4/5 Stars (YA) Richard Bolitho in Space.
I’ve had this book on my reading list for a while and I was overdue a sci-fi read so here we are.
It’s pretty softcore sci-fi, with the science and tech easy to follow with enough to it that it satisfied my itch. It is a coming-of-age tale that is well suited to a young adult audience and is set on Mars as the title suggests in a space naval academy. It was interesting because in a time where genetically engineered humans are the norm the protagonist Henry Gallant is not, he is a ‘Normal’ the only one in the academy. This led to many of his fellow cadets discriminating against him, despite his gifts and performance being more than a match for them. It was a nice allegory to life today in many respects.
The story itself is told in a fairly straightforward, somewhat perfunctory manner, moving from one scene to the next with very little jam in the filling. By that I mean the story moved from one act to the next which were sometimes months apart with nothing in between. Also, I didn’t get to feel Gallant’s emotions or thoughts other than in an overarching way, usually, a one or two-line sentence to indicate his feelings and I would have liked this to have been explored more. Despite that, however, Henry Gallant is still an engaging character. He is honourable and conscientious and not afraid to face every challenge. I rooted for him, I just wanted to feel a bit more.
There was a clear divarication between the good guys and the bad guys as well, making it easy to know who to root for. There was no swearing, the violence was peripheral with no gore or blood so it is suitable for all ages. There are 9 books in the series where you get to follow Henry Gallant throughout his naval career and I may well do so if only to find out more about the aliens. Aliens? I forgot to mention, there are aliens too although we do not see much of them in this opening volume.
All in all, it was an easy read, and the story ticked over at a good pace. If you like the sound of that why not give it a try?
A D Green 