Review: The Terrans

Must read for readers who enjoy intrigue, political conflict and a touch of romance @JeanJAuthor #bookreview
The Terrans by Jean Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a must buy book.  Ms. Johnson kicks off a fabulous new series with nonstop action.  This page turner features a new strong female lead, Jacaranda MacKenzie.  Jackie serves the United Planets with distinction.  She is a talented woman with many skills.  She is a translator, former military and council member.  This doesn't even touch her psychic abilities and the patience of a saint.  When she is called back to duty on a hush-hush mission to meet new aliens and find allies to help protect Terran in a future war, all hell breaks loose.

The world building in this story is fantastic.  For those who did not read the series, Theirs Not to Reason Why, after reading this story, you will want to read it.  The complexity to this world with the politics, government, technology and aliens is robust and keeps a reader's attention.  Learning about how the United Planets came to be and how the council takes representatives is impressive.  It's a type of utopia reminiscent in several Ms. Anne McCaffrey series.  For those who loved Tower and the Hive Series by Ms. McCaffrey, this series, First Salik Wars will be right up your alley.

I loved the character development in this book.  This applies to the main and secondary characters.  Jacaranda is definitely a heroine I admire.  She's well rounded and comfortable in her own skin.  Her ethics and moral compass are demonstrated over and over again in each situation.  The way she handles both those for and against her is impressive.  She's the kind of commander I'd aspire to be.  She's not perfect and that's okay.  When she loses her temper, it's explainable.  Her love interest, Li’eth, is a human from another universe.  The way they communicate and learn about each other's culture is refreshing.  There are misconceptions and I love how Ms. Johnson shows discrimination and how to handle it. Li’eth is a character who is strong yet weak.  He is strong with his decision making skills and how to handle his crew.  Yet his psychic powers and control over it are very weak.  Having him placed in a position of weakness makes him more approachable.  The chemistry between the two gives a lovely romantic undertone to this science fiction novel.


The plot development in this story is complex and the first book is merely the building block to the next.  This meaty book is tightly written with great imagery and excellent dialogue.  Even though the book is over 400 pages, it moved at a good pace.  What I really enjoyed about this book is the conflict resolution.  In every instance of conflict, Ms. Johnson shows ways in how people can work together and think outside of the box to find a better outcome for all.  This kind of positive thinking shows creativity and strength in character.  This is a feel good book for me because it makes me think and want to become a better person.  I love books which also touch upon current events and makes a socio-political commentary without being heavy handed.  Ms. Johnson does a great job providing possible solutions to discrimination based on physical looks and mental differences.  I want to live in this world, even if there are evil aliens who want to just eat humans.  Highly recommended to sci-fi readers who enjoy intrigue, political conflict and a touch of romance.

*provided by NetGalley



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