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Chronicles of Alsea #1
The Caphenon
A split-second decision to save a civilization. Another decision to give it away.
Captain Ekatya Serrado has spent her career fighting the Voloth, who view less advanced civilizations as fuel for their empire. The choice between saving her ship or a world under attack is easy. The choices that come after are harder.
Lancer Andira Tal, the leader of Alsea, believes her people are alone in the universe until a gigantic spaceship crashes near her capital city. Now she is thrust into a struggle between two powerful forces, and her planet is the prize.
With a civilization and the galactic balance of power at risk, friendships and alliances may not hold against betrayal. Honor is easy when the stakes are low.
Captain Ekatya Serrado has spent her career fighting the Voloth, who view less advanced civilizations as fuel for their empire. The choice between saving her ship or a world under attack is easy. The choices that come after are harder.
Lancer Andira Tal, the leader of Alsea, believes her people are alone in the universe until a gigantic spaceship crashes near her capital city. Now she is thrust into a struggle between two powerful forces, and her planet is the prize.
With a civilization and the galactic balance of power at risk, friendships and alliances may not hold against betrayal. Honor is easy when the stakes are low.
504 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
123 people are currently reading
3060 people want to read
About the author
Fletcher DeLancey
26 books316 followersFletcher DeLancey spent her early career as a science educator, which was the perfect combination of her two great loves: language and science. These days she combines them while writing science fiction.
She is an Oregon expatriate who left her beloved state when she met a Portuguese woman and had to choose between home and heart. She chose heart. Now she lives with her wife and son in the beautiful sunny Algarve, where she writes full-time, teaches Pilates, tries to learn the local birds and plants, and samples every regional Portuguese dish she can get her hands on. (There are many. It’s going to take a while.)
She is best known for her science fiction/fantasy series, Chronicles of Alsea, now comprised of four novels and a novella. Among them, the Alsea books have won an Independent Publisher's Award (2017 bronze medal), a Golden Crown Literary Society Award, a Rainbow Award, and been shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award.
Fletcher believes that women need far more representation in science fiction and fantasy, and takes great pleasure in writing complex stories with strong, believable women heading up the action. Her day is made every time another reader says, “I didn’t think I liked science fiction, but then I read yours.”
She is an Oregon expatriate who left her beloved state when she met a Portuguese woman and had to choose between home and heart. She chose heart. Now she lives with her wife and son in the beautiful sunny Algarve, where she writes full-time, teaches Pilates, tries to learn the local birds and plants, and samples every regional Portuguese dish she can get her hands on. (There are many. It’s going to take a while.)
She is best known for her science fiction/fantasy series, Chronicles of Alsea, now comprised of four novels and a novella. Among them, the Alsea books have won an Independent Publisher's Award (2017 bronze medal), a Golden Crown Literary Society Award, a Rainbow Award, and been shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award.
Fletcher believes that women need far more representation in science fiction and fantasy, and takes great pleasure in writing complex stories with strong, believable women heading up the action. Her day is made every time another reader says, “I didn’t think I liked science fiction, but then I read yours.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
October 27, 2016
I realized I was coming up on my 300th book read of 2016 and my 255th review on Goodreads, so I wanted to read a book universally loved, that I had been eyeing for a long time. I'm a big fan of fantasy and sci-fi, so picking up the first book in The Chronicles of Alsea was an easy choice. I must admit, I was in for a ride, I just didn't quite expect.
This book was tough for me! I was honestly slogging through it. I can read up to 3 books in a day and this one book, took 3 days. I know this series started out as Star Trek Fan Fiction. I was never a big Star Trek fan. I watched DS9 when I was like 11 years old, a few of the old movies, and the new ones. So I don't have a huge grasp on all the tech. I'm wondering if this was part of the issue for me, but there was so much technical information to read through. And I was reading the tech very slowly, trying to understand everything and it was tough. It may be I don't have a trekker brain, but man it was overwhelming at times. I kept telling myself it will get easier, I just need to get past this, then I would be hit with more tech. I honestly almost gave up on this book more than once. But, I just had this feeling I was going to be very disappointed if I didn't make it through.
Once I reached about the 50% mark, the book totally changed for me. I felt at least I had a grasp on the tech, and the characters and their world started to shine. The second half of the book was so much more enjoyable to me. I started to build a connection to the characters and cared that their world survived. I do wish to read more personal relationships between the characters, in the future. Even though main characters have a bond in this book, I wouldn't really say this book had romance. I'm hopefully DeLancey will move more towards that in the other books. I would love to see if the Lancer finds love with a tyree.
I'm not going to go into a plot review, as this book already has many reviews. For me, the first half of this book was a 3 stars, the second half 4 1/2 stars. I'm going to round slightly up for an overall score of 4 stars. I will be reading the next book in this series, without hesitation. This book got better and better as it went on and completely sucked me into the world of Alsea. And I'm looking forward to continuing the journey.
This book was tough for me! I was honestly slogging through it. I can read up to 3 books in a day and this one book, took 3 days. I know this series started out as Star Trek Fan Fiction. I was never a big Star Trek fan. I watched DS9 when I was like 11 years old, a few of the old movies, and the new ones. So I don't have a huge grasp on all the tech. I'm wondering if this was part of the issue for me, but there was so much technical information to read through. And I was reading the tech very slowly, trying to understand everything and it was tough. It may be I don't have a trekker brain, but man it was overwhelming at times. I kept telling myself it will get easier, I just need to get past this, then I would be hit with more tech. I honestly almost gave up on this book more than once. But, I just had this feeling I was going to be very disappointed if I didn't make it through.
Once I reached about the 50% mark, the book totally changed for me. I felt at least I had a grasp on the tech, and the characters and their world started to shine. The second half of the book was so much more enjoyable to me. I started to build a connection to the characters and cared that their world survived. I do wish to read more personal relationships between the characters, in the future. Even though main characters have a bond in this book, I wouldn't really say this book had romance. I'm hopefully DeLancey will move more towards that in the other books. I would love to see if the Lancer finds love with a tyree.
I'm not going to go into a plot review, as this book already has many reviews. For me, the first half of this book was a 3 stars, the second half 4 1/2 stars. I'm going to round slightly up for an overall score of 4 stars. I will be reading the next book in this series, without hesitation. This book got better and better as it went on and completely sucked me into the world of Alsea. And I'm looking forward to continuing the journey.
July 17, 2016
After I read the online version of Without A Front I was so looking forward to the published version and its prequel The Caphenon. And now I'm absolutely thrilled and in even greater anticipation of the next two books in the Chronicles of Alsea. The Caphenon is an awesome book but for romance books fans (such as I am) the best is yet to come. :)
February 27, 2017
Between the near perfect "Past Imperfect" series and "Without a Front" , I was rather skeptical the author could squeeze another compelling tale out of that universe that we all haven't read before. I am kinda wary of re-writes and edits for publication--sometimes they're marginally better, sometimes they turn out worse as when short stories or novellas get stretched out, but this is just so surprisingly...perfect.
