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Jabin
In the space colony of New Wales, the pirate attacks are both relentless and merciless
Having lost both his parents, Jabin has been adopted by his austere and spiteful uncle and aunt who live in the space colony of New Wales which is riven with religious and political rivalry, and prey to the vicious maraudings of pirates whose cruelty and greed are beyond all imagination.
When Jabin volunteers to surrender himself to a pirate raiding party to save a friend, he does so believing that nothing can be worse than his current suffering.
However, he is soon to discover that things can always get worse when the stakes are high, the rewards are vast and slave labour is there for the taking.
When the King of New Wales is assassinated, the colony threatens to collapse into total anarchy, leaving the pirates free reign to mutilate, kill and profit as they will, but the forces of law and order sent out from Earth are getting ready to fight back, and Jabin could have a vital part to play in the ensuing war if he can only stay alive.
Having lost both his parents, Jabin has been adopted by his austere and spiteful uncle and aunt who live in the space colony of New Wales which is riven with religious and political rivalry, and prey to the vicious maraudings of pirates whose cruelty and greed are beyond all imagination.
When Jabin volunteers to surrender himself to a pirate raiding party to save a friend, he does so believing that nothing can be worse than his current suffering.
However, he is soon to discover that things can always get worse when the stakes are high, the rewards are vast and slave labour is there for the taking.
When the King of New Wales is assassinated, the colony threatens to collapse into total anarchy, leaving the pirates free reign to mutilate, kill and profit as they will, but the forces of law and order sent out from Earth are getting ready to fight back, and Jabin could have a vital part to play in the ensuing war if he can only stay alive.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2012
2 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Bev Allen
10 books38 followersI fell in love with my first soldier outside Buckingham Palace. He was a Coldstream on guard and I was four.
Later I fell in love with reading and writing and then with scific and tales of high adventure.
Later still I married a military historian and he conducted me on guided lecture tours around many a battlefield and many a musuem
Despite this, or maybe because of it, I never lost my love of all things military or of adventure stories.
"Jabin" is a result of all this.
Other published work includes a short story in a SFX Pulp Fiction Anthology and a Dr Who story published by Big Finish.
I like the challenge of short story writing, so my blog is stuffed with examples for anyone to read.
Later I fell in love with reading and writing and then with scific and tales of high adventure.
Later still I married a military historian and he conducted me on guided lecture tours around many a battlefield and many a musuem
Despite this, or maybe because of it, I never lost my love of all things military or of adventure stories.
"Jabin" is a result of all this.
Other published work includes a short story in a SFX Pulp Fiction Anthology and a Dr Who story published by Big Finish.
I like the challenge of short story writing, so my blog is stuffed with examples for anyone to read.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 16, 2012
OK, I have to declare an interest here. The author is a friend, and I have watched the development of her book with interest, but this is the first time I have read it through from start to finish.
And it is very good indeed, excellent space opera with a touch of one of my long time favourite authors, Violet Needham (it's all right - most of you won't know of her - but look her up, she's worth knowing). But with the adventure and excitement there is a core of reality. Jabin's unhappiness is real. The courage that Bev's characters show is real, and moving - indeed reading one chapter literally made me cry (it's all right, it wasn't the last one).
I loved it.
And it is very good indeed, excellent space opera with a touch of one of my long time favourite authors, Violet Needham (it's all right - most of you won't know of her - but look her up, she's worth knowing). But with the adventure and excitement there is a core of reality. Jabin's unhappiness is real. The courage that Bev's characters show is real, and moving - indeed reading one chapter literally made me cry (it's all right, it wasn't the last one).
I loved it.
June 30, 2014
Although this is YA, I enjoyed it. That probably makes me young, if not adult! Seriously, Jabin entirely surprised me. Although the main character (Jabin) is young, this is a tale told with depth and compassion. Some serious situations and concepts pepper Jabin’s life and it kept me enthralled from beginning to end. The poor kid gets shunted from pillar to post and feels entirely unworthy and despite that, he stands up and is counted. Set on another world, this is a sci-fi story told with humanity prevalent throughout. Add in raiders and slavers, religious and political conflict, and you have quite the grand tale to read.
Highly recommended, whatever your age!
Highly recommended, whatever your age!
September 10, 2012
Do you know what this book needs? A sequel!
Allen makes the story float perfect, her writing style is very good and you get to know what everyone are thinking. She writes formal, but also childish when we get's to Jabin's point of view. She has also put some funny parts in it and I laugh of how stupid some of the characters can be.
