The Shadow Coalition

While the premise was intriguing (alien AI aiding Earth) this was, disappointingly, a continuation of the relentlessly optimistic writing that started with the series short story, Echo Awakens. While hints of conflicting factions on both the Earth and alien sides were present, it felt more like I was reading a “Cliff's Notes” summary or graphic novel adaptation instead of a fleshed-out novel. I did read all the way through but was hoping for a lot more depth. Even some backstory would have been welcomed.

Edit: Only after posting this review did I notice that the recommended reading age for this book (and the previous short story) was “young adult” (8-18). If I had realized that in the first place, my expectations would have been quite a bit different. In fact, I might not have read it in the first place as I tend to avoid YA books unless the author is one of my favorites.