Triangulus

Z-Verse #2

by R.H. Stevens

An alien adventure unfolds in deep space!

Sa-Kolis, infamous former general and unwilling Ambassador, is flung into a world of political intrigue and ambition on her first assignment. An alien queen is assassinated on a deep space worldship, and Sa-Kolis must find unexpected allies in order to survive. This is an illustrated story set in the Z-Verse.

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Erik P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing change. Most heroes are larger-than-life physically, mentally, socially, and morally. Sa-Kolis is a strong, intimidating figure but has no tactical eloquence. She says exactly what she means...every time. She has no intrinsic filter about what should and should not be said, and her timing could be better. She managed to offend all three of the vessels she happened to encounter. Having such a blunt heroine is an enjoyable change. Someone who rose through the ranks through hard work yet denied the position she deserves is sadly too familiar. What’s refreshing is her steadfast commitment to the people she is still committed to and the absence of a vengeful spirit. Yet, the comment that ‘success is the best revenge’ suggests resentment. She seems determined to overcome her situation by hard work. This brute-force approach works to an extent, but it appears that her blunt and entirely truthful approach often makes her task more complicated than needed. Her motive and her determination, however, are inscrutable. The book was well-written. I didn’t see the plot twist before it smacked me in the face, and R.H. does some excellent work on character development.

I have several friends in their formidable years of life, and if they can practice, learn, and embrace these tactics, they will have a bright future.

[William Turmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Triangulus” by R.H. Stevens is a great second volume to the Z-Verse series. This book can also be read as a standalone story.

The writing style is straightforward, has a good combination of dialogue and description, and makes for a comfortable read. The characters are humanoid, but not human. R.H. Stevens describes these beings very well, and throughout the book are nice illustrations of the characters that help the reader to fine-tune the pictures they have built in their minds. The progress of this volume, as with the previous, is predictable enough to draw you in and unforeseeable enough to keep you there.

In this story, we follow recently promoted Ambassador Sa-Kolis on their first mission. Sa-Kolis, a former general who, having unfortunate genetics, was forced to continually prove their worth. A very strong, self-assured person, Sa-Kolis has no diplomatic skills and now, because of some nasty politics, has been exiled as a diplomat—their world’s only ambassador. As a good soldier, Sa-Kolis accepts their fate and goes headlong into diplomacy with an in-your-face attitude and an honest-to-a-fault demeanor. Despite all this, Sa-Kolis ends her first mission with new lifelong friends.

[Matt Mememaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Triangulus; it was an exciting and engaging book. Whilst I don’t read too much sci-fi at the moment, I found this novel more than met my expectations. It is a short, fast read, perfect to burn through in an afternoon of light reading. Nothing I enjoy more. Whilst short, Triangulus tells an intriguing story of Sa-Kolis, a former military officer who is thrust into the deadly and fascinating world of the Rit-Phyr Empire.
Despite the shortness of the novel, there is plenty of action thrown in and the plot moves at a breakneck pace, perfect for fans of the genre. I think there is a great basis here with enough plot and lore information to keep the story moving should the author wish to continue with the series. It very much reminds me of Star Trek and Star Wars, which against is what I expect out of my sci-fi novels. The novel is illustrated with plenty of detail which helped me gain an understanding of the creatures within this universe and how they look. It is easy to see that R.H Stevens has an eye and passion for the design aspect side of things. A great addition to the book.

[Rachel E. Croxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triangulus was a very fun and entertaining read. I love a good sci fi, and this one did not disappoint. The action was well paced and well written, as was the story itself. Despite being only about 180 pages long, the author managed to write a compelling and thoughtful story full of detail. It all came together so well, especially the ending.

I especially liked the artwork of the aliens. It gave me a good perspective on what they all looked like. I also appreciate that the author created a strong, female character (albeit very angry most of the time) without sexualizing her at all. All of the characters were very well written, and I found the reluctant friendship that Sa-Kolis formed with the other two aliens to be very heartfelt.

I would suggest a proofread, as I came across a few typos and wording errors, but nothing major to take away from the story or writing. The author clearly has great skills. Fantastic sci fi story, and I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of Star Wars.

[Ciera Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triangulus plunges you right into an alien world full of political tension with a strong female lead. I enjoyed watching Sa-Kolis navigate the challenges of being ‘promoted’ and dealing with the corruption she finds in another alien community. The way she still cares for upholding justice in the best way she knows how makes for an intriguing character and a world with thrilling twists and turns and plenty of action. How she grapples with her new position of being Ambassador also provides some bits of comic relief amidst the rising tension.

The characters are each unique in their own way and add to the story’s development as Sa-Kolis uncovers a mind control serum plot. The question of whether her choice of interference with the Artisan’s fragile and dangerous balance of life was the right choice makes for a believable and relatable heroine. The ending leaves potential for an exciting sequel to follow up all the adventures Sa-Kolis has had while representing her people as Ambassador. Would recommend for those who love action and space adventures!

[Thomas Markley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a trilogy. This book is book two of the series. This book follows Sa-Kolis, a different main character from book one and I really liked the different view points and perspective. This book felt somewhat darker and more laced with sarcasm, which I love as a reader.

The writing is smooth and fast paced. I felt more like I was in a scene rather than only reading about it. The prose flowed naturally and I found it easy to be immersed into each scene. I loved the humor that is rampant throughout this entry.

There are illustrations as well and I thought it was a nice touch. When describing alien beings, it can be a great idea to add visual images to help shape what each reader sees in their mind's eye as they read.

The pace of the story launches out of the gate at a frenetic pace and it does not let up the entire time. I found it very short and was left needing more. I will be moving on to book three shortly. Excited for what transpires next.

[Wes Hubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triangulus is a science fantasy revolving around two alien species. This is a difficult thing to do as you need to create new cultures and new worlds, but I believe Stevens did the right thing in not making things too complex. This isn’t a long book, but there is enough action to keep it interesting. The action sequences are a good length. The story revolves around Sa-Kolis, a general from one of the worlds who is sent to the other planet for political reasons. I liked the start. It got me rooting for her. I almost turned on her though as in the first few encounters on the alien world she comes off as arrogant and insensitive. It’s not emphasized so heavily for the rest of the book, so it kept me tolerant of her character flaws. The story moves along at a good pace and has a twist or two which kept me interested. All in all, a good read. I’d recommend it to fans of science fantasy.

[Creedence Gilgud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second story from the Z-Verse series and I think it's very punchy. It has a similar pulp sci-fi theme as A Sense for Memory Part One, but it follows a new character, Ambassador Sa-Kolis. She's a spider sort of alien with a bad attitude, but in a nice, PG way. A lovable jerk, basically. She is dispatched to an alien starship where she gets put in the middle of a conspiracy. As usual for Z-Verse, expect action, some strange humor, and illustrations which definitely help the imagination