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Under Far Galaxian Skies
Balfour has committed the ultimate crime. He has been given nothing but love and compassion from his adoptive parents but threw it all away with a tussle that ended in the death of a young man.
Guilt weighing him down, Balfour is convinced he deserves it when he's captured by pirates and brought to a faraway galaxy. Barely escaping enslavement, he finds himself an outcast in a city unlike anything he has ever seen.
With giant, venomous reptiles stalking him through the streets, he must quickly learn to adapt or be prepared for a slow, torturous death in the hands of the city's iron-fisted tarilla chiefs.
Despite the constant dangers lurking around every corner, the biggest threat proves to be Balfour's lingering self-loathing. If he can't fight through it, it might cost him his life.
Under Far Galaxian Skies is the first in a trilogy that can be read on its own or as a continuation of the first 3 books in the Inner Universe Series.
Guilt weighing him down, Balfour is convinced he deserves it when he's captured by pirates and brought to a faraway galaxy. Barely escaping enslavement, he finds himself an outcast in a city unlike anything he has ever seen.
With giant, venomous reptiles stalking him through the streets, he must quickly learn to adapt or be prepared for a slow, torturous death in the hands of the city's iron-fisted tarilla chiefs.
Despite the constant dangers lurking around every corner, the biggest threat proves to be Balfour's lingering self-loathing. If he can't fight through it, it might cost him his life.
Under Far Galaxian Skies is the first in a trilogy that can be read on its own or as a continuation of the first 3 books in the Inner Universe Series.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 18, 2024
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Under Far Galaxian Skies is the new book in the space fantasy series Inner Universe, written by Natalie Kelda; it can be read as the start of a new series, Balfour's Trilogy, or also as a sequel to Quarantine Thirteen and the rest of books in the Inner Universe series. A thrilling novel, which shows Kelda's growth as an author, while still maintaining the mental health theme that is common across the series.
Balfour was sentenced to a life of work in space ships after accidentally committing a murder; but his destiny becomes even worse when the ship is captured by pirates due to the captain's hubris. Taken for enslavement to a galaxy he doesn't know, he barely escapes, becoming an outcast in a strange city, running from the tarillas that are fighting their own conflict and that won't doubt on slowly killing him if caught.
With this relatively low stakes proposal, Kelda takes us into a story that is excellent at portraying themes such as found family and the danger our characters are experiencing; all the cast ends growing into you, despite the focus still being put on Balfour. Talking about Balfour, it is interesting to see how he's a character that is dealing with the guilt and ptsd that appears as a result of the accident that got him condemned; mental health is an angular piece of Kelda's storytelling.
The world-building picks my curiosity, but it somehow feels a bit as a secondary element in comparison with the characters; there's a big conflict ongoing when Balfour arrives, but it is just in the background while we follow our main group. Fauna is quite dangerous, in ways that remembers me of the Australian stereotype.
Under Far Galaxian Skies ends with a pretty open situation that leaves us waiting for a second book; if you are thinking about picking Kelda's books, and like adventure fantasy, you can directly take this one as the starter. Really eager to see how Balfour and company continue surviving in such an hostile enviroment.
Under Far Galaxian Skies is the new book in the space fantasy series Inner Universe, written by Natalie Kelda; it can be read as the start of a new series, Balfour's Trilogy, or also as a sequel to Quarantine Thirteen and the rest of books in the Inner Universe series. A thrilling novel, which shows Kelda's growth as an author, while still maintaining the mental health theme that is common across the series.
Balfour was sentenced to a life of work in space ships after accidentally committing a murder; but his destiny becomes even worse when the ship is captured by pirates due to the captain's hubris. Taken for enslavement to a galaxy he doesn't know, he barely escapes, becoming an outcast in a strange city, running from the tarillas that are fighting their own conflict and that won't doubt on slowly killing him if caught.
With this relatively low stakes proposal, Kelda takes us into a story that is excellent at portraying themes such as found family and the danger our characters are experiencing; all the cast ends growing into you, despite the focus still being put on Balfour. Talking about Balfour, it is interesting to see how he's a character that is dealing with the guilt and ptsd that appears as a result of the accident that got him condemned; mental health is an angular piece of Kelda's storytelling.
