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Frontier #2
Frontier Resistance
For Shanna, joining the Scout Corps had been a dream come true. The Scouts were charged with expanding their knowledge of Frontier, a hostile planet their ancestors had crash-landed on 300 years before. As the youngest in her class, Shanna struggled to find acceptance and respect amongst her older peers - a task made more difficult by the fact that she has not just one, but two of the colonists' huge feline companions, their starcats. On a routine patrol, she and the other cadets found themselves on the frontline of a war they knew nothing about against the hostile Garsal. Now Shanna and her friends must master their new gifts that will enable them to seek out the alien invaders before they enslave her world. But it’s hard. Shanna and her friends have gifts that might save the world, and perhaps one day the galaxy - if they can master them. But the training is difficult, and they still don’t know where the Garsal are. On the plateau, the Council has allied with the Starlyne race, but Tamazine, the Senior Councillor’s distrust of their new allies creates a final weakness. Below, the Garsal Overlord needs a new pool of human slaves to expand his empire, but first, he must locate and subdue Frontier’s human settlements. Time is running out, for both invader and settler, and the outcome hangs in the balance.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2014
57 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Leonie Rogers
10 books175 followersGrowing up in Western Australia, Leonie was an avid reader from an early age. Her mother vividly recalls her stating “I can read faster with my eyes than you can with your mouth, Mum…” at around the age of six. Her parents and great aunt encouraged her interest in literature, providing her with books of many different genres, and . She began writing during high school, placing in the Western Australian Young Writers Award in 1980, and she fondly remembers several of her English teachers, who encouraged her to write, both fiction and poetry.
Leonie trained at Curtin University as a physiotherapist and moved to the remote north west of Western Australia, as a new graduate, in late 1986. She continued to write poetry for herself and for friends. Living in the remote northwest, she had the opportunity to work with camels, fight fires as a volunteer fire fighter, and develop vertical rescue and cyclone operation skills with the State Emergency Service.
After relocating to NSW with her husband and two children, Leonie continued to work as a physiotherapist, while still dabbling with writing. Finally deciding to stop procrastinating, Leonie decided to write the novel she’d had sitting in the back of her head for the last twenty years. Her husband children have been extremely tolerant of the amount of time she has devoted to writing in the last few years.
Leonie trained at Curtin University as a physiotherapist and moved to the remote north west of Western Australia, as a new graduate, in late 1986. She continued to write poetry for herself and for friends. Living in the remote northwest, she had the opportunity to work with camels, fight fires as a volunteer fire fighter, and develop vertical rescue and cyclone operation skills with the State Emergency Service.
After relocating to NSW with her husband and two children, Leonie continued to work as a physiotherapist, while still dabbling with writing. Finally deciding to stop procrastinating, Leonie decided to write the novel she’d had sitting in the back of her head for the last twenty years. Her husband children have been extremely tolerant of the amount of time she has devoted to writing in the last few years.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 7, 2015
As Shanna woke from a deep slumber, starcats Storm and Twister by her side, she remembered where they were and what had led them to this point. They were deep underground down in Below in the home of the Starlyne race who were now their allies. With her fellow cadets and their cats surrounding her, Shanna wondered what their futures would be – whether they would have the ability to stop the Garsal invaders who had already created so much death and destruction.
With intense training beginning immediately, each cadet had slightly different abilities to the other – therefore their combined gifts were what the Starlyne were working on enhancing. But as the days and weeks of training intensified, they knew that time was running out – they needed to venture out into the wilderness and danger of Below to find the Garsal ship before it was too late…
Master Cerren of the Council along with Master Peron, a Scout leader, were up on the plateau at the Watchtower, running the organisation of the villagers' safety as well as training new cadets and their starcats; with the help of the Starlyne, their abilities improved immensely. But Senior Councillor Tamazine had become complacent over the years and didn’t believe the danger of the Garsal. The frustration of Master Cerren was great. Would the leaders of Frontier be able to work together to save their home, or would Tamazine cause a fracture in their ranks with her stubborn views?
I absolutely loved this second instalment in the Frontier series. The smooth flow from Frontier Incursion (book one) into Frontier Resistance means if you haven’t read book one already, you definitely should. Once again I loved Twister and Storm – the abilities of the starcats is fascinating, and the author makes it so easy to visualise these beautiful creatures. Shanna is more at ease with herself and their group have become good friends as well as supportive team members. Aussie author Leonie Rogers has moved into my list of authors to watch and I have no hesitation in recommending this series highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
With intense training beginning immediately, each cadet had slightly different abilities to the other – therefore their combined gifts were what the Starlyne were working on enhancing. But as the days and weeks of training intensified, they knew that time was running out – they needed to venture out into the wilderness and danger of Below to find the Garsal ship before it was too late…
Master Cerren of the Council along with Master Peron, a Scout leader, were up on the plateau at the Watchtower, running the organisation of the villagers' safety as well as training new cadets and their starcats; with the help of the Starlyne, their abilities improved immensely. But Senior Councillor Tamazine had become complacent over the years and didn’t believe the danger of the Garsal. The frustration of Master Cerren was great. Would the leaders of Frontier be able to work together to save their home, or would Tamazine cause a fracture in their ranks with her stubborn views?
I absolutely loved this second instalment in the Frontier series. The smooth flow from Frontier Incursion (book one) into Frontier Resistance means if you haven’t read book one already, you definitely should. Once again I loved Twister and Storm – the abilities of the starcats is fascinating, and the author makes it so easy to visualise these beautiful creatures. Shanna is more at ease with herself and their group have become good friends as well as supportive team members. Aussie author Leonie Rogers has moved into my list of authors to watch and I have no hesitation in recommending this series highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
March 21, 2021
4.5★s
Frontier Resistance is the second book in the Frontier series by Australian author, Leonie Rogers. It follows on directly from Frontier Incursion, in which the reader learns about the colony of humans on the planet they call Frontier, hard-won from overtly hostile flora and fauna in the three hundred years since their craft crash-landed. More recently, the insectoid Garsal have invaded, intent on building a hive which they intend to work with human slaves.