Alsea is a fertile planet with a thriving but non-spacefaring civilization who like us, gaze upon the stars and wonder if aliens exist. They get the surprise and shock of their lives when their first close encounter ever is when two alien ships duke it out over their skies. Fortunately, the right one is obliterated, and the surviving aliens appear to be their saviors. But the joy is short-lived, as the Alseans discover that they are a highly coveted prize in an interstellar political tug-of-war. And if the wrong guys win, its curtains for life as it is on Alsea.
This book can stand proud beside the most popular mainstream sci-fi works in terms of the science part of the fiction. The rich, complex world of Alsea and the religious, social and political norms of its inhabitants are well delineated. The details on the physics of space travel, weapons, battle strategies and staging, political alliances--elements so essential to sci-fi world-building--were all there but not dumped on the reader in a way that will make one fall asleep. What makes it a better read than the typical sci-fi thriller is its accessibility. The expositions are sprinkled in well-timed doses and worded so as to engage rather than bury the reader in technobabble. But what really makes it appeal to us ordinary readers is that underneath the sci-fi exterior lies a beautiful and very powerful story of love and friendship amid a gripping tale of survival of apocalyptic proportions.
Plot-wise, after the initial excitement and mini-battle, things kind of simmer down a bit, as the book takes some time with the world-building and character intros. I was initally thrown for a loop as some major characters were transplanted from the old series but with somewhat similar names but different circumstances, so this was also a good time to get reacquainted with them and figure out their relationship dynamics in this book. The lack of action and conflict during this portion (and some of the more techy stuff) may discourage some readers, but stick with it, the second half is such a gripping read you won't want to put down the book till the end.
Aside from the inter-species conflicts, the book delves into a number of complex personal, moral, ethical and spiritual conflicts experienced by the main characters while carrying out their respective duties, and whether the ends ever justify the means. These philosophical and personal struggles are what elevate the book far above the usual lesfic or sci-fi fare. Another noteworthy aspect is the author's depiction of the two women protagonists--Type-A leaders, brilliant, headstrong, honorable--torn between loyalty, friendship and their inner moral compass, and their impossibly complicated relationship. ;)
But the best thing about the book is how incredibly entertaining the very complex story is--truly a hallmark of a great storyteller.
My only quibble (and it's a pretty lame one, at that) is with the cover. The lighting (shading) on the Caphenon is off, making it look too shiny and toy-like, rendering the whole scene more cartoonish that it should be.
5 stars
Alsea is a fertile planet with a thriving but non-spacefaring civilization who like us, gaze upon the stars and wonder if aliens exist. They get the surprise and shock of their lives when their first close encounter ever is when two alien ships duke it out over their skies. Fortunately, the right one is obliterated, and the surviving aliens appear to be their saviors. But the joy is short-lived, as the Alseans discover that they are a highly coveted prize in an interstellar political tug-of-war. And if the wrong guys win, its curtains for life as it is on Alsea.
This book can stand proud beside the most popular mainstream sci-fi works in terms of the science part of the fiction. The rich, complex world of Alsea and the religious, social and political norms of its inhabitants are well delineated. The details on the physics of space travel, weapons, battle strategies and staging, political alliances--elements so essential to sci-fi world-building--were all there but not dumped on the reader in a way that will make one fall asleep. What makes it a better read than the typical sci-fi thriller is its accessibility. The expositions are sprinkled in well-timed doses and worded so as to engage rather than bury the reader in technobabble. But what really makes it appeal to us ordinary readers is that underneath the sci-fi exterior lies a beautiful and very powerful story of love and friendship amid a gripping tale of survival of apocalyptic proportions.
Plot-wise, after the initial excitement and mini-battle, things kind of simmer down a bit, as the book takes some time with the world-building and character intros. I was initally thrown for a loop as some major characters were transplanted from the old series but with somewhat similar names but different circumstances, so this was also a good time to get reacquainted with them and figure out their relationship dynamics in this book. The lack of action and conflict during this portion (and some of the more techy stuff) may discourage some readers, but stick with it, the second half is such a gripping read you won't want to put down the book till the end.
Aside from the inter-species conflicts, the book delves into a number of complex personal, moral, ethical and spiritual conflicts experienced by the main characters while carrying out their respective duties, and whether the ends ever justify the means. These philosophical and personal struggles are what elevate the book far above the usual lesfic or sci-fi fare. Another noteworthy aspect is the author's depiction of the two women protagonists--Type-A leaders, brilliant, headstrong, honorable--torn between loyalty, friendship and their inner moral compass, and their impossibly complicated relationship. ;)
But the best thing about the book is how incredibly entertaining the very complex story is--truly a hallmark of a great storyteller.
My only quibble (and it's a pretty lame one, at that) is with the cover. The lighting (shading) on the Caphenon is off, making it look too shiny and toy-like, rendering the whole scene more cartoonish that it should be.
5 stars
June 13, 2015
Brilliant. DeLancey is a genius. I don't generally read sci-fi but was a Trekkie fan so can relate to life on board a starship and the structure of command needed to train a crew. What blew me away in The Caphenon was the world building. Alsea and the empathic Alseans are so well drawn you feel like you are right there, on ground, worrying about protecting the planet, these gentle ( or not so gentle if you insult one) people and discovering their belief systems and way of life.
I would recommend this book to anyone. You will be drawn in by the relationships and the world Delancey has created. There were times when I was thinking a whole wiki could be designed as there is so much fascinating cultural information here for all you nerds. For the rest of us, the author has kindly included a glossary so you can keep your bondmates and your tyree sorted out.
Excellent read. One of my favourites for 2015
I would recommend this book to anyone. You will be drawn in by the relationships and the world Delancey has created. There were times when I was thinking a whole wiki could be designed as there is so much fascinating cultural information here for all you nerds. For the rest of us, the author has kindly included a glossary so you can keep your bondmates and your tyree sorted out.
Excellent read. One of my favourites for 2015
December 16, 2015
I love Andira Tal.
The main theme of the story is that the most technologically advanced civilization is not necessarily the best civilization.
This idea is not shown as explicitly black-or-white as, for example, in Avatar, yet we found in the planet Alsea a highly moral society, while the Protectorate, the confederation of "high evolved" planets in charge of the order of the galaxy falls short of expecations because of its tendency to judge, to protect its own privileges and to serve its own profits.
The alsean population is very rich of traditions, religious and spiritual beliefs, it's technologically very advanced, expecially in medical field and in nanotechnolgy.
Also it's a free society and, because of their peculiar empathic powers, higly respectful of their neighbor's feelings. The community is subdivided in an ordered system of castes, based on the natural tendencies of individuals, like global corporations. Not too perfect, but still a good place where to live.
