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Neskan Chronicles #1
Founder's Mercy
"Tightly-plotted with nuanced characters that are easy to root for."
–Ryan Douglass, New York Times bestselling author of The Taking of Jake Livingston
The Bolvar Union provides everything a good citizen needs, only asking one thing in return: total devotion to the State. Teenage best friends Adan Testa and Bo Shen have other ideas. They plan an unlikely heist to earn their way over the wall, escaping Bolvar before serving their mandatory five years in the Bolvar Union Defense Force. But Adan doesn’t know he possesses a secret talent that no one has seen in the five centuries since the First Explorers colonized Neska. And when the Union discovers Adan's hidden gift, they'll do anything and everything they can to discover his secret. Even if it kills him.
Fans of Alex London’s Proxy or M.R. Carey’s Ramparts Trilogy won’t want to miss this engaging and inclusive sci-fi dystopian thriller.
“Lach breathes some new life into the genre with a likable cast of characters, an engaging romance, and a well-thought-out premise.”
–Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Reviews
"Owen Lach’s debut YA sci-fi novel, Founder’s Mercy, feels like a well-oiled machine. This is an unpretentiously accomplished debut and a cracking, fun read."
–The Queer Review
–Ryan Douglass, New York Times bestselling author of The Taking of Jake Livingston
The Bolvar Union provides everything a good citizen needs, only asking one thing in return: total devotion to the State. Teenage best friends Adan Testa and Bo Shen have other ideas. They plan an unlikely heist to earn their way over the wall, escaping Bolvar before serving their mandatory five years in the Bolvar Union Defense Force. But Adan doesn’t know he possesses a secret talent that no one has seen in the five centuries since the First Explorers colonized Neska. And when the Union discovers Adan's hidden gift, they'll do anything and everything they can to discover his secret. Even if it kills him.
Fans of Alex London’s Proxy or M.R. Carey’s Ramparts Trilogy won’t want to miss this engaging and inclusive sci-fi dystopian thriller.
“Lach breathes some new life into the genre with a likable cast of characters, an engaging romance, and a well-thought-out premise.”
–Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Reviews
"Owen Lach’s debut YA sci-fi novel, Founder’s Mercy, feels like a well-oiled machine. This is an unpretentiously accomplished debut and a cracking, fun read."
–The Queer Review
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 22, 2022
49 people are currently reading
692 people want to read
About the author
Owen Lach
7 books56 followersBest-selling author Owen Lach writes tales of queer love and adventure for YA sci-fi and romance readers. His passion for diverse voices shines in worlds where characters find their power and embark on unforgettable journeys. When he’s not writing, Owen seeks inspiration in the works of other queer, femme, trans, and POC authors or unwinds in the vibrant worlds of anime and video games. For Owen, stories are more than words. They’re bridges to understanding, windows to new experiences, and the beating heart of human connection. Join him in exploring imagination’s boundless possibilities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 5, 2022
Founder’s Mercy is a thrilling, young-adult sci-fi adventure set in a well developed world filled with likable, relatable characters
Founder’s Mercy tells the story of teenage Adan Testa and his best friend Bo as they navigate life in the Bolvar Union on the colony of Neska. At first, the Union seems like your standard sci-fi dystopia, but Lach’s rich, layered world-building gives the city an accessible, lived-in feel. I can easily imagine settling in for a bowl of Mother Agra’s hearty Marsh Pig stew at a table overlooking the Daralsha River.
Adan’s story centers on the fact that he doesn’t want to perform his upcoming mandatory military service. That’s a goal I can get behind. He and Bo develop an (unlikely) plan for escaping the Bolvar Union. Like even the best laid plans, it goes awry.
Lach is a gifted storyteller. He sets the scenes well as we move from place to place and act to act, including enough detail for me to picture his highly detailed world without bashing me over the head with it. Like many stories told from the perspective of young adults, the world starts small and focused but grows larger and larger. And I was right there with Adan each step of the way as he discovered just how big the world really is.
Lach’s complex, nuanced characters sealed the deal for me. They mainly exist in the liminal space between the teenage years and adulthood. They make good choices and bad ones. They get some things right and others disastrously wrong. One of my pet peeves is YA writers who treat their YA characters like miniature adults, and Lach masterfully avoids this trope. Throw in a healthy heaping of Lach’s queer perspective, and you’ve got a cast you can really sink your teeth into. That perspective includes characters who don’t assume someone’s gender based on their appearance. Everyone is they/them until revealed to be otherwise. Adan’s gayness is a similar non-issue. And the easy intimacy of Adan and Bo’s friendship is a delight. It’s a refreshing perspective I’d love to see more authors take.
The story contains some mild descriptions of violence, and several characters deal with growing up without parents. You’ll find some romance, but nothing racier than kissing and cuddling.
Founder’s Mercy tells the story of teenage Adan Testa and his best friend Bo as they navigate life in the Bolvar Union on the colony of Neska. At first, the Union seems like your standard sci-fi dystopia, but Lach’s rich, layered world-building gives the city an accessible, lived-in feel. I can easily imagine settling in for a bowl of Mother Agra’s hearty Marsh Pig stew at a table overlooking the Daralsha River.
Adan’s story centers on the fact that he doesn’t want to perform his upcoming mandatory military service. That’s a goal I can get behind. He and Bo develop an (unlikely) plan for escaping the Bolvar Union. Like even the best laid plans, it goes awry.
Lach is a gifted storyteller. He sets the scenes well as we move from place to place and act to act, including enough detail for me to picture his highly detailed world without bashing me over the head with it. Like many stories told from the perspective of young adults, the world starts small and focused but grows larger and larger. And I was right there with Adan each step of the way as he discovered just how big the world really is.
Lach’s complex, nuanced characters sealed the deal for me. They mainly exist in the liminal space between the teenage years and adulthood. They make good choices and bad ones. They get some things right and others disastrously wrong. One of my pet peeves is YA writers who treat their YA characters like miniature adults, and Lach masterfully avoids this trope. Throw in a healthy heaping of Lach’s queer perspective, and you’ve got a cast you can really sink your teeth into. That perspective includes characters who don’t assume someone’s gender based on their appearance. Everyone is they/them until revealed to be otherwise. Adan’s gayness is a similar non-issue. And the easy intimacy of Adan and Bo’s friendship is a delight. It’s a refreshing perspective I’d love to see more authors take.
The story contains some mild descriptions of violence, and several characters deal with growing up without parents. You’ll find some romance, but nothing racier than kissing and cuddling.
December 28, 2021
Lach's captivating blend of thoughtful world-building, gripping adventure, and witty dialogue make this sci-fi thriller a definite page-turner. But it's all the thoughtful, diverse, well-rounded characters that make this story. With each twist and turn of the thrilling plot, it's easy to care about what happens to them. Lach's queer sensibility tops it all off, making Founder's Mercy one of my favorite reads of the year.
January 14, 2023
Founder's Mercy by Owen Lach is a totally fresh and unexpected take on YA dystopian fiction. Lach should be proud of this formidable debut novel. The world-building was skillful, and the characters feel real. No one feels one-dimensional, and their relationships feel real, like the close bond and platonic love between queer Adan and his straight best friend, Bo. Queerness and varied gender expressions are a fact of life, even in an unfriendly, oppressive place like Bolvar. YA dystopia so often feels like a torture porn event at the oppression olympics. Not so, here. Adan is queer, but Adan’s story isn’t about his queerness. This book is a must-read and will be going into my permanent collection, can't wait to read it again.
March 30, 2022
This was a fun story with great characters and fantastic world-building. It was hard to put down. The writing was very immersive. The characters were well developed, and their enjoyable dialogue seemed natural and free-flowing. I enjoyed how the winding narrative unfolded, keeping me interested and invested. The author used several familiar YA tropes but always turned or twisted them into something new and unique. I appreciated the author's subtle commentary on how oppressive regimes can easily co-opted identity politics. I can't wait for the next book in the series! Owen Lach is an author to watch.