The world-building picks my curiosity, but it somehow feels a bit as a secondary element in comparison with the characters; there's a big conflict ongoing when Balfour arrives, but it is just in the background while we follow our main group. Fauna is quite dangerous, in ways that remembers me of the Australian stereotype.
Under Far Galaxian Skies ends with a pretty open situation that leaves us waiting for a second book; if you are thinking about picking Kelda's books, and like adventure fantasy, you can directly take this one as the starter. Really eager to see how Balfour and company continue surviving in such an hostile enviroment.
March 8, 2024
I wish to thank Netgalley for kindly giving me a digital ARC copy.
Given I read & enjoyed River in the galaxy (but haven't read books 2 & 3 yet), I wish to mention this book is certainly a sufficient standalone that doesn't require to read any previous books in the whole galaxy universe.
I also dare say being able to keep things fresh and interesting after several other books in the same world universe is not the easiest feat, and even more when you try to use completely new characters.
This story begins with a surprisingly short prologue. Dead body, screams, self-hatred. The reader discovers in page one Balfour murdered a teenage boy who wasn't doing anything particularly heinious. Instead of getting the death penalty, his adoptive grandfather pulled some strings and he is given a slap in the wrist 2 year sentence as an unpaid sailor.
Only a few months into his punishment, and everything goes from bad to worse. Before we know it, Balfour is trapped in a strange planet in the farthest reaches of the Inner Universe where slavery is legal, he can't speak the language and is about to be sold into slavery through no fault of his own.
With a cuddly face and shy demeanor, a city filled with ruthless mobsters and thieves that will gut their closest friend with a dagger is no place for him. But with no other means to escape in a ship or a portal, Balfour has to use his wits to put his captain combat training to good use, stay alive, and make new friends. Oh, and don't let these friends know he's also friendly to his other friends because apparently everyone in this planet hates everyone else, and it can get a tad bit tiring making up lies to avoid seeing his peers gut each other (or him).
We get to meet all sorts of shady folk, from the dangerous (but likeable) Skye, the vicious thief with a chip of his shoulder named Callum, the kind thieves Keefer & Brig, the psychopath mobster executioner Charlie, sweet Martha & Livia, and a whole other cast of shady folk that mostly become Balfour's friends because he's all too likeable.
The author's English skills have shown a remarkable improvement in this novel, with fewer instances of unusual grammar. I also didn't spot noticeable typos, just maybe a period missing here and there. There are a few chapters where it can be hard to know if Skye or Balfour are talking (only inferred by Skye's occasional viciousness). But none of these issues detract from the enjoyment of the book. The story advances a bit slow at first while we get to meet this new city called Magrath, but things pick up and continue at a medium speed from the 50% mark when Balfour's friends start to discover he's friends with their sworn enemies (cue dramatic scenes where he gets punched in the face for the sole crime of being a genuine nice and decent guy).
The book doesn't end in a particularly large cresecendo. It actually feels like it ends in the middle of a larger story with very few loose ends tied up. Obviously this is a book where we will need a sequel to wrap things up. So, readers who feel too impatient for a true conclusion might be better off reading the prior books in the series to get better acquainted. Other than that, I had tons of fun reading this story and will continue to reccomend this author's work to other readers.
4.5 stars!
Given I read & enjoyed River in the galaxy (but haven't read books 2 & 3 yet), I wish to mention this book is certainly a sufficient standalone that doesn't require to read any previous books in the whole galaxy universe.
I also dare say being able to keep things fresh and interesting after several other books in the same world universe is not the easiest feat, and even more when you try to use completely new characters.
This story begins with a surprisingly short prologue. Dead body, screams, self-hatred. The reader discovers in page one Balfour murdered a teenage boy who wasn't doing anything particularly heinious. Instead of getting the death penalty, his adoptive grandfather pulled some strings and he is given a slap in the wrist 2 year sentence as an unpaid sailor.