The story begins when the Caphenon, a Protecotrate startreklike starship guided by Captain Serrado, crashes on the planet while defending it from a malevolent, conquest-aimed, alien population.
We follow three strong women, three heroines: Ekatya Serrado, captain of the Caphenon, Lhyn Rivers, genial scientist of the Protectorate, and Andira Tal, the Lancer, or world leader, of Alsea.
On one side there are Ekatya, Lhyn (who is also scretely Ekatya's lover and mate) and the remaining crew of the Caphenon, on the other Lancer Andira Tal and the Alseans she leads.
The adventure then is a pinwheel of happenings while the two groups of heroes learn at first to know each other and gradually come to mutual respect and like, they work together, face a great danger together, and eventually come to love each other in true friendship.
The book is so complex and yet the reading is so flowing, enjoyable and easy. That, for me, is a proof of its high quality.
Now, is this book really a lesfic?
For a very large part it is a wonderful adventure where two of the leads just happen to be lesbian.
But in the last section, Ekatya and Lhyn learn something really important and beautiful about their love and there is an important turn toward the romance.
And also Andira Tal... but I don't want to spoil.
Last but not least, the book is really about the wonderful character of Andira Tal, so noble, sacrificing, generous, emotionally rich, the true heroine and symbol of her planet.
She is strong like a thunder as a front line warrior, an intelligent, smart politician and yet, secretly, a total sweetheart. Such a lovely contrast, all in one person.
Did I already say that I love Andira Tal?
The main theme of the story is that the most technologically advanced civilization is not necessarily the best civilization.
This idea is not shown as explicitly black-or-white as, for example, in Avatar, yet we found in the planet Alsea a highly moral society, while the Protectorate, the confederation of "high evolved" planets in charge of the order of the galaxy falls short of expecations because of its tendency to judge, to protect its own privileges and to serve its own profits.
The alsean population is very rich of traditions, religious and spiritual beliefs, it's technologically very advanced, expecially in medical field and in nanotechnolgy.
Also it's a free society and, because of their peculiar empathic powers, higly respectful of their neighbor's feelings. The community is subdivided in an ordered system of castes, based on the natural tendencies of individuals, like global corporations. Not too perfect, but still a good place where to live.
The story begins when the Caphenon, a Protecotrate startreklike starship guided by Captain Serrado, crashes on the planet while defending it from a malevolent, conquest-aimed, alien population.
We follow three strong women, three heroines: Ekatya Serrado, captain of the Caphenon, Lhyn Rivers, genial scientist of the Protectorate, and Andira Tal, the Lancer, or world leader, of Alsea.
On one side there are Ekatya, Lhyn (who is also scretely Ekatya's lover and mate) and the remaining crew of the Caphenon, on the other Lancer Andira Tal and the Alseans she leads.
The adventure then is a pinwheel of happenings while the two groups of heroes learn at first to know each other and gradually come to mutual respect and like, they work together, face a great danger together, and eventually come to love each other in true friendship.
The book is so complex and yet the reading is so flowing, enjoyable and easy. That, for me, is a proof of its high quality.
Now, is this book really a lesfic?
For a very large part it is a wonderful adventure where two of the leads just happen to be lesbian.
But in the last section, Ekatya and Lhyn learn something really important and beautiful about their love and there is an important turn toward the romance.
And also Andira Tal... but I don't want to spoil.
Last but not least, the book is really about the wonderful character of Andira Tal, so noble, sacrificing, generous, emotionally rich, the true heroine and symbol of her planet.
She is strong like a thunder as a front line warrior, an intelligent, smart politician and yet, secretly, a total sweetheart. Such a lovely contrast, all in one person.
Did I already say that I love Andira Tal?
December 14, 2018
Edited after re-reading.
Fletcher's stories are always well written, and this is no exception. I loved her Voyager series and the online version of Without a Front, so I eagerly awaited these, but wanted to wait and read them all together.
I enjoyed this, but it’s still not my favourite. Though it does improve after re-reading the others because so many of the storyline’s are woven from here and it’s impressive. I found the ongoing descriptions of Alsea's history and the differences in technology and lifestyle between the two races a bit tedious after awhile, and although important, wasn’t that invested in the Voloth attack. I'm sure Sci-fi fans who love action stories would find that storyline more interesting than I did.
What made this story for me were the relationships between Lhyn and Ekatya, and both of them with Andira (separately and together), and Lanaril’s interactions with both Andira and Lhyn. I wish more of the story had focussed on those aspects, but what was there was wonderful and I loved the richness of what transpired between them all.
This lays a great foundation for the books that follow. 4 stars.
Fletcher's stories are always well written, and this is no exception. I loved her Voyager series and the online version of Without a Front, so I eagerly awaited these, but wanted to wait and read them all together.
I enjoyed this, but it’s still not my favourite. Though it does improve after re-reading the others because so many of the storyline’s are woven from here and it’s impressive. I found the ongoing descriptions of Alsea's history and the differences in technology and lifestyle between the two races a bit tedious after awhile, and although important, wasn’t that invested in the Voloth attack. I'm sure Sci-fi fans who love action stories would find that storyline more interesting than I did.
What made this story for me were the relationships between Lhyn and Ekatya, and both of them with Andira (separately and together), and Lanaril’s interactions with both Andira and Lhyn. I wish more of the story had focussed on those aspects, but what was there was wonderful and I loved the richness of what transpired between them all.
This lays a great foundation for the books that follow. 4 stars.
May 18, 2022
The revised edition is absolutely wonderful. The story grabs you from the very first chapter as you are thrown right into a battle. After that, it is a wonderful exploration and introduction to a world where gender roles are non-existent, and empathy is front and center. Ethical and actual battles lie ahead.
October 21, 2017
There are so many interesting social dynamics in this story. I cannot wait to see where it goes in the next books in the series. Once I got to the 50% mark it was a hard-to-put-down page-turner that led to two nights of not enough sleep. Consider yourselves warned :)
This is definitely one of my all-time-favorite reads. It is even better the second time around. I am sure I will read this again and again. Now, on to Outcaste!
This is definitely one of my all-time-favorite reads. It is even better the second time around. I am sure I will read this again and again. Now, on to Outcaste!
April 21, 2022
I can just read this series over and over again! Such a good series
March 1, 2017
My first book by this author.
I went into this both interested and somewhat concerned. Interested because the story itself sounded interesting. Concerned because everyone seems to love the book (with around 9 exceptions, or in other words, 70% of the people who rated the book, rated it 5 stars).
The book kept my interest from beginning to end. And the interesting little description, turned into an interesting read. If I keep using the word interesting, it will begin to lose its meaning.
