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Blend: An epic saga of science fiction and fantasy
All legends begin somewhere.
Blue-skinned Arliss Dubai returns to planet Teton with mechanical enhancements and fury burning in his silver veins after wrongfully serving time in lunar prison. Stepping off the transport into the mile-high megacity Vandress, he faces a world that disregards enhanced humans like him, engineered to save a dying planet. Now, these Blends are lower-class citizens, marked for expulsion by zealots in a post-Collapse society forced to survive indoors.
Twelve-year-old Kip Dubai doesn't recognize the stranger claiming to be his father. A rare hybrid known as a Patchie who bears the traits of two peoples, Kip found family elsewhere during his father's In a gang of misfits who steal to survive in the steam-filled hidden spaces of the Servo District.
When Enforcement Q officers ambush Arliss in a dark alley, death seems certain - until mysterious, otherworldly figures intervene, leaving bodies and questions in their wake. These ethereal "friends" suggest cosmic forces are stirring within Vandress's towering spires, and ancient powers are awakening.
A fractured family stands at the crossroads of revolution. Arliss must reconnect with his son before Vandress tears itself apart, or before whatever lurks in the shadows comes for them all.
If you're into broken cities, fantastical mysteries, and characters who've been screwed over but refuse to stay down, BLEND hits different. The first book in The Rogues of Teton series smashes together gritty sci-fi action with fantastical "wait, did that just happen?" moments.
"A riveting opening series installment that introduces spirited characters and an unforgettable dystopian world." - Kirkus Reviews
Twelve-year-old Kip Dubai doesn't recognize the stranger claiming to be his father. A rare hybrid known as a Patchie who bears the traits of two peoples, Kip found family elsewhere during his father's In a gang of misfits who steal to survive in the steam-filled hidden spaces of the Servo District.
When Enforcement Q officers ambush Arliss in a dark alley, death seems certain - until mysterious, otherworldly figures intervene, leaving bodies and questions in their wake. These ethereal "friends" suggest cosmic forces are stirring within Vandress's towering spires, and ancient powers are awakening.
A fractured family stands at the crossroads of revolution. Arliss must reconnect with his son before Vandress tears itself apart, or before whatever lurks in the shadows comes for them all.
If you're into broken cities, fantastical mysteries, and characters who've been screwed over but refuse to stay down, BLEND hits different. The first book in The Rogues of Teton series smashes together gritty sci-fi action with fantastical "wait, did that just happen?" moments.
"A riveting opening series installment that introduces spirited characters and an unforgettable dystopian world." - Kirkus Reviews
- GenresAmazon
480 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2026
About the author
Frank Kennedy
29 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 10, 2025
I received a copy of this book from the author. This is my honest review.
Wow what a great beginning to a new series by such an inventive and imaginative author.
This story even has its own Blend-cant, that is to say that the children have their own language as teenagers on modern day Earth do.
The story is told from the perspective of several characters that you get to know very quickly.
The story begins with Arliss, a Blend, being released from Rogue 19, an off planet prison, after serving a five year sentence for a crime that he was wrongly convicted of. Sounds straightforward, but as with all of this author’s work nothing is so simple.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Wow what a great beginning to a new series by such an inventive and imaginative author.
This story even has its own Blend-cant, that is to say that the children have their own language as teenagers on modern day Earth do.
The story is told from the perspective of several characters that you get to know very quickly.
The story begins with Arliss, a Blend, being released from Rogue 19, an off planet prison, after serving a five year sentence for a crime that he was wrongly convicted of. Sounds straightforward, but as with all of this author’s work nothing is so simple.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 23, 2026
Every once in a while, I come across a book that reminds me why I fell in love with speculative fiction in the first place. *Blend* by Frank Kennedy is one of those rare stories. It is bold, imaginative, emotional, and filled with the kind of world building that makes you feel as though you have stepped into a place that has existed long before you arrived.