But the Starlyne, a race of beings who have history with the Garsal, have no intention of allowing this to happen unchallenged. After their dangerous encounter with the Garsal, Shanna, her cadet scout group, the members of Scout Patrol Ten and all their partner starcats are now Below, in the underground cavern habitation of their new allies, the Starlyne.
Rested, fed and healed, the Scouts learn of the role these benign and intelligent beings have surreptitiously played in their genetic development. More than this, they are becoming aware of their true potential, training and developing their talents and capabilities, preparing for what will be an important and dangerous mission. Even before they have completed all the challenging but necessary training drills, they head out.
Their first action will be to locate the Garsal ship and destroy their communications systems, and Shanna feels both excited, and apprehensive that, despite being multi-skilled, her abilities will be lacking at the critical moment. And at sixteen, while she has her starcats, Storm and Twister with her, she still misses her family at times. It’s when they locate the Garsal ship that the understanding of the true danger they face crystallises in Shanna’s mind.
Meanwhile, on the Plateau in Shanna’s home settlement of Watchtower, fourteen Garsal captives remain silent; rescued human slave, Anjo shares what he knows of the Garsal, is taught about the dangers (and delights) of the planet, and learns all about starcats, including how they choose a partner.
Master Scout Cerren watches with increasing frustration as Starfall’s Senior Councillor, Tamazine trivialises the Garsal threat and seems more intent on delusional and self-serving edicts than saving the human settlement. Elsewhere, the Garsal search for a way onto the Plateau in their quest to subdue an unexpectedly resistant human population.
In this instalment, while the felines still star (and the descriptions of their behaviour is faultless!), the various skills the scouts develop, and their use in concert, will fascinate. There is, once again, plenty of action, with lots of interesting quirks and twists in both characters and setting. Readers will be eager to find out where serious engagement with the Garsal leads. While Rogers subtly drops into the story sufficient recap to allow it, at a pinch, to stand alone, the reading experience will be much enhanced by having previously read book #1. Addictive fantasy/sci-fi.
Frontier Resistance is the second book in the Frontier series by Australian author, Leonie Rogers. It follows on directly from Frontier Incursion, in which the reader learns about the colony of humans on the planet they call Frontier, hard-won from overtly hostile flora and fauna in the three hundred years since their craft crash-landed. More recently, the insectoid Garsal have invaded, intent on building a hive which they intend to work with human slaves.
But the Starlyne, a race of beings who have history with the Garsal, have no intention of allowing this to happen unchallenged. After their dangerous encounter with the Garsal, Shanna, her cadet scout group, the members of Scout Patrol Ten and all their partner starcats are now Below, in the underground cavern habitation of their new allies, the Starlyne.
Rested, fed and healed, the Scouts learn of the role these benign and intelligent beings have surreptitiously played in their genetic development. More than this, they are becoming aware of their true potential, training and developing their talents and capabilities, preparing for what will be an important and dangerous mission. Even before they have completed all the challenging but necessary training drills, they head out.
Their first action will be to locate the Garsal ship and destroy their communications systems, and Shanna feels both excited, and apprehensive that, despite being multi-skilled, her abilities will be lacking at the critical moment. And at sixteen, while she has her starcats, Storm and Twister with her, she still misses her family at times. It’s when they locate the Garsal ship that the understanding of the true danger they face crystallises in Shanna’s mind.
Meanwhile, on the Plateau in Shanna’s home settlement of Watchtower, fourteen Garsal captives remain silent; rescued human slave, Anjo shares what he knows of the Garsal, is taught about the dangers (and delights) of the planet, and learns all about starcats, including how they choose a partner.
Master Scout Cerren watches with increasing frustration as Starfall’s Senior Councillor, Tamazine trivialises the Garsal threat and seems more intent on delusional and self-serving edicts than saving the human settlement. Elsewhere, the Garsal search for a way onto the Plateau in their quest to subdue an unexpectedly resistant human population.
In this instalment, while the felines still star (and the descriptions of their behaviour is faultless!), the various skills the scouts develop, and their use in concert, will fascinate. There is, once again, plenty of action, with lots of interesting quirks and twists in both characters and setting. Readers will be eager to find out where serious engagement with the Garsal leads. While Rogers subtly drops into the story sufficient recap to allow it, at a pinch, to stand alone, the reading experience will be much enhanced by having previously read book #1. Addictive fantasy/sci-fi.
September 16, 2014
This eagerly awaited sequel to Frontier Incursion was every bit as good as I hoped. In Frontier Incursion the author introduced us to the beautiful but dangerous world of Frontier, home to a group of humans who survived a crash landing on its surface some centuries ago. Losing most of their technology, the group has nevertheless survived to overcome the dangerous plants and animals and ferocious storms and build a strong egalitarian society. On finishing school, Shanna joined the Scouts, a group who not only protect the community but explore the dangerous areas of the planet beyond the plateau of their settlement. Each Scout is partnered with a starcat, a beautiful large black feline with the ability to pulse waves of colour expressing their moods along their coats and Shanna is lucky enough to be chosen by a pair of starcat brothers to partner them. Frontier's very existence is threatened when the planet is discovered by an alien species, the Garsal, a large insectoid creature with advanced technology who have colonised and enslaved or destroyed all other lifeforms on many of the habitable planets in the universe.