If I recall correctly, this is the first science fiction book I’ve been able to get myself to dive into and complete, that involved lesbians (at least one that wasn't based on earth). That lesbian part is/was both important and not important. Though the more important part was the relationship itself, regardless of the person, or genders involved. As in, the issues and conflicts (like, say, conflict of interest), would have been the same regardless of the genders involved, same sex or otherwise. In other words, the nature of the relationship was an important plot point in the story, but the book itself is more of a science fiction book that happens to have a couple making up two of the prominent characters, as opposed to a romance that happens to have a science fiction backdrop. Hopefully I’ve worded this coherently enough.
I went into this book with some vague idea that this was a reformatted, reworded/worked Star Trek Voyager fan fiction novel. I know this author has written those, but I’m not actually sure if this is one or not. My point in bringing this up is that I went into the book with this idea, so that kept popping up in my mind as I was reading. It was more something that would pop up as a remembrance, rather than a ‘ha-ha *points* that’s Voyager like!’ I’ve read 15 Voyager books, and seen, I believe, all episodes of the television series. Though I’ve a vague recollection that somewhere along the way I might have skipped an episode here or there. I write all this to note that I wish I hadn’t had this vague idea before I went into the book. Because it served as an unneeded distraction. This specific book here works quite well on its own merits. And the book was, obviously enough not a Star Trek book (obvious as in it uses different words for things, like Protectorate instead of Federation; and while it had something of that ‘seeding alien race’ thing that popped up on Star Trek the Next Generation, that isn’t a theme that only appears in Star Trek, it’s also in other science fiction universes (there’s a whole series of Larry Niven books that involve both a seeder race, and seeded races)). There were similarities but this had its own little self-contained universe to play in.
Well, the book itself, or, I mean, the story – the book opens as a watcher type watches a screen, watching stuff fall onto a planet. His planet. He is all excited because He’ll be able to direct various scientists to great finds. Then more falling objects appear. Then one breaks apart into tiny bits, while the other continues to fall. And is really really huge. And is headed directly towards a city. People are warned, specifically one Lancer Tal, evacuation orders are begun to be ordered. Then something strange occurs – the object looks as if it is starting to glide away from the city. Though it will still land nearby.
Lancer Tal and a group of guards head out to the crash site. And stare at what appears to be an alien ship. One long running question has been answered. Aliens do in fact exist. Tal watches as three figures stumble out of a hatch onto the ship and begin the slow process of walking across the ship down a ladder.
Lancer Tal comes face to face with Captain Serrado. It’s a relatively slow process but eventually the nature of who and what these ‘aliens’ are discussed and revealed. They are Gaians. And they accidentally ended up on their planet because their fusion core was about to explode. Damaged, as it was, during a battle against a third group of aliens, the Voloth (sp?). The Voloth were there to invade and conquer. The Gaians had been there to observe the Alseans (that being the name of the planet), and intervened when Voloth forces attacked.
First contact occurs among these ‘primitive’ Alseans and these Gaians (I don’t actually recall Alsean actually being used in the book, though it might have been). The primitives turn out to be a lot less primitive than expected.
This is a book that feels longer than it actually is, at least I felt that way when I was at the 40% mark. I don’t mean that in a bad way. More in that a lot of stuff, interesting stuff, was happening.
Hmms. I should probably scrap this write up and start over. I’m not really doing a great job conveying what I want to convey. I say this knowing I’ll probably just leave it as is. But hey, I might come back and ‘fix this’ later.
I liked this book. I might read the next book in this series immediately. Haven’t determined that yet.
January 7 2016
I went into this both interested and somewhat concerned. Interested because the story itself sounded interesting. Concerned because everyone seems to love the book (with around 9 exceptions, or in other words, 70% of the people who rated the book, rated it 5 stars).
The book kept my interest from beginning to end. And the interesting little description, turned into an interesting read. If I keep using the word interesting, it will begin to lose its meaning.
If I recall correctly, this is the first science fiction book I’ve been able to get myself to dive into and complete, that involved lesbians (at least one that wasn't based on earth). That lesbian part is/was both important and not important. Though the more important part was the relationship itself, regardless of the person, or genders involved. As in, the issues and conflicts (like, say, conflict of interest), would have been the same regardless of the genders involved, same sex or otherwise. In other words, the nature of the relationship was an important plot point in the story, but the book itself is more of a science fiction book that happens to have a couple making up two of the prominent characters, as opposed to a romance that happens to have a science fiction backdrop. Hopefully I’ve worded this coherently enough.
I went into this book with some vague idea that this was a reformatted, reworded/worked Star Trek Voyager fan fiction novel. I know this author has written those, but I’m not actually sure if this is one or not. My point in bringing this up is that I went into the book with this idea, so that kept popping up in my mind as I was reading. It was more something that would pop up as a remembrance, rather than a ‘ha-ha *points* that’s Voyager like!’ I’ve read 15 Voyager books, and seen, I believe, all episodes of the television series. Though I’ve a vague recollection that somewhere along the way I might have skipped an episode here or there. I write all this to note that I wish I hadn’t had this vague idea before I went into the book. Because it served as an unneeded distraction. This specific book here works quite well on its own merits. And the book was, obviously enough not a Star Trek book (obvious as in it uses different words for things, like Protectorate instead of Federation; and while it had something of that ‘seeding alien race’ thing that popped up on Star Trek the Next Generation, that isn’t a theme that only appears in Star Trek, it’s also in other science fiction universes (there’s a whole series of Larry Niven books that involve both a seeder race, and seeded races)). There were similarities but this had its own little self-contained universe to play in.
Well, the book itself, or, I mean, the story – the book opens as a watcher type watches a screen, watching stuff fall onto a planet. His planet. He is all excited because He’ll be able to direct various scientists to great finds. Then more falling objects appear. Then one breaks apart into tiny bits, while the other continues to fall. And is really really huge. And is headed directly towards a city. People are warned, specifically one Lancer Tal, evacuation orders are begun to be ordered. Then something strange occurs – the object looks as if it is starting to glide away from the city. Though it will still land nearby.
Lancer Tal and a group of guards head out to the crash site. And stare at what appears to be an alien ship. One long running question has been answered. Aliens do in fact exist. Tal watches as three figures stumble out of a hatch onto the ship and begin the slow process of walking across the ship down a ladder.
Lancer Tal comes face to face with Captain Serrado. It’s a relatively slow process but eventually the nature of who and what these ‘aliens’ are discussed and revealed. They are Gaians. And they accidentally ended up on their planet because their fusion core was about to explode. Damaged, as it was, during a battle against a third group of aliens, the Voloth (sp?). The Voloth were there to invade and conquer. The Gaians had been there to observe the Alseans (that being the name of the planet), and intervened when Voloth forces attacked.
First contact occurs among these ‘primitive’ Alseans and these Gaians (I don’t actually recall Alsean actually being used in the book, though it might have been). The primitives turn out to be a lot less primitive than expected.
This is a book that feels longer than it actually is, at least I felt that way when I was at the 40% mark. I don’t mean that in a bad way. More in that a lot of stuff, interesting stuff, was happening.
Hmms. I should probably scrap this write up and start over. I’m not really doing a great job conveying what I want to convey. I say this knowing I’ll probably just leave it as is. But hey, I might come back and ‘fix this’ later.
I liked this book. I might read the next book in this series immediately. Haven’t determined that yet.
January 7 2016
June 2, 2018
4.5 stars. An excellent beginning to a Star Trek like series. I loved everything about it, the characters, the alien culture, jargon, science part of it was well thought out.
I especially like how the story is mainly approached from the view of the aliens. Very few humans show up in the story. And it all is presented in a very compelling way. I rooted for Alseans all throughout the book, it's, in fact, impossible to dislike them due to their emphatic nature. I don't want to spoil too much about that but the empathy angle was used excellently.
The plot kinda falls into ye old greed of humans trope like so many stories featuring aliens do. Avatar flashbacks or any native American vs the white man movie ever... But it didn't bother me too much in this case. There's so much of quality world building and a good dose of excellent characters that it balances out.
There is some romance in this book but it's definitely not the focus. It was done well though and tied in nicely with the empathy plot line.
Overall a great read and I'm definitely grabbing the sequel.
I especially like how the story is mainly approached from the view of the aliens. Very few humans show up in the story. And it all is presented in a very compelling way. I rooted for Alseans all throughout the book, it's, in fact, impossible to dislike them due to their emphatic nature. I don't want to spoil too much about that but the empathy angle was used excellently.
The plot kinda falls into ye old greed of humans trope like so many stories featuring aliens do. Avatar flashbacks or any native American vs the white man movie ever... But it didn't bother me too much in this case. There's so much of quality world building and a good dose of excellent characters that it balances out.
There is some romance in this book but it's definitely not the focus. It was done well though and tied in nicely with the empathy plot line.
Overall a great read and I'm definitely grabbing the sequel.
March 24, 2015
What a story! Rich character development and world building! The kind that makes you miss it like an old friend!
December 6, 2021
This is everything everyone said it was. Amazing. And if I didn't have just weeks left to complete the Sapphic Reading Challenge, I would gobble up every single one of the books in this series one after another. Unfortunately I can't do that, but I look forward to enjoying them soon!
I LOVED the slow build on all fronts - the challenges, the relationships, the painful decision to do what was necessary for survival, then the ultimate battle. Fabulous. And the Sharing? So beautiful. Especially at the end there. My heart still hasn't recovered from what that revealed.
Also - I think I'm in love with Tal. No - I know I am.
Can't wait to see what is in store for all of them going forward! Great read.
I LOVED the slow build on all fronts - the challenges, the relationships, the painful decision to do what was necessary for survival, then the ultimate battle. Fabulous. And the Sharing? So beautiful. Especially at the end there. My heart still hasn't recovered from what that revealed.
Also - I think I'm in love with Tal. No - I know I am.
Can't wait to see what is in store for all of them going forward! Great read.
October 1, 2020
AMAZING !!!!!
October 31, 2015
It’s been a while since I read a sci-fi novel, and books like “The Caphenon” remind me of the good old times and make me wish the story would never come to an end. Oh, wait. The second book in the series has been published and the third is on the way. Seems like a happy dance is in order.
May 24, 2022
I struggled to give this one a rating. I settled on 4 stars for the good writing and world building.
However, I found the characters a little too perfect for my liking.
This is not a romance, there is an established sapphic couple but it's not the focus of the book.
I would recommend this book to fans of science fiction, especially first contact.
However, I found the characters a little too perfect for my liking.
This is not a romance, there is an established sapphic couple but it's not the focus of the book.
I would recommend this book to fans of science fiction, especially first contact.
July 27, 2017
It's OK.
The start is very messy for me, had to keep reading to see who the hell was talking and who was referring to whom. perhaps it was just me, but kinda took the wind out of the reading sails.
It had some great moments, and some "meh" times. The second half read better and easier than the first half and although I understand this grew out of star trek, this reminded more of star wars.
The start is very messy for me, had to keep reading to see who the hell was talking and who was referring to whom. perhaps it was just me, but kinda took the wind out of the reading sails.
It had some great moments, and some "meh" times. The second half read better and easier than the first half and although I understand this grew out of star trek, this reminded more of star wars.
June 7, 2016
This is a very strange book, and perhaps it is a bit different than what I usually read— but my problems with it lie more in the world depicted by the author than in anything else. As it stands, this book is a lot more world building than character building— and the characters never really become more than somewhat simple, even extremely naïve. Ekayta, for example, is told to be one of the best Captains of the fleet, commanding one of the best ships there is— yet she is uncomprehendingly naive as she falls in love with a terrifying society.
And then it got even creepier. Emotional blackmail, mind control, one of the hero getting close to a ruthless character that would have modified her very mind in order to do Teh Greaturr Good, even sacrificing thousands of civilians as a blackmail pawn. WON'T ANYONE CALL THESE CREEPS OUT FOR WHAT THEY ARE? They're a society that's based on EMOTIONAL ABUSE? All of this because of a moral dilemma 101 basic course, you know the one with a train that's going to kill people, can't be stopped, but you can divert it to kill other people.
And then I got bored. Save-the-world/universe/planet stuff is... Well, I'm fed up with it. I don't like the nationalistic/patriotic rhetoric, I don't like the fake choices and dilemmas, I don't like shoe-horned warmongering jingoistic pragmastism, I have no interest for NRA rhetoric (it's not the gun that kills it's the person behind it duhhhhhh) and I care little about us white people's fantasies of invasion/colonization at the hands of aliens.
So yes. Everything felt very forced, creepy, and frankly Alsea looks like a dystopian society with very strange morals. It's like a fascist utopia, really, and I'm terrified that this probably wasn't how the writer wanted to portray them, but it really is what it looks like when you take a closer look to it.
And then it got even creepier. Emotional blackmail, mind control, one of the hero getting close to a ruthless character that would have modified her very mind in order to do Teh Greaturr Good, even sacrificing thousands of civilians as a blackmail pawn. WON'T ANYONE CALL THESE CREEPS OUT FOR WHAT THEY ARE? They're a society that's based on EMOTIONAL ABUSE? All of this because of a moral dilemma 101 basic course, you know the one with a train that's going to kill people, can't be stopped, but you can divert it to kill other people.
And then I got bored. Save-the-world/universe/planet stuff is... Well, I'm fed up with it. I don't like the nationalistic/patriotic rhetoric, I don't like the fake choices and dilemmas, I don't like shoe-horned warmongering jingoistic pragmastism, I have no interest for NRA rhetoric (it's not the gun that kills it's the person behind it duhhhhhh) and I care little about us white people's fantasies of invasion/colonization at the hands of aliens.
So yes. Everything felt very forced, creepy, and frankly Alsea looks like a dystopian society with very strange morals. It's like a fascist utopia, really, and I'm terrified that this probably wasn't how the writer wanted to portray them, but it really is what it looks like when you take a closer look to it.
