This was a good fun read with a well developed world and some interesting characters.

Unfortunately it was let down by the ending leaving you hanging and needing to read the next book in the series.

This left it feeling incomplete and me personally disappointed.

Some of my favorite things are mysteries and space so I’m always all too happy to read something that combines the two. A bonus of course is when it’s well written with an interesting story and characters like in Star Child. I would definitely read more work from this author.

It is a nice short science fiction novella. The mystery was rather well done.. The characters all behaved like a actual people rather than talking points. Look forward to reading the rest of the series.

"Star Child: Awakening" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Petra Landon (http://petralandon.com). Ms. Landon has published five novels. This is the first novel in her "The Zenkoti Fables" series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is the young girl Navi.

Navi is trying to find her way off of the mining world where she lives. She sneaks aboard a spacecraft while following a man who has been asking questions about her. Before she can get off the ship it unexpectedly leaves taking her with it as a stowaway. 

She discovers that the ship's crew is led by the only man to have been able to successfully confront the military of the sector. Before long her presence on the ship is discovered and she becomes part of the crew, at least until they can drop her off. 

Her adventure does not end there as the ship must dodge space outlaws, greedy corporations, and the powerful Guild Coalition. She is exposed to many new people, some become friends while others become deadly enemies. Along the way, she is surprised to discover some secrets of her own heritage. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 180-page science fiction novel. I enjoy space opera like this. This is somewhat of a young adult novel but reads well. The cover art is eye-catching. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Star Child by Petra Landon, a well written book that is a fun read! Don't miss out on the chance to enjoy this book.

This was a good sci-fi novel, it had a good premise and had good characters. I thought it was good and I look forward to more in the series.

I was not ready for this book to be over. I knew it was coming since I had been watching the percentage of book left on my tablet, but was still so sad when it did. I love fun adventure stories and this one was so nicely done with great, extensive world building, characters that are interesting, likeable, and sympathetic, and a nice plot and story.

Thoughts:

Star Child begins with Novi sneaking onto a ship to poke around. In doing this she discovers she is getting a little more than she bargained for as she (and us in return) are slowly introduced to the characters and shown how this world works. Within the last several years, The Guild Coalition, who was the major conglomerate of the Inner Worlds had made a major push to increase their territory, but the Rim Worlds and Renegades wished to stay independent and not have the Guild forced upon them and had fought back. Although the Guild Coalition had not seized the power they had hoped for they still had plenty to spare and knew how to use it to gain whatever advantage they want.

There are several things that really made this book work for me. The crew - all professional, but human and seemed to be rather decent individuals that you'd like to get to know. The plot - I found all the nuances of the small independent groups very intriguing from a story line perspective. It continued to open up the question of "What would you do to survive if you are not a very major corporation, but don't want to join the Guild Coalition?" To be honest, this one was a huge selling point for me in the book. The action - the book strikes just the right balance of action, business, and politics. Although the world politics are vital and important, the book knew there were other aspects to explore too. The story also was not constant action or was told completely from the business perspective of the crew Novi ends up with. Then lastly, Novi - I originally found her a likeable character, but there's more to her than meets the eye and I look forward to seeing where that takes her and the crew.

All in all I really enjoyed the story where time seemed to just fly by when reading it. I recommend this to those who love space action/adventures with fun crews and a bit of mystery thrown in.

Rating: 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Landon has written a space thriller with an element of mystery thrown in. I could not put the novel down. It's an easy read. The novel covers many worlds and people. I look forward to Landon's sequel.

I received a free copy of the book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Petra Landon seems to be able to consistently spin stories of adventure and hope. The author is a queen of world building that makes you fall into the story right away. This book is a space cowboy Odyssey meets fantasy book following Novi, a woman from a prison/mining planet that ends up accidentally 'joining' a crew of space adventurers. What she learns along the way will mean more to her (and her new friends) then you could ever imagine.

The book is short for a space Odyssey (implies epically long) but still amazing. The book is episodic (ie the book has 7 episodes not chapters in the book).

Overall, the book was amazing and imaginative. I couldn't of asked for a better book for world building. There are a few character inconsistencies that caught my attention especially in regards to Novi but overall I was able to overlook them. If you love sci-fi or fantasy adventure books you will love the book.

Another fantastic entry from Petra Landon. This author takes readers to another universe of her own making — what strikes me most is her attention to detail as she describes a stellar life. Recommended reading for science fiction fans.

A great start to a sci-fi series, telling the tale in episodes about Novi’s Adventures with the crew of Ilar’s Justice. It begins with how Novi finds herself aboard the space ship and the various things she learns about while on the ship due to her curious nature. Novi has an ability that helps her get around undetected. She does not quite understand this ability, for she was adopted as a child, but has learned to handle herself and use her abilities to her advantage.. Ryfkin Soren leads the crew against the Guild while serving as bounty hunters for those who work against the Guild. Captain Soren is a legend and is well respected, but is always searching for answers and ways to destroy the Guild. There is a lot of action and adventure and the plot keeps you in suspense. I am looking forward to the next series of episodes!