There is a lot of characters, and sometimes I got confused, wondering who is who? She used last name, title and first name. And she introduced a lot of characters the same time, and it was because of that I got confused.
The action started almost right a way, which really pleased me. It was a lot of action, and my stomach froze several times. It was great, and I couldn't wait to get home, to read some more.
But when I was 70% finished with it, all of the excitement stopped. Many explanations were found, but nothing big happened. I was waiting for the action to start again, but first at the end something big happened.
I thought that maybe Allen were planning a sequel, since something dangerous appeared at the very end. But I became disappointed, because it ended before it even began.
But tears was pressing when I was finished, the ending was beautiful, and it touched my heart. Some part of me was happy that the book ended like it did. But another part wanted it to continue, there was still some questions, yet to be answered.
My favorite character must be Antonia, she was awesome and very caring. I hoped that she may have been the one to adopt Jabin, I got really sad when she didn't.
Anyway I also liked Mike, he was strong and strict. He really kept his words and was very trust worthy.
But there was one person I really didn't like, and that was Finn. He was always so skeptic, and sometimes I got the feeling that he didn't want Jabin to be adopted. He said negative things against it and asked stupid questions. He was not supporting and obviously not caring either.
The rest of the characters were okay, some were funny and I liked most of them. The author have been creative. Because there were so many of them, but they all had different personality.
In the end, I really did like this book. It was good, and I can recommend it to you readers. I absolutely loved the action and the ending was perfect.
Allen makes the story float perfect, her writing style is very good and you get to know what everyone are thinking. She writes formal, but also childish when we get's to Jabin's point of view. She has also put some funny parts in it and I laugh of how stupid some of the characters can be.
There is a lot of characters, and sometimes I got confused, wondering who is who? She used last name, title and first name. And she introduced a lot of characters the same time, and it was because of that I got confused.
The action started almost right a way, which really pleased me. It was a lot of action, and my stomach froze several times. It was great, and I couldn't wait to get home, to read some more.
But when I was 70% finished with it, all of the excitement stopped. Many explanations were found, but nothing big happened. I was waiting for the action to start again, but first at the end something big happened.
I thought that maybe Allen were planning a sequel, since something dangerous appeared at the very end. But I became disappointed, because it ended before it even began.
But tears was pressing when I was finished, the ending was beautiful, and it touched my heart. Some part of me was happy that the book ended like it did. But another part wanted it to continue, there was still some questions, yet to be answered.
My favorite character must be Antonia, she was awesome and very caring. I hoped that she may have been the one to adopt Jabin, I got really sad when she didn't.
Anyway I also liked Mike, he was strong and strict. He really kept his words and was very trust worthy.
But there was one person I really didn't like, and that was Finn. He was always so skeptic, and sometimes I got the feeling that he didn't want Jabin to be adopted. He said negative things against it and asked stupid questions. He was not supporting and obviously not caring either.
The rest of the characters were okay, some were funny and I liked most of them. The author have been creative. Because there were so many of them, but they all had different personality.
In the end, I really did like this book. It was good, and I can recommend it to you readers. I absolutely loved the action and the ending was perfect.
October 11, 2012
This is a wonderfully written coming-of-age story, set in what I will call a sci-fi lite universe. Jabin, the main character is charming and sympathetic from page one. Bev does something fresh and different with her MC though, something both admirable and brave, she doesn't endow him with super powers, with above average guts or bravery, she doesn't make him Mensa clever or give him Herculean strength. What she did was set out to write a story that could be true, about a young teen that could live just down the street, someone with real problems, reactions, and emotions. And she did just that, she created and incredibly real character that both adults and young adults will be able to connect with, and she set it in a world that is both familiar and exotic.
In other reviews I've seen some readers remark upon some of the darker, grittier aspects of the book such as slavery, rape, and murder and question whether or not this should be in what is considered a Young Adult book. Well, whether we want to acknowledge it or not those things don't just happen in the space colony of New Wales however many years into the future. Those things, my friends, are things that happen right here on Earth, right at this moment. Slavery and human sexual trafficking are by no means things of the past or things of fiction and therefor I don't think they are things that we should willingly gloss over for teens, especially given that they are in the highest demographic to be targeted by the monsters that perpetuate those crimes.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, the darker elements of Jabin's story it was a story that was touching, sweet, and even a bit romantic. It's a story that tugs on the heart strings and remains with you long after the final page is turned. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good story.
