Synopsis:
With immense losses, Merlon and his crew have escaped the cannibals of Ivory, but now they are stuck in the wrong universe with no idea which way home lies.
There is no time for grieving when it’s discovered Lucia’s rough flight through the enormous asteroid field has resulted in most of their precious water storage spilling. It’s evident Merlon isn’t done fighting against his former addiction, but in Outer Universe he finds help from unexpected corners and makes surprising discoveries.
Struggling to find a way back to Inner Universe before more of his crew are added to the death toll, new information about Lady Galantria’s heritage reveal a threat that hadn’t even entered Merlon’s worst nightmares.
Will he succeed in returning to Amule, or will they be stuck in Outer Universe forever?
Review:
With even more action and adventure, and higher stakes, Outer Universe is a fantastic sequel to River in the Galaxy.
This book begins right where the first one left off, and builds upon the established storyline and characters even more. In this second book, we get to see some of the Outer Universe and its technology. The humans of Outer Universe are much like we are, and it become evident in a few scenes that those from Inner Universe have some genetic differences that make them more resilient and better suited to sailing through space (their lungs don’t require as much oxygen and they can see better in the dark, for starters.) The type of space craft they use is also different; the Outer Universe humans use the typical sleek, metal varieties prevalent in most science-fiction, which Merlon’s crew are wholly unfamiliar with. Personally, I like Lucia’s traditional sailing ship variety better. It’s unique and whimsical, and overall, more fun.
We also learn more about the mysterious Trackers—and they were nothing like I was anticipating. The “flying beings” also make several appearances and their quirky banter gives the story some much-needed humor at times. I really enjoyed getting to see more of the two universes.
Merlon doesn’t plan to stay in Outer Universe. He needs to get back to his home harbor of Amule before his approved time is up, and that’s rapidly approaching. But as with any good story, there are difficulties encountered along the way, and overcoming them isn’t easy. Merlon shows his mettle more than once, and despite some of the setbacks he faces, he seems to be getting some aspects of his life back on track (and I especially liked the ending.)
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