March 6, 2022
***Thank you to NetGalley and Jetspace Studio for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
I really enjoyed reading this book! The pacing kept me wanting to turn to the next page, and the world-building and relationships between the characters had me engaged throughout the story. The writing was straightforward and easy to read while still being descriptive enough to feel immersed within the world of the characters. Although, at times the sentence structure and certain phrases did become repetitive, and there were the occasional odd turns of phrase (chunky hair?). The good aspects of the story and writing, however, far outweighed any of the minor foibles.
The world-building in this book was fascinating. The society reminded me of descriptions of the Soviet Union, but it was set on a colony planet sometime in the future. The author did a great job of setting the scene, and the world felt well-conceived and realistic. It felt as though I was there alongside the main characters as they confronted the horrors and secrets of the Union, and I was enthralled by every minute of being immersed in this world. I especially liked how the information about the history of the world was carefully unveiled in service to the events of the story rather than just all being dumped at random. The parallel story of the first explorers, which was presented via written logs inserted between the chapters, complemented the story of the main characters and added to the mystery of the Union while giving important information about its origins.
The characterizations were well-done, and I felt like I was reading about actual teens. There was the usual teen drama, and the main character constantly assessed the hotness of his companions. These aspects made the characters feel like typical teens in the face of extraordinary circumstances. I thought the romances were adorable and well-paced while managing to avoid overtaking the entire narrative. My favorite thing about this book, though, was the endearing friendship between Adan and Bo. It was just so beautiful to read about two boys who weren't afraid to express their emotions and form deep platonic bonds.
I also loved that the book was super queer. All the representation was great, and it was interesting to see equality on that front in a society that was deeply flawed in other ways. In many queer stories, the protagonist is often fighting for equality (or simply to exist) in regards to their queerness. In this book, however, that wasn't the case, and it was great to see queer teens just kick butt and take names without queerness itself being the motivation for their actions/conflict.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was the repetitive use of betrayal as a plot device. The first couple of times it packed a punch, but it got old and predictable as the story progressed. However, I still highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA, dystopian, queer, and/or sci-fi stories because it was definitely an enjoyable read despite its flaws. Therefore, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
See more of my reviews and other bookish content here!
I really enjoyed reading this book! The pacing kept me wanting to turn to the next page, and the world-building and relationships between the characters had me engaged throughout the story. The writing was straightforward and easy to read while still being descriptive enough to feel immersed within the world of the characters. Although, at times the sentence structure and certain phrases did become repetitive, and there were the occasional odd turns of phrase (chunky hair?). The good aspects of the story and writing, however, far outweighed any of the minor foibles.
The world-building in this book was fascinating. The society reminded me of descriptions of the Soviet Union, but it was set on a colony planet sometime in the future. The author did a great job of setting the scene, and the world felt well-conceived and realistic. It felt as though I was there alongside the main characters as they confronted the horrors and secrets of the Union, and I was enthralled by every minute of being immersed in this world. I especially liked how the information about the history of the world was carefully unveiled in service to the events of the story rather than just all being dumped at random. The parallel story of the first explorers, which was presented via written logs inserted between the chapters, complemented the story of the main characters and added to the mystery of the Union while giving important information about its origins.
The characterizations were well-done, and I felt like I was reading about actual teens. There was the usual teen drama, and the main character constantly assessed the hotness of his companions. These aspects made the characters feel like typical teens in the face of extraordinary circumstances. I thought the romances were adorable and well-paced while managing to avoid overtaking the entire narrative. My favorite thing about this book, though, was the endearing friendship between Adan and Bo. It was just so beautiful to read about two boys who weren't afraid to express their emotions and form deep platonic bonds.
I also loved that the book was super queer. All the representation was great, and it was interesting to see equality on that front in a society that was deeply flawed in other ways. In many queer stories, the protagonist is often fighting for equality (or simply to exist) in regards to their queerness. In this book, however, that wasn't the case, and it was great to see queer teens just kick butt and take names without queerness itself being the motivation for their actions/conflict.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was the repetitive use of betrayal as a plot device. The first couple of times it packed a punch, but it got old and predictable as the story progressed. However, I still highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA, dystopian, queer, and/or sci-fi stories because it was definitely an enjoyable read despite its flaws. Therefore, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
See more of my reviews and other bookish content here!
March 21, 2022
Founder's Mercy is a breathtaking debut from Lach. I read it in nearly a single sitting. The delightful cast immediately drew me in, especially childhood best friends Adan and Bo. I enjoyed the pacing. Adan's world started small and contained but grew more extensive and exciting with each chapter. Lach's writing style is accessible and appropriate for young adults without skimping on frankness and depth. Lach's world-building is commendable, especially with how thoughtfully inclusive the story is regarding queerness, gender, and race. The book sets up a series I'm excited to read.
March 24, 2022
Edit: Look ma! I'm on Twitter!
(also, fwiw, I was saying that the love interest was inconsistent, not the protagonist)
FOUNDER'S MERCY is the debut novel of Owen Lach and, as such, is peppered with debut novel issues. It is worth saying as well that the copy I was given to read was an unedited ARC - so take a lot of this with a grain of salt!
Adan Testa lives in the Bolvar Union, a police state-lite on a colony planet of Neska - wanting to escape and avoid mandatory military service, Adan and his friend Bo hatch a plot. When the plot fails and the two are pushed into military service anyway, Adan discovers that he is the first person in nearly five hundred years capable of activating and using the technology of the first explorers of Neska.
I enjoyed FOUNDER'S MERCY, on the whole - I enjoy lost technology as a concept, and the idea of an advanced society having to regress (though they're still early-20th century level at the lowest) but being aware that they used to have access to technological wonders like Fancy Guns and 3D Printers is cool to me.
The setting also falls into another of my pet niches, 'failed/struggling colony fiction'. Each chapter is headed with a diary entry from the original survey craft trying to figure out what they should do when the colony fleet itself doesn't arrive, and then surviving on the surface of the planet and trying to build a society.
The characters are serviceable for the most part, but nothing outstanding - however, one of the things to carry over from the former colonists is pronoun usage. Almost every character introduces themselves, along with "he" or "she" or "they", which is nice. It's a shame it's so clunky, but like in real life, there's not really a more elegant way of doing it.
The text follows this - it refers to new characters as 'they' until the character themselves confirm whether they go by he/she/other - for the most part. There were several times I noticed the text referring to someone as a she or a he before it was confirmed, but likely to be fixed in editing.
Adan, the protagonist, is gay - which is fine - but tends to take a moment in the middle of things to go "Wow, that man is very hot", which annoys me when it's a heterosexual character ogling pretty girls, so it would be remiss of me not to point it out here as well.
I didn't buy the romance that develops between Adan and another character - the plot takes place over the course of 3-4 weeks, and Adan keeps going on about 'how much (romantic interest) has changed since I first met him', which is true, but that feels more a lampshade for how inconsistently that character behaves and is written.
Adan also gets access to advanced armour which can talk and take control of his body - which all serves to make him a whirling, murdering action hero. 15 year old boy Adan Testa, whose hardest work in life has been doing laundry, immediately adapts to being a killing machine and apparently has no averse reaction to murdering several (dozens? I'm going to go with dozens) of people, some of whom he knows and was relatively friendly with.
The conclusion of the book also kind of just.. exists. It doesn't leave me pumped for a sequel, and it doesn't really end on a big cliffhanger or anything either (not that that's necessarily a bad thing). It just ends with 'Well. What do we do now?' 'I guess we could do this?' 'Oh, okay! Sounds good!'
There's a fair bit of 'first time author' writing in here - in particular, speech verbs. Very rarely does a character 'say' something', they confirm, or offer, or complain. It's like the author is scared of having 'said' twice in a row. There are other ways around this. In the space of half a page, we have;
There's also some strange not-quite run on sentences throughout. I noticed this a lot; "X does Y. Then, X does Z with Y.
Rather than just 'There was a knock at the door. It opened, and Chief Osaben walked in'. We don't need the 'Then', we know that it follows from the first sentence. This happens very often.
Anyway. I enjoyed FOUNDER'S MERCY enough to finish it (and it's an decent length for a debut novel), and I may pick up the second when it comes out. Three stars.
Thankyou to NetGalley and Jetspace Studio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Happy publication day :)
(also, fwiw, I was saying that the love interest was inconsistent, not the protagonist)
FOUNDER'S MERCY is the debut novel of Owen Lach and, as such, is peppered with debut novel issues. It is worth saying as well that the copy I was given to read was an unedited ARC - so take a lot of this with a grain of salt!
Adan Testa lives in the Bolvar Union, a police state-lite on a colony planet of Neska - wanting to escape and avoid mandatory military service, Adan and his friend Bo hatch a plot. When the plot fails and the two are pushed into military service anyway, Adan discovers that he is the first person in nearly five hundred years capable of activating and using the technology of the first explorers of Neska.
I enjoyed FOUNDER'S MERCY, on the whole - I enjoy lost technology as a concept, and the idea of an advanced society having to regress (though they're still early-20th century level at the lowest) but being aware that they used to have access to technological wonders like Fancy Guns and 3D Printers is cool to me.
The setting also falls into another of my pet niches, 'failed/struggling colony fiction'. Each chapter is headed with a diary entry from the original survey craft trying to figure out what they should do when the colony fleet itself doesn't arrive, and then surviving on the surface of the planet and trying to build a society.
The characters are serviceable for the most part, but nothing outstanding - however, one of the things to carry over from the former colonists is pronoun usage. Almost every character introduces themselves, along with "he" or "she" or "they", which is nice. It's a shame it's so clunky, but like in real life, there's not really a more elegant way of doing it.
The text follows this - it refers to new characters as 'they' until the character themselves confirm whether they go by he/she/other - for the most part. There were several times I noticed the text referring to someone as a she or a he before it was confirmed, but likely to be fixed in editing.
Adan, the protagonist, is gay - which is fine - but tends to take a moment in the middle of things to go "Wow, that man is very hot", which annoys me when it's a heterosexual character ogling pretty girls, so it would be remiss of me not to point it out here as well.
I didn't buy the romance that develops between Adan and another character - the plot takes place over the course of 3-4 weeks, and Adan keeps going on about 'how much (romantic interest) has changed since I first met him', which is true, but that feels more a lampshade for how inconsistently that character behaves and is written.
Adan also gets access to advanced armour which can talk and take control of his body - which all serves to make him a whirling, murdering action hero. 15 year old boy Adan Testa, whose hardest work in life has been doing laundry, immediately adapts to being a killing machine and apparently has no averse reaction to murdering several (dozens? I'm going to go with dozens) of people, some of whom he knows and was relatively friendly with.
The conclusion of the book also kind of just.. exists. It doesn't leave me pumped for a sequel, and it doesn't really end on a big cliffhanger or anything either (not that that's necessarily a bad thing). It just ends with 'Well. What do we do now?' 'I guess we could do this?' 'Oh, okay! Sounds good!'
There's a fair bit of 'first time author' writing in here - in particular, speech verbs. Very rarely does a character 'say' something', they confirm, or offer, or complain. It's like the author is scared of having 'said' twice in a row. There are other ways around this. In the space of half a page, we have;
Garun announced;
Bo gushed;
Fan spat;
Adan agreed.
There's also some strange not-quite run on sentences throughout. I noticed this a lot; "X does Y. Then, X does Z with Y.
There was a knock on the door. Then it opened, and Third Chief Osaben walked in.
Rather than just 'There was a knock at the door. It opened, and Chief Osaben walked in'. We don't need the 'Then', we know that it follows from the first sentence. This happens very often.
Anyway. I enjoyed FOUNDER'S MERCY enough to finish it (and it's an decent length for a debut novel), and I may pick up the second when it comes out. Three stars.
Thankyou to NetGalley and Jetspace Studio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Happy publication day :)
March 3, 2022
Got an ARC from netgalley for this review
It's been a while since I found a YA Dystopian book that I really clicked with, but I finally did with Founder's Mercy.
The world building was fantastic from the very beginning, the characters clicked instantly, and the tropes of the genera were there but they weren't lazyily used as I often find they are in recent YA, and the twists and turns were fun enough to keep me on my toes.
The queerness of the book bumps it from four stars to five stars for me, it was refreshing for the genera and I loved every second of it.
I'm glad it's the first of a series, I anxiously await a sequel.
It's been a while since I found a YA Dystopian book that I really clicked with, but I finally did with Founder's Mercy.
The world building was fantastic from the very beginning, the characters clicked instantly, and the tropes of the genera were there but they weren't lazyily used as I often find they are in recent YA, and the twists and turns were fun enough to keep me on my toes.
The queerness of the book bumps it from four stars to five stars for me, it was refreshing for the genera and I loved every second of it.
I'm glad it's the first of a series, I anxiously await a sequel.
April 16, 2022
Founder's Mercy is on the shelves now!
An exciting debut from Owen Lach!
Founder's Mercy takes place in the planet Neska, colonized by the First Explorers five centuries ago.
The main characters live under the iron fist of an authoritarian regime, the Bolvar Union, which reminded me a lot of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Block puppet states. It provides food, shelter and a job to its subjects, and brutally cracks down any hint of critisicm or deviation from the norm and the narrow path of life it has designed for everyone.
Bolvar demands from all its subject a five-year mandatory military service, and Adan Testa and his best friend, Bo Shen have no intention of following through with it. They have a plan to escape the walls of Bolvar before their time to serve the Defence Forces comes.
No plan survives first contact with the enemy though, and Adan and Bo find themselves thrown in a maelstrom of secrets, betrayals, hidden agendas, new friends and foes. Adan has a unique ability and Bolvar would do anything to use it for their profit.
If there's one thing that stands out in Founder's Mercy, it's the worldbuilding. The layers of the society, the complexity of it, the propaganda and brainwashing, is written in a consice and enthralling way to keep the reader hooked up. Parts of the planet's history and the technological devolvement are also revealed to the reader at the right moments.
I'd like the characters to have their emotions roll in the pages in a bit more depth and angst/fear/relief/kinship etc., and that's the only thing missing for me to give it a five-star.
I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel !
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
An exciting debut from Owen Lach!
Founder's Mercy takes place in the planet Neska, colonized by the First Explorers five centuries ago.
The main characters live under the iron fist of an authoritarian regime, the Bolvar Union, which reminded me a lot of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Block puppet states. It provides food, shelter and a job to its subjects, and brutally cracks down any hint of critisicm or deviation from the norm and the narrow path of life it has designed for everyone.
Bolvar demands from all its subject a five-year mandatory military service, and Adan Testa and his best friend, Bo Shen have no intention of following through with it. They have a plan to escape the walls of Bolvar before their time to serve the Defence Forces comes.
No plan survives first contact with the enemy though, and Adan and Bo find themselves thrown in a maelstrom of secrets, betrayals, hidden agendas, new friends and foes. Adan has a unique ability and Bolvar would do anything to use it for their profit.
If there's one thing that stands out in Founder's Mercy, it's the worldbuilding. The layers of the society, the complexity of it, the propaganda and brainwashing, is written in a consice and enthralling way to keep the reader hooked up. Parts of the planet's history and the technological devolvement are also revealed to the reader at the right moments.
I'd like the characters to have their emotions roll in the pages in a bit more depth and angst/fear/relief/kinship etc., and that's the only thing missing for me to give it a five-star.
I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel !
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
January 8, 2022
I got an Advance Reader Copy of this book through Net Galley.
Founder's Mercy hit every mark for what I look for in a YA novel, but the author elevated the story to the next level with his genuinely wholesome main characters and excellent pacing. The story starts out by setting the scene of political unrest in the bleak Union dystopia where Adan and his ride-or-die BFF Bo live, both having grown up in the system and living in a group home together for several years. They have a heist planned that will get them smuggled out of the Union to avoid mandatory military service, and the roller coaster they set in motion changes both of their lives forever. The pacing of the story is exciting without being too stressful, and although the plot gets slightly complicated towards the end of the book, everything is tied up nicely and explained in a way that clearly sets up the adventure planned for the next installment (can't wait for that, by the way!).
What sets this book apart from the traditional dystopian YA sci-fi formula that we all know and love is that the characters have an emotional intelligence that is absolutely refreshing to see, and leads me to encourage school librarians to get this on their shelves. Instead of tension between characters based on miscommunication, poor boundaries, and confusion, we get to see guys sharing their feelings, talking things out, comforting one another, and figuring out trust and romance in an honest way. On top of that, the book features easy use of they/them pronouns, POC representation, and normalized queer romance. I love that it doesn't fall into the "bury your gays" trope. This book was a delight to read, from start to finish, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment. Fantastic debut from Owen Lach!
Founder's Mercy hit every mark for what I look for in a YA novel, but the author elevated the story to the next level with his genuinely wholesome main characters and excellent pacing. The story starts out by setting the scene of political unrest in the bleak Union dystopia where Adan and his ride-or-die BFF Bo live, both having grown up in the system and living in a group home together for several years. They have a heist planned that will get them smuggled out of the Union to avoid mandatory military service, and the roller coaster they set in motion changes both of their lives forever. The pacing of the story is exciting without being too stressful, and although the plot gets slightly complicated towards the end of the book, everything is tied up nicely and explained in a way that clearly sets up the adventure planned for the next installment (can't wait for that, by the way!).
What sets this book apart from the traditional dystopian YA sci-fi formula that we all know and love is that the characters have an emotional intelligence that is absolutely refreshing to see, and leads me to encourage school librarians to get this on their shelves. Instead of tension between characters based on miscommunication, poor boundaries, and confusion, we get to see guys sharing their feelings, talking things out, comforting one another, and figuring out trust and romance in an honest way. On top of that, the book features easy use of they/them pronouns, POC representation, and normalized queer romance. I love that it doesn't fall into the "bury your gays" trope. This book was a delight to read, from start to finish, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment. Fantastic debut from Owen Lach!
January 21, 2022
YA can definitely be hit or miss for me (given I'm not the target demographic) but this was definitely a hit.
The characters were well-written, and even though at first, I thought I knew where the story was going, it had plenty of surprises.
I really liked the interlacing of the world-building into the current-day story. I also really liked the slow burn queer romance and that it defied a lot of obvious choices. The main character was really relatable throughout.
I'm excited to learn what happens next and to learn some of the mysteries hinted at here!
The characters were well-written, and even though at first, I thought I knew where the story was going, it had plenty of surprises.
I really liked the interlacing of the world-building into the current-day story. I also really liked the slow burn queer romance and that it defied a lot of obvious choices. The main character was really relatable throughout.
I'm excited to learn what happens next and to learn some of the mysteries hinted at here!
June 12, 2022
(Note: I wonder, if I put my star rating up, will that stop the author's friends from revenge rating my books? (: disappointing behaviour, frankly.)
Adan lives in the authoritarian state of the Bolvar Union, but he and his best friend Bo are determined to escape before having to take part in their compulsory military service. But Adan has a mysterious gift, connected to the ancient technology of the first colonisers of their planet, and the Union is determined to uncover the truth of his secret.
I thought 'Founder's Mercy' started well, and I was interested in following Adan and Bo in their escape from the Bolvar Union. Unfortunately, I don't think this book was quite for me, on this occasion. I felt the characters were lacking depth, and I struggled to feel much emotional connection with the story. I found the ending quite flat, although the fledging romance between two of the characters was very sweet and gentle. Fans of dystopian action-adventures with a sci-fi slant should definitely consider giving 'Founder's Mercy' a try.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of 'Founder's Mercy'. These opinions are my own.
Adan lives in the authoritarian state of the Bolvar Union, but he and his best friend Bo are determined to escape before having to take part in their compulsory military service. But Adan has a mysterious gift, connected to the ancient technology of the first colonisers of their planet, and the Union is determined to uncover the truth of his secret.
I thought 'Founder's Mercy' started well, and I was interested in following Adan and Bo in their escape from the Bolvar Union. Unfortunately, I don't think this book was quite for me, on this occasion. I felt the characters were lacking depth, and I struggled to feel much emotional connection with the story. I found the ending quite flat, although the fledging romance between two of the characters was very sweet and gentle. Fans of dystopian action-adventures with a sci-fi slant should definitely consider giving 'Founder's Mercy' a try.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of 'Founder's Mercy'. These opinions are my own.
February 27, 2022
I LOVED this book.
First off let me say, I am not great at writing reviews so don’t expect much for me.
Second, it took me forever to read this books because I am a Junior in college and this semester is stressful. However whenever I got free time I chose to read this books it was that good.
Loved the representation. Love that the representation of LGBTQ characters was normal in this world. Until a character identified themselves as a particular pronoun they were assumed to be they/them.
The world building was impressive. So awesome!
I cannot believe this is a debut author. Their writing skills are top notch.
Overall I highly recommend this book. I am not good at writing reviews so I apologize for that.
First off let me say, I am not great at writing reviews so don’t expect much for me.
Second, it took me forever to read this books because I am a Junior in college and this semester is stressful. However whenever I got free time I chose to read this books it was that good.
Loved the representation. Love that the representation of LGBTQ characters was normal in this world. Until a character identified themselves as a particular pronoun they were assumed to be they/them.
The world building was impressive. So awesome!
I cannot believe this is a debut author. Their writing skills are top notch.
Overall I highly recommend this book. I am not good at writing reviews so I apologize for that.
February 6, 2022
My thanks for this review go to Owen Lach, Jetspace Studio and NetGalley, for providing me with the pre-release e-book version of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Please support authors and publishers by purchasing Founder's Mercy upon its release on the 22nd of March 2022.
One of the strongest elements in this book is the world building of Neska and the Bolvar Union. In particular, I appreciate the inclusion of short logs from the First Explorers who colonized the planet of Neska five centuries prior. These separate the present day chapters and act as a secondary narrative of sorts, with the readers seeing exactly how the Neskan settlements regressed from having advanced technology to a primitive environment where loyalty to the Union is placed above all else, even one's own hopes and happiness. The dystopian elements of this book are done to great effect, with the Union a truly sinister presence that seems to have eyes all through society - readers will share the paranoia of the protagonists in a world where anyone can turn on them for greater favour with the Union. The high quality of world building also presents great opportunities for future developments to be explored within settlements and groups on Neska, including the Bolvar Union Defense Force, the insurgent Motari and the distant city of Port Abarra. With this being Book One of the Neskan Chronicles, I look forward to seeing how Lach can build on his terrific world building in the sequels.
In the midst of the darkness and dystopia, Lach has created a world that is also idealistic for many people who have been isolated for their natural differences. The majority of the surviving First Explorers and their settled descendants are not White, but this is only mentioned in passing when characters come across an individual with a paler complexion to any they have seen before. Secondly, the characters also provide their pronouns when introducing themselves in a way that suggests this practice has been normalized. Finally, it is also refreshing to see a gay man as a main character in a book that never uses his homosexuality to define the character's personality or drive the narrative forward. As a reader of many YA science-fiction and fantasy books, it is apparent that the relationships the character has, whether platonic or romantic, have been given the same importance as if the character was straight. This Neskan society has moved past the ailments that continue to plague today's world, including racism, homophobia and transphobia. As said above, it is refreshing that the author has normalized these practices in his world, which in itself makes a point on how natural it would be for everyone in today's society to respect differences in genders, sexualities and skin colours.
