It's not very often you see someone who's mostly known as an actor that can also add good sci-fi author to their resume. For every William Shatner and Claudia Christian, both of who's books I love, there's ten others that took a swing based on their fame and missed. I'm glad to say that Mr. Phillips' skills developed acting, directing and screenwriting are obvious throughout the book, and he uses them to finely craft a page turner of a sci-fi adventure.

PLOT SUMMARY

Everson didn't want to be a soldier. His parents forced him to serve, as all good Indiran men should. The only problem? His first battle against their mortal enemies goes horribly wrong and he winds up stranded on the enemy planet.

Now, Everson has to survive in this strange new land where everyone is out to get him. Not to mention, the planet Mano is covered in unforgiving desert. And he's the target of traitors who want to use him in a dastardly plot to overthrow their mad king, Xander the Firm, by having him retrieve a piece of mysterious and powerful ancient technology known as the Tinderbox.

But everything changes during a chance encounter with the king's daughter, Allegra. Despite her station, she's in as grave of danger from her own people as Everson is. And though their peoples have been at odds for centuries, an unlikely spark forms between them.

As their worlds come crashing down around them, their forbidden love might be the only chance to end this war forever. Or, it might just be the doom of everyone...

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

While the plot and story are tightly paced, well thought out, and keep you turning pages wanting to know what's going to happen next, I think the characters and world building really shine brightly throughout. Everson especially is such a good character, and I mean that in multiple ways. We see he was a callow youth, struggling to get out from under the yoke of expectation and tradition his position, when he is suddenly thrust into a wholly new life as an unknown enlisted recruit in the Indiran Army, with the real possibility of combat down the road. He must sink or swim in a crucible he feels unprepared for, and it is this trial by fire that tempers him into the man he was meant to be.

Allegra is also an interesting character. Sequestered by her father King Xander of Mano due to a prophecy that she potentially spells his doom, she has lived a sheltered life, longing to be free of what basically amounts to a sumptuous prison. Her story proceeds in some fascinating directions, and we get to see the true strength she has, strengths of character, intelligence, courage and will to do what she feels is right, even in the most trying of circumstances. She and Everson are actually likable, sympathetic characters, trying to deal with destiny thrust upon them.

The secondary characters are also fully fleshed out, whether it be a simple farmer that helps the alien-to-him Everson to find an ally on Mano, to Queen Nor of Mano, seeing the potential for ruin to all that she loves, and willing to make almost any sacrifice to ensure the planets survival. The antagonists are actually quite well thought out, with more than just the usual lust for power aspirations so many villains get stuck with today. They have realistic rationales for their actions, even if they may be misguided. Definitely not the usual evil overlords laughing maniacally in their tower.

I think that the world building is incredibly creative, with a backstory that leads to the current situation in such a logical fashion. The destruction and reformation of the planet from one into two livable, but very different planets, and the disparities in technology, wealth and knowledge between the two are stark. The underlying hatred of each other based on who got to go on which of the escape ships that later returned to the two new planets set up the inevitable conflict, which only grew more heated over the years. Mano and Indira are so different, and the legends and stories try to separate the fact that they were once the same planet and the same people. Its such a good use of making the opposing side that "other" that seeks to destroy what you hold dear, with only a superficial difference between them making them the other.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I got my review copy through Netgalley, so I have to thank the fine people there for providing it. Aethon usually has a good eye for storytellers, and in this case, its another win for them. I think this book will appeal to such a wide range of sci-fi fans, and even just to people looking for a well crafted story with characters that aren't all grimdark and shades of grey, but are sympathetic and relatable. I highly recommend you give this one a read, you won't regret it. I hope to see many more books by Mr. Phillips in the near future.

The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira starts with war, which is appropriate because the two neighboring planets of Mano and Indira have been at war for a long time. Mano and Indira were once one planet that split apart. When that happened, ships were used to save citizens. Those who remained on the surface burrowed underground for decades to survive. All of this background is relevant as the story progresses.

We soon learn the protagonist, Everson, isn’t just a soldier. He’s a prince, sent to war to learn some discipline.