April 16, 2016
Hey, guess what? This book is just as good as all you fine people have said it is!
It has a hell of an opening scene, wonderful characters, an interesting plot, and great pacing. I'm so glad I read it and I'm looking forward to the next two.
Full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/caphe.... I'm particularly proud of this one because it was the first ever joint review on The Lesbian Review. I had so much fun reading the book and reviewing it with Brooklyn. Our chat logs are a drooling, fangirly, geeky mess. I can't say how much time we devoted to debating the hullskin issue, but the answer is almost certainly "too much."
It has a hell of an opening scene, wonderful characters, an interesting plot, and great pacing. I'm so glad I read it and I'm looking forward to the next two.
Full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/caphe.... I'm particularly proud of this one because it was the first ever joint review on The Lesbian Review. I had so much fun reading the book and reviewing it with Brooklyn. Our chat logs are a drooling, fangirly, geeky mess. I can't say how much time we devoted to debating the hullskin issue, but the answer is almost certainly "too much."
May 31, 2015
Wow. Just Wow.
I have no words for this book.
I have no words for this book.
April 9, 2017
A compelling science fiction thriller that quickly grabbed my attention and kept me engaged to the final page.
October 18, 2015
I never read Ms. Delaney's previous works because they are based on StarTrek, and I'm really not into StarTrek and its derivatives. But I am into sci-fi, and since there is a disturbing lack of sci-fi within lesbian fiction, I gave it a go, fully expecting a strong ST influence and with a determination to try and enjoy the story without over-analyzing things, something that is ruining my reading pleasure as of late. (I know where to put the blame for that, and its on me).
The ST influence is strong in this story, with a Prime Directive, a Federation of FTL- capable worlds and at some point even a Vulcan mind-meld (or whatever it was called in the series).
Basically, it's a First Contact story, and a violent one at that. We have a peaceful world, pretty advanced in cultural, scientific and mental capabilities, which as the story starts is pondering the existence of other worlds among the stars, but firmly believe they are alone. And they are throroughly disabused of that idea within a single night and they find themselves a pawn in a galactic struggle. Thankfully, the aliens that crash on their planet are benevolent and come with a warning.
I'll admit, the story is solid and well-written. It's action-packed, friendships develop and morals fought over. And that fight takes place on both sides, as the Alseans show their teeth when they hear they're about to be sacrificed. It ends in a planet-wide battle, and while there is plenty firepower around, the crucial weapon is an ability that makes the Alseans both feared and desired galaxy wide. Yet having to use that abilty leaves deep scars behind. It was an interesting twist to the story.
At first, I thought First Contact was a bit too sweet and there were no issues one would come to expect when you find out that you are not alone in the universe (anyone else hoping our turn can't come soon enough?).
The main characters were likeable, the author did a good job of painting some of the social and cultural aspects of Alsea and its civilization. The romance, while playing a big role in the events, was decidedly muted (which can be a good thing after one has overdosed on a certain author before starting this) but a deep friendship develops between the three main characters.
Overall, I liked the story, and I will read the sequel at some point in time.
Now, because I promised Jem I reserved the right to bitch about technology, I will point out some things that didn't make sense to me. I did my best (and I think I succeeded) to not let it get to me, but I have some observations.
From what I gathered throughout the book, the world of Alsea is a peaceful one. They had their fair share of troubles in the past, but at the start of the book they had no domestic issues and they had no reason to think of being invaded in the long term. Then why do they have an extensive militairy apparatus? They have an army and an airforce that includes fighters and bombers. What would you need to bomb? What targets are there to fire shoulder launched missiles at? I could understand a police force, but as far as I can tell, an army is superfluous. Of course, they'd need an army to fight of invaders, but they had no idea one was coming. To me, the warrior caste was just a plot device to put to use later on.
Another issue I had was with the matter printers. Besides the economical ramifications of such a device (which, I understand, plays a role in the sequel), there's also the issue of how it would work. There's an explanation that it converts waste into whatever you need, but that's just mindboggling. If you think about it, you need an equal amount of matter to create some other matter, not to mention the energy needed to power that process. A large city needs all of it's windows replaced, which amounts to a metric tons of matter conversion. Am I to understand that metric tons of poo are converted to metric tons of glass? If so, I need to re-evaluate my diet. I'm pretty sure I don't eat silica.
While it makes a great visual, I cannot see how anyone can think of a large metal box on legs makes a viable militairy weapons platform (I blame Star Wars). And it has the Ultimate Laser of Instant Doom on it. Then why bother with adding missiles, mortars and a railgun? And it takes an anthropologist to point out the one exploitable weakness the otherwise invincile contraption has. I'll admit that had some comedic value.
I'm not trying to trash the story or the writer here. I just want to illustrate that visuals and ideas may look great at first glance and make marvelous plotdevices. It's necessary. But sometimes I wish authors would think something through at bit more.
3.5 stars.
The ST influence is strong in this story, with a Prime Directive, a Federation of FTL- capable worlds and at some point even a Vulcan mind-meld (or whatever it was called in the series).
Basically, it's a First Contact story, and a violent one at that. We have a peaceful world, pretty advanced in cultural, scientific and mental capabilities, which as the story starts is pondering the existence of other worlds among the stars, but firmly believe they are alone. And they are throroughly disabused of that idea within a single night and they find themselves a pawn in a galactic struggle. Thankfully, the aliens that crash on their planet are benevolent and come with a warning.
I'll admit, the story is solid and well-written. It's action-packed, friendships develop and morals fought over. And that fight takes place on both sides, as the Alseans show their teeth when they hear they're about to be sacrificed. It ends in a planet-wide battle, and while there is plenty firepower around, the crucial weapon is an ability that makes the Alseans both feared and desired galaxy wide. Yet having to use that abilty leaves deep scars behind. It was an interesting twist to the story.
At first, I thought First Contact was a bit too sweet and there were no issues one would come to expect when you find out that you are not alone in the universe (anyone else hoping our turn can't come soon enough?).
The main characters were likeable, the author did a good job of painting some of the social and cultural aspects of Alsea and its civilization. The romance, while playing a big role in the events, was decidedly muted (which can be a good thing after one has overdosed on a certain author before starting this) but a deep friendship develops between the three main characters.
Overall, I liked the story, and I will read the sequel at some point in time.
Now, because I promised Jem I reserved the right to bitch about technology, I will point out some things that didn't make sense to me. I did my best (and I think I succeeded) to not let it get to me, but I have some observations.
From what I gathered throughout the book, the world of Alsea is a peaceful one. They had their fair share of troubles in the past, but at the start of the book they had no domestic issues and they had no reason to think of being invaded in the long term. Then why do they have an extensive militairy apparatus? They have an army and an airforce that includes fighters and bombers. What would you need to bomb? What targets are there to fire shoulder launched missiles at? I could understand a police force, but as far as I can tell, an army is superfluous. Of course, they'd need an army to fight of invaders, but they had no idea one was coming. To me, the warrior caste was just a plot device to put to use later on.
