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This book reads like a prequel. It has an astonishing amount of poorly executed exposition, and the holes in the plot are filled with so many dei ex machina that the eventual outcome is ironic. The most fun you will have is trying to decide whether John Connolly or Jennifer Ridyard is writing, especially given the discourse on patriarchy and power. The authors have been too polite to each other. In their need to pay homage to several sci-fi tropes they lose the reader. They veer close to pandering to genre cliches, whether sci-fi or young adult. This is exacerbated by attempts to troubleshoot each of the foibles. On the other hand, the Scottish landscape is well described and the main characters are likable, especially while on the run. Readers of science fiction usually forgive writers’ idiosyncrasies and flaws only if the story as a whole warrants reading. This first book is forgivable only if the future chronicles find their voice.
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