Only a few months into his punishment, and everything goes from bad to worse. Before we know it, Balfour is trapped in a strange planet in the farthest reaches of the Inner Universe where slavery is legal, he can't speak the language and is about to be sold into slavery through no fault of his own.
With a cuddly face and shy demeanor, a city filled with ruthless mobsters and thieves that will gut their closest friend with a dagger is no place for him. But with no other means to escape in a ship or a portal, Balfour has to use his wits to put his captain combat training to good use, stay alive, and make new friends. Oh, and don't let these friends know he's also friendly to his other friends because apparently everyone in this planet hates everyone else, and it can get a tad bit tiring making up lies to avoid seeing his peers gut each other (or him).
We get to meet all sorts of shady folk, from the dangerous (but likeable) Skye, the vicious thief with a chip of his shoulder named Callum, the kind thieves Keefer & Brig, the psychopath mobster executioner Charlie, sweet Martha & Livia, and a whole other cast of shady folk that mostly become Balfour's friends because he's all too likeable.
The author's English skills have shown a remarkable improvement in this novel, with fewer instances of unusual grammar. I also didn't spot noticeable typos, just maybe a period missing here and there. There are a few chapters where it can be hard to know if Skye or Balfour are talking (only inferred by Skye's occasional viciousness). But none of these issues detract from the enjoyment of the book. The story advances a bit slow at first while we get to meet this new city called Magrath, but things pick up and continue at a medium speed from the 50% mark when Balfour's friends start to discover he's friends with their sworn enemies (cue dramatic scenes where he gets punched in the face for the sole crime of being a genuine nice and decent guy).
The book doesn't end in a particularly large cresecendo. It actually feels like it ends in the middle of a larger story with very few loose ends tied up. Obviously this is a book where we will need a sequel to wrap things up. So, readers who feel too impatient for a true conclusion might be better off reading the prior books in the series to get better acquainted. Other than that, I had tons of fun reading this story and will continue to reccomend this author's work to other readers.
4.5 stars!
April 12, 2024
Under Far Galaxian Skies dives straight into action and I had moment of doubt of whether or not I should've started with an earlier book, but it quickly became clear that this was it's own story, and what was needed of background information was scattered along the way.
The setting is a ruthless planet in a faraway galaxy, where poor Balfour gets sold off as a slave after having been captured by space pirates (yes, space pirates, how freaking cool is that!). Escaping the slave pits he finds himself stuck in an unknown city and has to dodge venomous reptiles, murderous guards, and jumpy thieves.
Balfour as a character is great! He's capable but clueless in the new world he's dumped into and Natalie does a great job at weaving in the language barriers and culture differences. The poor guy has survived a traumatic past, and the aftermath still colors his world and mind - mostly for the worst. As someone who's struggled (and still struggles) with anxiety, guilt, and self-loathing, it became almost too easy to follow Balfour's internal struggles. At one point I just wanted to scream at the pages that his destructive thoughts weren't true and he should go get a hug.
The supporting characters are complex and complements the world with depth and detail. The dialogue is fun and lifelike and fits the characters and situations. The worldbuilding is outstanding and it comes to life with the details that gets sprinkled through the story. From space dragons, whole planets under quarantine, floating ships, talking tracker rats, blue-fanged people, several languages, slang, portals, floating cities - it truly feels like it all exists out there in a galaxy far, far away.
I was rooting for Balfour and Skye all throughout and as the pages flew by and there was less and less of the book left, I started to worry what Natalie had planned for the poor babies I'd come to love. The ending is satisfying, and yet so, so not at all! I'm aching to get my hands on the sequel!!
Balfour and his struggles will stay with me for a long while.
I received this book as an ARC in return of an honest review.
The setting is a ruthless planet in a faraway galaxy, where poor Balfour gets sold off as a slave after having been captured by space pirates (yes, space pirates, how freaking cool is that!). Escaping the slave pits he finds himself stuck in an unknown city and has to dodge venomous reptiles, murderous guards, and jumpy thieves.
