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grid's review
2.0
I liked the first two books in this series well enough, but suddenly in this one we have a new main character and while it’s the same universe, the tone has changed substantially. The scope or scale of the story also felt different, because that character is kept locked up and in the dark for the majority of the book.
I found the treatment of the primary subject matter, namely: slavery - to be incredibly distasteful. The whole book was cringy in how it dealt with this topic. Mainly it was that it really didn’t deal with it at all, just used as a flimsy and poorly drawn backdrop.
I guess another thing I really disliked was how there was a super interesting and sympathetic character introduced in a short story before the book (Hain), who is then turned into a villain in this book. Oh sure, there are hints that she’s being forced to act as a henchman for the true villain, and then at the end her actions are described to have been the result of blackmail. But her actions were to directly participate in (and in fact help run!) a galactic slavery ring. I cannot believe for a second that she should be redeemed or forgiven for them. She clearly had plenty of freedom on the ship and opportunity to act against her “master”. If this character returns (and is trusted at all), I will be upset about it.
I also have a general dislike for the trope where magic or super powers exist in some percentage of humans, we just don’t know how to unlock or access it. This is such a fantasy cliche that I often have to forgive it or get over it to enjoy a book. It was just slightly more annoying to find it in science fiction. :P
I found the treatment of the primary subject matter, namely: slavery - to be incredibly distasteful. The whole book was cringy in how it dealt with this topic. Mainly it was that it really didn’t deal with it at all, just used as a flimsy and poorly drawn backdrop.
I guess another thing I really disliked was how there was a super interesting and sympathetic character introduced in a short story before the book (Hain), who is then turned into a villain in this book. Oh sure, there are hints that she’s being forced to act as a henchman for the true villain, and then at the end her actions are described to have been the result of blackmail. But her actions were to directly participate in (and in fact help run!) a galactic slavery ring. I cannot believe for a second that she should be redeemed or forgiven for them. She clearly had plenty of freedom on the ship and opportunity to act against her “master”. If this character returns (and is trusted at all), I will be upset about it.
I also have a general dislike for the trope where magic or super powers exist in some percentage of humans, we just don’t know how to unlock or access it. This is such a fantasy cliche that I often have to forgive it or get over it to enjoy a book. It was just slightly more annoying to find it in science fiction. :P
reading_rainy's review against another edition
5.0
The Druid Gene takes place in the Confluence Universe. This is another first contact story like Fluency, but it’s also so much more than that.
Darcy Eberhardt is a second year med student who has struggled throughout her life to understand her mixed heritage. Her grandmother Harriet often reminded her “You’ve got to be your own person, Darcy. Whatever that means to you. Be that.” Her boyfriend, Adam, is multiracial as well but it’s his Native American legacy that brings them on the hike where everything begins. He has heard stories of a place in the desert with strong geomagnetic energy and wants to share that with Darcy.
This is a journey of someone finding out who they really are, and how that person fits into the universe with it’s diverse creatures and preconceived ideas. Darcy finds she is capable of much more than she ever though possible.
I really enjoy this universe and the ideas around it. Jennifer is writing books that I’ve always wanted to read, science fiction with actual emotions and real character development!
Darcy Eberhardt is a second year med student who has struggled throughout her life to understand her mixed heritage. Her grandmother Harriet often reminded her “You’ve got to be your own person, Darcy. Whatever that means to you. Be that.” Her boyfriend, Adam, is multiracial as well but it’s his Native American legacy that brings them on the hike where everything begins. He has heard stories of a place in the desert with strong geomagnetic energy and wants to share that with Darcy.
This is a journey of someone finding out who they really are, and how that person fits into the universe with it’s diverse creatures and preconceived ideas. Darcy finds she is capable of much more than she ever though possible.
I really enjoy this universe and the ideas around it. Jennifer is writing books that I’ve always wanted to read, science fiction with actual emotions and real character development!
amynbell's review against another edition
5.0
It took me 12 days to tear through every last book and short story written by Jennifer Foehner Wells so far. The majority of her books and stories are in an interconnected world. In the short story, [b:The Grove|24930297|The Grove|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431966339s/24930297.jpg|44585223], we get the origin story of Hain who is one of the major characters in this book. And we encounter characters from the series that begins with [b:Fluency|22566044|Fluency (Confluence, #1)|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403451883s/22566044.jpg|42028608] in the final chapter of this book.
I found this book to be predictable, but it was still enjoyable. It's only after Darcy is abducted by a slaver spaceship that she discovers that she inherited alien druid genetics from both of her parents. This makes her a highly sought after prize because her genetic inheritance brings with it special physical abilities she's never known that she had. For some reason, I started out reading the title of this book as "The Druid Games". I think it would have been an apt title because it shares some qualities with [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775]. To say more would be a spoiler. But if you're looking for a self-capable, kick-@$$ female heroine in a sci-fi novel, you need to look no further. If you like forest survival tales (especially on other planets with strange flora and fauna), then this is also a book you'd enjoy.
If you want to get started with this series, I suggest the following order for maximum effect:
1.[b:Fluency|22566044|Fluency (Confluence, #1)|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403451883s/22566044.jpg|42028608]
2.[b:Remanence|29488335|Remanence (Confluence, #2)|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457770501s/29488335.jpg|45064595]
3.[b:The Grove|24930297|The Grove|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431966339s/24930297.jpg|44585223]
4.[b:The Druid Gene|32492214|Inheritance|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510763883s/32492214.jpg|53082830]
Reading 3, 4, 1, 2 would also work.
So now I'm experiencing a little bit of Series Letdown Syndrome where I'm sure that nothing I could read could possibly be as interesting as the world I've left behind. I'm just crossing my fingers that the next book in the Fluency series comes out within the next couple of months as originally planned. It's almost unheard of for me to enjoy a series past about book #2, so this is a rare author for me.
I found this book to be predictable, but it was still enjoyable. It's only after Darcy is abducted by a slaver spaceship that she discovers that she inherited alien druid genetics from both of her parents. This makes her a highly sought after prize because her genetic inheritance brings with it special physical abilities she's never known that she had. For some reason, I started out reading the title of this book as "The Druid Games". I think it would have been an apt title because it shares some qualities with [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775]. To say more would be a spoiler. But if you're looking for a self-capable, kick-@$$ female heroine in a sci-fi novel, you need to look no further. If you like forest survival tales (especially on other planets with strange flora and fauna), then this is also a book you'd enjoy.
If you want to get started with this series, I suggest the following order for maximum effect:
1.[b:Fluency|22566044|Fluency (Confluence, #1)|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403451883s/22566044.jpg|42028608]
2.[b:Remanence|29488335|Remanence (Confluence, #2)|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457770501s/29488335.jpg|45064595]
3.[b:The Grove|24930297|The Grove|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431966339s/24930297.jpg|44585223]
4.[b:The Druid Gene|32492214|Inheritance|Jennifer Foehner Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510763883s/32492214.jpg|53082830]
Reading 3, 4, 1, 2 would also work.
So now I'm experiencing a little bit of Series Letdown Syndrome where I'm sure that nothing I could read could possibly be as interesting as the world I've left behind. I'm just crossing my fingers that the next book in the Fluency series comes out within the next couple of months as originally planned. It's almost unheard of for me to enjoy a series past about book #2, so this is a rare author for me.
kazeneko20's review against another edition
5.0
unfortunately my tablet was broken and i was unable to Finnish this book but i died get 4/5th of the way through it. it was a free book so it was not synced with my account and was just on the tablet. i really enjoyed the book though when i got it i did not know it was book 3 so at some i want to read the other books and read them in order.
kmdrago's review against another edition
4.0
Thrilling but different than first two books
This book was renamed and placed within the reading order as third. The first two follow the crew to the target and what follows. This was a thriller about a captive in space. The story merged at the tail end. The series is different but enjoyable. I recommend giving it a chance in order however.
This book was renamed and placed within the reading order as third. The first two follow the crew to the target and what follows. This was a thriller about a captive in space. The story merged at the tail end. The series is different but enjoyable. I recommend giving it a chance in order however.
rgarver's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It’s an unexpected turn from the previous books in the series. Super fun
sarahvinnet's review against another edition
5.0
This book is where the Confluence series world goes from polished to glistening. Darcy is a main character you’re desperate to cheer for, not because she’s special nor because bad things happen to her but because she’s vibrant, present, and forceful, and you can’t help but want her to succeed. The world she finds herself in is thick with old tragedies and new discoveries and questions of how to accept the two together. The overall plot is fairly straightforward, but the characters make this book breathe.
adelaidemetzger_robotprophet's review against another edition
4.0
Heads up: New protagonist, new villain, new journey.
Although the last chapter hints that Jane Halloway is possibly nearby, this is not a direct continuation for the main protagonist in the first two books. But judging by the high general rating for Jennifer Foehner Wells’ third installment of the Confluence series on both Goodreads and Amazon, the change in main character and story doesn’t seem to be putting anyone off from the creativity and passion the author has for space-faring adventures.
My take away?
This was solid with interesting elements. But after Remanance it’s hard to dive into a new Wells novel without the expectation of getting the freaking rug pulled out from under me and like having the story and characters slam me on my ass. But this was still good.
Story
Brief, non-spoiler, summary: Inheritance follows the story of Darcy, a human who finds herself abducted and separated from her boyfriend as they are placed in intergalactic slavery, but Darcy finds she isn’t completely who she thought she was and must learn to adapt to her situation in order to survive.
I know I should keep this story seperate from the previous books, but I can’t help myself because I love them so much. Wells keeps the world-building basic by using the same method of having most of Inheritance from a human’s point of view like with the first two in the series, but I think this was necessary because this is a whole new situation with new species and a new conflict that needs to be explored. That being said, Inheritance’s plot is much more condensed with stakes isolated strictly to Darcy and her survival. There’s nothing wrong that.
When I realized that was it for this book I had to keep telling myself to lower my expectaions. Remenance was like one of the epic, high-stakes films of the Star Trek franchise that just built up speed the closer it got to its conclusion. Inheritance was more like a three-part episode of Star Trek with an intense final showdown. Also like with the first two books, this was an origin story for the main character. Darcy discovered something strange and incredible about herself that I only got a sample of here and was left wanting very badly to see where her story goes.
Characters
Female characters who are written to be tough and extremely lucky because...you know...feminism, really get on my nerves. It’s hard for me to find a strong female character that I don’t find annoying--and my feelings about that range in both the young adult and adult genres. But thank God Darcy is not one of those kinds of characters. Wells knows how to write characters that are strong because they had to earn it for the right reasons and I’m here for it.
I haven’t seen Darcy’s ethnicity mentioned much in reviews for this book, but I thought that was one of the coolest pieces of intrugue for me because Darcy draws on the words of her grandmother for strength and uses that drive to fight and survive even when she’s pushed to the brink of death. Darcy is African American and can’t help but compare her kidnapping situation to her family history, thinking back on how her grandmother explained to her what slavery was. Darcy’s newfound power could be an allegory, or it could just be a hell of a cool element to a character who organically has to learn to adapt if she is to be victorious. Darcy fights for her freedom and I freaking love it.
As for the other characters, I have to admit that I haven’t read Wells’ novellas that actually explain the backstory for a few of the races Darcy encouters. But I’m glad I didn’t because that would have spoiled one of the reveals regarding the relationship between Darcy and her antagonist. We get to see a whole ship-ful of new alien species which I thought was really cool, the most interesting to me being a character named Selpis who Dacry befriends. The tone of that whole situation of Dacry being a human who is imprisoned by aliens and adapts to fight her way out reminded me so much of the animated series of Samuri Jack, just thinking of all the times Jack interracted with alien races and robots but adapted to his environment was a distant vibe for me while reading this.