At the start of this sequel, Shanna and her group of Scouts and cadets are following the tracks of Garsal exploratory vehicles in the hope of finding the landing site of their starship. They must go further from their own settlement than anyone has previously ventured, facing new dangers while remaining hidden from the Garsal. Shanna and her fellow cadets are still inexperienced and have much to learn, especially about their own unique abilities and how they can use these to work together as a team. They are assisted in this by the remarkable Starlyne, amazing creatures until now in hiding from the Garsal and rarely seen by the people of Frontier. Up on the plateau the settlements must prepare for a Garsal invasion but the Councils are divided over the best way to defend themselves and politics is in danger of leaving them exposed to an attack.
I loved the way tension slowly builds in this book as Shanna and the cadets slowly and painfully make their way towards the Garsal landing site and the settlement prepares itself for war with the Garsal. The author continues to build an amazing world full of unusual plants and animals and we feel Shanna's pain and tiredness as she struggles to keep her group and her beloved starcats safe. The Garsal as the evil invading species with their patriarchal, military society are truly alien and fearsome and I look forward to the coming battle for Frontier in the next instalment of this series.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to read and review.
At the start of this sequel, Shanna and her group of Scouts and cadets are following the tracks of Garsal exploratory vehicles in the hope of finding the landing site of their starship. They must go further from their own settlement than anyone has previously ventured, facing new dangers while remaining hidden from the Garsal. Shanna and her fellow cadets are still inexperienced and have much to learn, especially about their own unique abilities and how they can use these to work together as a team. They are assisted in this by the remarkable Starlyne, amazing creatures until now in hiding from the Garsal and rarely seen by the people of Frontier. Up on the plateau the settlements must prepare for a Garsal invasion but the Councils are divided over the best way to defend themselves and politics is in danger of leaving them exposed to an attack.
I loved the way tension slowly builds in this book as Shanna and the cadets slowly and painfully make their way towards the Garsal landing site and the settlement prepares itself for war with the Garsal. The author continues to build an amazing world full of unusual plants and animals and we feel Shanna's pain and tiredness as she struggles to keep her group and her beloved starcats safe. The Garsal as the evil invading species with their patriarchal, military society are truly alien and fearsome and I look forward to the coming battle for Frontier in the next instalment of this series.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to read and review.
November 30, 2015
Opening line: “…Shanna ran. Insectoid limbs scythed through the vegetation behind her, and red beams slashed past on either side, scorching as they grazed her skin…”
My thoughts: FRONTIER RESISTANCE is the second book in the Frontier Trilogy and I really recommend you read the brilliant first book Frontier Incursion before you read this. If for no other reason than you shouldn’t miss out on the excellent introduction to this remote world, but also to give you better understanding of the events in FRONTIER RESISTANCE. In the first book Shanna joins the Scout Corps – a highly trained group who do all the exploration on the planet. As she starts her training a spaceship arrives unnoticed by the humans; inside the spaceship is a horrible alien insect-like species called Garsal – their whole focus is to enslave the universe and build more hives. As the Scout Corp recruits head off the plateau that the human settlements are located on, down to ‘below’ which is the unconquered wilds of the planet, and the Garsal started to explore out from their landing area, the reader knows there is going to be a showdown when the two species eventually meet.
FRONTIER RESISTANCE takes up just after the first explosive skirmish where there are many casualties on both sides. An alliance has been made between humans and another species that has also made its home on Frontier, the Starlyne. The Starlyne are huge furry mystical creatures who have had a run in with the Garsal before and fled to frontier to hide. The Garsal are highly dependent on technology and the Starlyne believe that non-technical methods will be the way to overcome the buggy enemy. The new recruits all have non-technical gifts that the Starlyne believe will be undetected by the Garsal. Now Shanna and the other cadets, including Taya who now has revealed why she was so resistant to everything in the first book – along with their beautifulsStarcats - are undergoing intensive training. Starcats? Large black panther like cats who glow different colours and can communicate (to a certain extent) with their owners via hums and flashes; author Leonie Rogers say they are imaginary, but I am sure she is just hiding them! The starcats have many of the gifts naturally that the young humans need to develop. Still undergoing their training the cadets move off to locate the Garsal ship and destroy its communication capacity before the Commander broadcasts their existence to the rest of the Garsal race. At the same time the Garsal Commander has revenge on his mind and plots to find the human settlements and destroy them and harvest more slaves and win glory and acclaim. Travelling through the uncharted wilderness of Frontier is not easy for either insect or human, there are creatures and plants that will kill you in a heartbeat; and if you dodge these then there is the enemy to face.
As with Frontier Incursion the pacing of the story was perfect. The humans are split into two locations – the preparation of war on the plateau, and then the search for the Garsal ship ‘below’ – the tension in each location gradually built as both groups faced different set of problems and both reached an explosive climax. The main characters, especially Shanna and Taya, continued to grow as personalities; but sadly there are some more deaths. Leonie Rogers is very good at relationships between her characters – with just a few words we know if there is friction, anger, concern, humour and attraction. As you would expect with groups of people, and other entities, there are conflicts and misunderstanding and on Frontier it is no different. These little interactions all add to the richness of the story. In Frontier Incursion the Garsal’s point of view was through the Commander only, this time a couple of others have their point of view heard, all point to the fact that the Garsal motivation is to be allowed to start their own hive and breed. Their frustrations and plans are all told to the reader so the reader ends up knowing exactly what each group plans to do. The point of view we don’t get to hear from is that of the Starlyne; the reader only hears what a Starlyne tells humans, we don’t go inside any of the Starlyne’s heads, maybe we aren’t supposed to find out stuff yet. The scene is now set for the final showdown. I cannot recommend this series enough and looking forwards to the final book in the trilogy in the, hopefully, not too distant future.