Balfour as a character is great! He's capable but clueless in the new world he's dumped into and Natalie does a great job at weaving in the language barriers and culture differences. The poor guy has survived a traumatic past, and the aftermath still colors his world and mind - mostly for the worst. As someone who's struggled (and still struggles) with anxiety, guilt, and self-loathing, it became almost too easy to follow Balfour's internal struggles. At one point I just wanted to scream at the pages that his destructive thoughts weren't true and he should go get a hug.
The supporting characters are complex and complements the world with depth and detail. The dialogue is fun and lifelike and fits the characters and situations. The worldbuilding is outstanding and it comes to life with the details that gets sprinkled through the story. From space dragons, whole planets under quarantine, floating ships, talking tracker rats, blue-fanged people, several languages, slang, portals, floating cities - it truly feels like it all exists out there in a galaxy far, far away.
I was rooting for Balfour and Skye all throughout and as the pages flew by and there was less and less of the book left, I started to worry what Natalie had planned for the poor babies I'd come to love. The ending is satisfying, and yet so, so not at all! I'm aching to get my hands on the sequel!!
Balfour and his struggles will stay with me for a long while.
I received this book as an ARC in return of an honest review.
April 3, 2024
The tl;dr: Under Far Galaxian Skies is a “low-sci fi”, action-packed thriller with immense heart and themes of redemption, forgiveness, self-love, and found family. While this is technically the fourth book in the series, it is the perfect place to enter the “Inner Universe series”, as readers are flung into unknown parts of the galaxy with our POV character Balfour. Pirates, slavers, thieves, giant lizards, and more threaten Balfour as he navigates the fallout from murdering his sister’s boyfriend, and reader’s hearts will be left racing. The overarching plot often feels a bit fuzzy and unfocused, but otherwise this book is worth your time if you need a fast-paced intergalactic adventure!
My full review:
Under Far Galaxian Skies is technically the fourth book of the Inner Universe series but is also the first in its specific trilogy. The author has marketed the book as a good jumping off point to join the series, and it is the first book that I have read by Natalie Kelda. Therefore, in this review I’m coming at this book from the perspective of someone who hasn’t read the previous three books!
Under Far Galaxian Skies immediately throws its readers into some sci-fi action. Balfour has been convicted of murdering his sister’s boyfriend, and as punishment he is forced to join an intergalactic military space force – a force that quite quickly gets invaded by pirates. Captured, Balfour is sold-off my the pirates into enslavement on a foriegn planet. Balfour must now escape his precarious situation, all while navigating the growing turf warfare between two rival militant regimes trying to take over this alien city. Full of action, heart, and themes of found family, this book will be a fun and fast-paced read for new readers to Natalie Kelda’s world (and I’m sure will also be a delight for her long time fans as well!).
I’m not sure how much of the worldbuilding in Under Far Galaxian Skies had been introduced in previous books, but as a brand new reader it was a lot of fun to be thrust into a foriegn planet along with Balfour. From the pirates, slavers, roof-thieves, GIANT LIZARDS, and more, readers are thrust into this dizzying universe that feels as mysterious, upending, and uncomfortable as it must feel for Balfour. Kelda gives enough worldbuilding details to ensure that readers are never lost, but also leaves enough hidden behind closed doors to help readers get into Balfour’s headspace as he encounters unfamiliar terrains, peoples, animals, and more.
Getting into Balfour’s headspace, and seeing this world through his eyes, are important because Balfour is our solve (third-person, limited) POV character. Everything that happens is distilled through Balfour’s (quite-limited!) understanding of the universe. This has its pros and its cons. On the pro side, this keeps the world feeling a bit alien and foreign to readers, allowing readers to explore the world right alongside Balfour. On the negative, as I’ll return to later, the plot sometimes feels like its happening around Balfour, and that Balfour is trapped in a plot where he has no real role. Perhaps a grander, bigger story might have been told through one of the more prominent character’s eyes. I’ll return to this issue in just a moment, but in the meantime I will say that this is likely not to be an issue at all in future books, as the Under Far Galaxian Skies ends with Balfour really coming into his own and taking on more of the reigns of the story.
