3:00 AM
Amber Holcomb
How much is a life worth? And who will pay the price?
Fifteen-year-old Lileela returns from the planet Karkar, angry and bitter over what she perceives as abandonment by her parents. Why do they want her back now? And why does Karkar demand such a huge payment for delivering her? Neither she nor her family suspects that Karkar’s true mission is revenge. The tiny New Gannahan settlement has no hope of repelling an invasion – no hope, that is, except for One the Karkar can’t see.
Amber's Review
Hello, my name is Amber - and I'm not really among the target audience for a sci-fi novel. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the genre, I can be won over with great characters and some romance. And while Ransom in the Rock didn't have quite as much romance as I would have preferred (though there are some sweet scenes in there), I did enjoy exploring the frontiers of Anderson's imagination and meeting some of the characters who populate the interesting worlds she's created.
The story begins with Lileela - a stubborn, self-absorbed, and often silly extraterrestrial teen. Not having read Books 1 and 2 in the series, I didn't have any prior knowledge of her character or her family, but I was able to follow along rather well. Interestingly enough, I believe Lileela won me over the most as the story progressed. Yes, she got on my nerves. (I confess her family did, too, on occasion, even though I'm not sure they were supposed to.) Yes, she needed a big attitude adjustment. But her authentic struggles with selfishness (something that's sadly easy to relate to), as well as her insecurities and her genuine emotions, made me invested in her story and curious to discover how her choices would play out.
As for the rest of the cast, it's an intriguing bunch! I'm not entirely sure I "like" them all, per se, but some of the points they make about faith are certainly thought-provoking. I really would have enjoyed having the climax meeting/revelations happen earlier. As it is, while there's plenty of conflict and a bit of action, this installment does feel sort of like a bridge between stories, rather than a completely satisfying story in its own right (in that I wanted to know more about what was coming, and a lot of interesting events seem to have occurred before this particular book takes place).
The "alien" terminology was rather prevalent, and one revelation left me a little confused as to its implications. Even still, I was pulled into the drama and engaged by the writing. I imagine fans of the first two books in the series won't be disappointed, and those who enjoy inspirational sci-fi and the like should find "Gateway to Gannah" to be a clever series. (From what I can tell, reading the series from the very beginning would definitely enhance the enjoyment of each read!)
*With thanks to the author for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*
Extras
- Yvonne (one of the BB's own!) was our guest last week. If you missed her posts, you can check them out at the following links: Leave the Cookie Cutters in the Kitchen, Don't Try This at Home
- Check out the covers for the whole series! (This is me experimenting with PicMonkey. Fun as all get out - even if my graphic design skill leaves a little to be desired, LOL. You can learn more about the series at Yvonne's website.)
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