This book enters a crowded market of Young Adult fiction with aspects of science-fiction and dystopia. It is therefore near impossible for a book in this genre to be 100% different from anything that is already in the market. In spite of this, the book stands out for being extremely accessible to readers, owing to its relatively short chapters and pacing that allows the near 400 page length to fly by. There are peaks and troughs with the narrative, but at no time does it feel like the pacing suffers. The sections of text dedicated to conversations between characters works as, like with the world building of settings and the Neskan society, the way Lach has written the characters allows for all, even the minor ones who may appear in one or two scenes, to feel like they have more than a single facet to them. Regarding the central core group, which include the primary protagonists and allies, the majority are written to be extremely likeable, and with all, including those who may not have had much development in this first book, there is a great deal of potential and development to them that can easily be explored in sequels. This book raises many questions on the heritage, backgrounds and histories of several characters, as well as the how the society the First Explorers founded regressed to the Union. By not answering the majority of the questions in the opening book, Lach has ensured that readers will want to continue with the Neskan Chronicles to discover these answers.
The first book in the Neskan Chronicles series is a success, owing to a great use of world building to create a history and society that allows for many questions to be raised in this opening novel. The central core of characters are also written to have multiple facets to them, whilst providing opportunities for development in the sequels. It was also refreshing to read a book that features characters who are not White or straight but never uses these features as a way to drive forward the plot, or be their only defining feature. In short, this is a very promising first book of the series, and I look forward to reading future books from this author.
One of the strongest elements in this book is the world building of Neska and the Bolvar Union. In particular, I appreciate the inclusion of short logs from the First Explorers who colonized the planet of Neska five centuries prior. These separate the present day chapters and act as a secondary narrative of sorts, with the readers seeing exactly how the Neskan settlements regressed from having advanced technology to a primitive environment where loyalty to the Union is placed above all else, even one's own hopes and happiness. The dystopian elements of this book are done to great effect, with the Union a truly sinister presence that seems to have eyes all through society - readers will share the paranoia of the protagonists in a world where anyone can turn on them for greater favour with the Union. The high quality of world building also presents great opportunities for future developments to be explored within settlements and groups on Neska, including the Bolvar Union Defense Force, the insurgent Motari and the distant city of Port Abarra. With this being Book One of the Neskan Chronicles, I look forward to seeing how Lach can build on his terrific world building in the sequels.
In the midst of the darkness and dystopia, Lach has created a world that is also idealistic for many people who have been isolated for their natural differences. The majority of the surviving First Explorers and their settled descendants are not White, but this is only mentioned in passing when characters come across an individual with a paler complexion to any they have seen before. Secondly, the characters also provide their pronouns when introducing themselves in a way that suggests this practice has been normalized. Finally, it is also refreshing to see a gay man as a main character in a book that never uses his homosexuality to define the character's personality or drive the narrative forward. As a reader of many YA science-fiction and fantasy books, it is apparent that the relationships the character has, whether platonic or romantic, have been given the same importance as if the character was straight. This Neskan society has moved past the ailments that continue to plague today's world, including racism, homophobia and transphobia. As said above, it is refreshing that the author has normalized these practices in his world, which in itself makes a point on how natural it would be for everyone in today's society to respect differences in genders, sexualities and skin colours.
This book enters a crowded market of Young Adult fiction with aspects of science-fiction and dystopia. It is therefore near impossible for a book in this genre to be 100% different from anything that is already in the market. In spite of this, the book stands out for being extremely accessible to readers, owing to its relatively short chapters and pacing that allows the near 400 page length to fly by. There are peaks and troughs with the narrative, but at no time does it feel like the pacing suffers. The sections of text dedicated to conversations between characters works as, like with the world building of settings and the Neskan society, the way Lach has written the characters allows for all, even the minor ones who may appear in one or two scenes, to feel like they have more than a single facet to them. Regarding the central core group, which include the primary protagonists and allies, the majority are written to be extremely likeable, and with all, including those who may not have had much development in this first book, there is a great deal of potential and development to them that can easily be explored in sequels. This book raises many questions on the heritage, backgrounds and histories of several characters, as well as the how the society the First Explorers founded regressed to the Union. By not answering the majority of the questions in the opening book, Lach has ensured that readers will want to continue with the Neskan Chronicles to discover these answers.
The first book in the Neskan Chronicles series is a success, owing to a great use of world building to create a history and society that allows for many questions to be raised in this opening novel. The central core of characters are also written to have multiple facets to them, whilst providing opportunities for development in the sequels. It was also refreshing to read a book that features characters who are not White or straight but never uses these features as a way to drive forward the plot, or be their only defining feature. In short, this is a very promising first book of the series, and I look forward to reading future books from this author.
February 22, 2022
This review first appeared on
The Queer Review.
Orphans Adan Testa and Bo Shen are best friends living under the yoke of the Bolvar Union, a restrictive society that will soon drag them into five years of mandatory military service. To escape, they hatch a plan to get over the wall that surrounds the city and out into the wild landscape of the planet, Neska. But things don’t go according to plan…
When they are caught by the authorities, they unexpectedly find themselves rescued by the imposing Commander Sala who drafts them into the military early. It becomes clear that Sala knows more about Adan than she’s revealing. But it’s when Adan accidentally revives some old colony artefacts, advanced technology long thought to be inoperable, that the real mystery starts to take shape - why is Adan the only person on the planet who can make these ancient machines work?
Owen Lach’s debut YA sci-fi novel, Founder’s Mercy, feels like a well oiled machine. There are a lot of moving parts here as Lach builds a new world for us. From the political machinations of the Bolvar Union and Motari rebels, Adan and Bo’s plans and their expanding circle of relationships to the history lessons of the colony’s early days (the ‘founders’ of the title). There are lies and deceits mixed with familial bonds and budding romances. Not to mention the dual mysteries at the heart of the novel - how did a scientifically advanced, space faring group of settlers lose their technology and skills to become an agrarian society, and why is Adan the only one who can turn things around? But each of these pieces moves in harmony in this well-plotted tale.
There are the hallmarks of YA sci-fi but each is twisted into a more morally complex space. Instead of an “oppressive regime” we have a pseudo-communist society that provides for its citizens that seem like a modern utopian state (Adan is poor but has always been fed, clothed and housed, his sexuality is never an issue etc). Even Commander Sala, the book’s ‘villain’ clearly has reasons for her actions beyond being evil. The characters feel well-rounded and, well, messy at times - allegiances shift, people change their mind or have levels of motivations that at times conflict with each other. Good people do bad things. Bad people do good. There is a level of complexity and humanity here that’s sadly sometimes lacking in queer YA fiction.
Adan reads like a precocious sixteen year old, filled with unearned confidence mixed with immature emotional reactions. On the cusp of adulthood, he’s forced into making life or death decisions, trying to be a moral person in horrible situations. It doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded by a series of slightly older boys who catch his eye, from his aggressive Squad Leader Garun, to the Motari rebel Rune, even his best friend Bo.
While reading Founder’s Mercy I was reminded of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn or Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking novels - the worldbuilding feels effortlessly complex and real.. There is an ever-unfolding mystery in the book that goes deeper and deeper, but it’s clear that Lach has the resolution planned out (*reviewer throws a shady look at the Maze Runner series*) - there is confidence in the storytelling. Characters may be working together but each has their own goals in mind, I can smell some betrayals coming down the line in future sequels. And while the villains may be evil, their goals may not be as cartoonishly bad as we think.
There is a queer sensibility that runs through the book, setting a world that is queer at its core. It was only after I finished Founder’s Mercy that it clicked with me that beyond things like people introducing themselves with their pronouns, or sexuality being a non-issue; most of the people in power were women (on both sides of the political divide), there were men who were compassionate but firm (on both sides of the fight), even an AI speaks with a non-gendered voice. These weren’t added to drive home any kind of agenda, the book was naturally modelling equality without any judgement.
I’d have happily read a full-bodied queer sci-fi novel twice this length, that’s how engaged I was with Adan’s story and the world Lach has created - give me a Phillip Pullman-sized doorstop of a book!. Lach’s prose is smooth, expertly weaving exposition and character through the action - the last chapter especially serves as a gentle reminder of all the questions left unanswered, driving us forward into the next book. This is an unpretentiously accomplished debut and a cracking, fun read.