No matter whether Balfour’s POV has plot implications or not, Balfour is a fascinating POV character. This is a young man just full of emotions. He accidentally murdered his sister’s boyfriend, and now fears the familial ramifications of that action. He is haunted by the scepter of his actions and its consequences. Kelda is able to create a character, and a masculine character at that, who isn’t afraid to feel his emotions, who is scarred by his past actions, and where things that happen to Balfour (whether before or during this particular story) have lasting impacts on him. Balfour is a three-dimensional character who laughs and cries in equal measure, all without feeling hopeless, mopey, or annoying. His dark past makes you root for him harder, rather than just wanting to slap him across the face!
Kelda also surrounds Balfour with a host of great characters, whether they are the protagonists you will root for (and laugh and cry with) or the evil, multi-universal villains vying for power. There are definite themes of found family here, as Balfour further integrates himself in this new city, its language, and its culture. In the first 1/4 – 1/3 of the book there does seem to be a lot of characters introduced to you – but don’t worry, Kelda quickly reduces the character list down and fleshes out the important ones so that they all feel distinctly human.
The only thing in the book that really didn’t work for me (and that kept this out of the “five star range”) is that I had a hard time grasping the larger plot structure. There is this ongoing conflict between these two militant groups, but I couldn’t identify where the plot was going (and not in a “I like my books to be predictable” sense, but rather in the “I couldn’t answer what this book was about in a sentence or two” kind of sense. On the individual page level this didn’t really impact my experience reading the book, because Kelda would always throw some new bomb into the book to keep things engaging, but every once in a while I would take a stand back and think “why is any of this happening?”. Balfour has a large impact on the plot, but at times it feels he was just thrown into this conflict for no reason. This is not some ultimate damning critique of the book, but it did pull me out of the story a few times when action scenes seemed to happen just to fill page count because the overarching plot wasn’t quite developed enough.
Before closing out this review I should point out, and this is more of a content warning than a critique, that the book does involve somewhat vivid depictions of Balfour’s enslavement. He is whipped, beaten, and subjected to some heinous stuff (and if not him, other characters who are/were imprisoned). Balfour is also light-skinned while many of his enslavers have darker skin. Kelda handles these themes with nuance and care, but readers who wish to avoid these issues may want to find their reading pleasures elsewhere.
Under Far Galaxian Skies doesn’t really have an ending, and this isn’t a book that feels like a self-contained story within a larger trilogy. Things are looking pretty dire as the final pages are turned, but our heroes are locked and loaded to do what needs to be done. You will be left hungry for more in this series!
My full review:
Under Far Galaxian Skies is technically the fourth book of the Inner Universe series but is also the first in its specific trilogy. The author has marketed the book as a good jumping off point to join the series, and it is the first book that I have read by Natalie Kelda. Therefore, in this review I’m coming at this book from the perspective of someone who hasn’t read the previous three books!
Under Far Galaxian Skies immediately throws its readers into some sci-fi action. Balfour has been convicted of murdering his sister’s boyfriend, and as punishment he is forced to join an intergalactic military space force – a force that quite quickly gets invaded by pirates. Captured, Balfour is sold-off my the pirates into enslavement on a foriegn planet. Balfour must now escape his precarious situation, all while navigating the growing turf warfare between two rival militant regimes trying to take over this alien city. Full of action, heart, and themes of found family, this book will be a fun and fast-paced read for new readers to Natalie Kelda’s world (and I’m sure will also be a delight for her long time fans as well!).
I’m not sure how much of the worldbuilding in Under Far Galaxian Skies had been introduced in previous books, but as a brand new reader it was a lot of fun to be thrust into a foriegn planet along with Balfour. From the pirates, slavers, roof-thieves, GIANT LIZARDS, and more, readers are thrust into this dizzying universe that feels as mysterious, upending, and uncomfortable as it must feel for Balfour. Kelda gives enough worldbuilding details to ensure that readers are never lost, but also leaves enough hidden behind closed doors to help readers get into Balfour’s headspace as he encounters unfamiliar terrains, peoples, animals, and more.
