Kitra

Thank you to Journey Press for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Kitra dreams of traveling the galaxies with her friends and embarking on new adventures. Though her family wishes she would go to college and settle down in a steady job, she knows her calling is among the stars. Kitra takes a chance and buys an old navy ship. To her surprise, the navy didn't strip out all of its functioning parts. But why would they leave a jump drive behind? Kitra and her friends chalk it up to luck and do all they can to make the ship space-worthy once more. But as they prepare for launch, the unexpected happens. The ship forces them into hyperspace and jumps them into an unknown galaxy.

Kitra is a refreshing science fiction adventure. So many books focus on a greater evil or a villain as the main antagonist for stories. Gideon Marcus instead keys the story's main conflicts around the situations the characters find themselves in. Being unexpectedly jumped to another galaxy has crippling mental effects on the characters as they realize the extent of trouble they find themselves in. Food, water, oxygen levels, etc. have to be considered. Time is ticking down as each day passes and the supplies dwindle. While everyone may be friends, relationships become strained as morale decreases.

Kitra and her crew must use their combined skills and knowledge to find solutions. Each has their own specialty and together they form quite the team. Science fiction novels in the past have severely confused me as they dive into the science side of the genre. This was not the case with Kitra. Gideon Marcus applied science in a way that was easy for me to understand. As Kitra and crew used a combination of science and quick thinking to problem solve, it blended into the narrative and made the story thought-provoking. I couldn't wait to see what new solutions they came up with.

And while I may not be the most versed in science fiction novels, I did enjoy the easter eggs within Kitra. I smiled as I saw references to Lost in Space woven into the character's dialogue. I have a feeling there may have been even more references that passed me by due to my lack of knowledge. Well done Gideon Marcus, well done!

Kitra is a great science fiction novel for those who enjoy space adventures. Suitable for the younger side of the young adult genre and adults as well. And if you enjoy stories where characters have to think outside of the box to solve their problems with science, this is definitely the book for you. This would also be a wonderful read for those just starting to venture into the science fiction genre.