*Disclaimer*
Everyone is different and likes and dislikes different things. Reading is no exception. One person’s all-time favorite might seem too bland or too high stakes for another. That being said, the opinions of our judges in this contest are just that, opinions. Just because we let a book go, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It could be your next favorite, who knows?
Now that we are in the finals, we are going to be doing full reviews for each book. The books are being reviewed in no particular order, not in order of their star rating. We are just reviewing them as we finish reading them.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more about the contest here.
Today we are reviewing In the Orbit of Sirens for the first annual Self-Published Science Fiction Contest. You can read their review here. And you can see the finalist spreadsheet here.
Summary
When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own.
Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity—the Sirens—mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.
Our Thoughts
In the Orbit of Sirens was a great addition to the finalist list! It has action in space, colonization and its effects on settlers and the original inhabitants, as well as the flora and fauna of the newly settled planet. But even though it tackled some in-depth subjects there was no info-dumping. The worldbuilding came out organically through the eyes of the characters, which made it easy to get sucked into the story.
The characters themselves were likable and interesting and the story structure was ambitious and well executed. And while this title was at the top of the list for some of our judges, others thought the prose was a bit too simplistic to beat out other finalists. Regardless of where it places, it is definitely a sci-fi novel worth picking up!
Our official SPSFC score is 7.83/10, but for our site review we are rounding to 8/10. For more information on the SPSFC you can check out the official website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene