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gg1213's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book through my Goodreads recommendations for liking the "Beyond" series by Kit Rocha- and after reading the description, I was sold. The cover doesn't quite match the book's male lead, Keir, but considering most covers are created from stock photos, I don't hold it too much against the novel. Not to mention the fact that it displays a bare chested man doesn't stray too far from Cassandra Clare's "City of Bones" original cover. So right off the back, I wouldn't try to draw too many conclusions- positive or negative- from the cover art alone.
The storyline is interesting, I'll say that. The plot mixes elements of high fantasy with common science fiction giving it a medieval Stargate sort of feel. The portals and different planets would definitely appeal to fans of the popular television series or the film. However, some of the details tended to drag on in a way that made the passages feel like filler at times.
I think a few more rounds of line edits could have cleaned up most of the problems I had with this book: the drier descriptions I've already mentioned, some slow and rushed story development. Certain subplots were almost unnecessary for they didn't really push the story along much- especially considering the fact that this is a stand-alone novel, so those story branches that distracted from the big picture were both unnecessary and frustratingly unfinished. I think if there would have been more conclusions to some of the subplots, that already would have made me enjoy them more- but they didn't feel complete to me so I noticed their odd place in the book even more. I almost feel as if the book would have been better with one main plot and the other sub-points made available afterwards as part of an online series which would have given the author so much room to play and develop everything that is only just hinted at in this book.
I loved the characters....to an extent. I wish they were all a little better developed and I would have liked to explore the relationships between them a little more. The dialogue seemed a little forced at time which made the sweet build up of the relationship between Quinn and Keir come across as cheesy and uncomfortable at times.
Their powers and how they used them confused me- they could read each others mind...and yet neither were able to get even the smallest inkling as to the others feelings? And once their relationship came to be, I feel it rushed too quickly into things.
Ultimately, I did enjoy the book well enough- and it definitely isn't horrible, but there are a lot of details that make this seem like a draft. I would be wary of that and not go into this expecting perfection. Try not to have any expectations, like I did, and you'll enjoy this book much more than if you have a critical eye and want it to be like something else.
The storyline is interesting, I'll say that. The plot mixes elements of high fantasy with common science fiction giving it a medieval Stargate sort of feel. The portals and different planets would definitely appeal to fans of the popular television series or the film. However, some of the details tended to drag on in a way that made the passages feel like filler at times.
I think a few more rounds of line edits could have cleaned up most of the problems I had with this book: the drier descriptions I've already mentioned, some slow and rushed story development. Certain subplots were almost unnecessary for they didn't really push the story along much- especially considering the fact that this is a stand-alone novel, so those story branches that distracted from the big picture were both unnecessary and frustratingly unfinished. I think if there would have been more conclusions to some of the subplots, that already would have made me enjoy them more- but they didn't feel complete to me so I noticed their odd place in the book even more. I almost feel as if the book would have been better with one main plot and the other sub-points made available afterwards as part of an online series which would have given the author so much room to play and develop everything that is only just hinted at in this book.
I loved the characters....to an extent. I wish they were all a little better developed and I would have liked to explore the relationships between them a little more. The dialogue seemed a little forced at time which made the sweet build up of the relationship between Quinn and Keir come across as cheesy and uncomfortable at times.
Spoiler
Their powers and how they used them confused me- they could read each others mind...and yet neither were able to get even the smallest inkling as to the others feelings? And once their relationship came to be, I feel it rushed too quickly into things.
Ultimately, I did enjoy the book well enough- and it definitely isn't horrible, but there are a lot of details that make this seem like a draft. I would be wary of that and not go into this expecting perfection. Try not to have any expectations, like I did, and you'll enjoy this book much more than if you have a critical eye and want it to be like something else.
authorcpeace's review
5.0
I. Loved. This. Loved it. It's some of the best science fiction I've read in a while, with two incredibly different main characters who discover that they're not so different after all.
Yes, there are alien races, yes there are other planets, but deep down, what I love most about this book is that it's a book about people.
Keir has been ostracized his entire life because of his blue skin. Otherwise seemingly normal, Keir has been forced to hide in the shadows, scavenge for food, and fend off attackers since a young age. As a result, he's incredibly distrusting. When he first meets Quin, he's being held in a storage room, a beaten and battered prisoner. The pair manages to escape, leading them down a road where Keir finds not only acceptance, but a deep, abiding love.
Of course, that's not all, and you're gonna have to read the book to find out. The world(s) Pippa creates are wonderfully done, each having its own customs, lore, and geology. Nothing felt...contrived, or too difficult to understand, if that makes any sense. Each world the characters travel to feels like it could exist somewhere, and the different alien races are fleshed out with their own political issues, customs, etc.
At its heart, Keir is a story of love and redemption for both Keir and Quin, two incredibly broken people who find healing with one another. Though Keir has suffered the most physically and mentally, Quin has suffered emotionally. Immortal after the destruction of her world, Quin has traveled the stars searching for the being responsible for destroying everything and everyone she loved. She's loved and lost along the way, and each loss has left its scar. Once she starts falling for her Smurfin companion, she wonders if he could ever love her, but buries her feelings. The middle of the book is when their love story truly starts, and it's pretty amazing to read. I laughed and cried with both as they found their ways to each other.
And just FYI, the last 20 pages or so nearly scarred me. I was almost bawling.
Pippa Jay's Keir is most definitely a fantastic science fiction read (admittedly, I read it all in one day). It's also a fantastic read that happens to be science fiction. I would recommend this heavily.
Yes, there are alien races, yes there are other planets, but deep down, what I love most about this book is that it's a book about people.
Keir has been ostracized his entire life because of his blue skin. Otherwise seemingly normal, Keir has been forced to hide in the shadows, scavenge for food, and fend off attackers since a young age. As a result, he's incredibly distrusting. When he first meets Quin, he's being held in a storage room, a beaten and battered prisoner. The pair manages to escape, leading them down a road where Keir finds not only acceptance, but a deep, abiding love.
Of course, that's not all, and you're gonna have to read the book to find out. The world(s) Pippa creates are wonderfully done, each having its own customs, lore, and geology. Nothing felt...contrived, or too difficult to understand, if that makes any sense. Each world the characters travel to feels like it could exist somewhere, and the different alien races are fleshed out with their own political issues, customs, etc.
At its heart, Keir is a story of love and redemption for both Keir and Quin, two incredibly broken people who find healing with one another. Though Keir has suffered the most physically and mentally, Quin has suffered emotionally. Immortal after the destruction of her world, Quin has traveled the stars searching for the being responsible for destroying everything and everyone she loved. She's loved and lost along the way, and each loss has left its scar. Once she starts falling for her Smurfin companion, she wonders if he could ever love her, but buries her feelings. The middle of the book is when their love story truly starts, and it's pretty amazing to read. I laughed and cried with both as they found their ways to each other.
And just FYI, the last 20 pages or so nearly scarred me. I was almost bawling.
Pippa Jay's Keir is most definitely a fantastic science fiction read (admittedly, I read it all in one day). It's also a fantastic read that happens to be science fiction. I would recommend this heavily.
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