Snow Cheetah (The Chronicles of Kassouk #5)

Vijaya
Schartz
Genre: 
Other

SCIENCE FICTION: It’s Space Marine Martial Terrein’s mission to discover a hospitable world for humans to relocate - if necessary, by hostile means.  A viable planet is at last identified, but it’s also populated by a psychic race.  If the Starlings uncover Earth Command’s plan for a hostile takeover before he finds their weaknesses it could be fatal.  Using his genetically-enhanced brain, Martial fools Royal Princess Natalia into believing his arrival to New Earth is peaceful.  Natalia’s innocence and his attraction to her complicate his task.  Martial may discover there’s a price to pay when doing wrong things for the right reasons.  

 

Strong science fiction elements – futuristic setting, space travel, alien life, nanotechnology – inundate this Sci-Fi romance.  Ms. Schartz shows a deft hand at constructing an imaginary world.  The futuristic world contains intriguing technological concepts.  Unfortunately, the characters fall flat. They lack the complexity to make their conflicts feel worthwhile.   The heroine, New Earth’s future queen, is a bewildering mix of innocence and arrogance.  Her behavior feels at odds with her grand role.  The hero’s emotions barely skim the surface.  It’s challenging to feel empathy for their internal conflicts when they are met with very little struggle. It diminishes their supposed torment and affects their credibility.  “Snow Cheetah” has the potential to amaze readers with nanotechnology, supernatural abilities, and high stakes space adventure. Yet there is so much that could have been explored and the obstacles deserving of better resolutions. As the fifth installment in the Chronicles of Kassouk series this story can stand-alone. 

 

Anna Fitzgerald