Review first posted on scifiandscary.com - copy provided by the publisher for review consideration
‘Wild Sun’ is a thrilling, science fiction adventure that manages to blend a vintage, golden age feel with an enjoyably modern take on tyranny.
It’s the story of a relatively primitive planet, invaded and ruled by a vicious species who have enslaved the population and are stripping the world of its mineral resources. It features twin protagonists, allowing the authors to flip between two storylines and keep things interesting. Cerrin is a somewhat stereotypically plucky young woman. Sonus is a more studious engineer. Both are determined to overthrow the invaders and their travails make for a gripping read. In particular, Sonus’s growing understanding of the alien technology works brilliantly and gives him a really satisfying story arc.
What the book lacks in depth, it makes up for in atmosphere. It really does feel like the kind of classic sci fi adventure I’d happily pluck from my dad’s bookshelves as a teenager. The planet is richly described and the good vs evil narrative manages to feel both classic and current. The vintage vibe even extends to the fact there is no swearing in the book, in fact the one curse word that does feature is rather charmingly censored, displaying as “b----“.
At just over 300 pages, it’s the perfect length for this kind of rousing tale. The action moves at a good pace and I ploughed through it in a couple of days. There are some memorable set pieces, and whilst the extended cast can get a bit muddled at times, the two central characters are fun and engaging. It’s badged as part one in a series but doesn’t play any cheap tricks on the reader in the hope of hooking interest for the next book. The ending is fully formed and satisfying, and yet leaves things nicely open for a sequel. When the next book comes, I’ll certainly be reading it.



( )