The first book in the Solaris Saga manages to capture the wonder of fantasy into the world of science fiction. At first glance, Solaris Seethes by Janet McNulty seems like your average space opera. By the second or third chapter, the story introduces epic fantasy tropes like the chosen one. Some may find this shift in tone drastic and a negative of the book. For me it was a nice touch and something different, yet familiar. The prophecy angle is a bit much, but the actual words are at least decent and add mystery without being too obviously cheesy.
After introducing the “chosen one(s)” plot, the next several chapters are shorter than the ones before and after. They are all one scene long and introduce each of the heroes in their respective times and environments. Yes, time travel is a thing in this book. However, it’s used infrequently and how the technology works is more a limitation than a cool power or ability.
Once the first act transitions into act two, the story takes a deeper, more emotional turn. These chapters and most of the book’s middle is filled with touching character moments. Some are more writer 101, like the character of Brie’s father having died in war. It makes the character sympathetic, but the way the information is introduced is a bit heavy-handed. Feelings and emotions are complex. Like saying there was a single cause for any event in history, claiming one thing is the result of a single moment is a gross simplification.
At this point it should be made clear that I both listened and read this book via Amazon’s whisper sync for voice feature available on most devices. The first dozen or so chapters were a hybrid approach. Once reaching chapter 12, I switched solely to listening. At first, my attention was focused solely on listening. Then, like with all audiobooks it became background noise when my attention drifted elsewhere. The reason I bring this up is that while listening, some important plot points may have been missed, which may have explained some of my problems with the story. Of course, most of my problems had to do with the way the story was told, not with the content itself.
From the second or third chapter, the point of view (POV) head-hops frequently enough that it throws you out every time you understand what a character is thinking or feeling. It makes you question whose point of view this scene is in? Was the story omniscient or just badly written third-person limited with at least five POV errors in each chapter? If Brie’s backstory was writing 101, the stylistic choice of words was a remedial level class. Not that the prose were bad, but the constant head-hopping got tedious, even while listening solely to the audiobook.
By the end, I was intrigued enough to want to know what happened next. Some parts leading up to the final act were either glossed over or I just missed them completely. Again, audiobooks by themselves aren’t great for reading comprehension. Whatever the reason, the twist near the end was surprising, but not quite inevitable. Even while just listening, the reveal became increasingly obvious. Without giving it away, let’s say it’s a turn you’ve seen hundreds of times. To the point that it has become more of a joke than a cliche.
Overall, Solaris Seethes manages to start strong, get through the middle with thoughtful—if somewhat shallow—character development, and end on an unexpected and satisfying note.
4/5 Stars