What drew me in immediately was the city of Vandress. It is a fascinating setting, towering, enclosed, and scarred by the past, yet still full of life. The idea of Blends, humans who were engineered to save a dying planet only to become outcasts, gave the story an emotional weight that stayed with me throughout. It is impossible not to think about prejudice, belonging, and how quickly society can forget the very people who sacrificed the most.
Arliss Dubai quickly became a character I genuinely cared about. After enduring years of wrongful imprisonment, he returns home carrying both physical enhancements and emotional scars, only to discover that the world has moved on without him. His struggle to reconnect with his son felt just as gripping as the larger conflict unfolding around them. The relationship between Arliss and Kip gave the novel its heart, reminding me that even in the middle of chaos and revolution, family can be the strongest force of all.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the unexpected combination of science fiction and fantasy. Just when I thought I understood the rules of this world, mysterious figures appeared and hinted at something much older and far more powerful beneath the surface. Those moments filled me with wonder and curiosity, making me eager to uncover every secret hidden within the city.
Frank Kennedy has created a story that balances thrilling action with genuine emotion. The fast moving plot kept me turning pages, but it was the characters and the deeper themes that stayed with me after I finished. There is a real sense of hope running beneath all the darkness, showing that even people who have been pushed aside can still change the future.
I finished *Blend* feeling excited, inspired, and already wanting to continue the journey. It is exactly the kind of opening novel that leaves you invested in both the characters and the world they inhabit. If you love science fiction with rich world building, unforgettable characters, and just the right touch of mystery and magic, I cannot recommend this book enough. This is the beginning of a series that I will be following with great enthusiasm.
What drew me in immediately was the city of Vandress. It is a fascinating setting, towering, enclosed, and scarred by the past, yet still full of life. The idea of Blends, humans who were engineered to save a dying planet only to become outcasts, gave the story an emotional weight that stayed with me throughout. It is impossible not to think about prejudice, belonging, and how quickly society can forget the very people who sacrificed the most.
Arliss Dubai quickly became a character I genuinely cared about. After enduring years of wrongful imprisonment, he returns home carrying both physical enhancements and emotional scars, only to discover that the world has moved on without him. His struggle to reconnect with his son felt just as gripping as the larger conflict unfolding around them. The relationship between Arliss and Kip gave the novel its heart, reminding me that even in the middle of chaos and revolution, family can be the strongest force of all.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the unexpected combination of science fiction and fantasy. Just when I thought I understood the rules of this world, mysterious figures appeared and hinted at something much older and far more powerful beneath the surface. Those moments filled me with wonder and curiosity, making me eager to uncover every secret hidden within the city.
Frank Kennedy has created a story that balances thrilling action with genuine emotion. The fast moving plot kept me turning pages, but it was the characters and the deeper themes that stayed with me after I finished. There is a real sense of hope running beneath all the darkness, showing that even people who have been pushed aside can still change the future.
I finished *Blend* feeling excited, inspired, and already wanting to continue the journey. It is exactly the kind of opening novel that leaves you invested in both the characters and the world they inhabit. If you love science fiction with rich world building, unforgettable characters, and just the right touch of mystery and magic, I cannot recommend this book enough. This is the beginning of a series that I will be following with great enthusiasm.
January 31, 2026
A world where the dominant white population exploit, fear and distrust those of a different colour while those of mixed race are not accepted by either. A white group proposing a system of apartheid are gradually gaining control of the government. Sounds familiar?
The difference in this case is that these were all of one race settling from another planet. Eventually, they had polluted this new world rendering it uninhabitable. A group volunteered to save the planet by accepting physical and genetic modifications that turned their skin blue and enabled them to work in the poisonous conditions, building and maintaining safe living accommodation reaching 150 floors into the sky. Several generations later the white population are living in the unpolluted upper levels while the Blends live in lower levels maintaining the buildings.
The central characters in the story are a blend, about to be released from unjust imprisonment on a prison satellite, a white mother and their 'patchwork' son, who has been running wild with other other youngsters. The characters on both sides are well developed and believable, the story well told. Although there are lead-ins for further books in the series, the story reaches a satisfactory conclusion.
