By Leo
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781800441002
There’s no hanging around with this one as Leo throws us straight into the mysterious alien vessel alongside Kim and Marie. Confronted immediately by a swarm of robots acting like aggressive antibodies, their own defensive technologies are swiftly thinned. By the time they reach the central section the two explorers have depleted their own drones and are in the process of discarding their armour too.
But all may not be lost. There are humans here, and they’re ready to help. Or, at least, that’s what they appear to be doing.
I shan’t say any more because I don’t want to give too much away and this is the last book in this cycle. That’s right, a two-book series. I’d have preferred more, but it is what it is. I’m just grateful we got this.
There is a moment in this book that did jar with me, though. What I love about these books is their humanist outlook. As humans, we’re no more special than any other life-form we may encounter. Rather than diminish us, this realisation helps us see that we’re just as vulnerable as any other creature we meet. Kim and Marie meet such a creature on the alien craft, analogous to an Earth dolphin or seal. We’re told it, and all the life present in the habitat, is from an alien home world. That’s something worth protecting, surely? So, the decision, at the end of the book, about what to do with the alien ship, in light of the life on board, seemed out of step. Excessive, even. You may come to a different conclusion, but, rest assured, it doesn’t tarnish the telling.
There’s no suggestion if we’re going to get any Aldebaran books. I’d hope so as there are still so many questions, and ideas to explore.
And if you liked that: Head over to the Cinebook website to see all the other Worlds of Aldebaran books
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