"Where peace is broken, may we mend it. Where we go, may peace follow. Where we fall, may peace rise."

This is the story of Kel. The story of who she used to be, who she currently is, and who she decides to become. What on the surface looks like a group of travels going off to fix a machine, becomes a tale of strength and resilience.

This didn't have as many comedic moments as her previous series Chilling effect, however my favorite funny line was "You smell like you rolled in farts."

I really enjoyed the Chilling Effect series (trilogy?) by this author, so I was super excited for this next novel. I'm not really sure how to articulate my feelings about it, though. On one hand...I really liked it because I enjoy the way Valdes writes characters and dialogue, but on the other hand the plot itself wasn't really there. Like, most of the story is eaten up by this difficult journey through uncertain terrain which is both interesting and repetitive at the same time. The plot twists end up being a lot of the difficulties or issues you'd face while traversing an unknown area, but not....in a plot way? Like, plot-wise the book doesn't really feel like it truly starts until after the traveling through the difficult terrain part ends. After that, though, the book really flourishes and there's more plot-centric conflict and better pacing. I just don't really think the first half and second half of the book necessarily need to be part of the same story? Again, I am having a hard time articulating my feelings because I generally enjoyed this book but it feels a bit unfinished. I don't know, hah.

This book was a bit hit-and-miss for me. I enjoyed the world-building, in the sense that this was after the war with the galactic empire and we got to see how the fallout of that war affected a particular planet; I like that perspective. I also liked the main character, Kel, and I thought her characterization was well done and believable.

However, I found the plot to be a bit repetitive and lacking. Much of the book's "run time" is taken up by a trip through difficult terrain, and so a lot of the plot "twists" are just difficulties that the characters encounter on this trip, right up until the halfway point. After that point, the plot grows more complex and interesting with additional elements of conflict added to the mix.

Overall, I think this is an interesting take on the galactic empire sci-fi trope, and it's well thought-out, but the plot is a touch slow for my taste.