Far into the future, humanity has spread to the 12 planets of the Dodecahedral. The Dome Militant Space Defense has been formed to protect what remains of life on Earth. Young Guy Erma has always dreamed of joining the Dome but as an unregistered orphan he does not have the correct papers to sign up. If he can prove himself there may be a way in. Teodor, another 13 year old boy, is the last of the bloodline to the true kings and queens of Earth and heir to the planet’s riches. His father has been killed, his brothers immolated, his cousins wiped out. He stands to inherit power and riches but first he must survive until his eighteenth birthday. When Teodor is kidnapped the stakes are raised. Can he survive on his wits and guile and what part will the bravery of aspirant soldier Guy Erma play?
Sally Ann Melia’s 13 BORN OF EMPIRE is the first book in a Young Adult trilogy and as such there is a lot of world building and mythology to set in place. Melia does well in fleshing out her main characters and gives each of them distinct and engaging personalities. The world of the Dome which protects what is left of London is beautifully conjured with some lovely references to architecture and old city neighborhoods and buildings including Clerkenwell, Spitalfields and Tower Bridge. Indeed the remains of St Paul’s Cathedral is referred to as “the beating heart of the Dome.” This mixture of the historic with the futuristic is a highlight of the novel, as is the way Melia uses elements of traditional, slightly quaint, lineal nobility against the more brutal and efficient ruling forces within the Dodecahedral. And there are plenty of interesting minor characters including giant cats, shape-shifting, telepathic aliens and cybernetic wolves. The pace of the story is relentless, if sometimes a touch breathless, from the dramatic opening battle through to more minor skirmishes. The action switches location frequently, cutting from one moment of tension to the next, moving steadily towards a satisfying close that sets up the next book in the series with more than enough to intrigue in this promising series.
Fast paced and intelligent, author Sally Ann Melia manages to build a wildly imaginative, yet believable, future world populated with purposeful multi-faceted characters in 13 BORN OF EMPIRE, the promising opening of her YA sci-fi series.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader