I received an advance review
copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Those
Left Behind is due for release on November 16, 2021.
In Scrimgeour's previous book, The
Exodus Betrayal, readers are introduced to Alvera Renata, an artificially
enhanced bounty hunter who explores the world of New Pallas. That story serves
as a prequel to this book, those left behind. However, this is not simply a
continuation of Alvera's story. There are more characters to follow in this
continuing tale and the story becomes more intricate. Left Behind is a
space opera/first contact sci-fi story that is hard to set aside once opened.
The characters are complex real people who have numerous ways to approach the
goal of saving the people of New Pallas, a planet so overpopulated and
polluted, there is no hope of survival.
Alvera Renata, former bounty
hunter, has a vision for the people of New Pallas. She envisions them surviving
on a new world in another galaxy, hoping they have learned the lessons from the
mistakes made on their old home planet. Filled with hope and high anticipation,
Alvera captains a small scout ship through a tunnel in space connecting to
Waystations. When her ship, the Ranger, arrives at its destination, she
finds herself and her crew in the middle of a conflict that brings the promise
of all-out war.
Another problem is that as soon
as the Ranger arrives, the Waystations shut down, trapping Alvera in on
one end, and the people she wants to save on the other.
Driven by her mantra, "all
of us go, or none of us go," it is up to Alvera and her crew to get the
Waystations back online. Time and circumstances are against her; she is in a
race to save the people of an entire planet from extinction.
In Left Behind, Alvera
is a far different character than she was in the prequel book. Her purpose is
more noble, and her compassion is ramped up, but she still has the same resolve
and single sightedness for achieving a goal.
There are also some new
characters involved, each playing a part to either help bring the humans from
New Pallas, or to stop an already complicated situation from exploding.
All the characters are
interesting in their views and beliefs and are what really drives the story
forward.
Another aspect I found
appealing was how, once the Ranger arrived at the far end of the tunnel,
the crew all went their separate ways to solve unique problems they
encountered, and how clever they were at solving them.
Beyond just being a good solid
and entertaining story, my takeaway from Left Behind is how the
principal character has grown from someone who worried about her own survival
to her concern for the survival of everyone on New Pallas. We don't get a lot
of details on how this happened, but to help understand, I would recommend
reading the prequel to understand Alvera's motivations.
Among the author's strengths
demonstrated in Left Behind is world building. Every place she describes
comes alive, as do her characters. She is adept at creating people, especially
aliens, that have real feelings and values to give one something to think
about.
I recommend this book as one
that will interest those who enjoy strong female characters set in situations
with intensity and a sense of urgency.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After completing her Masters in
English Literature, she went on to work in journalism, marketing, and
communications while pursuing her passion in writing.
When she's not working on her
books, she enjoys playing story-driven RPG's, watching and reading all things
science fiction and fantasy, and getting outdoors with the dog for a good walk.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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