We also learn the king of Mano is obsessed with a prophecy that hints at his ruin.

How could a young prince, stranded on an enemy planet, a prophecy, and a beautiful princess intersect? That’s what lies at the heart of the plot, but within the subtext, The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira is saying a lot more, about a lot of issues.

Everson’s journey is really a journey of self discovery. Early on, he seems to be whipped about by the whims of fate, and he has the self-awareness to realize he’s stumbling or being pulled into situations, rather than taking charge of his life and making conscious choices. Just at the point where he realizes he should be considering his actions and decisions carefully, he starts to realize he may be destined to fulfill a prophecy.

The same prophecy Mano’s king is obsessed with.

Everson is relatable and feels real for his age. It also becomes clear that he was entitled and he needed to learn about responsibility. His experience opens his eyes to the suffering of people around him, and his self-examination causes him to center in on his values. Those values play a key role in the development of the plot.

The story itself has a lot of twists and turns, and despite a prophecy at work that is driving the narrative, it does not feel at all predictable. There are some interesting developments related to the division of the planets and the people who inhabited them. One of the obvious issues the author is tackling is racism and segregation. The Indirans are dark skinned. The people of Mano are fair. Racial segregation happened as a result of the splitting of the planets. Something else happened, though. The people who were left behind adapted to their environment. And once Mano was settled again, the people who remained became known as Leftists. Leftists are treated like an inferior group of people and do not enjoy the same rights and privileges as the other citizens. Tobias, who is a Leftist, educates Everson and helps shape Everson’s thinking and actions.

Ultimately, how we treat others and how we treat those who are perceived as lesser beings, are crucial aspects of this story. This book combines elements of sci fi with a quest structure, although Everson’s goal isn’t immediately clear to him. And although the relationship that’s destined moves swiftly, it feels earned under the circumstances.

I really appreciated the fact that Everson had a strong character arc, as well as a strong plot arc, and grew believably. This is a rich story that underscores the fact that people are stronger together than when divided by petty differences, that leadership is service, that our actions demonstrate our character, and that there are always those who are willing to do the right thing, even if it means taking big risks. These are the heroes we need right now. Not perfect and flawless, but humble, learning, growing heroes who hold on to their belief in doing what’s right.

Even if it means standing up to their parents and the established order.

4.5 stars out of 5.

I chose to read Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira primarily because the author is Lou Diamond Phillips ( La Bamba, Longmire and Prodigal Son) and ended up loving this retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's story set in space. After the Great Schism splits a planet into two, war breaks out in the resettled colonies known as Mano and Indira. There is a prophecy that Princess Allegra, the daughter of Mano's king Xander the Firm, will marry a common soldier and end the king's reign. He does everything he can to thwart the prophecy, including imprisoning Allegra. Meanwhile, Everson, the prince from Indira, poses as a common soldier and gets stranded on Mano in a failed military operation. He gets duped into retrieving ancient technology known as the Tinderbox. Many young men have died trying to retrieve it, but Everson was clearly meant to be the one who succeeds. He is being used by traitors who are trying to overthrow Mano's king. The Tinderbox allows him to communicate with Allegra, and although their people are at odds, they are immediately attracted to each other. Their forbidden love could be the key to end the war and reunite their worlds.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale of the same name, two worlds at war will bring them together... or tear them apart...

Everson didn't want to be a soldier. His parents forced him to serve, as all good Indiran men should. The only problem? His first battle against their mortal enemies goes horribly wrong and he winds up stranded on the enemy planet. Now, Everson has to survive in this strange new land where everyone is out to get him. Not to mention, the planet Mano is covered in unforgiving desert. And he's the target of traitors who want to use him in a dastardly plot to overthrow their mad king, Xander the Firm, by having him retrieve a piece of mysterious and powerful ancient technology known as the Tinderbox.

But everything changes during a chance encounter with the king's daughter, Allegra. Despite her station, she's in as grave of danger from her own people as Everson is. And though their peoples have been at odds for centuries, an unlikely spark forms between them.

As their worlds come crashing down around them, their forbidden love might be the only chance to end this war forever. Or, it might just be the doom of everyone...

