Sons of the Starfarers by Joe Vasicek
Product description:
This omnibus edition contains the first three books of the SONS OF THE STARFARERS series, which include:
BROTHERS IN EXILE
On the fringes of space, two starfaring brothers discover a long-dead colony with a girl, the sole survivor, frozen in cryostasis. Realizing that they are her only hope, they set out to find a way to revive her. But a frontier war is brewing, and soon they will all be caught in the middle of it.
COMRADES IN HOPE
Isaac and Aaron have joined the war effort, and not a moment too soon. The Imperials are poised to strike at the heart of the New Pleiades and obliterate the ragtag flotilla standing in their way. Aaron always wanted to prove himself, but he was never ready to make the ultimate sacrifice—until now.
STRANGERS IN FLIGHT
When Reva Starchild went into cryosleep, she wasn’t prepared to be the sole survivor of a people that history never remembered. Isaac wants to help her, but he carries a secret that may decide the outcome of the war. Little does he know; the Imperials aren’t the only ones hunting him.
My Review
A very small starship with its 2 man crew is an unusual
setting in a sci-fi story, but it works extremely well.
I loved the opening scene of finding a colony station derelict when they were expecting to trade their cargo so far off the regular space routes. It well constructed, with just enough detail to hold my interest but still leave me wanting to find the answers to what had really happened.
The history of the colony was revealed in various places throughout the narrative, tying the thread into the story, and you would miss them if you are a reader that skips through a book.
There were only a few minor mistakes in the writing, all of them small enough to easily overlook.
My favourite character was Reva, the girl in cryostasis right at the beginning, who didn’t have a big part in this book but introduced a fascinating topic of different societies’ attitudes to nudity. Extended nudity is rare in science fiction and the author handled it exceptionally well.
The two brothers were a bit difficult to come to terms with as star wanderers, but this wasn’t their chosen profession, having been the result of cultural norms where the children take over the father’s profession, and the difficult circumstances of a serious famine.
There were several story lines running through the book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy space opera across wide territories and different cultures. There is a prequel series to this, and more books to come as all three main characters were left on cliffhangers, so expect to buy more from this author.
As an author myself I enjoy supporting other writers by reviewing their work, a good investment of the time I put in to finish the book. If you enjoy reading books, I would encourage you to pay it forward by leaving a few words on the site you bought it from. Just one word is enough, although a negative comment would be more helpful with a little explanation. Try it sometime.