in the viewer. I recommend this book to anyone. Fascinating Star Trek adjacent universe yet original in it's own world building science fiction.
- The Caphenon.
- The Chronicles of the Black Gate: Books 1-3?
- The Collapse of the Eastern Mediterranean;
- The Rashade (Chronicles of the Coranydas #1) by Rebecca Tran.
- Me and Myself!
- Tiger Force (Tiger Force Series Book 1)?
- .
- Barack Obama: The Making of the Man.
- You Can Run . . ..
- 21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: Civil Disturbance Operations Field Manual - FM 3-19.15, FM 19-15.
- March of The Tongue Brigade.
- The Perfect Assassin (The Chronicles of Ghadid #1) by K.A. Doore.
- Coilhunter.
- Welcome to My World.
Interesting characters that I can't wait to spend more time with in the next book of the series. I have no words for this book. I loved this book. The story, the characters, and, mostly, the world building. I highly recommend it. Even to non-scifi fans. She was the Lancer, and the whole world expected her to lead. I don't think there's anything I didn't like about this book. As someone new to the universe this is set in, I fell in love with the characters, the world, the story and the way it was written.
It's so engaging and richly detailed. I d "Whatever happened next, Alsea would never be the same. I didn't want it to end good to know the other books are already published! The story begins when an astrophysicist discovers a very large rocky body close enough to impact his planet, Alsea. As if that wasn't bad enough, imagine his surprise when after close study he realizes it's actually an alien ship. Andira Tal, Lancer of Alsea, in other words: There we meet the aliens, led by Captain Ekatya Serrado, who serves the Protectorate, a confederation of planets technologically advanced with common politics.
See a Problem?
As it turns out, they've actually just saved, though temporarily, Alsea from an attack sacrificing their own ship, the Caphenon , in the process and now require the Alsean's help. Even though Alsea is incapable of FTL faster-than-light travel and is not seen as technologically advanced, it has something others want and for which they're willing to do anything to conquer, while Lancer Tal will do whatever it takes to protect her planet from that fate.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of one character: I loved this, as it helped me understand each character's motivations and role within the story.
Also interesting is the fact that they're so reserved about physical touch, even though feeling other people's emotions is pretty intimate to me. But they were both warriors, both leaders, both carrying the weight of their decisions. They're such complex and interesting characters. Both are strong, smart and put honor and duty above all else. And because of that they aren't afraid to make the hard decisions if it is for the greater good, even if it's not morally just.
I loved their friendship and understanding of each other. There was also a bit of romance, though not between the people I'd have preferred. But it was cute and added a wonderfully emotional feel to the story and the characters. And I really think they would have been perfect for each other, even if I can see why Ekatya loved Lhyn.
At least I'm glad to know I wasn't crazy for believing there was something more there, in Tal's case, anyway. There's just so much to love for me. Can I consider myself a fan of Ms. DeLancey after just one book? I don't know, but that's how much I liked it! Book provided by Ylva Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I originally read Fletcher DeLancey's fictional works well over a year ago when I was in a job I was not exactly happy about. A year later, and once again reviewing her stories about Lynn and Captain Janeway I was surprised to see she had stepped it up with a fully published work on Alsea! So to begin, I remember the original "Without a Front" which was Voyager spinoff fanfiction. After seeing it reworked into its own complete universe, and a complete redone opening I can see I was happy to When I originally read Fletcher DeLancey's fictional works well over a year ago when I was in a job I was not exactly happy about.
After seeing it reworked into its own complete universe, and a complete redone opening I can see I was happy to once again read about Alsea! Her writing style is quick, active, and gets the point across while being filled with plenty of humor. I think in many ways the story simply warms my heart, and makes me feel positive. Without giving too many spoilers the book opens with Andira Tal, the Lancer, or planetary leader of the planet Alsea. Out of no where an alien ship, the Caphenon, crashed on the planet causing the local Alseans to rethink their place in the galaxy.