Conclusion
I am really enjoying this series so far, and even though this was a different kind of direction in story, I am REALLY looking forward to the moment when all of these characters converge to save the galaxy or something.
To inifinity, and the fourth book!
Although the last chapter hints that Jane Halloway is possibly nearby, this is not a direct continuation for the main protagonist in the first two books. But judging by the high general rating for Jennifer Foehner Wells’ third installment of the Confluence series on both Goodreads and Amazon, the change in main character and story doesn’t seem to be putting anyone off from the creativity and passion the author has for space-faring adventures.
My take away?
This was solid with interesting elements. But after Remanance it’s hard to dive into a new Wells novel without the expectation of getting the freaking rug pulled out from under me and like having the story and characters slam me on my ass. But this was still good.
Story
Brief, non-spoiler, summary: Inheritance follows the story of Darcy, a human who finds herself abducted and separated from her boyfriend as they are placed in intergalactic slavery, but Darcy finds she isn’t completely who she thought she was and must learn to adapt to her situation in order to survive.
I know I should keep this story seperate from the previous books, but I can’t help myself because I love them so much. Wells keeps the world-building basic by using the same method of having most of Inheritance from a human’s point of view like with the first two in the series, but I think this was necessary because this is a whole new situation with new species and a new conflict that needs to be explored. That being said, Inheritance’s plot is much more condensed with stakes isolated strictly to Darcy and her survival. There’s nothing wrong that.
When I realized that was it for this book I had to keep telling myself to lower my expectaions. Remenance was like one of the epic, high-stakes films of the Star Trek franchise that just built up speed the closer it got to its conclusion. Inheritance was more like a three-part episode of Star Trek with an intense final showdown. Also like with the first two books, this was an origin story for the main character. Darcy discovered something strange and incredible about herself that I only got a sample of here and was left wanting very badly to see where her story goes.
Characters
Female characters who are written to be tough and extremely lucky because...you know...feminism, really get on my nerves. It’s hard for me to find a strong female character that I don’t find annoying--and my feelings about that range in both the young adult and adult genres. But thank God Darcy is not one of those kinds of characters. Wells knows how to write characters that are strong because they had to earn it for the right reasons and I’m here for it.
I haven’t seen Darcy’s ethnicity mentioned much in reviews for this book, but I thought that was one of the coolest pieces of intrugue for me because Darcy draws on the words of her grandmother for strength and uses that drive to fight and survive even when she’s pushed to the brink of death. Darcy is African American and can’t help but compare her kidnapping situation to her family history, thinking back on how her grandmother explained to her what slavery was. Darcy’s newfound power could be an allegory, or it could just be a hell of a cool element to a character who organically has to learn to adapt if she is to be victorious. Darcy fights for her freedom and I freaking love it.
As for the other characters, I have to admit that I haven’t read Wells’ novellas that actually explain the backstory for a few of the races Darcy encouters. But I’m glad I didn’t because that would have spoiled one of the reveals regarding the relationship between Darcy and her antagonist. We get to see a whole ship-ful of new alien species which I thought was really cool, the most interesting to me being a character named Selpis who Dacry befriends. The tone of that whole situation of Dacry being a human who is imprisoned by aliens and adapts to fight her way out reminded me so much of the animated series of Samuri Jack, just thinking of all the times Jack interracted with alien races and robots but adapted to his environment was a distant vibe for me while reading this.
Conclusion
I am really enjoying this series so far, and even though this was a different kind of direction in story, I am REALLY looking forward to the moment when all of these characters converge to save the galaxy or something.
To inifinity, and the fourth book!