I received an advance review
copy of the book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Relatives is a sci-fi novel
in the sub-genre of colonization. It is very well written with good characters
one can relate to, or perhaps even recognize. The world-building suffices to
set the story in.
I will admit, it took me a
little time at the beginning to get invested in the story. After the first few
chapters of exposition, I got into the meat of the story because of the
characters and their various individual agendum that carried the story forward
at a detailed, moderate pace. For what the tale is about, I found this book
relaxing to read, but it was also disturbing in several elements of the story
that paralleled recent events. The writing style is to show the story through
the actions of the characters, but the action doesn't explode off the page. I
enjoyed this style of writing and enjoyed this book.
***Spoilers
Ahead***
When a philosophical rift
developed on Earth between the leader, known as the Singular Sovereign and the
head of a corporation who seeks to colonize other worlds, there are three ships
dispatched to a planet suitable for colonization. One ship makes it, another
remains in Earth orbit, and another is wandering through deep space.
Move forward to the year 2408.
The colony has prospered and is being led by a man named Jordan Graham. He
takes a chance and sends a message to the two ships that didn't arrive. The
message is received by the wandering ship, and they make their way to join the
colony. There is just one small problem: the passengers are infected with a
disease called the Shakes. Eager to join the colony, they leave out they are
infected and proceed to the colony in a return message.
When they arrive, there is much
consternation in Graham's government about the possibility the plague is
contagious and will destroy the colony. His solution is to isolate the people
on the ship from the colony while others want to learn how this plague was
started, and who was responsible. There are also those in the colony who would
like to find a cure, and still others who believe it is time for a change in
leadership.
Graham, who reserves sole rule
over the colony, makes some decisions that have dire consequences. Then when an
armada arrives from earth, there could be even more disastrous results if
Graham's plan is carried out.
As I mentioned before, what
appealed to me were the characters and their development in The Relatives.
Jordan Graham is the
narcissistic, charismatic leader of the colony. He is surrounded by advisors
who try to advise him, but mostly they are a group of yes-men. If someone has
the gall to disagree with him, they will be sacked and shunned. Jordan is very
popular amongst many in the colony, but there are those who feel that he, and
his relatives time has passed, and it is time to elect a new government. Jordan
is quite taken with himself and believes he is infallible. He pays a lot of
attention to his appearance and knows how to work a crowd. He has no empathy
for others and has no qualms about removing problem people from his scope,
should the need arise.
My favorite character was a
young woman from the wandering ship, Janey Allen. She is a somewhat naive girl
who had known no other life than being aboard the ship. She enjoys cooking for
people and is quite accomplished at doing so. When she arrives on the planet,
she is full of wonder and comprehends what planet-life can be like, and she
enjoys it, including the discovery of a budding relationship with a member of
the colony. She is a bright spot in this tale. Unfortunately, her story also is
tragic when the plague is discovered.
Gus and Call are two young men
in the colony who have graduated to adulthood. They are playful and have fun,
but soon learn there is more to life than having fun. They quickly learn how
things work on the colony through their experience and begin to believe there
needs to be change.
Lorena is a stenographer who
has the lofty goal of being in a relationship with Jordan until she learns what
he is actually like. She takes it upon herself to investigate the shadier
happenings on the colony and is appalled at the things she finds. Her
adventures are a series of discoveries that leads her to oppose Jordan, and she
finds her opposition carries consequences.
Other characters included in
the story are all well written and contribute in various ways to building a
complete picture of life under Graham rule.
My favorite point of plot for
The Relatives is how it made me think about recent world events and how so much
is has been mishandled. The parallels are veiled, but also astoundingly clear,
if the reader pays attention. For me, as a reader, this tale is a warning, and
I think it will clearly reveal itself as one reads.
My takeaway from The Relatives
is to be careful of charismatic leaders who do not have empathy for others. It
is important that one who leads believes they are the best person for the job,
but they also must remember they are not without human flaw and need to
remember the needs of the people they lead. There are no uncomplicated answers
when one leads a large population, and those who do must tap into their empathy
to be effective.
Another theme that presented
itself to me is hard decisions must be carefully considered. There is no room
for knee-jerk reactions that hurt people.
I loved The Relatives for many
reasons. I enjoyed the relaxed, moderate pacing as the story unfolded. After a
long day, it was nice to just sit down and read a well-written entertaining
story that wasn't too much "in-your-face." The characters are
interesting and are developed to the point they could be real people. I could
hear the voice as they spoke, and each one was an individual with a well
thought out personality and backstory. There are characters in this to like,
and those to dislike, and they play off each other in fascinating ways. The
story unfolds logically and steadily and is easy to understand and follow. I
found myself immersed in this and wanted to read on and on.
The Relatives is a story that
is complete in itself, not part of a series. I look forward to more of the
author's work in the future.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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