Getting into Balfour’s headspace, and seeing this world through his eyes, are important because Balfour is our solve (third-person, limited) POV character. Everything that happens is distilled through Balfour’s (quite-limited!) understanding of the universe. This has its pros and its cons. On the pro side, this keeps the world feeling a bit alien and foreign to readers, allowing readers to explore the world right alongside Balfour. On the negative, as I’ll return to later, the plot sometimes feels like its happening around Balfour, and that Balfour is trapped in a plot where he has no real role. Perhaps a grander, bigger story might have been told through one of the more prominent character’s eyes. I’ll return to this issue in just a moment, but in the meantime I will say that this is likely not to be an issue at all in future books, as the Under Far Galaxian Skies ends with Balfour really coming into his own and taking on more of the reigns of the story.
No matter whether Balfour’s POV has plot implications or not, Balfour is a fascinating POV character. This is a young man just full of emotions. He accidentally murdered his sister’s boyfriend, and now fears the familial ramifications of that action. He is haunted by the scepter of his actions and its consequences. Kelda is able to create a character, and a masculine character at that, who isn’t afraid to feel his emotions, who is scarred by his past actions, and where things that happen to Balfour (whether before or during this particular story) have lasting impacts on him. Balfour is a three-dimensional character who laughs and cries in equal measure, all without feeling hopeless, mopey, or annoying. His dark past makes you root for him harder, rather than just wanting to slap him across the face!
Kelda also surrounds Balfour with a host of great characters, whether they are the protagonists you will root for (and laugh and cry with) or the evil, multi-universal villains vying for power. There are definite themes of found family here, as Balfour further integrates himself in this new city, its language, and its culture. In the first 1/4 – 1/3 of the book there does seem to be a lot of characters introduced to you – but don’t worry, Kelda quickly reduces the character list down and fleshes out the important ones so that they all feel distinctly human.
The only thing in the book that really didn’t work for me (and that kept this out of the “five star range”) is that I had a hard time grasping the larger plot structure. There is this ongoing conflict between these two militant groups, but I couldn’t identify where the plot was going (and not in a “I like my books to be predictable” sense, but rather in the “I couldn’t answer what this book was about in a sentence or two” kind of sense. On the individual page level this didn’t really impact my experience reading the book, because Kelda would always throw some new bomb into the book to keep things engaging, but every once in a while I would take a stand back and think “why is any of this happening?”. Balfour has a large impact on the plot, but at times it feels he was just thrown into this conflict for no reason. This is not some ultimate damning critique of the book, but it did pull me out of the story a few times when action scenes seemed to happen just to fill page count because the overarching plot wasn’t quite developed enough.
Before closing out this review I should point out, and this is more of a content warning than a critique, that the book does involve somewhat vivid depictions of Balfour’s enslavement. He is whipped, beaten, and subjected to some heinous stuff (and if not him, other characters who are/were imprisoned). Balfour is also light-skinned while many of his enslavers have darker skin. Kelda handles these themes with nuance and care, but readers who wish to avoid these issues may want to find their reading pleasures elsewhere.
Under Far Galaxian Skies doesn’t really have an ending, and this isn’t a book that feels like a self-contained story within a larger trilogy. Things are looking pretty dire as the final pages are turned, but our heroes are locked and loaded to do what needs to be done. You will be left hungry for more in this series!
May 25, 2024
Strongly recommend this emotional, character-driven adventure story!
Gentle, guilt-ridden Balfour must grow a tough skin to survive as a runaway slave in a city contested by warring clans known as tarillas. The tale alternates between exciting action sequences and touching scenes as Balfour finds friends among the city’s outcasts. A chance encounter leads him to form a connection with an ambitious young woman from the tarilla aristocracy. Their different but complementary personalities might be the foundation for a sweet romance, but Balfour’s outcast friends would kill him if they knew he was consorting with the oppressive tarillas. Intrigue and emotional scenes ensue.