My thoughts: FRONTIER RESISTANCE is the second book in the Frontier Trilogy and I really recommend you read the brilliant first book Frontier Incursion before you read this. If for no other reason than you shouldn’t miss out on the excellent introduction to this remote world, but also to give you better understanding of the events in FRONTIER RESISTANCE. In the first book Shanna joins the Scout Corps – a highly trained group who do all the exploration on the planet. As she starts her training a spaceship arrives unnoticed by the humans; inside the spaceship is a horrible alien insect-like species called Garsal – their whole focus is to enslave the universe and build more hives. As the Scout Corp recruits head off the plateau that the human settlements are located on, down to ‘below’ which is the unconquered wilds of the planet, and the Garsal started to explore out from their landing area, the reader knows there is going to be a showdown when the two species eventually meet.
FRONTIER RESISTANCE takes up just after the first explosive skirmish where there are many casualties on both sides. An alliance has been made between humans and another species that has also made its home on Frontier, the Starlyne. The Starlyne are huge furry mystical creatures who have had a run in with the Garsal before and fled to frontier to hide. The Garsal are highly dependent on technology and the Starlyne believe that non-technical methods will be the way to overcome the buggy enemy. The new recruits all have non-technical gifts that the Starlyne believe will be undetected by the Garsal. Now Shanna and the other cadets, including Taya who now has revealed why she was so resistant to everything in the first book – along with their beautifulsStarcats - are undergoing intensive training. Starcats? Large black panther like cats who glow different colours and can communicate (to a certain extent) with their owners via hums and flashes; author Leonie Rogers say they are imaginary, but I am sure she is just hiding them! The starcats have many of the gifts naturally that the young humans need to develop. Still undergoing their training the cadets move off to locate the Garsal ship and destroy its communication capacity before the Commander broadcasts their existence to the rest of the Garsal race. At the same time the Garsal Commander has revenge on his mind and plots to find the human settlements and destroy them and harvest more slaves and win glory and acclaim. Travelling through the uncharted wilderness of Frontier is not easy for either insect or human, there are creatures and plants that will kill you in a heartbeat; and if you dodge these then there is the enemy to face.
As with Frontier Incursion the pacing of the story was perfect. The humans are split into two locations – the preparation of war on the plateau, and then the search for the Garsal ship ‘below’ – the tension in each location gradually built as both groups faced different set of problems and both reached an explosive climax. The main characters, especially Shanna and Taya, continued to grow as personalities; but sadly there are some more deaths. Leonie Rogers is very good at relationships between her characters – with just a few words we know if there is friction, anger, concern, humour and attraction. As you would expect with groups of people, and other entities, there are conflicts and misunderstanding and on Frontier it is no different. These little interactions all add to the richness of the story. In Frontier Incursion the Garsal’s point of view was through the Commander only, this time a couple of others have their point of view heard, all point to the fact that the Garsal motivation is to be allowed to start their own hive and breed. Their frustrations and plans are all told to the reader so the reader ends up knowing exactly what each group plans to do. The point of view we don’t get to hear from is that of the Starlyne; the reader only hears what a Starlyne tells humans, we don’t go inside any of the Starlyne’s heads, maybe we aren’t supposed to find out stuff yet. The scene is now set for the final showdown. I cannot recommend this series enough and looking forwards to the final book in the trilogy in the, hopefully, not too distant future.
October 20, 2014
I enjoyed this, the second book in the series, as much as I did the first. All the characters are like friends now and by that I do not mean just the humans. Those Starcats are just something else and by the end of this book I have a new favourite in Ember. I like the way the author develops the story line by switching between the various groups so we know what is happening in each place and can watch the story build to a climax. The humans and their cats are developing too and adding more and better skills to their repertoires. I wonder just how skilful they are going to get in the end, especially Shanna and her boys. This is a very well worked out and addictive series and I am already looking forward to my next fix.
October 24, 2025
I enjoyed the first book more! The story line of Frontier Resistance dragged at times but the ending was action packed!
October 21, 2014
Frontier Resistance
Written with a cast of characters that brings the story alive, this second book in the series shows just how far Shanna and her Scout friends have come as they have specialized and trained. Back at Scout Headquarters, her little brother is also growing up fast in the company of one of the slaves rescued from the aliens--teaching him about survival on Frontier from what even a child grows up knowing.
Now that the aliens --the Garsal-- have arrived at Frontier, the Scouts continue to be the first line of defense. The Starlynes teach the cadets about abilities they didn't even know they had, especially with their Starcats. The Starlynes have a history...few know about.
Strategically, the Scouts' first priority is to find the Garsal mothership. This alone takes them far from the civilized areas and far into the Below -- only Scouts have trained to be in this environment.
Once they find the ship they must use all the abilities they possess to infiltrate the ship and knock out communications into deeper space. If the aliens cannot call in more troops, Frontier stands a chance. But, can they survive the attempt?
My only complaint: Every so often, the pace flags as too many character names and their starcats flood the page. It's more noticeable, too, on an e-reader like Kindle.
Frontier Resistance -- Book #2
Written with a cast of characters that brings the story alive, this second book in the series shows just how far Shanna and her Scout friends have come as they have specialized and trained. Back at Scout Headquarters, her little brother is also growing up fast in the company of one of the slaves rescued from the aliens--teaching him about survival on Frontier from what even a child grows up knowing.
Now that the aliens --the Garsal-- have arrived at Frontier, the Scouts continue to be the first line of defense. The Starlynes teach the cadets about abilities they didn't even know they had, especially with their Starcats. The Starlynes have a history...few know about.
Strategically, the Scouts' first priority is to find the Garsal mothership. This alone takes them far from the civilized areas and far into the Below -- only Scouts have trained to be in this environment.