As Tina said below, I'll go ahead and make it clear that the author is a friend of mine so I didn't exactly go into this unbiased.
However you could say that by the very fact that I went into this so excitedly and with such high expectations it is that much more remarkable that I shouldn't be disappointed with it, after all I'm sure I thought a lot more of the story going into it than most would.
In other reviews I've seen some readers remark upon some of the darker, grittier aspects of the book such as slavery, rape, and murder and question whether or not this should be in what is considered a Young Adult book. Well, whether we want to acknowledge it or not those things don't just happen in the space colony of New Wales however many years into the future. Those things, my friends, are things that happen right here on Earth, right at this moment. Slavery and human sexual trafficking are by no means things of the past or things of fiction and therefor I don't think they are things that we should willingly gloss over for teens, especially given that they are in the highest demographic to be targeted by the monsters that perpetuate those crimes.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, the darker elements of Jabin's story it was a story that was touching, sweet, and even a bit romantic. It's a story that tugs on the heart strings and remains with you long after the final page is turned. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good story.
As Tina said below, I'll go ahead and make it clear that the author is a friend of mine so I didn't exactly go into this unbiased.
However you could say that by the very fact that I went into this so excitedly and with such high expectations it is that much more remarkable that I shouldn't be disappointed with it, after all I'm sure I thought a lot more of the story going into it than most would.
October 27, 2012
The young reader audience this book is aimed at will relish the pace and excitement of Jabin's adventures with the deliciously villainous Space Pirates. They will be rooting for the young hero from the start as he struggles to hold on to his own sense of what's right and what's wrong in a world that seems ranked against him. They won't notice that its the excellent quality of the writing that draws you effortlessly through the narrative and into Jabin's world.
Older readers may realise that there is much more to this book than a true, old-fiashioned, rip-roarin' boys' adventure story.
Jabin and the Space Pirates is what I would call 'allegorical fiction". Its not concerned with the hardware or indeed the hard science - it's about people, how they react to adversity, how they get along with each other and the kind of societies they create.
Jabin is an excellent example of this kind of fantasy. Jabin is a real person from the first page - a self-contained but vulnerable young teenager forced to shoulder responsibilities beyond his years and believing (as children do in such circumstances) that everything is his fault. The story charts his adventures and not only how he wins through against the odds, but also how he comes to discover his own real worth. The parallel story of the soldiers trying to maintain the rule of peace and justice in a dysfunctional society brilliantly captures the humour, camaradarie and discipline of a real military force, and contrasts to the indifferent cruelty which has marked Jabin's upbringing. Under the surface, the book is drawing out these two stories of growing up and developing a sense of responsibility; it holds the balance between the two, and the balance between the allegory and the sheer high-adrenaline adventure brilliantly. Thoroughly recommended to young and old alike.
Older readers may realise that there is much more to this book than a true, old-fiashioned, rip-roarin' boys' adventure story.
Jabin and the Space Pirates is what I would call 'allegorical fiction". Its not concerned with the hardware or indeed the hard science - it's about people, how they react to adversity, how they get along with each other and the kind of societies they create.
Jabin is an excellent example of this kind of fantasy. Jabin is a real person from the first page - a self-contained but vulnerable young teenager forced to shoulder responsibilities beyond his years and believing (as children do in such circumstances) that everything is his fault. The story charts his adventures and not only how he wins through against the odds, but also how he comes to discover his own real worth. The parallel story of the soldiers trying to maintain the rule of peace and justice in a dysfunctional society brilliantly captures the humour, camaradarie and discipline of a real military force, and contrasts to the indifferent cruelty which has marked Jabin's upbringing. Under the surface, the book is drawing out these two stories of growing up and developing a sense of responsibility; it holds the balance between the two, and the balance between the allegory and the sheer high-adrenaline adventure brilliantly. Thoroughly recommended to young and old alike.
March 1, 2013
I'm sitting here filled with the warm glowing feeling that you only get after finishing a wonderful story. Jabin and the Space Pirates is a science-fiction tale about a 13 year old boy who is orphaned, then abused or neglected by all of his foster families, and finally enslaved by the nastiest of space pirates - a situation for which he volunteers in order to save another young boy, and figures life can't be any worse than what he's already experienced.
