May 03, 2022

Review: Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles #1) ★★★★★

The war everyone thought was over is just beginning.

Kira Forrest is a survivor. She’s risen above the pain of her beginnings to become a war hero only to leave it all behind in the pursuit of a simple life. Now a salvager, she makes a living sifting through the wreckage of dead alien ships from a war that nearly brought humanity to its knees.

After her ship takes damage, she’s forced to re-route to a space station where her past and present collide with dangerous consequences.

Kira’s existence holds the key to a faltering peace treaty with the Tuann—a technologically advanced alien race who dislikes and distrusts all humans. Winning her freedom should be easy, but a powerful and relentless Tuann warrior stands in her way. Deceiving him seems impossible, especially when he strays dangerously close to secrets she struggles to hide.

Can Kira reconcile the pain of her past with the possibilities of her future? The fate of two races depends on her success.

Review

Oh em gee, finally! FINALLY!

I've read about 5 books in a row recently that scraped by with two or three measly stars based on my own personal enjoyment starometer. I was getting frustrated and bored. I'd added this book to my Goodreads a few weeks back after seeing a review that made me think it might be for me - kickass female lead, spaceships pew-pew-pew, slow-burn romance - oh hells yes! And my word was I right! I've found a new favourite series right here and a new-to-me author that I'm very excited to read the back catalogue of.

Okay, so this book... At the time of writing, I've actually just finished the second book so I'm well into this universe and loving it. But the first book was so stinking good! A lot of first books can be slow starters taking a while to get going; getting bogged down with excess worldbuilding. Not this book!

I actually feel like the worldbuilding elements were included so seamlessly and naturally that you just picked up the vibe as you went along. After all, the technology is nothing new to the characters so why would they go into major detail about it.

I actually read a review that called this series Sci-Fi lite - I'm guessing because of the lack of detail or explanation on how all of the technology works? But for me, I was more than happy to just be like, oh there are world gates where you can teleport across solar systems? Cool! I honestly don't need more than that. I'm aware of the genre of book I've picked up and my suspension of disbelief hat is sat firmly atop my head.

The main thing that I love about this series so far is the characters. The main character, Kira, especially but also the wide cast of very well-drawn and diverse characters that all added something to the story. There was a good amount of banter to enjoy and there were also some difficult relationships with a lot of emotional baggage.

Main character Kira is extremely cool. I feel like the author walked the razor's edge of Kira being almost too cool. I mean, she's literally good at everything but somehow not in an obnoxious way. Her physical skill level is just way out there but you know she's earned it from her time serving in the war so it seems perfectly justified. You just want to cheer her on and I found myself grinning wildly at her antics frequently.

Her best bud is a ball-shaped drone called Jin who has a very sassy personality and for many years prior to the events in this book, has been her only company.

AND THEN THERE'S GRAYDON!

Ho boy. It's all very slow burn and PG-rated but that's exactly my jam. I'm not a fan of smutty books, no shade to those that are, but this kind of delicious and tantalisingly slow buildup is exactly where I'm at and I was living for it!

I also just wanted to mention the overarching story. As I said, I'm two books in now so I can see some things that were hinted at in book one coming into fruition and also there's a whole bunch of backstory for Kira both from her childhood and from the events that left her going solo with Jin 12 years earlier.

I've actually just started book three and I believe there's set to be five books in total. I'll definitely be reading (and likely re-reading) them all and I can't wait!