Once they find the ship they must use all the abilities they possess to infiltrate the ship and knock out communications into deeper space. If the aliens cannot call in more troops, Frontier stands a chance. But, can they survive the attempt?
My only complaint: Every so often, the pace flags as too many character names and their starcats flood the page. It's more noticeable, too, on an e-reader like Kindle.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.netgalley.com/reviewer/re...
http://martysreads.blogspot.com/2014/...
Written with a cast of characters that brings the story alive, this second book in the series shows just how far Shanna and her Scout friends have come as they have specialized and trained. Back at Scout Headquarters, her little brother is also growing up fast in the company of one of the slaves rescued from the aliens--teaching him about survival on Frontier from what even a child grows up knowing.
Now that the aliens --the Garsal-- have arrived at Frontier, the Scouts continue to be the first line of defense. The Starlynes teach the cadets about abilities they didn't even know they had, especially with their Starcats. The Starlynes have a history...few know about.
Strategically, the Scouts' first priority is to find the Garsal mothership. This alone takes them far from the civilized areas and far into the Below -- only Scouts have trained to be in this environment.
Once they find the ship they must use all the abilities they possess to infiltrate the ship and knock out communications into deeper space. If the aliens cannot call in more troops, Frontier stands a chance. But, can they survive the attempt?
My only complaint: Every so often, the pace flags as too many character names and their starcats flood the page. It's more noticeable, too, on an e-reader like Kindle.
Frontier Resistance -- Book #2
Written with a cast of characters that brings the story alive, this second book in the series shows just how far Shanna and her Scout friends have come as they have specialized and trained. Back at Scout Headquarters, her little brother is also growing up fast in the company of one of the slaves rescued from the aliens--teaching him about survival on Frontier from what even a child grows up knowing.
Now that the aliens --the Garsal-- have arrived at Frontier, the Scouts continue to be the first line of defense. The Starlynes teach the cadets about abilities they didn't even know they had, especially with their Starcats. The Starlynes have a history...few know about.
Strategically, the Scouts' first priority is to find the Garsal mothership. This alone takes them far from the civilized areas and far into the Below -- only Scouts have trained to be in this environment.
Once they find the ship they must use all the abilities they possess to infiltrate the ship and knock out communications into deeper space. If the aliens cannot call in more troops, Frontier stands a chance. But, can they survive the attempt?
My only complaint: Every so often, the pace flags as too many character names and their starcats flood the page. It's more noticeable, too, on an e-reader like Kindle.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.netgalley.com/reviewer/re...
http://martysreads.blogspot.com/2014/...
September 12, 2014
Review Courtesy of April Hollingworth
This is the second book in the Frontier trilogy, and it is brilliant. It can be read as a standalone, but to be honest the series is so good it would be a shame not to read them all. Leonie Rogers weaves a story filled with emotions and energy that is almost tangible. You can’t help be dragged into the world of Frontier, and care what happens to everyone in the story. Absolutely Brilliant. I can’t wait for the next book.
Opening Scene:
Shanna ran.
The Review:
Everything changed, when the Garsal landed. Shanna has gifts that might save everyone, if only she learns how to develop them. The cadets, Patrol Ten and Shanna, with the help of their feline companions and the Starlynes, must find the Garsal ship, and destroy their communications link. But going deeper Below is filled with more danger, as they traipse through unchartered areas in their search. After all Frontier is no walk in the park, with carnivorous animals and plants, never mind an enemy bent on killing and enslaving.
Life on the plateau isn’t going well. The Senior Councillor Tamazine, distrusts their allies the Starlynes, causing a weakness that could be catastrophic.
Notable Scene:
“You have learnt a few tricks, Allad, and your ability to detect the spark is well developed, but there is much more to learn, even for you.” There was a hint of a smile in the silent voice and, Shanna thought, underlying amusement. “Follow me now and we will begin. There is much you have to learn, and the sooner you begin the better. But first the injured amongst you must be healed.” The Starlyn abruptly uncoiled herself and glided towards the door in a fluid, sinuous movement. Slightly startled at the sudden movement, the normally athletic group was slow to regain their feet. The door to the outer hallway opened smoothly to allow Teacher’s passage, and the human contingent filed out slowly, accompanied by their feline companions.
Verren nudged Shanna. “So what do you think we’ll end up being able to do? As far as I know, I’ve never demonstrated any kind of weird ability!”
Shanna rolled her eyes at him. “Verren, you learnt to fade!”
“Oh yes … but I meant something that you can’t do.”
“Well, that means you’ll probably never be able to cook then,” replied Ragar with a quite snicker as they paced after the Strarlyn. The other cadets smiled, even Taya, who was limping slightly despite Zandany’s supporting elbow, and they followed Patrol Ten and the Starlyne down the dimply lit corridor.
FTC Advisory: Andrew Harvey through Net Gallery provided me with a copy of Frontier Resistance by Leonie Rogers. Published through Hague Publishing. Kindle Edition. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
This is the second book in the Frontier trilogy, and it is brilliant. It can be read as a standalone, but to be honest the series is so good it would be a shame not to read them all. Leonie Rogers weaves a story filled with emotions and energy that is almost tangible. You can’t help be dragged into the world of Frontier, and care what happens to everyone in the story. Absolutely Brilliant. I can’t wait for the next book.
Opening Scene:
Shanna ran.
The Review:
Everything changed, when the Garsal landed. Shanna has gifts that might save everyone, if only she learns how to develop them. The cadets, Patrol Ten and Shanna, with the help of their feline companions and the Starlynes, must find the Garsal ship, and destroy their communications link. But going deeper Below is filled with more danger, as they traipse through unchartered areas in their search. After all Frontier is no walk in the park, with carnivorous animals and plants, never mind an enemy bent on killing and enslaving.
