All of my book reviews contain Amazon affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase after clicking one of them, I may earn a small commission.
The strength of this book is in its world building. I understand from the author’s note at the end that this is not the first book written in this universe, so it doesn’t surprise me that the world feels real, lived in, and richly imagined.
Pacing issues affected my overall enjoyment. The first third of the book, I was ripping through pages, enjoying this badass space marine uncovering a potent mystery that really grabbed me. After that, Kenai becomes a very different kind of book, and a much slower-moving one.
There’s a space marine thriller in here, which I thought was superlatively written. But that story goes away about a third of the way in, and is replaced with a slow-moving, intellectual first contact story. Fans of that kind of thing, though, will have to go through the space marine thriller opening to get to it.
Another strength is the narrative voice. Jess the person shines through brilliantly at all times, and I feel like I know her now. The heartwarming ending felt like something she deserved after what she’d been through.
Much of what this book is about cannot be revealed without spoiling the mystery being laid out in the first third of the book, that I’m struggling to find ways to talk about some things without depriving readers of the joy of discovery.
Suffice it to say that this book shares a mind-bending sci fi concept with a major Hollywood blockbuster of the last few years, and if you read Kenai, and you make it to the big reveal, you will instantly know which movie I’m talking about.
Do you like science fiction and space opera? Try my Exile War series! The first book, Onslaught, is free on all U.S. retailers, and only 99 cents if there’s anywhere it isn’t free. Prefer mysteries and thrillers? Check out my Sherman Iron Mysteries. The first book, Irons in the Fire, is free on all U.S. retailers and only 99 cents where it isn’t free.