Greystone Alliance

by Karen H. Lucia

Blackburn Station is dead.

The generations' long feud with their rival station is over. The Greystone Alliance can finally return its attention to where it was always meant to be, defending humanity from the unknown threats of space.

Wren Carvell has always been diligent in her duty to protect humanity's future and increase the survivability of the Alliance. She has been stalwart and unquestioning of her leadership, but when the order to destroy Blackburn Station is executed, she wavers.

In the destruction's aftermath, Wren is put in charge of the team responsible for hunting Blackburn Station's few survivors and she must decide what her morals and her dedication to her Alliance is worth...

Unknown Binding

About the author

Karen is a Minneapolis author. The long Minnesota winters taught her the value of a good story. Growing up on authors like Piers Anthony and Ursula K LeGuin she developed an interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy that has shaped her writing today. Throughout her life, Karen has had a small handful of adventures that help her craft the stories she writes, ranging from her time abroad, to becoming a mother, or her years spent as an Army Officer, working on a mass casualty response force, and her time in cybersecurity. Always on the hunt for strong female leads, Karen decided to write some of her own leading to the Warriors of Helsvern series. THE GOLDEN VALIA is her debut novel and the first book in the Warriors of Helsvern.

For updates on Karen's writing, visit her website (KarenLuciaAuthor.com), or follow her on Blue Sky (Karenlucia.bsky.social) or Twitter (@Karen_HL)

Reviews

[Janneke Beer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novella that takes place immediately in the wake of the events of the first book and deals with their aftermath. If you are not familiar with the events of the first books, this one can be a bit difficult to follow.

I really enjoyed that this story followed not only the temporal aftermath, but the emotional aftermath of a "victory." It deals with the emotion of what is essentially genocide, the impact that has on those who committed it and their realization that they've been lied to, and how one deals with the moral implications of that. There's a lot here for fans to grab on to, and a lot to think about.

I was left a bit disappointed, though, by the culmination of these ideas. At points, the main character's motivations felt inconsistent. It felt like she was being asked to do too much in too short a text, and that there wasn't space for her emotional response and arc to really breathe. This is a novella, but there's enough to explore to justify an entire novel.

I devoured the story and would like more. Happily for me, it is part of a series, and hopefully, the next installment explores the ideas more thoroughly.

[Julieta C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

YESSSS! I was SOOOO excited to have a second Novela mirroring the world of Karen Lucia's "Blackburn." Although you can read this book on its own and still find it engaging, exhilarating, and hard to put down; having read Blackburn just makes this SO. MUCH. BETTER. Not to give any spoilers, but seeing the OTHER perspective or side to a story/situation is super interesting. Excited to see if a third novela in the same world pops up or not.......being left on a slight cliffhanger makes me hope for another!

[Ligia Wit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting sci-fi novella, well-written. I like how the FMC questions events that everyone takes for granted but something doesn't feel right to her.
It does feel though that you should be acquainted with this world before diving in, as if this was part 2 of the story, so it takes some time to understand what is happening.
Mostly are characters are females, which is an interesting take, and it is FF as well.

[CP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Solid, sci-fi novella that starts right at the 'after'. Following a big victory, and the slow realisation of the repercussions of that victory.

I enjoyed the ideas, the themes of deception, and us vs them tribal mentalities that groups often have.

Best read after the previous installments.

[Ellwyn Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong characters and solid world building. Karen Lucia has created a believable galaxy full of intrigue, heartbreak and conflict. However, it would benefit from another edit to correct grammatical errors.