Life on the plateau isn’t going well. The Senior Councillor Tamazine, distrusts their allies the Starlynes, causing a weakness that could be catastrophic.
Notable Scene:
“You have learnt a few tricks, Allad, and your ability to detect the spark is well developed, but there is much more to learn, even for you.” There was a hint of a smile in the silent voice and, Shanna thought, underlying amusement. “Follow me now and we will begin. There is much you have to learn, and the sooner you begin the better. But first the injured amongst you must be healed.” The Starlyn abruptly uncoiled herself and glided towards the door in a fluid, sinuous movement. Slightly startled at the sudden movement, the normally athletic group was slow to regain their feet. The door to the outer hallway opened smoothly to allow Teacher’s passage, and the human contingent filed out slowly, accompanied by their feline companions.
Verren nudged Shanna. “So what do you think we’ll end up being able to do? As far as I know, I’ve never demonstrated any kind of weird ability!”
Shanna rolled her eyes at him. “Verren, you learnt to fade!”
“Oh yes … but I meant something that you can’t do.”
“Well, that means you’ll probably never be able to cook then,” replied Ragar with a quite snicker as they paced after the Strarlyn. The other cadets smiled, even Taya, who was limping slightly despite Zandany’s supporting elbow, and they followed Patrol Ten and the Starlyne down the dimply lit corridor.
FTC Advisory: Andrew Harvey through Net Gallery provided me with a copy of Frontier Resistance by Leonie Rogers. Published through Hague Publishing. Kindle Edition. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
October 10, 2014
Great read! Cat lovers unite! these fury little pets light up brilliantly and yet are so dangerous. Shanna unlike most cadets has two cats by her side. She has always been a bit strange but hey what can a girl do when the planet has only been inhabited by humans for 300 years? These cadets are not normal though, they all hold special abilities that are attached to their feline partners. Suddenly as a group decides to take a trip they findthemselves in true danger, their kind had left behind 300 years ago. Without the help of the starlynes they would not survive but grouping with them and learning their new skills may be a bit on the rearer side. what if your normal little family of cat breeders was suddenly thrust in a war they did not know existed and you were the mighty warrior for all? your little brother and ace marksman and determined to following in the footsteps so many failed to walk?What if we are invaded will we lose without the starlynes and what if everything we believe is wrong? what will they do? great read but you must read it for yourselves as I did and enjoy the majestic realm this author takes you into.
December 31, 2016
The second book in this trilogy is as good as the first, with more action and a little faster pace as we have become more familiar with the world around us.
While a young adult series, this trilogy is just as enjoyable to adult readers. With a cast of characters that are human, alien invaders, and alien allies (or as Shanna decided at one point - personages), who we see mature as individuals and as a species.
Rogers has created a world in which predators are both plants and animals; a rich and diverse biome that you can picture in your imagination. Yet, she does so without just dumping descriptions on you, as the flavor, actions, scents, colors, and usefulness or deadliness are integrated into the story so well. It is impressive.
I liked this 3 book series so much that I bought the paperbacks for my daughter for Christmas. She is a sci fi fan and a high school science teacher.
While a young adult series, this trilogy is just as enjoyable to adult readers. With a cast of characters that are human, alien invaders, and alien allies (or as Shanna decided at one point - personages), who we see mature as individuals and as a species.
Rogers has created a world in which predators are both plants and animals; a rich and diverse biome that you can picture in your imagination. Yet, she does so without just dumping descriptions on you, as the flavor, actions, scents, colors, and usefulness or deadliness are integrated into the story so well. It is impressive.
I liked this 3 book series so much that I bought the paperbacks for my daughter for Christmas. She is a sci fi fan and a high school science teacher.
January 18, 2015
I love this series and especially this book. I want to live on this planet and I want a starcat of my very own. Shanna and her friends and fellow trainees must develop their gifts with the help of the STarlyne race to defeat the Garsal. The Garsal hope to wipe out both the humans and the Starlyne races. Wonderfully written and so easy to visualize, I can't wait for the next segment from Leonie Rogers.
January 26, 2015
This is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. Though I will say that after reading this one you will want to go back and read the first one. The world the author creates is vividly brought to life. The characters are unforgettable. I am looking forward to the next book.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
February 27, 2021
I find books that start with a dream a bit annoying, you start with an exciting action sequence only to find it didn’t really happen. In fact I found the whole book a more frustrating read than the last one, there seemed to be more ‘filler’ and some of the decisions made by the characters were more about the author extending the length of the story than moving the plot along.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars, but as I still want to read the next book so I have made it up to 3 stars.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars, but as I still want to read the next book so I have made it up to 3 stars.
March 4, 2015
Being sick with the cold for the last couple of days has actually turned into a great thing because I found Frontier Incursion and Frontier Resistance and I practically devoured them! Seriously I didn't put them down! So I guess the only thing I have to say to Leonie Rogers is....when is the next book coming out??? It's a burning question in the back of my mind haha I really hope it's soon :D
January 2, 2017
The YA aspects of this series was strong in the first half of this book, with many sub-plots "magic" powers, and faint hints of romantic possibilities. I found these distracting to the point of confusion. However, the second half of the book tightened up a lot and became quite exciting.
I will read the 3rd book.
I will read the 3rd book.
October 26, 2020
Very impressed with the second book as it maintains the standard set in the first book. Still new plot twists and uncovering of new content. Keeps its fast pace and absorbs you into the world of Frontier. Such an effortless read with lots of drama. Such an enjoyable experience reading this.
June 13, 2020
Second of a series of 3. Fun to read scifi.
June 10, 2020
Frontier resistance
Well the heroic young troop of scouts keeps training and learning new methods of guerrilla tactics. The starcats are a huge part of the fight.