The themes are mature and complex, and teenage and adult readers alike can't help but be entranced by this tale of political and religious intrigue (the "sci-fi" element comes from the setting - a future world where space travel between planets is possible). As wars rage and political casualties fall around him, little Jabin numbly goes through the motions with the feeling that he has done something wrong to deserve this life. But what readers see is not a failure, but the bravest of heroes. From the first chapter to the last, you will be rooting for Jabin to find the life he deserves.
The themes are mature and complex, and teenage and adult readers alike can't help but be entranced by this tale of political and religious intrigue (the "sci-fi" element comes from the setting - a future world where space travel between planets is possible). As wars rage and political casualties fall around him, little Jabin numbly goes through the motions with the feeling that he has done something wrong to deserve this life. But what readers see is not a failure, but the bravest of heroes. From the first chapter to the last, you will be rooting for Jabin to find the life he deserves.
June 28, 2014
I think the name of this book led me to believe it would be a light-hearted science fiction adventure aimed at children. But, it was much darker and grittier than I expected and dealt with a number of very disturbing issues such as human trafficking, slavery, rape, greed, murder and extreme violence.
Despite the very serious nature of the story, it was very well-written and had me turning page after page in breathless anticipation of what was to come next. And, much of that rapt attention had to do with the main character, Jabin--an amazing young man who was able to withstand terrible suffering and hardships in his short lifetime with a bravery and stoicism that would have made grown men envious.
This was a nice blend of light science fiction--nothing too technical but the reader was always aware that the setting was not modern-day Earth--and medieval society complete with court intrigue, secrets, betrayals and murder.
Well done, Ms. Allen!
Despite the very serious nature of the story, it was very well-written and had me turning page after page in breathless anticipation of what was to come next. And, much of that rapt attention had to do with the main character, Jabin--an amazing young man who was able to withstand terrible suffering and hardships in his short lifetime with a bravery and stoicism that would have made grown men envious.
This was a nice blend of light science fiction--nothing too technical but the reader was always aware that the setting was not modern-day Earth--and medieval society complete with court intrigue, secrets, betrayals and murder.
Well done, Ms. Allen!
December 7, 2012
I was going to start by saying this book has the wrong name, but I understand thats been sorted. The title makes it sound much younger than its target audience.
Jabin (as I believe its been retitled, and is the name of the protagonist) deal with some very adult themes very early on in the story, in some cases surprisingly so for the apparent age of Jabin, the main character. They aren't out of context, but this is very definitely for 15+ readers.
The story is focused around an unwanted boy who is put through some fairly harrowing ordeals and abuse, and pretty much follows how his emotional state develops through the torment, and through eventually being treated like a human being rather then an animal.
I enjoyed the story. I did feel the pace suffered occasionally to explore the emotional content, but very much glad I got it.
Jabin (as I believe its been retitled, and is the name of the protagonist) deal with some very adult themes very early on in the story, in some cases surprisingly so for the apparent age of Jabin, the main character. They aren't out of context, but this is very definitely for 15+ readers.
The story is focused around an unwanted boy who is put through some fairly harrowing ordeals and abuse, and pretty much follows how his emotional state develops through the torment, and through eventually being treated like a human being rather then an animal.
I enjoyed the story. I did feel the pace suffered occasionally to explore the emotional content, but very much glad I got it.
March 12, 2013
terrific read, Bev Allen takes her characters into a different world and allows you to follow. Jabin is but a young boy that must grow up yet still keeps a tiny bit of innocence in the end. The book though only a story does have a lesson to be learned, that no matter what you go through if you look around life can be better and sooner or later something has to change. Though Jabin was not expecting it to and truly did not kknow what to do when it did, it was a heart felt situation that even the cold at heart would hear. Way to go Mrs. Allen you moved the YA and intergalactic to a new area of learning and reading.. won on goodreads
October 26, 2016
This is a tale about an unfortunate boy treated badly and never knew why. Jabin is an endearing character and I wanted to know what happened to him, an element I love in a book as it keeps me turning the pages to find out more. I hoped Jabin would be free from those who mistreated him and find the happy ending he deserves. This is why I had to keep reading. With other worlds, space pirates, royalty, armed forces and the kindness of one officer in particular, this book has it all. A well written sci-fi story with a military and hopeful undertone, it is well worth the read for something different.'
February 20, 2013
Now here was a book well worth reading. Characters have personalities you can believe. Story moves quickly yet smoothly. One of best Science Fiction stories have read. Looking for an evening adventure this will more than please.
