An end to the conquest of Ethar

This has been an incredibly interesting month. The last three days I have been laid up sick. I know it is bad when I am not even motivated to read. I apologize for this review being behind schedule. Hope this little bug decides to move on quickly.

Darken the Stars by Amy Bartol

This week, we now have the conclusion to the Kricket trilogy. After this series, I have come to a new appreciation for the Sci-Fi genre I had previously neglected. While I wouldn't really classify the characters as aliens (which is largely why I didn't turn away from the story) with their earthly appearance and similar technologies, they do exist on another planet and have genetically modified extras. The brilliance of these aliens is the connectivity that can be felt by the reader. By the end of the trilogy, I feel invested in the lives of the major characters.

One of the most interesting parts from the third novel comes from the development of Kyon and Kricket. That would be the most interesting book club conversation. The author did an excellent job of showing some real emotional and relationship growth for Kricket over these three novels. Plus, I will admit that Kyon is an incredibly fascinating character that you don't get in many novels.

I found the ending of the novel a little plain after all the adventure and personal roller coasters. It wasn't an abrupt ending with no conclusion. All the storylines were nicely tied up, but they somehow didn't have the punch as the rest of the novel. I was also disappointed that I didn't get more Phlix before the end. So this is a bittersweet review. I am sad to say goodbye to Kricket, but I enjoyed the adventure and romance.

Stop by your local indie store or Amazon and take a look at the series.