The difference in this case is that these were all of one race settling from another planet. Eventually, they had polluted this new world rendering it uninhabitable. A group volunteered to save the planet by accepting physical and genetic modifications that turned their skin blue and enabled them to work in the poisonous conditions, building and maintaining safe living accommodation reaching 150 floors into the sky. Several generations later the white population are living in the unpolluted upper levels while the Blends live in lower levels maintaining the buildings.
The central characters in the story are a blend, about to be released from unjust imprisonment on a prison satellite, a white mother and their 'patchwork' son, who has been running wild with other other youngsters. The characters on both sides are well developed and believable, the story well told. Although there are lead-ins for further books in the series, the story reaches a satisfactory conclusion.
Review of advance copy
The world of Teton is an environmental disaster. The climate was devastated and people fled to mega-cities to survive. Conditions were so terrible some humans were biologically and mechanically engineered to maintain the fragile system under which they lived. Society became ruled by a religion based around the ecology.
But despite the aid of the scientifically-engineered "Blends", support is growing for segregation. A movement, the “Pure Breathers” see the engineered Blends as a problem to solve (and much of the reason why the world has not healed itself), rather than a key part of their ongoing survival.
And it gets really crazy from there.
Arliss, a Blend, and his mixed blood son Kip are looking to survive this increasingly dangerous society.
Great characters, so many interesting subplots, and a complex key plot with many twists. The mix of religion, politics, and their effects on culture is well-woven, and thought-provoking.
I enjoy the author’s work – this series is next level.
But despite the aid of the scientifically-engineered "Blends", support is growing for segregation. A movement, the “Pure Breathers” see the engineered Blends as a problem to solve (and much of the reason why the world has not healed itself), rather than a key part of their ongoing survival.
And it gets really crazy from there.
Arliss, a Blend, and his mixed blood son Kip are looking to survive this increasingly dangerous society.
Great characters, so many interesting subplots, and a complex key plot with many twists. The mix of religion, politics, and their effects on culture is well-woven, and thought-provoking.
I enjoy the author’s work – this series is next level.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC, and this is my voluntary review.
Wow! This is a substantial book that took a while to read. It has an interesting cast of characters in an unusual world. There are a lot of different strands woven together, the primary one being the Dubai family of three, coming back together after Arliss has spent 5 years in a labour camp/prison, and all the challenges that come with a reunion after that much time apart. But there is also a distasteful religion, changing the society, not for the better! Politics, power struggles, rebellion, family dynamics it's all there, and a few mysteries that I'm looking forward to seeing resolved in the future books.
Wow! This is a substantial book that took a while to read. It has an interesting cast of characters in an unusual world. There are a lot of different strands woven together, the primary one being the Dubai family of three, coming back together after Arliss has spent 5 years in a labour camp/prison, and all the challenges that come with a reunion after that much time apart. But there is also a distasteful religion, changing the society, not for the better! Politics, power struggles, rebellion, family dynamics it's all there, and a few mysteries that I'm looking forward to seeing resolved in the future books.
February 28, 2026
I love the way this story merges different character viewpoints. Just when you think a chapter is kind of burned out and winding down, a new character's POV takes over, and it gets really exciting again. This is a future-political and future-religious plot, but both are relatable and easy to understand.
I really enjoyed all the characters, even the 'bad' guys. There are some very pulse-pounding moments that had me holding my breath. There were also some parts that had me thinking, 'oh geez, these people are kind of crazy.' Plus, the kids just make some seemingly bad decisions (as kids are wont to do).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one!
I really enjoyed all the characters, even the 'bad' guys. There are some very pulse-pounding moments that had me holding my breath. There were also some parts that had me thinking, 'oh geez, these people are kind of crazy.' Plus, the kids just make some seemingly bad decisions (as kids are wont to do).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one!
July 16, 2026
I found Blend to be a strong mix of science fiction and fantasy with a world that immediately pulled me in. The setting felt vivid and original, and I enjoyed the tension between Arliss, Kip, and the society that fears people like them. The story balances action, mystery, and family drama in a way that kept me curious about what would happen next. A promising start to a series with plenty of atmosphere and imagination.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews