This second installment, Galaxy Bound, in the Sovereign Earth series was just as good as the first. The author, Vidar Hokstad, really knows how to tell a story and it was a pleasure to read more about the crew of the Black Rain. This series is full of adventure and one you don’t want to miss out.
This book picks up where book one left off. Captain Zara and the crew of the Black Rain have accepted a mission. There have been attacks on Earth ships by the Kriii’nai Empire, aka the Centauri as humans call them. However, the Centauri insist that they have not been involved. This is where the crew of the Black Rain (recently upgraded courtesy of the government with all the latest and greatest tech) come in. They are sent to investigate and in addition to their crew they have one diplomat from Earth and one from the Kriii’nai Empire. Of course things are not as they first appear and they must discover the truth before hostilities break out between them.
I loved the continued world building and the introduction of alien characters. The attention to detail about Kriii’nai society was a real boon to the story and the character of Soka, the Centauri diplomat, was so well done. The character fit the plot and was well thought out. I have this image of what he looks like and how he dresses (literally wears dresses) all from the vivid descriptions. I hope we will see more of him in the future.
As in the first book, there is lot of action. However, it was never detrimental to the characters or world building. This a sure sign of a well thought through and executed plot. In addition, the author left us with somewhere to go after this installment and I am excited to see where Captain Zo and her crew are headed next.
This book is a great marriage of action Sci-Fi and Space Opera and the perfect pick for lovers of both. I highly recommend.
I received a free copy, from the author, in exchange for my honest review.