06/19/2023
Grudging allies join forces to save a planet in this fun but familiar ecological space opera from Valdes (the Chilling Effect trilogy). Exiled knight Kelana “Kel” Gardavros, the former First Sword of a now obsolete Order, lives in hiding on swamp planet Loth, having given up her status as protector of her people in exchange for peace. When an errant war machine threatens Loth, Kel leaves her village to investigate with her naive teen friend, Lunna, in tow. Along the way, the pair encounter mysterious off-worlders Savvy and Dare, who claim to be able to deactivate the machine, and team up more out of suspicion than trust. When Kel discovers that the Pale empire, her erstwhile enemies, have broken the peace treaty that disbanded the Order, she must choose between staying hidden and risking those she cares about to fight back. The otherwise pacy narrative frequently pauses for bouts of exposition, and the thematic contemplations on justice and conservation remain frustratingly shallow. While this sci-fi adventure certainly entertains, readers looking for depth will be underwhelmed. Agent: Quressa Robinson, Folio Literary. (Aug.)
There are big, exciting alien battles but also delightful psychic cats who prowl around La Sirena Negra. Valdes hits the perfect comedic tone, giving Eva equal parts snark and heart and filling the ship with fun supporting characters. The quest for the mechs provides lots of great action sequences with SF weaponry on strange planets. A comedic SF adventure that delivers on all three fronts.” — Kirkus Reviews on Fault Tolerance
“Valdes seamlessly incorporates backstory throughout, making this installment friendly to newcomers looking for an adventure reminiscent of Transformers and Voltron. Returning readers will be delighted to reunite with the crew as Eva, her psychic cats, and her found family are pushed to confront ever-greater dangers in the lead-up to a thrilling climax. It’s as unconventional, tongue-in-cheek, and rip-roaring as fans expect.” — Publishers Weekly on Fault Tolerance
“Valdes sprinkles humor and sarcasm liberally, bringing levity to the storyline. The plot moves briskly, with enough momentum to keep readers entertained from start to finish. Valdes blends found family, adventure, and humor to end a fun trilogy on a high note.” — New York Journal of Books on Fault Tolerance
“Jam-packed with weird aliens, mysterious artifacts, and lovable characters... Eva and her family are Latinx and often include un-italicized Spanish in their dialogue, a rare find in a genre that usually uses whiteness as the default. A tremendous good time and an impressive debut.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Chilling Effect
“Featuring memorable Cuban-descended characters, this engaging space opera debut delivers a story that dances between hilarity and seriousness, with all the joy and frustration psychic cats can bring to the mix.” — Library Journal (starred review) on Chilling Effect
★ 06/01/2023
For the last five years, Kel has led a quiet, mostly isolated life as a refugee on the planet Loth. The Pale Empire's war left her old life in ruins, and Kel needed to leave that life behind in order to survive. However, an old Pale war machine has been reactivated and is moving to destroy every living thing on the planet. Two people are willing to try to deactivate the machine, and Kel and her young friend Lunna agree to be their guides, as Loth's swamps, bandits, and other dangers are not known to off-worlders. As the group moves to meet the automaton, they discover that dark secrets have forged this path and that the truth about Kel's past may lead even more forces of war to them all. VERDICT Terrific action sequences do not detract from the emotional arc that Kel follows as a war survivor. Valdes (Fault Tolerance) delivers with her epic worldbuilding and characterizations in this sharp and poignant novel.—Kristi Chadwick
A beautiful narration by Rebecca Mozo brings this new sci-fi offering to life. Kel Garda and her mates seek to find and destroy the long dormant war machine that is suddenly devastating the peaceful planet of Loth, where Kel has found refuge in her anonymity. Mozo delivers individual tones and pitches for the various characters; voices range from Kel's no-nonsense contralto to the spritely, young timbre of her nonbinary companion, Lunna. Mozo's tone and pacing work well with both exciting action scenes and emotional character development. With creative world-building, fascinating technological warriors and a well-done narration, this book is sure to win hearts of science fiction fans. C.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
A beautiful narration by Rebecca Mozo brings this new sci-fi offering to life. Kel Garda and her mates seek to find and destroy the long dormant war machine that is suddenly devastating the peaceful planet of Loth, where Kel has found refuge in her anonymity. Mozo delivers individual tones and pitches for the various characters; voices range from Kel's no-nonsense contralto to the spritely, young timbre of her nonbinary companion, Lunna. Mozo's tone and pacing work well with both exciting action scenes and emotional character development. With creative world-building, fascinating technological warriors and a well-done narration, this book is sure to win hearts of science fiction fans. C.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
2023-06-21
When a powerful empire threatens the denizens of a remote planet, a mysterious refugee comes out of hiding to fight back.
Kel Garda keeps to herself. As far as citizens of the planet Loth know, she’s yet another refugee of the Prixori Anocracy’s violent war of expansion. Technically that war ended five years ago, but when an abandoned battle machine—a “demolisher”—whirs to life in the lush jungles of Loth, the peaceful people have no way of stopping it from destroying everything in its path. And when they call their distant Prixori overlords for help, the Pale, as they're known, can’t be bothered to send aid. The people of Loth place great value on protecting the natural life on the planet, avoiding building more than the bare minimum of invasive infrastructure, and as such they have few resources to defend themselves against the Pale’s military tech. Though Kel feels a responsibility toward the kindhearted people of Loth who took her in after the war, she has her reasons to stay off the Pale’s radar and doesn’t intend to do more than attend meetings discussing what to do. When two mysterious offworlders show up to those meetings claiming to be able to shut down the demolisher, Kel finds their timing suspicious. But when her young, adventurous friend Lunna enthusiastically volunteers to guide the offworlders through the wilderness, Kel is forced to join them and find out for herself if the offworlders really do want to help Loth and if she’ll be able to continue hiding her true identity. Valdes is a delightful storyteller. Her characters are lively and detailed, and her worldbuilding is immersive without being confusing. The restorative justice culture of Loth is effectively contrasted with the violence of the Pale empire, and Valdes explores the complicated question of whether it’s possible to retain your values and ideals while fighting back against injustice and cruelty.
A solid SF adventure story.