Readers of Kelda’s past books will not be surprised that another of this story’s strengths is its worldbuilding. Far Galaxian Skies continues the Inner Universe series, but introduces new societies and creatures. The venomous, flesh-eating lizard bloodhounds used by tarillas to track fugitives are appropriately terrifying. Readers learn more about the economy, magical technology of this universe, and about the social inequality it produces. Yet another highlight is the subculture of acrobatic thieves who flit from rooftop to rooftop in this dystopian city.
Balfour’s trilogy is a new story which requires no prior knowledge of Kelda’s work. However, readers of the first Inner Universe series will remember meeting Balfour as a child. It is sad that his life took another tragic turn, and that he acquired new anxieties on top of the ones he already had. However, it is moving and fascinating to see him develop into an adult. Both Far Galaxian Skies and the series as a whole are powerful stories with considerable depth.
Gentle, guilt-ridden Balfour must grow a tough skin to survive as a runaway slave in a city contested by warring clans known as tarillas. The tale alternates between exciting action sequences and touching scenes as Balfour finds friends among the city’s outcasts. A chance encounter leads him to form a connection with an ambitious young woman from the tarilla aristocracy. Their different but complementary personalities might be the foundation for a sweet romance, but Balfour’s outcast friends would kill him if they knew he was consorting with the oppressive tarillas. Intrigue and emotional scenes ensue.
Readers of Kelda’s past books will not be surprised that another of this story’s strengths is its worldbuilding. Far Galaxian Skies continues the Inner Universe series, but introduces new societies and creatures. The venomous, flesh-eating lizard bloodhounds used by tarillas to track fugitives are appropriately terrifying. Readers learn more about the economy, magical technology of this universe, and about the social inequality it produces. Yet another highlight is the subculture of acrobatic thieves who flit from rooftop to rooftop in this dystopian city.
Balfour’s trilogy is a new story which requires no prior knowledge of Kelda’s work. However, readers of the first Inner Universe series will remember meeting Balfour as a child. It is sad that his life took another tragic turn, and that he acquired new anxieties on top of the ones he already had. However, it is moving and fascinating to see him develop into an adult. Both Far Galaxian Skies and the series as a whole are powerful stories with considerable depth.
February 26, 2024
I received a copy for review purposes and am leaving my thoughts willingly.
Well, each book in this universe gets better and better. I’m divided which one is my favorite but it might be this one. Hard to decide between this one and the last one but I still love books 1 and 2 as well. Just read the whole series, make it easier on yourself.
First, the stuff that’s in every book and continues to be awesome. The world in general continues to grow, with each new element building on the previous ones. It feels organic and real.
The accents. I love the way this author writes people’s dialogue. Each person has a uniqueness and personality that you can pinpoint just from their vocal patterns. It’s a small detail but it really helps the characters to feel fleshed out.
Now this book…wow. Just when I think the game can’t get any darker nor the stakes any higher. I think the author heard these thoughts and went “Ha! Watch me!” But like before, it’s done with purpose and interwoven with the characters so it feels very much their story and not shock. Everything that happens here has a reason.
Balfour needs hugs. So many hugs. He is so hard on himself and I just want to let him cry into my shoulder. I want him to get a better life so badly because the darling needs it. I dare not give away anything except your heart will break many a time and attempting to jump into the book to protect him is not recommended…but not unexpected either.
Go read it.
Well, each book in this universe gets better and better. I’m divided which one is my favorite but it might be this one. Hard to decide between this one and the last one but I still love books 1 and 2 as well. Just read the whole series, make it easier on yourself.
First, the stuff that’s in every book and continues to be awesome. The world in general continues to grow, with each new element building on the previous ones. It feels organic and real.
The accents. I love the way this author writes people’s dialogue. Each person has a uniqueness and personality that you can pinpoint just from their vocal patterns. It’s a small detail but it really helps the characters to feel fleshed out.
Now this book…wow. Just when I think the game can’t get any darker nor the stakes any higher. I think the author heard these thoughts and went “Ha! Watch me!” But like before, it’s done with purpose and interwoven with the characters so it feels very much their story and not shock. Everything that happens here has a reason.
