Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Conscript is the first of a thrilling new sci-fi trilogy set in space that hits all my favorite tropes as our heroine, Vega, a new conscript to the Axis military, has to find a way to prove herself, make friends, stay alive, and – oh, yeah – maybe survive the coming alien attack, all while being a weirdo Planetborn – an oddity among the other new soldiers her age who were mostly born on one of the many stations or satellites that make up the Axis. Due to the renewed threat from tentacle-y aliens – a threat that she’s responsible for discovering, which puts her in the uncomfortable position of being the messenger of controversial tidings – Vega finds her terms of service extended past when she thought she be able to return to her parents, who desperately need her strength beside them on the family farm. Among the different Axis factions are those who welcome the return to armed readiness and conflict, while others doubt her experiences with the tentatcled beings who attacked her and resent the escalation of military preparation. It might turn that it’s the people around her – not the hostile aliens – who are the real threat.
I really enjoyed how Vega is such a kind, decent person despite every opportunity she has to simply turn her back on her fellow conscripts when something isn’t her problem or simply as retaliation for all the slights and snubs that they aim her way. But Vega is a genuinely good person who can’t help but try to help. There are spaceship flight lessons, trips planetside, and tricky political situations that Vega has to learn to navigate, which makes for a fast-paced and entertaining read. But alongside all the action and space mayhem, Vega and her fellow conscripts, notably Amelie and Dax, forge real friendships despite rocky beginnings (and maybe a bit of a rocky middle) and end up as a genuine squad, capable of meeting whatever danger the galaxy throws at them.
I really enjoyed how Vega is such a kind, decent person despite every opportunity she has to simply turn her back on her fellow conscripts when something isn’t her problem or simply as retaliation for all the slights and snubs that they aim her way. But Vega is a genuinely good person who can’t help but try to help. There are spaceship flight lessons, trips planetside, and tricky political situations that Vega has to learn to navigate, which makes for a fast-paced and entertaining read. But alongside all the action and space mayhem, Vega and her fellow conscripts, notably Amelie and Dax, forge real friendships despite rocky beginnings (and maybe a bit of a rocky middle) and end up as a genuine squad, capable of meeting whatever danger the galaxy throws at them.