June 14, 2013
Truly an excellent written character driven story about a boy that no one wanted.
July 30, 2012
Published: June 1st, 2012
Publisher: Taylor Street
Pages: 294
Rating: 3/5
In the space colony of New Wales, the pirate attacks are both relentless and merciless.
Having lost both his parents, Jabin has been adopted by his austere and spiteful uncle and aunt who live in the space colony of New Wales which is riven with religious and political rivalry, and prey to the vicious marauding of pirates whose cruelty and greed are beyond all imagination.
When Jabin volunteers to surrender himself to a pirate raiding party to save a friend, he does so believing that nothing can be worse than his current suffering.
However, he is soon to discover that things can always get worse when the stakes are high, the rewards are vast and slave labor is there for the taking.
When the King of New Wales is assassinated, the colony threatens to collapse into total anarchy, leaving the pirates free reign to mutilate, kill and profit as they will, but the forces of law and order sent out from Earth are getting ready to fight back, and Jabin could have a vital part to play in the ensuing war if he can only stay alive.
Review:
This was one of those books that I read, finished, then sat back and tried to decipher how I felt about it. I’m still not quite sure. This was the first YA sci-fi novel that I’ve read… ever (yeah, I know, I need to widen my horizons a bit), so this genre is new to me. I’m not quite sure what to think of this book, but I’ll do my best to get my thoughts out.
Jabin and the Space Pirates is a futuristic sci-fi, and to be honest, it reminded me a lot of Star Wars in that there is life off-planet as well as on, and there is a lot of military content. There’s a fight for power between government and pirates. Something that was unique, though, was the slave trade aspect. I didn’t especially like this aspect, mainly because of the disturbing content (raping, beating, etc) but on the bright side, this aspect revealed how truly nasty the villain was.
The book starts out with Jabin living in a pious community with his cold aunt and uncle. We’re told that Jabin has been passed from relative to relative ever since his mother disappeared. He’s been unhappy in each place, and especially here with his strict aunt and uncle. One mistake for him results in missed meals, and the extreme (and sometimes superficial) spirituality of the community and the church annoy and confuse Jabin. When a ruthless pirate overtakes the community and swipes several young people (including Jabin) for slavery, Jabin is both anxious and relieved. His belief is that his situation can’t get any worse, and neither will it get better. But his cruel pirate master is nothing but mild with his slaves. Jabin, as well as many others, are beaten into complete submission. Girls are raped by several men and traded off when they become boring.
I won’t lie; the content really disturbed me. I was surprised this book was listed as young adult with all the troubling content that it contains. I even considered stopping, but I felt I couldn’t review it with the amount that I had read so far. So I finished it. I can’t say I truly enjoyed it- it was interesting at some parts, but other parts were confusing (the author didn’t explain certain aspects of her story; weapons and other things were mentioned and no explanation was given as to what she was talking about). All the military ranks and content got a little muddled, but that was just me. It cleared up once I got all the characters’ names and ranks straight. There were some slight grammatical errors, but that’s understandable as this is a debut novel.
All in all, I felt that this book had its high moments, but then it would get a bit tiresome and dull again. Jabin eventually helps out the government in the war, but what he did didn’t feel like a big accomplishment. He comforted the young king when they were locked in a closet. Not that big of a deal. I felt that it lacked a climax, and when I finished, I was confused as to what meaning the whole book had. It’s obvious the author tried to dive into her characters and let us get to know them, but I felt it only scratched the surface. It failed to entertain me and keep me interested, and the disturbing content proved to repulse me enough to want to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me. I feel like this novel was a good first try, but not good enough.
Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*
Language: Moderate- Heavy (Characters curse throughout, using a variety of words)
Violence: Moderate- Heavy (Mention of a man’s head being shot. Other instances of shooting. Slaves are beaten. Jabin has a gold disk put in his ear to “mark” him as a slave.)
Sexual: Moderate (Slave girls are raped- no description.)
Publisher: Taylor Street
Pages: 294
Rating: 3/5
In the space colony of New Wales, the pirate attacks are both relentless and merciless.
Having lost both his parents, Jabin has been adopted by his austere and spiteful uncle and aunt who live in the space colony of New Wales which is riven with religious and political rivalry, and prey to the vicious marauding of pirates whose cruelty and greed are beyond all imagination.
