“The prose and writing are quite spectacular with clues and helpful pieces of information exposed at just the right times. A highly imaginative, humorous, and suspenseful sci-fi thriller.

We pick up the story to find Aiden Tenten, a 30-ish-year-old rebel, captured and interrogated by the alluring half-alien Ravene, the Xirfell King’s daughter. Clearly, Aiden and Ravene share some history and even chemistry. This adds immediate intrigue as the reader is forced to piece together the backstory. This is accomplished through the wonderfully addictive, compelling, and sardonic internal monologue of Aiden, a highly flawed, half-indigenous, Australian. Aiden has a lot of baggage and some serious character flaws - impulsivity, recklessness, and perhaps even a “messiah complex”. In trying to find his place within the rebellion and overcome the Xirfell regime, who can he trust and what is he ultimately seeking?

Like all good action/adventure dystopias, there’s an abundance of different life forms, vividly described and well-developed. There are also just enough references to modern-day places like Australia and Siberia to help frame the story. And, just like many modern-day regimes, the Xirfell wrongly believe that their imposition on Earth is a positive that will benefit the citizenry, with propaganda regularly delivered by their ‘beneficent’ King. Highly recommended.”