It’s always fun, when having read one book by an author and enjoying it, to explore more in that same universe. Especially when the universe is vast and well-crafted. Such it was with Adam Gaffen’s Road to the Stars, the second (I think, I have lost track) book in his Cassidyverse.
1. Thoughts on the plot
This book follows Kendra Cassidy and her wife Aiyana Cassidy as they take their vast business holdings and turn it into a space-based, well, Federation. They are working against the political machinations of the Solarian Union, and the fractured politics of the Earthers. But when they hold a dream, especially one of a better world for their family, there is little that gets in the way.
I really like these stories, since they have a large, almost epic, style, but are also focused on the characters and the details. I think the story worked well in this book, though I was a bit bogged down in some of the technical details. I think the plot would have stood out a bit more if the details had been established ahead of the Important Scenes, but on the whole, I enjoyed the plot.
2. Thoughts on the characters
As always, these characters are varied and interesting. I like the depth and detail that is put into each one. I like the familiar characters and the new ones are fun to learn about.
I will say that there was one instance with a wheelchair-bound character which frustrated me. This was the only character with any sort of disability, and that was solved with a simple instance of inputting nanites. Now, granted, the technology does make sense and is very cool, but with there being only one disabled character, it made being disabled seem like a problem, not a simple character trait. It’s a personal thing for me, being disabled myself. (I could rant about this, but it was one small character and one instance. I will say that I would have liked more diversity in the abilities of characters.)
3. Favourite part
That bit at the end, when things are going badly? And then they don’t go badly in a really spectacular manner? Yeah, that bit was the best.
4. Critique
I mentioned this in section 1, but I think that the plot was bogged down in the technical details quite a bit. Not to say that the technology wasn’t interesting, or relevant, but in the middle of a space battle, I don’t necessarily care about the workings of a proton emitter, or how many kW a laser can produce. I want to see what the characters are feeling, what their reactions are. I want the plot and characters more than the technology in that moment.
Overall, I will say that this book was an entertaining addition to the Cassidyverse and I enjoyed it. A very good book.