When Jabin volunteers to surrender himself to a pirate raiding party to save a friend, he does so believing that nothing can be worse than his current suffering.
However, he is soon to discover that things can always get worse when the stakes are high, the rewards are vast and slave labor is there for the taking.
When the King of New Wales is assassinated, the colony threatens to collapse into total anarchy, leaving the pirates free reign to mutilate, kill and profit as they will, but the forces of law and order sent out from Earth are getting ready to fight back, and Jabin could have a vital part to play in the ensuing war if he can only stay alive.
Review:
This was one of those books that I read, finished, then sat back and tried to decipher how I felt about it. I’m still not quite sure. This was the first YA sci-fi novel that I’ve read… ever (yeah, I know, I need to widen my horizons a bit), so this genre is new to me. I’m not quite sure what to think of this book, but I’ll do my best to get my thoughts out.
Jabin and the Space Pirates is a futuristic sci-fi, and to be honest, it reminded me a lot of Star Wars in that there is life off-planet as well as on, and there is a lot of military content. There’s a fight for power between government and pirates. Something that was unique, though, was the slave trade aspect. I didn’t especially like this aspect, mainly because of the disturbing content (raping, beating, etc) but on the bright side, this aspect revealed how truly nasty the villain was.
The book starts out with Jabin living in a pious community with his cold aunt and uncle. We’re told that Jabin has been passed from relative to relative ever since his mother disappeared. He’s been unhappy in each place, and especially here with his strict aunt and uncle. One mistake for him results in missed meals, and the extreme (and sometimes superficial) spirituality of the community and the church annoy and confuse Jabin. When a ruthless pirate overtakes the community and swipes several young people (including Jabin) for slavery, Jabin is both anxious and relieved. His belief is that his situation can’t get any worse, and neither will it get better. But his cruel pirate master is nothing but mild with his slaves. Jabin, as well as many others, are beaten into complete submission. Girls are raped by several men and traded off when they become boring.
I won’t lie; the content really disturbed me. I was surprised this book was listed as young adult with all the troubling content that it contains. I even considered stopping, but I felt I couldn’t review it with the amount that I had read so far. So I finished it. I can’t say I truly enjoyed it- it was interesting at some parts, but other parts were confusing (the author didn’t explain certain aspects of her story; weapons and other things were mentioned and no explanation was given as to what she was talking about). All the military ranks and content got a little muddled, but that was just me. It cleared up once I got all the characters’ names and ranks straight. There were some slight grammatical errors, but that’s understandable as this is a debut novel.
All in all, I felt that this book had its high moments, but then it would get a bit tiresome and dull again. Jabin eventually helps out the government in the war, but what he did didn’t feel like a big accomplishment. He comforted the young king when they were locked in a closet. Not that big of a deal. I felt that it lacked a climax, and when I finished, I was confused as to what meaning the whole book had. It’s obvious the author tried to dive into her characters and let us get to know them, but I felt it only scratched the surface. It failed to entertain me and keep me interested, and the disturbing content proved to repulse me enough to want to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me. I feel like this novel was a good first try, but not good enough.
Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*
Language: Moderate- Heavy (Characters curse throughout, using a variety of words)
Violence: Moderate- Heavy (Mention of a man’s head being shot. Other instances of shooting. Slaves are beaten. Jabin has a gold disk put in his ear to “mark” him as a slave.)
Sexual: Moderate (Slave girls are raped- no description.)
October 24, 2012
Originally posted on my blog:
To be honest, when I read the first few pages I was thinking "WTF". This mostly came about by the way that we already see how Jabin is already too grown up at only a young age of 13. I would not expect any 13 year old that I know, to talk like that. At that point from reading that I thought about if I wanted to stop this novel and mark it as "DNF," but I kept on to see what else the book had in store to bring this book back up.
Quickly we learn about Jabin and his past, as well as become fully aware of what happens to him. Both in his present life with his aunt and uncle, as well as his life with the little he remembers about his mother. Jabin's failure to understand much of her addiction, yet he knows and remembers so much from that very young age.
We start to become a bit confused when we switch P.O.V. We wonder who this second person is really as well as how he relates to the story.
The story moves quickly, yet we don't learn about this new place, only about Jabin and the issues that have, in some ways, arisen from in our world's past (2012 Earth). Not enough information on their world, no matter how much Jabin is in the dark. Other bits and pieces of key information that were lacking include the resources that they use and the weapons, especially in giving us any detail or explanation of new developments to the world. We do realize that it is a sci-fi novel as they are on another planet.
