Found: Book One of the Vinyi Chronicles

by Lesli Weber

Mars colonist Michelle Arensen, taken from her home against her will and flung into deep space, finds herself in the custody of an intimidating alien race, the powerful Vinyi. Despite her best efforts, the odds of getting back to her family start to dwindle, and Michelle unexpectedly finds that she's begun creating a new place for herself among her alien hosts. But not all Vinyi embrace the idea of a human living among them, and Michelle's hope of ever having a normal life again dims further with each passing day. To survive what the Vinyi have in store for her, she will have to determine when to fight, when to let go, and the difference between giving up and moving on.

324 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2024

About the author

Find out more about Lesli at https://lesliweber.com/about .

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an advanced copy of the book, and I must say, it was phenomenal! Michelle, the main character, is fabulously written. You see a person fighting for survival and her humanity in every way. You really feel her and her struggle and are cheering her on.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is that no matter what wild and exotic location or situation your find Michelle in, you don't get lost. Lesli Weber does a fabulous job creating scenes and environments that are alien but describing it in a way that you can clearly envision it without feeling lost or disoriented. I hate it when I get lost in descriptions and Weber masterfully gives you every detail you need without bogging down the narrative, losing the reader, or skimping on details. Absolutely fabulous scene setting!

SPOILER ALERT!!!

If you're a Star Trek fan, then you'll understand what I mean when I say the Vinyi are "human". The author fleshes out the Vinyi thoroughly and you get a fantastic sense of their "humanity" while their still thoroughly alien. and far more than just green humanoid. They aren't really humanoid at all except for being bipeds. The author did a fantastic job creating them and creating individuals within that alien race/culture.

I absolutely love this book and I cannot recommend it enough if you're even just a casual sci-fi fan! It's a darn good read!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for how much I enjoyed it, but the quality is not proportional. The writing is very clunky and it's frequently difficult to suspend disbelief. A space-faring people with no security protocols? A regular ol' human who learns an alien language well enough in only a few months to audit high-level reports? Several events are not logical and are out-of-character for the people/culture. I am always a sucker for a survival story, though, and found enough to keep going. I probably wouldn't grab another book by this author, unless I was anticipating a plane ride or a sick day.

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[Paul Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I'll admit to even going back to it and re-reading it. The plot and the characters resonated with me in ways I will not explain here, but I would recommend this story for anyone looking for a science fiction read with otherworldly activity, masterfully told tales of battle, survival and triumph. A human story shines through, and one of overcoming adversity. I compliment Lesli for her world and character/beings creation. For me, I am looking forward to reading the next book in these chronicles, and wouldn't this story make a fantastic basis for turning into a film?

[Marthese Fenech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found is a thoroughly moving, engaging, original, highly intelligent piece of fiction, with themes that run as deep as the questions it raises, the laughter it inspires, and the empathy it stirs. Found takes a sci-fi premise and elevates it into a clever meditation on humanity, often from an extraterrestrial perspective. It also avoids tropes that so readily permeate the genre. A brilliant debut.