Well the heroic young troop of scouts keeps training and learning new methods of guerrilla tactics. The starcats are a huge part of the fight.
August 12, 2016
I received this book long ago and read it last year, was convinced that I wrote a review somewhere, and now I can't find it. But I digress. I have enjoyed reading Leonie's indie trilogy about starcats, and for people who are looking for an interesting science fiction read with something a little different, you may want to check this out.
Frontier Resistance once again stars Shanna, a Scout, who in the first book has been trained with her starcat to investigate the rest of the dangerous planet, when the alien race Garsal, has landed and now has become a frightening enemy. In this installment, the Scouts, along with the rest of her colony have to work together with their starcats to keep their planet safe.
One of the strongest parts of this book, the same as the first, is the invention of the starcats themselves. For me, they are the most real and novel aspect, and I still want to own one, although I'd probably be allergic. Leonie does a wonderful job of describing these animals and how sentient they are and how bonded they are with their owners. Shanna also is a strength; she is a wonderful character who has been through quite a bit, and is a very likeable protagonist. Her interactions with the rest of the crew, in particular, one girl who continues to be a thorn in her side, really speaks volumes for what kind of person she is. I also loved getting to know all of their new powers as they develop them more in this installment. The action and stakes are ramped up as well, as the Garsal has settled on the planet and are trying to destroy them. I also really liked the politics, which made me think of Harry Potter, when leaders in fear make the wrong decisions.
There are several weaknesses in this book, and I think because it's an indie book, it runs into some of those. This book is too long. There are long stretches of repetition that could be easily cut down with better editing and keep the pace of the book up much more effectively. I also did not see the use of having the Garsal perspective as it stands now. There are random very short chapters interspersed throughout the book with Garsal perspective, and they just seem very non- three dimensional and rather robotic and odd without adding much. I would either like to see them fleshed out a lot more (thinking of Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card), or their perspective taken out altogether.
Overall, Rodgers is talented and creative, and this installment is a fun continuation of Shanna and her starcats journey, but with more time and writing, I think she will become even stronger as an author.
Frontier Resistance once again stars Shanna, a Scout, who in the first book has been trained with her starcat to investigate the rest of the dangerous planet, when the alien race Garsal, has landed and now has become a frightening enemy. In this installment, the Scouts, along with the rest of her colony have to work together with their starcats to keep their planet safe.
One of the strongest parts of this book, the same as the first, is the invention of the starcats themselves. For me, they are the most real and novel aspect, and I still want to own one, although I'd probably be allergic. Leonie does a wonderful job of describing these animals and how sentient they are and how bonded they are with their owners. Shanna also is a strength; she is a wonderful character who has been through quite a bit, and is a very likeable protagonist. Her interactions with the rest of the crew, in particular, one girl who continues to be a thorn in her side, really speaks volumes for what kind of person she is. I also loved getting to know all of their new powers as they develop them more in this installment. The action and stakes are ramped up as well, as the Garsal has settled on the planet and are trying to destroy them. I also really liked the politics, which made me think of Harry Potter, when leaders in fear make the wrong decisions.
There are several weaknesses in this book, and I think because it's an indie book, it runs into some of those. This book is too long. There are long stretches of repetition that could be easily cut down with better editing and keep the pace of the book up much more effectively. I also did not see the use of having the Garsal perspective as it stands now. There are random very short chapters interspersed throughout the book with Garsal perspective, and they just seem very non- three dimensional and rather robotic and odd without adding much. I would either like to see them fleshed out a lot more (thinking of Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card), or their perspective taken out altogether.
Overall, Rodgers is talented and creative, and this installment is a fun continuation of Shanna and her starcats journey, but with more time and writing, I think she will become even stronger as an author.
September 7, 2015
Leonie has improved with time and has consolidated the story and the characters within it. But there is one flaw I found which cost her a star. Near the end the Garsal leader sent their newly built air scout ships into two groups of three, but there is no mention of them building three extra ships. In the first book the Garsal only had three air scouts and they were destroyed in a storm. The Garsal commander only ordered the ships to be replaced as resources and space were small. There was no mention of three more ships were to be built, only the replacement of the ones lost? So where did the three extra ships come from? These real need to be added somewhere to fix this broken loop. This is the only sore bit in the story which I found dipped, curbed, leaped and flowed more so than the first book and made you feel as if you were below with the scouts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2024
I found this a little difficult to get into, but that passed once I had swapped the main characters and a smattering of what had occurred in the first book. The action picked up slowly, and I question some of the timescales presented, but the plot twists kept me turning pages. The climax exploded in a delicious fashion and meant I couldn't put the book down, which was also great to see since it's a second book of a trilogy. I can't wait to read the final book in the series.
July 30, 2017
A good follow-on to Frontier Incursion. The humans of Frontier continue to organize with the help of the Starlyne community. Shanna and her fellow scouts learn more about their special abilities while working to protect their home and life. Some minor editing problems, but even then I had a hard time putting it down.
September 12, 2016
Next book in series is even better than the first
This next book in series is even better than the first. Great adventure and fun science fiction. I love the family and friend relationships. So good
This next book in series is even better than the first. Great adventure and fun science fiction. I love the family and friend relationships. So good
October 25, 2016
Can't wait for the next,t book
I just finished book 2 and I'm going to get book 3 next. This is an exciting series the story keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting more
I just finished book 2 and I'm going to get book 3 next. This is an exciting series the story keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting more
November 1, 2016
disappointing
Okay, so Rogers addressed my previous issue with Taya early on in this book, though I still think she should have done it in the first book instead.
Pros: More action, more conflict in plateau community--finally!, some plateau people who aren't wonderful human beings--and more about the Starlyne race.