Right away the exposition introduces us to an alien world with Farscape-esque replacement words such as Hanticks, pipticks, Shekkers, and doksin. Its pretty endearing, and in many ways that jovial seriousness is embedded in every word! The book does have elements of that are slightly cliche. There's a big old progenitor race, and heavy elements of pan-spermia more along the lines of Stargate.
I would say though that I do like this aspect as it shows that in a way Fletcher took the stereotypical everyone is humanoid aspecet of Star Trek and other fantasy series and made it her own. Mara goes from a male-dominated society to a female-dominated one. What surprised me the most was that both of those cultures were at peace with each other. Transitioning between the two takes some crafty deception. I liked the characters and, for the most part, their characterization. Given the constraints of the society created, the women were well-written.
There were some things I had difficulty with. I tried to take them with the cultures of societies present, which made things a little easier. I almost want to say that part of the reason is because things jumped around a lot and so time felt a little distorted. It did serve to further the internal conflict of both the plot and character development. So, there was that. And I can say that I enjoyed the main romantic subplot. A lot of the story gets told through dialogue. It gets awkward and clunky real easy.
Welcome to My World by Johnny Weir
Since there was so much, it seemed forced sometimes. There was enough conflict to go around, both internal and external. All the characters got their turn in the spotlight. Learning curves for fighting and interactions were appropriate, and the development was noticeable. The reader gets to learn about the characters and world little by little instead of getting told everything all at once.
And most of the characters get their fair share. Description lacked in some areas. The narrative broke up in weird ways. I did like this novel, even if there is editing needed. Even with that, though, the story is one that will gradually suck the reader in and keep them. This is a great epic fantasy novel with lots of twist and turns. I loved the magic and sword fighting wielded by the strong Mara as she leaves her mother and sister to take vengeance on the mage who murdered her father when she was just a child.
I also loved following some of the mystical creatures throughout the book. The book itself follows Mara and Kess and some of their friends as they go in search of the magic that will bring Mara sword to life and help her kill the mage. However the journey is long and there are revelations along the way.
Will Mara gets her revenge? Will she finds the strength and magic to become an unstoppable force?
The Perfect Assassin
Read this book to find out. I also loved the friendship between Kess and Mara as it blossomed into an interesting partnership. I thought the author did a great job in portraying their emotions towards each other and some scenes especially towards the end were so beautiful. But there are so many wonderful and magical characters in this book that are enjoyable to get to know along the way. Instead her sister will someday for full the role. This was cruel and I really felt for her in that moment. I would highly recommend this book if you love fantasy and strong female characters as well as magic and adventure with scenes that are easy to imagine and emotionally charged at times.
This is one for the must read pile. Aug 11, S. Mara wants nothing more than to avenge her father's murder even if it means going against her mother and everything she knows. Mara is a good fighter and is determined to follow her own path. I enjoyed the story, although at times it did jump from one scene to the next quite quickly, but overall it was a good read.
I would recommend it. Thompson rated it it was amazing Jun 25, Crystal R Sparlin rated it liked it Dec 22, Karen marked it as to-read Feb 11, Lezli marked it as to-read Jun 15, Kara Foley marked it as to-read Jun 17, Christopher marked it as to-read Jun 27, Alondra marked it as to-read Aug 03, Kathi Hoops added it Jan 18, Kim Friant marked it as to-read Nov 13, Jessica marked it as to-read Nov 13, Cynthia Cisneros marked it as to-read Nov 13, Micielle marked it as to-read Nov 13, Frederick Rotzien marked it as to-read Nov 13, Mary Margaret Devine marked it as to-read Nov 13, Heather Bridson marked it as to-read Nov 13, Rhiannon marked it as to-read Nov 13, Syndi Day marked it as to-read Nov 13, Sue marked it as to-read Nov 13, Joan marked it as to-read Nov 13, Amanda Setasha Hall marked it as to-read Nov 13, Cheryl Bradley marked it as to-read Nov 13, Marilyn Stanley marked it as to-read Nov 13, Stacia Chappell marked it as to-read Nov 13, Leigh marked it as to-read Nov 13,