Orphans Adan Testa and Bo Shen are best friends living under the yoke of the Bolvar Union, a restrictive society that will soon drag them into five years of mandatory military service. To escape, they hatch a plan to get over the wall that surrounds the city and out into the wild landscape of the planet, Neska. But things don’t go according to plan…
When they are caught by the authorities, they unexpectedly find themselves rescued by the imposing Commander Sala who drafts them into the military early. It becomes clear that Sala knows more about Adan than she’s revealing. But it’s when Adan accidentally revives some old colony artefacts, advanced technology long thought to be inoperable, that the real mystery starts to take shape - why is Adan the only person on the planet who can make these ancient machines work?
Owen Lach’s debut YA sci-fi novel, Founder’s Mercy, feels like a well oiled machine. There are a lot of moving parts here as Lach builds a new world for us. From the political machinations of the Bolvar Union and Motari rebels, Adan and Bo’s plans and their expanding circle of relationships to the history lessons of the colony’s early days (the ‘founders’ of the title). There are lies and deceits mixed with familial bonds and budding romances. Not to mention the dual mysteries at the heart of the novel - how did a scientifically advanced, space faring group of settlers lose their technology and skills to become an agrarian society, and why is Adan the only one who can turn things around? But each of these pieces moves in harmony in this well-plotted tale.
There are the hallmarks of YA sci-fi but each is twisted into a more morally complex space. Instead of an “oppressive regime” we have a pseudo-communist society that provides for its citizens that seem like a modern utopian state (Adan is poor but has always been fed, clothed and housed, his sexuality is never an issue etc). Even Commander Sala, the book’s ‘villain’ clearly has reasons for her actions beyond being evil. The characters feel well-rounded and, well, messy at times - allegiances shift, people change their mind or have levels of motivations that at times conflict with each other. Good people do bad things. Bad people do good. There is a level of complexity and humanity here that’s sadly sometimes lacking in queer YA fiction.
Adan reads like a precocious sixteen year old, filled with unearned confidence mixed with immature emotional reactions. On the cusp of adulthood, he’s forced into making life or death decisions, trying to be a moral person in horrible situations. It doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded by a series of slightly older boys who catch his eye, from his aggressive Squad Leader Garun, to the Motari rebel Rune, even his best friend Bo.
While reading Founder’s Mercy I was reminded of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn or Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking novels - the worldbuilding feels effortlessly complex and real.. There is an ever-unfolding mystery in the book that goes deeper and deeper, but it’s clear that Lach has the resolution planned out (*reviewer throws a shady look at the Maze Runner series*) - there is confidence in the storytelling. Characters may be working together but each has their own goals in mind, I can smell some betrayals coming down the line in future sequels. And while the villains may be evil, their goals may not be as cartoonishly bad as we think.
There is a queer sensibility that runs through the book, setting a world that is queer at its core. It was only after I finished Founder’s Mercy that it clicked with me that beyond things like people introducing themselves with their pronouns, or sexuality being a non-issue; most of the people in power were women (on both sides of the political divide), there were men who were compassionate but firm (on both sides of the fight), even an AI speaks with a non-gendered voice. These weren’t added to drive home any kind of agenda, the book was naturally modelling equality without any judgement.
I’d have happily read a full-bodied queer sci-fi novel twice this length, that’s how engaged I was with Adan’s story and the world Lach has created - give me a Phillip Pullman-sized doorstop of a book!. Lach’s prose is smooth, expertly weaving exposition and character through the action - the last chapter especially serves as a gentle reminder of all the questions left unanswered, driving us forward into the next book. This is an unpretentiously accomplished debut and a cracking, fun read.
March 14, 2022
Wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but ended up quite liking it. It's a YA dystopian novel, based in a different Earth-like world. The society Adan lives in is quite authoritarian. The government provides for everything from cradle to grave but expects absolute obedience. The world-building is well-done. We come to understand the society they lived in. In between chapters are log entries from the first explorers who first discovered and settled this world, so we also get the historical perspective. I enjoy the pace of the story. The reader, along with Adan and his friends, gradually discover that their world and society are not as simple as it looked. Multiple complex layers start to emerge as Adan's world expands beyond the borders of his country. The ending suggests a sequel to come and I cannot wait to see where this will lead us to.
**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.**
**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.**
March 15, 2022
I wasn’t sure what to think of this going on, since I haven’t always had the best luck with YA Dystopian, but the premise pulled me, and I’m happy to say that I ended up liking it!
First off, I LOVED the LGBTQ+ representation in this book, and I appreciated not only that it was there, but that it was done well, and respectfully.
Secondly, I really liked the characters! Adan was a great main character, well developed and likable, and he worked really well in the dystopian genre. Sometimes characters in this genre can come off as cheesy or one note, but that was not the case here.
Lastly, the world building! It was so good, and it was so obvious that Lach put a lot of time into developing this world and this story. Overall, this was a really cool debut and I’d love to read more from this author in the future.
First off, I LOVED the LGBTQ+ representation in this book, and I appreciated not only that it was there, but that it was done well, and respectfully.
Secondly, I really liked the characters! Adan was a great main character, well developed and likable, and he worked really well in the dystopian genre. Sometimes characters in this genre can come off as cheesy or one note, but that was not the case here.
Lastly, the world building! It was so good, and it was so obvious that Lach put a lot of time into developing this world and this story. Overall, this was a really cool debut and I’d love to read more from this author in the future.
January 19, 2022
Very interesting beginning to a series! Sociological sci-fi that has a superhero fiction feel to it. (As if Iron Man were trying to escape from the Soviet Union.) Adan at times seems a little overpowered, but that just underscores what the colonists have lost. I really want the next volume now!
February 10, 2022
I've read some absolutely mind blowing books by debut authors unfortunately this is not one of them.
Founder's Mercy takes place on the planet of Neska in an almost dystopian world ruled by the tyrannical Bolver Union.
Adan Testa is a lowly teenager who works in a laundromat with his best friend Bo. After getting caught trying to escape the Union they're forced into their mandatory military service early. Its there that Adan realizes there's more to him than anyone could ever believe and that he just might be their ticket out.
While the book does have decent world building elements. Like the storms that constantly plague Neska's surface. The Bolver Union, or that technology has regressed since the space ship Jennix crashed.
Unfortunately though the world created here is never truly explored to the depth that's needed to make the book interesting.
We know Neska is an alien planet with electrical storms that humans colonized centuries ago. But nothing else of the planet is ever expounded on.
Or that the Bolver Union is an absolutely oppressive government pretending to help the people and yet they rule with an iron fist. But there's nothing else about them, it's structure, it's leaders or even how it came to power.
At one point the book should have gotten more interesting. But all it became was a Deus Ex Machina making the other cast of characters even more useless to the story than they already were.
The books ending came out of nowhere. I flipped through the ebook a couple of times to make sure nothing was missed. But it just ended. I understand keeping information back for the other books in the series. And yet not enough was given to make this book interesting enough to finish the series.
I did read an ARK however so hopefully some of these problems can be fixed in editing. This book had potential but felt much to rushed to be enjoyable.
Founder's Mercy takes place on the planet of Neska in an almost dystopian world ruled by the tyrannical Bolver Union.
Adan Testa is a lowly teenager who works in a laundromat with his best friend Bo. After getting caught trying to escape the Union they're forced into their mandatory military service early. Its there that Adan realizes there's more to him than anyone could ever believe and that he just might be their ticket out.
While the book does have decent world building elements. Like the storms that constantly plague Neska's surface. The Bolver Union, or that technology has regressed since the space ship Jennix crashed.
Unfortunately though the world created here is never truly explored to the depth that's needed to make the book interesting.
We know Neska is an alien planet with electrical storms that humans colonized centuries ago. But nothing else of the planet is ever expounded on.
Or that the Bolver Union is an absolutely oppressive government pretending to help the people and yet they rule with an iron fist. But there's nothing else about them, it's structure, it's leaders or even how it came to power.
At one point the book should have gotten more interesting. But all it became was a Deus Ex Machina making the other cast of characters even more useless to the story than they already were.
