The Andromeda's Captain

Becca Fox has crafted a science fiction story that features what I love best about the genre — adventure and creativity. An enjoyable story.

A novel is about a honorable personal guard to the Princess , named Taren. He picks up a bunch of orphaned misfits and offers them a home on his spaceship. There is more to come in this series.

I was skeptical at the beginning of this book, when I thought that this would be entirely from Miyako’s perspective, and that the story would run concurrent to the first book, but I still found myself drawn when learning about Kylee’s home life and growing up in the diaries, and hearing the same events from Miyako’s perspective. The insight into Kylee’s real thoughts, not something Taren was pretty sure she would say, and Miyako’s complex relationship with her husband, were so interesting to hear about, and gave the first book even more context.

At about 15% into the book, it picked up where book one left off with alternating POVs from Miyako, Jael, Taren, and a new character Ezie, who I really enjoyed. This really worked for me, as I was just starting to miss Taren and co. a bit too much.

One of my favorite parts of the first book, was the unexpected shift very early on from what appeared to be sci-fi romance to more of a sci-fi found family type story. I found the relationships that Taren build with the kids to be very fulfilling to read about. Along those lines, I was pleasantly surprised that no new romance happened for Taren in this book, despite the feelings of those around him. I like Jael as a character much more when she’s focused on government/regime sabotage/grappling with her new role in the found family vs seduction, and it was really enlightening to get her POV during this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this second installment into the Andromeda series, and am looking forward to the next book!

Ok I preface this review by stating I had no idea this was the second book in this series so initially was somewhat stymied by Queen Miyako and her reactions to the apparent kidnapping of her daughter Princess Kylee by Taren. As I read I began to understand because the author cleverly included accounts of Kylee's upbringing and her journey towards a loveless marriage.
This really took off and caught my interest when the assorted characters that have come into Taren's orbit started to make their presence felt. Children that he has rescued became integral to the plot and also a (I'm guessing here )new character in Ezabrae, a young woman at odds with the society she now lives with.
This wasn't a romance but more the possibility of a space opera with extraordinary species living in amazing habitats. I was totally engrossed and found this very enjoyable and will certainly look for more by this new to me author.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

The biggest challenge of a series is getting new readers to join the ride after it’s already started. Either the writer is sacrificing what was important in the previous book(s) to bring in new viewers, or the writer is bogging down existing readers with so much repetition that bore existing readers into abandoning the series.

The Andromeda’s Captain is the second book in the Andromeda Chronicles series. If you’ve read the first book in the series, then you’ll enjoy finding out what happened to Taren Platinum and others impacted by the interrupted wedding. You’ll see familiar characters in new settings and enjoy seeing them grow as they navigate different locations.

If you’re wondering who Taren Platinum is, then you’ve got an extra reading assignment. You’ll want to read the first book in the series, The Andromeda’s Ghost and then dig into book 2. Reading them back-to-back would be a good binge.

The wedding and its associated peace treaty aren’t spoilers - they’re just loose ends from the beginning of the first book. The Andromeda’s Captain picks up events right after the first book. In addition to the main characters from the first book, we learn more about other characters trying to make sense of what happened. Some of the characters from the beginning of Ghost are reintroduced and explored.

Becca Fox does an excellent job of developing her characters while maintaining true to their established spirits. Their motivations are clear, so the story makes sense. And like the first book, Fox resolves the main plot presented while also leaving some unanswered questions. I was satisfied by how the story ended but am interested in seeing how other storylines could develop in the next book. In a series, there's a challenge where each book has to include a resolution while leaving the door open to tell what’s next, and Fox successfully navigates the challenge. I enjoyed The Andromeda’s Captain, but I’m eager to find out the release date for the next book in the series.

Thank you, NetGalley and BHC Press, for providing a review copy of this book.