Another issue I had was with the matter printers. Besides the economical ramifications of such a device (which, I understand, plays a role in the sequel), there's also the issue of how it would work. There's an explanation that it converts waste into whatever you need, but that's just mindboggling. If you think about it, you need an equal amount of matter to create some other matter, not to mention the energy needed to power that process. A large city needs all of it's windows replaced, which amounts to a metric tons of matter conversion. Am I to understand that metric tons of poo are converted to metric tons of glass? If so, I need to re-evaluate my diet. I'm pretty sure I don't eat silica.
While it makes a great visual, I cannot see how anyone can think of a large metal box on legs makes a viable militairy weapons platform (I blame Star Wars). And it has the Ultimate Laser of Instant Doom on it. Then why bother with adding missiles, mortars and a railgun? And it takes an anthropologist to point out the one exploitable weakness the otherwise invincile contraption has. I'll admit that had some comedic value.
I'm not trying to trash the story or the writer here. I just want to illustrate that visuals and ideas may look great at first glance and make marvelous plotdevices. It's necessary. But sometimes I wish authors would think something through at bit more.
3.5 stars.
January 30, 2016
"Whatever happened next, Alsea would never be the same. The import of the moment was so immense that she still couldn’t grasp it, and yet she had to. She was the Lancer, and the whole world expected her to lead."I don't know where to even begin... I just... Wow. I don't think there's anything I didn't like about this book. As someone new to the universe this is set in, I fell in love with the characters, the world, the story and the way it was written. It's so engaging and richly detailed. I didn't want it to end (good to know the other books are already published!).
The story begins when an astrophysicist discovers a very large rocky body close enough to impact his planet, Alsea. As if that wasn't bad enough, imagine his surprise when after close study he realizes it's actually an alien ship. Andira Tal, Lancer of Alsea, in other words: the world's leader, is immediately informed of this and after overcoming her initial shock and realization that they're not alone in the universe, leads a team of Guards to the expected landing site.
There we meet the aliens, led by Captain Ekatya Serrado, who serves the Protectorate, a confederation of planets technologically advanced with common politics. As it turns out, they've actually just saved, though temporarily, Alsea from an attack (sacrificing their own ship, the Caphenon, in the process) and now require the Alsean's help. Even though Alsea is incapable of FTL (faster-than-light) travel and is not seen as technologically advanced, it has something others want and for which they're willing to do anything to conquer, while Lancer Tal will do whatever it takes to protect her planet from that fate.
"We're creating a future where some of us become virtual gods, while others are stuck in the mud."I really loved the world-building, and getting to know about the politics and the differences in culture and beliefs. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one character: sometimes it's Lancer Tal, others is Captain Serrado, Micah (Tal's most closest ally), and some background characters. I loved this, as it helped me understand each character's motivations and role within the story.
"The warmth shining out of those light eyes made Ekatya think that perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing having her emotions read. It was nice being able to leave things unsaid and know they weren’t unheard."And I thought it was very interesting that Alseans are emphatic beings (meaning they can feel other people's emotions) and can also temporarily change their sex so either partner can carry and nurse a baby. Also interesting is the fact that they're so reserved about physical touch, even though feeling other people's emotions is pretty intimate to me. :>
Most of the aliens we get to know, such as the lovely Ekatya Serrado, are from Gaia and as the name might imply, are more like 'us': no face ridges, they're non-emphatic, 'gender-locked' and actually speak in terms of hours and years, instead of hanticks, pipticks, tenticks, cycles and so on. :3
"In her confidence that she could see through this sonsales alien all the way to her innermost motivations, it had never occurred to her that the captain might be able to see through her. But they were both warriors, both leaders, both carrying the weight of their decisions."Speaking of Ekatya, I love that she and Andira are so much alike. They're such complex and interesting characters. Both are strong, smart and put honor and duty above all else. And because of that they aren't afraid to make the hard decisions if it is for the greater good, even if it's not morally just. I loved their friendship and understanding of each other.
There was also a bit of romance, though not between the people I'd have preferred. But it was cute and added a wonderfully emotional feel to the story and the characters. :)
It's such an entertaining and interesting book that I, as a fan of science fiction, really enjoyed. There's just so much to love for me. Can I consider myself a fan of Ms. DeLancey after just one book? I don't know, but that's how much I liked it!
Book provided by Ylva Publishing (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2016
I'd give this more than five stars if I could.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The basis in Star Trek fan fiction is there, but the changes are really interesting. I loved the plants as a ship system, the hullskin technology, and the world-building for the Alsean civilization. I couldn't put this down, and I can't wait to carry on with the next in the series.
This is a great sci-fi space opera, with battles and politics, ancient alien gods and interesting creation myths. It's got first contact with a really interesting pre-warp civilization (with awesome gender/sexuality/reproduction stuff going on) and great characters.
I found it while browsing 'also read' recommendations for lesbian romances, and it does have lesbians. It's not a romance though, as the main couple are already together before the story starts. They are trying to balance careers that keep them apart, and possible accusations of conflicts of interest which was interesting. I liked them both, despite the fact that (even though they're all original characters now) Lynn still read rather like J/OFC Mary Sue.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The basis in Star Trek fan fiction is there, but the changes are really interesting. I loved the plants as a ship system, the hullskin technology, and the world-building for the Alsean civilization. I couldn't put this down, and I can't wait to carry on with the next in the series.
This is a great sci-fi space opera, with battles and politics, ancient alien gods and interesting creation myths. It's got first contact with a really interesting pre-warp civilization (with awesome gender/sexuality/reproduction stuff going on) and great characters.
I found it while browsing 'also read' recommendations for lesbian romances, and it does have lesbians. It's not a romance though, as the main couple are already together before the story starts. They are trying to balance careers that keep them apart, and possible accusations of conflicts of interest which was interesting. I liked them both, despite the fact that (even though they're all original characters now) Lynn still read rather like J/OFC Mary Sue.
September 6, 2015
I was in the mood for a good Sci-Fi book and this fit the bill. The fact that it was also a nice f/f romance was icing on the cake. It has been quite some time since I read a book that had such good world building that I could easily slip into the setting. The world was rich and vibrant and filled with interesting characters. The three main characters Ekatya, Lyhn, and Lancer Tal were all unique and very interesting characters and I could really empathize with the hard decisions they had to make. Though Lancer Tal was my favorite character and am happy to see she has a book of her own to learn more about her and see if she gets her happy ending. The Caphenon definitely runs you through a gamut of emotions that any good form of media should invoke in the viewer. I recommend this book to anyone.