Cons: Characters have not particularly been developed since the last book, and many of Shanna's patrol-mates and fellow cadets are still just names for me to try and remember. A large part of the problem is that Rogers really isn't doing much to make three of six cadets anything but placeholders, despite setting things up so all of them supposedly are going to be so crucial to Shanna and Frontier's future. Shanna is the center of the story again, and Taya and Verren get a fair amount of attention from Rogers, but then there's Amma, who gets a few sentences here and there, and the other two cadets whose names I don't remember because Rogers hasn't really said much about them. She also hasn't said much in this book about the older Rangers in Patrol Ten other than Almad and Barron. Maybe there's something about Spiron as well, but if so, it's not much. I'm not sure Rogers has even ever described these people, either physically or their characters, so I haven't had much to go on to tell them apart. Mostly, they're just names to me, and that's especially not good if the six cadets are supposed to be the core of this fellowship that's supposed to save the world. That gap means the book lacks balance. Then, too, the only inter-Ranger relationship Rogers develops much is Shanna's with Taya, and even there Rogers keeps mentioning that Shanna still isn't sure she trusts Taya, despite how much less tension is between them. I don't know what that's about, but it does keep coming up.
This book is much less satisfying in some ways than the first. The plot does get advanced much farther (eventually), but the characters seem less interesting, other than Master Ceren, the person we learn the most about in the book. There isn't much new in the way of wildlife, though we do learn more about the Starlynes and their history and that's good but not enough to make the book really satisfying. I'll read the third one, and hope Rogers manages to deepen her characters and pull all these elements together. We'll see.
Again, the issue is the pacing. Much of the book is spent detailing the Rangers' journey below as the humans and the Garzal slowly (too slowly) get closer and closer to a confrontation. That means the story drags as the reader waits for something to happen other than hearing about Shanna's almost constant bouts of homesickness. I had a very hard time crediting the intensity and duration of her issue--it seemed she spent weeks trying not to sob or sobbing, and after the third time or so, I was ready to scream at the author. I have no idea what Rogers' purpose was in giving Shanna this overblown grief--and I say 'overblown' because she's still getting dangerously distracted by missing her family even as she and the other Rangers are dog tired and running for their lives. I simply cannot believe that anyone would have the energy to dwell on her family and try not to cry while being chased through Below with all its life-threatening hazards by the Garzal who are busy trying to kill her. It just isn't possible, simply because our bodies won't allow our minds to endanger us that way, they leave no room for us to do anything but try to survive.
Another thing that's steadily more irritating is Rogers' insistence on using 'feel' to describe what Shanna's doing when she senses her starcats and things that are out of visual range. Those quote marks are driving me mad...another sign that there's not enough going on in certain parts of the story to keep my attention focussed on the plot....
Okay, so Rogers addressed my previous issue with Taya early on in this book, though I still think she should have done it in the first book instead.
Pros: More action, more conflict in plateau community--finally!, some plateau people who aren't wonderful human beings--and more about the Starlyne race.
Cons: Characters have not particularly been developed since the last book, and many of Shanna's patrol-mates and fellow cadets are still just names for me to try and remember. A large part of the problem is that Rogers really isn't doing much to make three of six cadets anything but placeholders, despite setting things up so all of them supposedly are going to be so crucial to Shanna and Frontier's future. Shanna is the center of the story again, and Taya and Verren get a fair amount of attention from Rogers, but then there's Amma, who gets a few sentences here and there, and the other two cadets whose names I don't remember because Rogers hasn't really said much about them. She also hasn't said much in this book about the older Rangers in Patrol Ten other than Almad and Barron. Maybe there's something about Spiron as well, but if so, it's not much. I'm not sure Rogers has even ever described these people, either physically or their characters, so I haven't had much to go on to tell them apart. Mostly, they're just names to me, and that's especially not good if the six cadets are supposed to be the core of this fellowship that's supposed to save the world. That gap means the book lacks balance. Then, too, the only inter-Ranger relationship Rogers develops much is Shanna's with Taya, and even there Rogers keeps mentioning that Shanna still isn't sure she trusts Taya, despite how much less tension is between them. I don't know what that's about, but it does keep coming up.
This book is much less satisfying in some ways than the first. The plot does get advanced much farther (eventually), but the characters seem less interesting, other than Master Ceren, the person we learn the most about in the book. There isn't much new in the way of wildlife, though we do learn more about the Starlynes and their history and that's good but not enough to make the book really satisfying. I'll read the third one, and hope Rogers manages to deepen her characters and pull all these elements together. We'll see.
Again, the issue is the pacing. Much of the book is spent detailing the Rangers' journey below as the humans and the Garzal slowly (too slowly) get closer and closer to a confrontation. That means the story drags as the reader waits for something to happen other than hearing about Shanna's almost constant bouts of homesickness. I had a very hard time crediting the intensity and duration of her issue--it seemed she spent weeks trying not to sob or sobbing, and after the third time or so, I was ready to scream at the author. I have no idea what Rogers' purpose was in giving Shanna this overblown grief--and I say 'overblown' because she's still getting dangerously distracted by missing her family even as she and the other Rangers are dog tired and running for their lives. I simply cannot believe that anyone would have the energy to dwell on her family and try not to cry while being chased through Below with all its life-threatening hazards by the Garzal who are busy trying to kill her. It just isn't possible, simply because our bodies won't allow our minds to endanger us that way, they leave no room for us to do anything but try to survive.
Another thing that's steadily more irritating is Rogers' insistence on using 'feel' to describe what Shanna's doing when she senses her starcats and things that are out of visual range. Those quote marks are driving me mad...another sign that there's not enough going on in certain parts of the story to keep my attention focussed on the plot....
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