The books ending came out of nowhere. I flipped through the ebook a couple of times to make sure nothing was missed. But it just ended. I understand keeping information back for the other books in the series. And yet not enough was given to make this book interesting enough to finish the series.
I did read an ARK however so hopefully some of these problems can be fixed in editing. This book had potential but felt much to rushed to be enjoyable.
March 20, 2022
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Founder’s Mercy starts off strong, it’s got an interesting premise and diverse cast of characters. However, I only got a few chapters in before I had to dnf. The book itself isn’t bad, it’s just not my cup of tea right now. Some books I can just feel that they can put me in reading slumps, and this is one of them.
I do feel bad about not reading the whole book, but I just don’t want to force myself to and give it a lower rating. Based on what I read, it’s easily a 3 star read, though I’m giving it 2 since I only read around 25%.
The platonic relationship is so refreshing to read. You don’t see a lot of platonic friendships in YA books, so I was excited to read this one.
Maybe I’ll read a finished copy of this book, but for now, it’s a DNF.
Founder’s Mercy starts off strong, it’s got an interesting premise and diverse cast of characters. However, I only got a few chapters in before I had to dnf. The book itself isn’t bad, it’s just not my cup of tea right now. Some books I can just feel that they can put me in reading slumps, and this is one of them.
I do feel bad about not reading the whole book, but I just don’t want to force myself to and give it a lower rating. Based on what I read, it’s easily a 3 star read, though I’m giving it 2 since I only read around 25%.
The platonic relationship is so refreshing to read. You don’t see a lot of platonic friendships in YA books, so I was excited to read this one.
Maybe I’ll read a finished copy of this book, but for now, it’s a DNF.
March 20, 2022
Founder’s Mercy lures you in with its charming characters and keeps you intrigued with mysteries and action.
Platonic love is such an underrated type of relationship. Adan and Bo’s friendship, more than anything else, felt like the core of this book, and it was so refreshing to read. Pile that on with unique world building, a diverse cast, solid writing, and some really neat science fiction elements, and you’ve got an enjoyable read from start to finish.
The plot wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be, especially towards the last quarter of the book. But the book as a whole feels like a prelude for bigger things to come, and I really hope that’s true because I’m definitely going to pick up the sequel when it releases.
Platonic love is such an underrated type of relationship. Adan and Bo’s friendship, more than anything else, felt like the core of this book, and it was so refreshing to read. Pile that on with unique world building, a diverse cast, solid writing, and some really neat science fiction elements, and you’ve got an enjoyable read from start to finish.
The plot wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be, especially towards the last quarter of the book. But the book as a whole feels like a prelude for bigger things to come, and I really hope that’s true because I’m definitely going to pick up the sequel when it releases.
April 27, 2022
I have a super soft spot for thrillers, so this was right up my alley! I really liked the author's writing style, and I definitely felt the suspense in the book. Overall a great read and I would definitely recommend it to others :))
Read
March 29, 2022Founder’s Mercy by Owen Lach is a Young Adult sci-fi dystopian novel, set on a planet that humans have colonised many years before the start of the narrative. The protagonist, Adan, discovers that he has powers that link back to the original settlers on the planet of Neska, allowing him to do things no-one else can do. His friend Bo accompanies him through the world, meeting very different people and being put in a variety of dangerous situations over the course of this first installment in the Neskan Chronicles series.
If you read books for their worlds, then you will love this book. Neska is a well-developed world, with fantastic landscapes and interesting geography and weather, like the electromagnetic field storms. This is depicted through a combination of Adan’s own observation of his world and journal entries of the original settlers of Neska that add extra flavour through eyes unfamiliar with the planet as the reader’s. There are interesting systems in place as well, such as the Gories (which I was left a little confused about but would be interested to read more about), everyone serving their “Five”, and how humans have adapted to living on Neska with none of their technology. I also enjoyed the queer utopia of the world, with no characters assuming gender or sexuality before pronouns were given and preferences expressed.
However, as someone who reads books for characters, I was left a little disappointed with the novel. I wanted to see more of how the events of the novel impacted Adan, given that his entire life was turned upside down and he has to do things he would have never have considered, including killing people. I don’t feel like we got much of that in text – Adan shrugs basically everything off, other than a few short conversations with other characters about things that have happened, and one short paragraph describing it all getting too much and him crying. But nothing that has happened seems to have actually impacted him in tangible ways in his day to day, or even in the moment of action. I would love to have seen more of Adan wrestling with his own agency in his actions given how Besi works and the lengths he is forced to go to, especially when he decries the violence of the Gories so early on in the book.
Founder’s Mercy provides a fantastic world for the start of an exciting series, but for me, the characters rang a little too hollow for me to really fall in love with the novel.
Thank you to Jetspace Studio for providing a free copy of the book to review through NetGalley.
If you read books for their worlds, then you will love this book. Neska is a well-developed world, with fantastic landscapes and interesting geography and weather, like the electromagnetic field storms. This is depicted through a combination of Adan’s own observation of his world and journal entries of the original settlers of Neska that add extra flavour through eyes unfamiliar with the planet as the reader’s. There are interesting systems in place as well, such as the Gories (which I was left a little confused about but would be interested to read more about), everyone serving their “Five”, and how humans have adapted to living on Neska with none of their technology. I also enjoyed the queer utopia of the world, with no characters assuming gender or sexuality before pronouns were given and preferences expressed.
However, as someone who reads books for characters, I was left a little disappointed with the novel. I wanted to see more of how the events of the novel impacted Adan, given that his entire life was turned upside down and he has to do things he would have never have considered, including killing people. I don’t feel like we got much of that in text – Adan shrugs basically everything off, other than a few short conversations with other characters about things that have happened, and one short paragraph describing it all getting too much and him crying. But nothing that has happened seems to have actually impacted him in tangible ways in his day to day, or even in the moment of action. I would love to have seen more of Adan wrestling with his own agency in his actions given how Besi works and the lengths he is forced to go to, especially when he decries the violence of the Gories so early on in the book.
Founder’s Mercy provides a fantastic world for the start of an exciting series, but for me, the characters rang a little too hollow for me to really fall in love with the novel.
Thank you to Jetspace Studio for providing a free copy of the book to review through NetGalley.
March 5, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book! I'm intrigued by the story and where it is going. I'm not sure I would have picked it up though, had I realized there would be so little progression in this part of the series. So, beware, this ends on a cliffhanger because there's very little bout the main character's situations that's revealed by the end.
Adan and Bo are best friends. They're planning to escape the city and the oppression they've been living under. Their escape plan goes wrong and they find themselves faced with potential execution until they are whisked about to enter their mandatory military service early.
Things get convoluted when Adan manages to activate an ancient artifact and he's suddenly the most interesting person around. There are rebels who are interested too and Adan gets swept up in a conflict between two powerful forces.
There's a lot of subterfuge in this story. Adan feels as though he can't trust anyone as he scapes with the "rebels". But, they seem to keep falling into one trap after another.
The story didn't progress very much from the opening pages. What was there, was good but I struggled to make. connection with any of the characters. If you don't like cliffhangers, this is definitely a series you may want to read until all the books have been published.
Adan and Bo are best friends. They're planning to escape the city and the oppression they've been living under. Their escape plan goes wrong and they find themselves faced with potential execution until they are whisked about to enter their mandatory military service early.
Things get convoluted when Adan manages to activate an ancient artifact and he's suddenly the most interesting person around. There are rebels who are interested too and Adan gets swept up in a conflict between two powerful forces.
There's a lot of subterfuge in this story. Adan feels as though he can't trust anyone as he scapes with the "rebels". But, they seem to keep falling into one trap after another.
The story didn't progress very much from the opening pages. What was there, was good but I struggled to make. connection with any of the characters. If you don't like cliffhangers, this is definitely a series you may want to read until all the books have been published.
June 7, 2022
Founders Mercy
Intriguing story about Adan, a boy whose job is in the laundry. Knowing that they will be forced into the areas defense for five years, they try to find a way out. Instead, they found their way in… earlier than expected and for a longer duration.