December 6, 2016
I'm hooked! I was sucked into this story from the very beginning. The only way I can describe it is to say that the flow and pacing of the story was perfect for grabbing my attention and keeping me fully engaged. Lately, I have the attention span of a gnat. That was never an issue with this story. In fact the opposite was true. I didn't want to put it down.
November 29, 2015
Wow! Fascinating Star Trek adjacent universe yet original in it's own world building science fiction. Interesting characters that I can't wait to spend more time with in the next book of the series.
March 19, 2015
I loved this book. The story, the characters, and, mostly, the world building.
I highly recommend it. Even to non-scifi fans.
I highly recommend it. Even to non-scifi fans.
September 1, 2018
I can sum this book up in one word: Amazeballs!!!
Definitely one of the top 3 books I’ve read all year.
Definitely one of the top 3 books I’ve read all year.
March 22, 2015
When I originally read Fletcher DeLancey's fictional works well over a year ago when I was in a job I was not exactly happy about. A year later, and once again reviewing her stories about Lynn and Captain Janeway I was surprised to see she had stepped it up with a fully published work on Alsea!
So to begin, I remember the original "Without a Front" which was Voyager spinoff fanfiction. After seeing it reworked into its own complete universe, and a complete redone opening I can see I was happy to once again read about Alsea! i think in many ways Fletcher stands to mix the elements that we often see in classical High Fantasy novels with modern Scifi. Her writing style is quick, active, and gets the point across while being filled with plenty of humor. I think in many ways the story simply warms my heart, and makes me feel positive.
Without giving too many spoilers the book opens with Andira Tal, the Lancer, or planetary leader of the planet Alsea. Out of no where an alien ship, the Caphenon, crashed on the planet causing the local Alseans to rethink their place in the galaxy. Right away the exposition introduces us to an alien world with Farscape-esque replacement words such as Hanticks, pipticks, Shekkers, and doksin. Its pretty endearing, and in many ways that jovial seriousness is embedded in every word!
The book does have elements of that are slightly cliche. There's a big old progenitor race, and heavy elements of pan-spermia more along the lines of Stargate. I would say though that I do like this aspect as it shows that in a way Fletcher took the stereotypical everyone is humanoid aspecet of Star Trek and other fantasy series and made it her own. Everyone looks the same because well all species were created by the Progenitor race. Pretty nifty really!
The book is long, and at times can feel like two that were connected together. If you are a GRRM fan who loves ongoing stories that cover a swathe of plotline. This is a thick plot, but its not the most difficult to dive into. In many ways though, there is a lot there to consider. Andira Tal right off the bat can seem a bit self righteous, and so do a few of the other characters. But the thing here is that much like any good author worth her salt, Fletcher has created a main character that we know is not your typical white knight. This is not Eragon pining away to avoid killing, or annoying chapter of Egwene from Wheel of time, this is a world leader. One willing to do what is needed to get the job done.
Like all good writings though all of this is personal, and I will admit I'm a big fan of Fletcher DeLancey. There were a few critiques I did have. First, some of the Alsean names seem a bit random, but I know nothing of Fletcher's notes. I'm a linguist at heart so everyone time I see a place name, a personal name etc, I try to piece together how the group speaks. I also could not help but chuckle every time I saw Baldassar.
Everything else was just enjoyable. This is not a book that strives for hard science, but whisks you away for an enjoyable jump into a world that is not our own. Yet, its not at all afraid to toss you seriously questionable practices, or consider things. Alseans are empaths, and there are entire strictures in their religion related to that. The politics of the casts was also a lot more rounded, than one might expect. I cherish her old version, but the new book has more depth on the castes, and gives us a great sense of who the Alseans are.
One cool thing I want to say is I like how Alseans are shown anatomically with the ability to gender-shift naturally. The reaction that non-Alseans were gender-lock dimorphically was pretty charming to consider.
So, if you are seeking a good book to sit down and read that has a lot of twists and turns, Caphenon is for you. If you want to see an alien world that is not so alien, then I still highly suggest it!
-Padraig O'C
So to begin, I remember the original "Without a Front" which was Voyager spinoff fanfiction. After seeing it reworked into its own complete universe, and a complete redone opening I can see I was happy to once again read about Alsea! i think in many ways Fletcher stands to mix the elements that we often see in classical High Fantasy novels with modern Scifi. Her writing style is quick, active, and gets the point across while being filled with plenty of humor. I think in many ways the story simply warms my heart, and makes me feel positive.
Without giving too many spoilers the book opens with Andira Tal, the Lancer, or planetary leader of the planet Alsea. Out of no where an alien ship, the Caphenon, crashed on the planet causing the local Alseans to rethink their place in the galaxy. Right away the exposition introduces us to an alien world with Farscape-esque replacement words such as Hanticks, pipticks, Shekkers, and doksin. Its pretty endearing, and in many ways that jovial seriousness is embedded in every word!
The book does have elements of that are slightly cliche. There's a big old progenitor race, and heavy elements of pan-spermia more along the lines of Stargate. I would say though that I do like this aspect as it shows that in a way Fletcher took the stereotypical everyone is humanoid aspecet of Star Trek and other fantasy series and made it her own. Everyone looks the same because well all species were created by the Progenitor race. Pretty nifty really!
The book is long, and at times can feel like two that were connected together. If you are a GRRM fan who loves ongoing stories that cover a swathe of plotline. This is a thick plot, but its not the most difficult to dive into. In many ways though, there is a lot there to consider. Andira Tal right off the bat can seem a bit self righteous, and so do a few of the other characters. But the thing here is that much like any good author worth her salt, Fletcher has created a main character that we know is not your typical white knight. This is not Eragon pining away to avoid killing, or annoying chapter of Egwene from Wheel of time, this is a world leader. One willing to do what is needed to get the job done.
Like all good writings though all of this is personal, and I will admit I'm a big fan of Fletcher DeLancey. There were a few critiques I did have. First, some of the Alsean names seem a bit random, but I know nothing of Fletcher's notes. I'm a linguist at heart so everyone time I see a place name, a personal name etc, I try to piece together how the group speaks. I also could not help but chuckle every time I saw Baldassar.
Everything else was just enjoyable. This is not a book that strives for hard science, but whisks you away for an enjoyable jump into a world that is not our own. Yet, its not at all afraid to toss you seriously questionable practices, or consider things. Alseans are empaths, and there are entire strictures in their religion related to that. The politics of the casts was also a lot more rounded, than one might expect. I cherish her old version, but the new book has more depth on the castes, and gives us a great sense of who the Alseans are.
One cool thing I want to say is I like how Alseans are shown anatomically with the ability to gender-shift naturally. The reaction that non-Alseans were gender-lock dimorphically was pretty charming to consider.
So, if you are seeking a good book to sit down and read that has a lot of twists and turns, Caphenon is for you. If you want to see an alien world that is not so alien, then I still highly suggest it!
-Padraig O'C
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