From this, we get zero focus on the sci-fi elements of this book, yes, we know they are on another planet, but the main focus of the novel is the child soldiers, mainly in the spotlight of what Jabin faces. His hardships are put into focus, which then also releases knowledge about the Crown and the Colonel.
One of the main reasons why Jabin doesn't seem his age is by the way he goes on about women. Seeing them and thinking about them make him seem like those who "own" the women in this novel, as one of the Space Pirates.
To be honest, when I read the first few pages I was thinking "WTF". This mostly came about by the way that we already see how Jabin is already too grown up at only a young age of 13. I would not expect any 13 year old that I know, to talk like that. At that point from reading that I thought about if I wanted to stop this novel and mark it as "DNF," but I kept on to see what else the book had in store to bring this book back up.
Quickly we learn about Jabin and his past, as well as become fully aware of what happens to him. Both in his present life with his aunt and uncle, as well as his life with the little he remembers about his mother. Jabin's failure to understand much of her addiction, yet he knows and remembers so much from that very young age.
We start to become a bit confused when we switch P.O.V. We wonder who this second person is really as well as how he relates to the story.
The story moves quickly, yet we don't learn about this new place, only about Jabin and the issues that have, in some ways, arisen from in our world's past (2012 Earth). Not enough information on their world, no matter how much Jabin is in the dark. Other bits and pieces of key information that were lacking include the resources that they use and the weapons, especially in giving us any detail or explanation of new developments to the world. We do realize that it is a sci-fi novel as they are on another planet.
From this, we get zero focus on the sci-fi elements of this book, yes, we know they are on another planet, but the main focus of the novel is the child soldiers, mainly in the spotlight of what Jabin faces. His hardships are put into focus, which then also releases knowledge about the Crown and the Colonel.
One of the main reasons why Jabin doesn't seem his age is by the way he goes on about women. Seeing them and thinking about them make him seem like those who "own" the women in this novel, as one of the Space Pirates.
October 30, 2012
I read this book a long time ago when it was just in manuscript form. I loved it then and I love it now when I have it in treasured paperback form.
I dither whether to give it 5 stars or 4. 5 because it is a great story, but there are too many errors. I become very involved when I read a good story, and so when I come across, for instance, someone armed with a 'billy?' or a sentence that makes no sense, I find it very jarring. I'm sure when I read it before, there were not so many errors. The paperback file needs to be re-uploaded (it's POD) after a very careful edit.
Summary: in spite of the errors - 5 stars. I love this story.
I dither whether to give it 5 stars or 4. 5 because it is a great story, but there are too many errors. I become very involved when I read a good story, and so when I come across, for instance, someone armed with a 'billy?' or a sentence that makes no sense, I find it very jarring. I'm sure when I read it before, there were not so many errors. The paperback file needs to be re-uploaded (it's POD) after a very careful edit.
Summary: in spite of the errors - 5 stars. I love this story.
July 31, 2014
The story of Jabin is not a happy one.He is a child so accustomed to abuse and the harsh side of life that happiness was something that never seemed within reach.I love a story that makes you feel everything the main character is feeling and Bev Allen delivered wholeheartedly with this story.I found my eyes tearing up several times but also my heart swelled with love and pride for this brave boy who even though has never had anyone care for him, managed to put others first with a protectiveness he has never been shown.I absolutely Loved this book,it is one that will stay in my heart forever.Well done Bev Allen,your talent is what readers like myself cherish in an author.
November 2, 2016
So I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Bev Allen is spot on at times with her characterisations and rather dramatic / disturbing descriptions that some of her characters go through.
I think this author has a lot going for her, and I did enjoy this book - until the middle, where I felt it should have ended as a neat, creative novella... all that came after this point was just... well to me, boring and unnecessary. Some of the male characters started all sounding same-same in the way they spoke, and and kept getting confused at which character was which.
All in all, however, I hope Bev keeps writing, as I thought overall this was a solid story.
I think this author has a lot going for her, and I did enjoy this book - until the middle, where I felt it should have ended as a neat, creative novella... all that came after this point was just... well to me, boring and unnecessary. Some of the male characters started all sounding same-same in the way they spoke, and and kept getting confused at which character was which.
All in all, however, I hope Bev keeps writing, as I thought overall this was a solid story.
November 19, 2013
Review to follow soon!
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