I had the privilege of beta reading this book before Cidney Swanson published it. The thing that made it stand out for me is the characterization. I’m sucker for good characters and Cidney delivers. The main character – Jessamyn Jaarda – has all the spunk and fearlessness of youth which she has to tame and temper in order to succeed. Her brother, Ethan, adds an interesting counterpoint with his autistic spectrum savant skills. Every character has something that adds to the whole and brings the story to life.

While the characters shine, the universe pulls no punches either. The notion of a Mars isolated from Earth for generations lays a solid foundation for the conflicts that arise – starting from being able to leave Mars, visit Earth, and return without dying – or being killed.

This series pulled me in and kept me coming back for more. It’s listed as YA but don’t let that put you off. There’s a story here for all ages. I can’t recommend it highly enough, but grab a sample and see what you think. I think you’ll be glad you did.

About the reviewer:

Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]