Shadow Run

by Center for Imaging Science Michael Miller and Adrianne Strickland

"The captain of a starship and a prince are forced to revise their ideas of family and loyalty, with the fate of their worlds hanging in the balance"--

• ISBN10: 0399552553
• ISBN13: 9780399552557
• Publish Date: 21 March 2017
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: Delacorte Press
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Welcome aboard the Kaitan Heritage, a starship cargo loader captain by Qole. I loved the worldbuilding and concepts created by these authors in SHADOW RUN. Qole, the youngest person to command a ship and perhaps one of the greats. Qole and Arjan her brother hail from Alaxak and infected by shadow. Their crew consists of one of Qole's childhood friends a hacker named Telu, Eton the bodyguard, and Basra, the merchant. These secondary characters are fleshed out and full of surprises, so be alert. Barsa is brilly and a favorite already. Also on board is their newest crew member Nev, a royal prince searching for highly functional shadow people. Disguised as a cargo loader he is about to alter the course of the ship and their lives.

Strickland and Miller deliver this story in dual narratives alternating between Cole and Nev and it worked brilliantly. The story is fast paced with the world building slowly laced throughout the story. I loved their show not tell approach. Kristoff was right in his description, and I loved the whole Firefly vibe of the ship and worlds. The snark, subtle romance and kick-ass crew made me feel right at home. Nev and Qole are strong, likable characters allowing me to become emotionally connected as I rooted for them.

There is a subtle romance that I hope will continue throughout the series. We did have a little triangle at one point that had cliche elements, but it is quickly withdrawn allowing readers to breath knowing we won't be saddled with that drama.

From dual-wielding Disruptor Blades, drones and purple flames shooting from fingertips, SHADOW RUN will feed your inner geek. However, the tale is light enough to attract fans who don't necessarily dabble in science fiction. The friction stems from resources and political power and while the story isn't overly complex, the action scenes, kick-ass characters, and imagery bring it all to life.

The ending resolves their current issue and hints at things to come, leaving the reader in a good place. Fans of SIX OF CROWS, ILLUMINAE, and Firefly will enjoy time aboard the Kaitan Heritage.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
The characters, especially Qole and the others on the Kaitan, were pretty great. A diverse and extremely loyal, strong-willed group, they made me root for them immediately. Nev was more hit or miss for me, though I did grow to like him quite a bit more by the end, in the beginning he really grated on my nerves.

The space adventure was certainly fun, and I liked learning about the Shadow, and the power- and destruction- it had over the people of space. The book was a bit slow to start, but then I became invested in the characters, the plot, even the politics of the universe. But then the excitement started to fade a bit again for me. There was a lot of unnecessary information, and I often found myself skimming a bit and not really missing anything. I felt like the pace could have been picked up, certain scenes could have been cut shorter or eliminated, and the story would have been the same- and more readable, certainly.

Will I Continue the Series? Maybe. I did like the characters enough to want to know what happens next, but I also don't know if I can deal with another long-winded book.

Bottom Line: While I enjoyed the characters and the story, I often found myself succumbing to periods of boredom.

*Copy provided for review