Synopsis
On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of one’s ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive.
That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa.
Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his father’s secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead.
Review
Embargo On Hope is a beautiful sci-fantasy adventure, packed with so much to love.
I was immediately hooked with this story by the end of chapter one. This first chapter alone is action-packed, full of lore, delivers the motivation of the main characters, and has an unexpected ending. From here, we go on an epic quest that takes us through an immersive world.
If you’re a fan of the “chosen one” trope at all, I think you’ll enjoy Doyle’s unique spin on the concept. It was something I haven’t read before but thoroughly enjoyed being a fan of more sci-fi-based novels. Another core theme of this story is the dystopian nature of how people are split into different castes. This caste system of course plays into the story and our main character’s upbringing and motivation.
Embargo also includes a great cast of characters that all feel fleshed out and unique. Our main character, Darynn Mark, is told through a first-person POV which I can always appreciate. Following a single character from page one to the end is something I tend to enjoy more compared to multi-character POV-driven stories. However, the main character that we follow needs to be compelling and be someone we enjoy reading for the entire story. Darynn, I am happy to report was someone who was able to keep my interest and be someone who I wanted to see succeed. He is quickly thrust into a dangerous journey that will hopefully provide answers to his past and potentially end an embargo that is keeping his people in an oppressed state.
Chapter one introduces us to some interesting creatures like necromancers that fill the stars in this universe. Aliens, vampires, minotaurs, and more can be found in the following chapters. The story also has many unique settings that take us from the slums of a lesser caste system to elegant manors, dark and cold prisons, and then religious temples that hold dark secrets.
I also wanted to highlight that Doyle’s prose is very poetic at times and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
All in all, Embargo on Hope contains a complex universe, engaging characters, a compelling quest, and a lot more to love. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something that feels like Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward mixed with Star Wars. I say Star Wars because it’s not necessarily a hard sci-fi book where technology or ideas are the focus. It’s more like an epic fantasy tale with bits of technology to serve a fantastical story.
Ready to see where the story takes in book 2, Betrayal of Hope.
Another side note, the audiobook version of this story, narrated by Christopher Dukes, delivered a fantastic performance.
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