#GoodreadsGiveaway
Intriguing story about Adan, a boy whose job is in the laundry. Knowing that they will be forced into the areas defense for five years, they try to find a way out. Instead, they found their way in… earlier than expected and for a longer duration.
#GoodreadsGiveaway
April 4, 2022
Founder’s Mercy is part mystery/thriller, part sci-fi adventure, and part YA romance wrapped up in a well-written, thoroughly researched, and plotted package. And the characters! Lach gives everyone some nuance, making them feel even more real than a lot of stereotypical, thinly painted YA fare. When reading Founder’s Mercy, I couldn’t help but remember all those times as a young person I could see the world's evils but felt powerless to do anything about it. I almost cheered when the MC Adan is suddenly handed that power and actually uses it! Adan is definitely a teenager and acts like it. But there’s no wishy-washy “I just want to go back home to my village” pushback here. And the story and setting are built on a solid queer foundation, with thoughtful representation and inclusion baked right in. While this is a story genuinely meant for younger readers, Lach didn’t skimp on the subject matter.
June 20, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this YA sci-fi story. The world the author has built is set in the future on a planet that’s not Earth, but there’s a dystopian aspect that gives it a throwback feel. The government is very controlling of its citizens, and we get a sense as early as the first chapter that this will be a story about rebellion and uncovering deceptions. I really didn’t know what to expect from this story and enjoyed the adventure. We see the characters in a variety of settings and gradually learn more about their world even as they learn about it too. There are lots of twists and plot developments that I didn’t see coming. There are also some really fascinating plot developments related to technology, but I can’t say more, you’ll just have to read the book!
The main character, Adan, and his friends are all very earnest but also cynical, and it’s interesting to see how they work through challenges while navigating the uncertainty of young adulthood. Adan struggles several times with actions he’s forced to take that harm others to protect himself and others, and I appreciated the author working this into the story, it’s rare to see a character grapple with the morality of using weapons.
The story is also very queer-positive. Despite the government’s heavy control and manipulation of its citizens, it’s clear that the society on this planet is queer-embracing and not homophobic. Both good and bad characters, including government and military officials, freely discuss preferred pronouns, and there doesn’t seem to be any stigma about same-sex couples. There are several budding romances in the story though romance is not the primary plot driver. It felt realistic to me that these young adults would be forming romantic attachments even as they are dealing with government forces and trying to figure out who they can trust.
All of this - the world building, the young characters, the intricately woven plot, the positive queer rep - made for a very readable story. The story ends at a point that seems to anticipate a second book (and this book is called “Neskan Chronicles book one” on the author’s website) so I’m excited to read more of this world. There’s also a happy ending (or beginning?) for Adan and his love interest so that’s another reason to be excited for the next book. A very impressive debut, I will be watching for more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The main character, Adan, and his friends are all very earnest but also cynical, and it’s interesting to see how they work through challenges while navigating the uncertainty of young adulthood. Adan struggles several times with actions he’s forced to take that harm others to protect himself and others, and I appreciated the author working this into the story, it’s rare to see a character grapple with the morality of using weapons.
The story is also very queer-positive. Despite the government’s heavy control and manipulation of its citizens, it’s clear that the society on this planet is queer-embracing and not homophobic. Both good and bad characters, including government and military officials, freely discuss preferred pronouns, and there doesn’t seem to be any stigma about same-sex couples. There are several budding romances in the story though romance is not the primary plot driver. It felt realistic to me that these young adults would be forming romantic attachments even as they are dealing with government forces and trying to figure out who they can trust.
All of this - the world building, the young characters, the intricately woven plot, the positive queer rep - made for a very readable story. The story ends at a point that seems to anticipate a second book (and this book is called “Neskan Chronicles book one” on the author’s website) so I’m excited to read more of this world. There’s also a happy ending (or beginning?) for Adan and his love interest so that’s another reason to be excited for the next book. A very impressive debut, I will be watching for more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 3, 2023
3-3.5 stars
This was easy to read and easy to get into the story and there was some good setup for the series.
I felt a bit like Adan was a bit passive, he sort of just goes along with what's happening around him and it felt like he didn't really stand for anything. He goes along with Bo's plan because he knows it might end up better for him. Then when that backfires it's just sort of "welp this is my life now" and so on.
I didn't really like the romance aspects either, they felt a bit forced and took away from the main story, but I'm curious how that will all play out later I guess.
This was easy to read and easy to get into the story and there was some good setup for the series.
I felt a bit like Adan was a bit passive, he sort of just goes along with what's happening around him and it felt like he didn't really stand for anything. He goes along with Bo's plan because he knows it might end up better for him. Then when that backfires it's just sort of "welp this is my life now" and so on.
I didn't really like the romance aspects either, they felt a bit forced and took away from the main story, but I'm curious how that will all play out later I guess.
June 5, 2023
I am usually not a big science fiction person, but I loved Owen Lach’s Jack’s On Fire SO much, I thought I’d give his Neskan Chronicles a shot.
This book is set far, far into the future in a place called Neska, which is a whole world that Lach made up himself. The world building is extremely thorough and well thought-out. There’s really enough detail about Neska itself that you could almost make a franchise out of it.
Adan Testa has a special gift and the Bolvar Union wants it. The story follows Adan, his best friend Bo, and the friends (and romantic interests…) they meet along the way as they attempt to escape the plans the Union has for Adan.
The characters in this book are all very likable and relatable. Lach writes very sweet and heartwarming romances that burn slow and come together just right. The friendship between Adan and Bo is also something I’d wish for anyone to have.
Overall, I was able to really enjoy this book because of the characters and I even understood most of the sci-fi stuff. I also thought it was cool that in between each chapter there was an excerpt from the logs of early Neskan settlers that helped explain what is going on now. Excited to start the sequel!
This book is set far, far into the future in a place called Neska, which is a whole world that Lach made up himself. The world building is extremely thorough and well thought-out. There’s really enough detail about Neska itself that you could almost make a franchise out of it.
Adan Testa has a special gift and the Bolvar Union wants it. The story follows Adan, his best friend Bo, and the friends (and romantic interests…) they meet along the way as they attempt to escape the plans the Union has for Adan.
The characters in this book are all very likable and relatable. Lach writes very sweet and heartwarming romances that burn slow and come together just right. The friendship between Adan and Bo is also something I’d wish for anyone to have.
Overall, I was able to really enjoy this book because of the characters and I even understood most of the sci-fi stuff. I also thought it was cool that in between each chapter there was an excerpt from the logs of early Neskan settlers that helped explain what is going on now. Excited to start the sequel!
June 8, 2022
I hate to write a negative review for a debut author, but Founder's Mercy didn't work for me at all. The world building was standard "rebels against Evil Empire," and halfway through the story our teenaged hero Adan literally encounters a deus ex machina that makes him virtually invincible. So there's very little about his own skills or strengths that define Adan as a hero, other than the fact that he is a loyal BFF.
Despite the disappointing plot, I was still hoping the story would include a decent romance, but the one that develops is lukewarm, and barely made an impact. The book ends with very little resolved. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger, but the Evil Empire is still evil, and Adan still has no clue why he has such unique powers.
The book's chapters are interspersed with excerpts from the logs written by several members of the original crew that landed on planet Nesta generations ago. These snippets are actually more engaging than Adan's story, indicating that the author is not without talent. Maybe future installments of the series will be better, but I'm noping out after this one.
Despite the disappointing plot, I was still hoping the story would include a decent romance, but the one that develops is lukewarm, and barely made an impact. The book ends with very little resolved. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger, but the Evil Empire is still evil, and Adan still has no clue why he has such unique powers.
The book's chapters are interspersed with excerpts from the logs written by several members of the original crew that landed on planet Nesta generations ago. These snippets are actually more engaging than Adan's story, indicating that the author is not without talent. Maybe future installments of the series will be better, but I'm noping out after this one.
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