AUTHOR: Steph Bennion
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
Recommended
for fans of light-hearted adventures and space operas.
GENRE
Science Fiction—Young Adult/Space Opera
Hollow
Moon is a cleverly written space adventure
with plenty of humor. It takes place in the 23rd century, in which
humans have spread out across the stars but have not yet made contact with
intelligent aliens. There are mysteries and twists surrounding political intrigue
and corporate warfare, but also quirky, light-hearted moments. The technology
is well developed and described in detail.
PACE
Hollow
Moon alternates between sequences of fast-paced
adventure and scenes of the characters’ more everyday moments.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person omniscient. The narrative
switches between characters’ perspectives within scenes, allowing the reader to
see how each character is experiencing the situation.
CONTENT REVIEW
Ravana O’Brien is a vivacious teenager
living in a quiet life in a hollow asteroid on the fringes of humankind’s
interstellar society. One day, while chasing her troublesome robotic pet cat,
she witnesses the kidnapping of a young exiled prince, heir to a throne
lightyears away. Meanwhile, on another world, a three-member high school band sets
out to participate in a galactic music competition that is to take place at a
peace conference intended to settle a decades-long civil war. The band
members—Bellona, Philyra, and Endymion—stumble into the conflict when they come
across an abandoned ship that had been used to kidnap the prince.
Hollow
Moon follows the antics and adventures of
these four teenagers, plus Ravana’s brilliant and eccentric friend Zotz, who
will stop at nothing to impress her, as they find themselves more and more
entangled in the political machinations and corporate intrigue behind the
kidnapping. As Ravana investigates these plots, she ends up learning secrets
about her own past that her father, the starship pilot Quirinus, had kept from
her. The narrative cuts from scene to scene in a cinematic fashion, often
showing the reader events unbeknownst to the young protagonists—such as
close-ups of the two bickering kidnappers and glimpses of the scheming
villains.
Hollow
Moon has a large and entertaining cast of
characters. There’s Miss Clymene, the hapless music teacher just trying to keep
her small, underdog band together on what was supposed to be a simple school
trip. And Ostara, a well-meaning but rather incompetent young detective
assigned to solve the mystery of the prince’s kidnapping. Professor Wak, Zotz’s
father, makes only a few appearances but is nevertheless one of the more
memorable characters due to his quirks. And of course, there’s that electric
cat, which at first glance is a robotic pet but ends up becoming an integral
part of the story.
The world-building in Hollow Moon is an impressive display of
technological and societal conjecture. The mechanics of the main
technologies—such as AI processors and artificial gravity—are described in detailed
but understandable language. The futuristic society is similarly well
thought-out. In this rendition of the 23rd century, China and India
have become two of the more prominent interstellar superpowers, and thus many
of the planets have Chinese names (such as Taotie and Daode) while the
kidnapped prince belongs to an old-fashioned Indian monarchy that had been set
up on one of these worlds.
While the universe is intricately
described, the events themselves are straightforward and, at times, cartoonish
in their moments of humor. There’s not much in terms of character
development, and at times, the characters seem to adjust too quickly to the
circumstances they find themselves in. The story doesn't take itself too seriously as it alternates between the main mystery and character quirks, such as Philyra's obsession with a celebrity-filled reality show or Zotz's attempts to impress Ravana.
Although the story takes place in the future, the characters speak and behave in a contemporary (early 21st century) fashion, using variations of present-day colloquialisms in their dialogue. This makes them easy to relate to and sympathize with, as they come across as familiar and likable. Their witty chatter and everyday concerns keep the story light-hearted even as it delves into some of the darker subjects of bioethics and civil war.
Although the story takes place in the future, the characters speak and behave in a contemporary (early 21st century) fashion, using variations of present-day colloquialisms in their dialogue. This makes them easy to relate to and sympathize with, as they come across as familiar and likable. Their witty chatter and everyday concerns keep the story light-hearted even as it delves into some of the darker subjects of bioethics and civil war.
In terms of writing, Hollow Moon is smooth and easy to read,
with the narration carrying the story along without drawing attention to itself.
The third person omniscient narration is deftly handled, allowing the reader to
view a single scene from multiple points of view. With its twists and reveals
and colorful sense of humor, there is never a dull moment. The juxtaposition of a high school band competition against the
backdrop of dangerous, change-the-world circumstances makes this an enjoyable
and unique story.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
Hollow
Moon has been impeccably edited—there are no
typos, and the writing is assured and efficient.
There are very mild references to drug
use (mostly people asking Endymion if he’s “on egg” due to his somewhat
stoner-like attitude) and a handful of explosions, but other than that, Hollow Moon is completely G-rated and
suitable for young readers.
AUTHOR INFO
[From Smashwords’ author page]
Steph Bennion is a writer, musician and
reluctant civil servant in Westminster, born and bred in the Black Country but
now living in south London, England. Her science-fiction stories are written as
a reaction to the dearth of alternative heroes amidst bookshelves swamped by
tales of the supernatural. For every aspiring vampire or wizard, the world
needs an astrophysicist, an engineer, or at the very least someone who can make
the trains run on time.
Visit her website or Follow her on Twitter
RELATED: An Interview with Steph Bennion
Visit her website or Follow her on Twitter
RELATED: An Interview with Steph Bennion
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