Façade

by Alice Sabo

An undercover mission goes critical for Hunter and Trash when a woman becomes deathly ill. They take her to the galaxy-renown Alleviators, only to discover some disturbing inconsistencies.

Elaan was a waitress following the shadow of a dream she couldn’t quite express. Everything changes the day she meets Hunter. He is the key to the destiny that she must set in motion. Giddy with knowledge, she sets off on a reckless course which may imperil the people that she is charged with keeping safe.

Hunter, an experimental Human, was raised by the Alleviators in their isolated enclave Clouded Vale. Coming back to his childhood home as an agent for Galactic Intelligence has him seeing things he’d never noticed before. Their latest patient causes a dramatic shift in everything Hunter had thought to be true.

The ancient buildings and dusty libraries of Clouded Vale may hold the answer to centuries old questions. Hunter is determined to find those answers without endangering his adopted family.

Genres: Science Fiction

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2016

About the author

Alice Sabo is the author of character-driven stories in multiple genres. Her characters struggle to make the right choices in difficult and often dangerous situations. Whether seeking lost cultures in an unforgiving galaxy or finding a murderer on the streets of LA, her books have strong world building, multi-layered characters and a satisfying culmination.

You can find all her series and the order in which to read them on her website, along with maps and other extras. www.alicesabo.com

Reviews

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun one. Highly imaginative yet actually realistic feeling of what a future multi-species (both non-human and modified humans/non-humans) galactic society would be like, set in a story which itself works beautifully. Great characters and a lot of talent seen in the writing. This is a new author for me. I’m glad I found her - and am happy to recommend this book.

PS: it’s not a cliffhanger (as the main plot lines are handled and the story has a perfectly fine “Happily Enough For Now” ending, the very last paragraph isn’t really needed for the story and is clearly a teaser designed to hook you in to wanting to read the next (frustratingly unavailable) book. If you don’t like that sort of thing just skip that paragraph.

[Tim Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little confusing at first due to the number of characters but then I really got into it and enjoyed the author's signature detailed narrative. A convincing universe of species and planets, imaginatively Integrated into a society in reasonable stability, giving a framework/backdrop for our protagonists to play out their story. Looking forward to books 2 to 4 in the series.

[Rhane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich tapestry of a story

What a way with words Alice Sabo has! I can see the people and places she describes. I find myself inhabiting the world she creates. I want very much to know what happens next to Elaan, Trash, Hunter and the Iguacan.

[Angela Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a little longer to get involved in this book than I did in other books by Alice Sabo, but it still met my three-chapter test. Once I got involved, I was all in. Love the non-human and not-quite-human characters, all of which are surprisingly believable. I found Trash (yes, odd name) especially engaging, kind of like an extrenely intelligent large dog.

Lots to like in this book. I recommend it. I'm now reading the second book in the series.

[Alex Storer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Façade. It is a space fantasy with a wide range of alien worlds and cultures and well-rounded characters to explore, so if you like a book with great world building and a really diverse population, then this book is for you.

Hunter and Trash are a formidable, slightly mismatched human/alien lead duo. Their camaraderie is spot on, and the underlying subtle humour with which Alice writes, is absolutely perfect. The book begins following their escapades on an undercover operation – this is a duo you could very easily imagine finding in that famous Star Wars Cantina.

Façade is a dynamic and exciting read, brimming with a great mix of locations and characters. You are really transported on a whirlwind tour of a new galaxy and time. It reminded me a little of the late Iain Banks' work, but I found this to be much more accessible. I'm normally turned off by lots of new words and names to learn and remember – which are usually unpronounceable – and that is not the case here. Alice has given thought to memorable race or planet names and even gives the reader a breakdown of the different names and a map of the worlds at the back of the book (though this may have been beneficial at the front).

Food plays a surprising but very significant role in the exploration of the various cultures, and on numerous occasions, I was left yearning for sweet pastries!

Facade is the first book in the Transmutation series, and it very much feels like the first episode of a series, leaving you ready for the next instalment.

[Alice Sabo]

This is the beginning of a new space fantasy series. I've been trying to write this story for a long time, and I think I finally got it right. I hope you enjoy it.