AUTHOR: Ross Harrison
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
AVAILABILITY: Amazon and other e-book platforms
GENRE
Science Fiction - Steampunk
REVIEW
Ross Harrison's steampunk short story, Kira Part 2: Horizon, picks up where the first Kira tale left off. Let me start by saying that I LOVED the first Kira story, and if you read my review of it, you'll see that it ended with a plaintive plea for a sequel. Well, two years later, my wish was finally fulfilled!
Kira 2 picks up where the first story left off. After Kira's town, which resides in the desert outside a totalitarian nation run by the powerful Government, is destroyed by airship bombardment, Kira is left alone, having lost everyone she knows. Except for one person: Flip, a somewhat awkward but totally adorable teenage boy who seems to hero-worship her. With nothing but desert around them, their only option is to head toward the ruined city they spot on the horizon. But it turns out, there are residents of the city, and they're not very friendly. Between cruel thugs and wild beasts, Kira has more than her fair share of danger to deal with.
Kira 2 brings back much of the awesome from the first book - steampunk setting, action-packed plot, and, of course, two fantastic characters. Kira is an irreverent, Cockney-accented spitfire in a corset and half-top, and she's an absolute delight to watch. Having lost so much and faced with tough moral decisions, she wrestles with darker demons than in the first part, which Harrison successfully brings to life. I feel like he added a lot more depth to the character in just a few short paragraph by depicting her inner turmoil. And the adorkable Flip has a much bigger role this time around, though it's still Kira's show.
Sadly, Kira 2 ended on another cliffhanger. The mysteries of the first tale are alluded to a few times, but this story is more about the journey and survival. I just hope I don't have to wait another two years to find out more...
All in all, the Kira series is action-packed, entertaining, and unafraid to expand upon the exciting steampunk world it's set in.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ross Harrison is the author of three novels and two short stories. Although he doesn't stray from science fiction, he has ventured into multiple sub-genres, including space opera, thriller, noir, and steampunk. He has been writing since childhood, and occasionally likes to revisit those old stories for a good cringe and nervous laugh.
Ross lives on the UK/Eire border in Ireland, where he moved from England in 2001, hoping the rain will help his hair grow back.
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