I asked for this book because of the author and am so glad that I did. A well written standalone with just enough world building, Tinderbox : Soldier of Indira has everything you need in a good science fiction novel. The story telling is solid and well paced with likable, sympathetic characters.

I have to be honest that I chose it because of the author more than anything else. It took me. While to get into it and I found myself struggling at time with the world and characters but I don’t this this is a reflection on the author or the storyline but rather on me and getting into this type of story.
The romance was a bit distracting and took away from some of the other main characters which I thought could have been a bit more in the story as they were interesting. The story flowed well and was not too fast or slow and it kept me interested enough to continue on even when I started to feel some frustration with understanding.
I look forward to the hopefully being another instalment of this storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Fans of Lou Diamond Philipps will absolutely love this addition to his many talents. I did not expect a fairy tale retelling from the embodiment of Richie Valens, but boy was I in for a shocker. Note: I did go in with some apprehensions, but those quickly went away.

Mr. Phillips has a way with words that I envy. His prose sinks you into these worlds that he created and immerses you in a way that I haven't seen in a very long time. I can probably compare this to Dune by Frank Herbert. The idea of two civilizations warring is not a new one, but the characters kept me engaged. There is a sort of instalove thing, but it didn't really bother me.

Be not so quick to judge. LDP has opened up a whole new can of worms for me. I loved him before and, if it's even possible, I love him more now.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Tinderbox caught my attention due to its author, Lou Diamond Phillips. I had seen La Bamba years ago and that performance impressed me, so I was curious what he had to offer as an author, although celebrity books outside of memoirs and other “expertise”-related books have a reputation for being very hit-or-miss. However, this is one of the cases where the book is fairly engaging.

The worldbuilding is really cool, set on a planet cut in half and following the two civilizations that have resettled it in the aftermath. I liked the attention given to those civilizations and the societies within them. The style feels reminiscent of something like Star Wars, and from what I know about it (I haven’t read it!), the Dune comparison is fairly apt.

The characters were also interesting, and while there are multiple perspectives, it was easy to become invested in what was going on each character’s arc. The story largely follows star-crossed love between the soldier Everson and Princess Allegra, and I enjoyed this and how the stakes were conveyed, in terms of the political and wider world implications.

This book was enjoyable, and I hope Phillips writes more books in the future. If you love SFF, including any of the aforementioned properties, or fairy tale retellings, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

I’ll be honest, I selected this book mostly because of the author. I remember watching movies that he acted in and loved him as an actor. I was interested to see if I enjoyed his writing as well.
This book was very slow to start for me, so slow that I almost didn’t continue reading the book. But, once I started getting an idea of the storylines and started to get invested in the characters, I had to finish the book to see how it ended.
I ended up really enjoying the book and will be looking for more books by this author.

Part Dune, part Romeo and Juliet and somehow reminiscent (in my mind, anyway) of the best parts of The Gormenghast Trilogy. I’m not sure why, but as I read the book, parts of Gormenghast kept popping into my head.

The story follows Allegra and Everson—a princess rom Mano and a soldier-prince from Indira, planets at war. Allegra’s father believes in a prophecy that proclaims that his reign will end when his daughter meets a soldier—so he has banned soldier from the castle and kept her sequestered inside for her entire life.

Everson, a prince whose father forced him to serve in his planet’s military, end up left behind after a battle. The horrors of war and the poor conditions on Mano prove to him that the war is misguided at best. Trying to survive long enough to do something about that proves to be challenging. His dark skin mark him as an Indiran on sight and the Indiran uniform doesn’t help.

Finding help isn’t easy, but he does end up with some unlikely allies. In an inevitable turn of events, he and the princess meet. She doesn't know he's a prince, but falls in love with him anyway. The pari set out to find and talk to her father and try to set things right. "Right" in Everson's mind means an end to the fighting. He's astonished at the poverty he's seen on Mano and wonders what sort of threat his people really think Mano could be. They're poor, there's little water, and their king is obsessed with a prophecy rather than on the fate of his people.

