Science fiction blends with fantasy in this adventure of many worlds. Zada 5: Path of the One by R. D. Moreno explores multiple planets, abilities, technologies, and creatures. All of this while there is a war going on and an emperor is trying to take care of his people. Connor Balcazar, a simple soldier under the emperor, must go on the “Path of the One,” an ancient prophecy, to discover what it will take to save everyone from the emperor’s brother and his plot to take over the throne. Along the way, he finds new abilities, friends, and maybe even a bit of love.
I really like the way the story progresses. Moreno did a great job of pushing through the action and giving us a reprieve through comedic moments and moments of preparation and romance. The revelations made throughout are also done in a logical order that matches up with the story and intelligence of the characters. Something else I appreciate is the explanation of certain items so that I could picture what the author had in mind.
Zada 5 is written in third person, so we have several points of view throughout. Morena does have a break/marker in the writing to indicate when a new point of view is being utilized. I do feel like we missed out on some connections with the characters due to this, however, the story itself and the activities going on are easy to understand. As far as character growth, I do feel like all of the characters had growth and emotion, some more than others. The protagonists were very likable and the antagonists very unlikable. Moreno also explains why the antagonists were the way they were.
Throughout the story, we are introduced to a few different planets. While we don’t get to explore them quite as much as I would have liked (major science fiction nerd), we still get to see what is different about each and who originated/lived on each. Also, Zada 5, the planet the book is named after, had a lot more exploration, and we got to see what made it so different from the others. There were also some fun surprises on it.
Zada 5: The Path of the One by R. D. Moreno is an epic adventure, space fantasy for adults. There is action, comedy, romance, war, bits of magic, technology, and many other things. There is minor cursing and a few open-door scenes with minimal detail. Also, there is quite a bit of death. If these things are not an issue, then check out this book! There is more to come as the ending leaves us with a fun surprise.