Synopsis:
When Merlon’s parents disappeared, his world fell apart. When his best friend died, he lost the ability to enjoy life.
For Captain Merlon Ricosta, Lanier’s death, two years prior, feels like yesterday. But when a map from his parents is discovered, he decides to push aside his grief to get closure and follow the route they vanished along eighteen years ago.
Despite political trouble, Merlon leads his crew into the unknowns of strange galaxies in his quest to find out why his parents never returned.
In River in the Galaxy Merlon fights to keep his crew alive and suppress his prolonged grief and depression. But he must face his own struggles in order to protect the ship and the people aboard.
Review:
The only thing I can think of to compare this book to is Treasure Planet, but with even more focus on personal relationships.
There are sailing ships that cross the spaces between galaxies, but they’re not the usual space-faring ships; they’re more like traditional oceanic vessels with masts, sails, rigging, etc. The ships are designed to sail between the stars, using a special type of breathing wood that provides atmosphere and the sails catch energy currents rather than air. I loved the concept and the perfect blend of fantasy and science-fiction that resulted.
Our main character is Merlon, the captain of Lucia, a ship he inherited from his missing parents. He’s been eager to find out what happened to them for 18 years, but has very little to go on. So when he’s granted permission to go on an expedition to search for clues, he accepts—even when the authorities saddle him with restrictions and responsibilities that are, in my opinion, not warranted or fair. But his desperation to uncover the truth is the deciding factor (and not just for his initial decision, but for many of those that follow.)
Merlon isn’t a perfect character, and it’s the imperfections that make him relatable. He struggles with grief and depression, has a history of substance abuse, and doesn’t always have the best temper. But he’s aware of his flaws, and he tries to correct them (although sometimes he’s a bit late in doing so.) He looks out for his crew as best he can, which is probably all someone can ask for in a ship’s captain.
River in the Galaxy was not the first book I’ve read in this series (I read Quarantine Thirteen a couple years ago and really enjoyed it.) I came into this book wanting to know more of the backstory, since River is technically the first in the series. That being said, there is a lot of buildup in this book, and the first half felt a tad bit slow. Once certain elements were established, however, the story went much quicker and continued to accelerate right up to the end. My one gripe is that the ending felt rather abrupt. I wish there had been a little more to tie things up.
Anyway, if ships sailing between galaxies, adventure, and uncovering mysteries is your thing, definitely check out River in the Galaxy. I’ll be reading the second book soon.
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