Allegra, for her part, discovers just how much of a pawn she’s been, and her father’s obsession with the prophecy and just how far he’s gone to prevent it take her by surprise. Thinking at first that her mother will be her refuge, her confidence waivers, and soon it’s only Everson she trusts.

Can Everson and Allegra sort our who deserves their trust? Can they put an end to generations of fighting and restore peace to their homes?

Lou Diamond Phillips weaves a brilliant tale full of epic battles, clever narrative, and a satisfying ending. This would be a great addition to any book lover’s collection.

The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira by Lou Diamond Phillips is an addicting YA sci-fi fantasy based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that has a little bit of something for everyone. I'm glad I had the chance to try this early because Lou Diamond Phillips is one of my favorite actors. It's great to see him expand out as an author. If this debut is any indication, he's going to do amazing. His world(s)-building is quite detailed and I loved the <i>Star Wars</i>-esque epic tone, and the same goes for the action scenes. I'm glad that we get to see the human aspect and cost of the action. The only aspect that I wasn't all that interested in was the romance, but honestly that's nothing new for me. Overall, if you're interested in an all engrossing, sci-fi fairy tale I can't recommend this enough. I'm looking forward to see what more he decides to write in the future.

I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. I wasn't sure about this world that they were in. Was it earth? Maybe we'll never know. Still, it was awesome after a bumpy start.

Science Fiction isn’t my favorite genre and usually needs to be combined with another genre to hold my interest. This book has a bit of everything, romance, battles, and familial conflict. I was most interested to read it because of the author. He has started a new legacy with his writing and likely more greater works are in store. If you like science fiction, you should enjoy this story.

I would've liked a bit more expansion on the lore. As is, the worldbuilding is very standard scifi, and doesn't exactly jump at me. The technology and magical elements are definitely a strength but I think underexplained to a debilitating degree. The romance is really predictable and I'm personally not a fan of Romeo and Juliet-esque love stories, but it's not exactly boring (I just wish that Allegra would have been developed a little beyond her connection to Everson and how "pretty" she is - I feel like we barely get to know her and she seems more of a prop than a genuine character.) But there's a lot of potential in the world overall, and I think some prequels that flesh out the story a bit and provide some more context could be welcome and intriguing to delve into.

This is an impressive book in that it transports you to an alien world with intricate details of characters and settings. It carefully mixes fairy tale (The Tinderbox) with a futuristic world (or is it?) You really feel you are living the action and it has an ending which you are hoping for all through the book and which wraps it up majestically.

The Tinderbox by Lou Diamond Phillips. Reading the book felt like sitting by a campfire listening to a consummate storyteller. LDP drew us into the story from the beginning and opened up new worlds to explore and characters to love. Waiting to see what LDP comes up with next.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Lou Diamond Phillips wrote a book!!
loved him in Young Guns and lifetime of filmworks.
I had to read his writing!

When I began reading, I was immediately in middle of war

I can see this become a movie or tv show

I so enjoyed reading this book!! I found Lou's writing style very engaging and was immediately drawn into Everson's story. The premise of a world being split in two and the consequences years later was really interesting to follow. I would definitely not survive The Tree!! loved the cast of characters surrounding Everson, especially Tobias and of course Taj(love the birduns!!). The roles and abilities of the Wisened and The Which are ones I would certainly like more backstory on and am hoping that we might get to return to this world again to learn more. Wonderful read and will certainly want to read it again and would love a follow up novel!!!

I was extremely skeptical when I saw the author, thinking it was some kind of vanity project. But this book is legit. It's really well-written, though LDP does have a bit of a penchant to use florid language where simpler words might suffice. However, the omniscient narration helps you understand each character and their motivations. Beyond that, the fairytale roots give the book a real heart, and help keep the reader engaged. While it might be somewhat predictable (I mean, there's a prophecy and all), you will find yourself cheering for the heroes to succeed. LDP's cinematic sensibilities are also evident throughout, as the reader can easily see the novel playing out as a movie.

This is a good book. I really enjoyed it. The characters are well developed and the story is packed with action and adventure. The author does a great job delivering a story with a solid plot and interesting subplots.

I loved this out by LDP. It will wrap you up and slit you out in it’s quick outing. I look forward to a sequel.