Balfour needs hugs. So many hugs. He is so hard on himself and I just want to let him cry into my shoulder. I want him to get a better life so badly because the darling needs it. I dare not give away anything except your heart will break many a time and attempting to jump into the book to protect him is not recommended…but not unexpected either.
Go read it.
May 7, 2024
Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Another great book in Natalie Kelda's sailships-in-space Inner Universe series which starts another trilogy a few years after the events of the previous three. Although there are less cool ships and more deadly chases and swordfights in a hostile city, this book is no less exciting and full of heart than the ones before.
I needed a bit of time to make peace with the fact that I wouldn't see most of my faves from the previous trilogy back, but I gotta say, Balfour is a main character that is very easy to like. He carries immense trauma and emotional baggage (sometimes it feels too much, honestly, for one person) and not the typical hero type, but he's gentle and caring, and his heart is in the right place. He commits a horrible act at the beginning of the novel and tries to cope with the consequences all throughout, while the shadows of his cruel childhood still haunt him and make his healing almost impossible.
Luckily, he does meet a few people along the road, and making these new connections, experiencing relationships and events no matter how tragic, are essential for him to grow. He finds himself in a city divided where everyone's quick to judge and slay you, and loyalties are everything. He manages to basically start and/or support a revolution of a kind, but as we already know from this series, nothing is a swaggering fairytale, and the costs are always really high. We are not nearly done with fighting for the freedom of the people by the end of the book, so there's no satisfying conclusion yet, however, we can clearly see that the road we walked with Balfour was very important.
I liked almost all the characters we meet in this cruel city, but apart from Balfour, shoutout goes to Cloud Girl, Callum, and Charlie, probably. I can't wait to see where their journeys take them. Especially the growing closeness between Balfour and Skye was really, really well-done. The worldbuilding, as always, is done with great care as we get to know a hostile planet with bloodthirsty history that fits well into the colorful, diverse settings we've seen in this universe. The tone is really, really dark, and we see a lot of suffering up-close, but the occasional humor and the heart at the center of the storytelling always shine through and give a bit of hope for the future.
Really impressive and memorable. I'll be here for the next parts.
Another great book in Natalie Kelda's sailships-in-space Inner Universe series which starts another trilogy a few years after the events of the previous three. Although there are less cool ships and more deadly chases and swordfights in a hostile city, this book is no less exciting and full of heart than the ones before.
I needed a bit of time to make peace with the fact that I wouldn't see most of my faves from the previous trilogy back, but I gotta say, Balfour is a main character that is very easy to like. He carries immense trauma and emotional baggage (sometimes it feels too much, honestly, for one person) and not the typical hero type, but he's gentle and caring, and his heart is in the right place. He commits a horrible act at the beginning of the novel and tries to cope with the consequences all throughout, while the shadows of his cruel childhood still haunt him and make his healing almost impossible.
Luckily, he does meet a few people along the road, and making these new connections, experiencing relationships and events no matter how tragic, are essential for him to grow. He finds himself in a city divided where everyone's quick to judge and slay you, and loyalties are everything. He manages to basically start and/or support a revolution of a kind, but as we already know from this series, nothing is a swaggering fairytale, and the costs are always really high. We are not nearly done with fighting for the freedom of the people by the end of the book, so there's no satisfying conclusion yet, however, we can clearly see that the road we walked with Balfour was very important.
I liked almost all the characters we meet in this cruel city, but apart from Balfour, shoutout goes to Cloud Girl, Callum, and Charlie, probably. I can't wait to see where their journeys take them. Especially the growing closeness between Balfour and Skye was really, really well-done. The worldbuilding, as always, is done with great care as we get to know a hostile planet with bloodthirsty history that fits well into the colorful, diverse settings we've seen in this universe. The tone is really, really dark, and we see a lot of suffering up-close, but the occasional humor and the heart at the center of the storytelling always shine through and give a bit of hope for the future.
Really impressive and memorable. I'll be here for the next parts.
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