POWER OF THREE: The Novel of a Whale, a Woman, and an Alien Child by Cathy Parker is a fascinating, wide-ranging romp into mind transference. Shannon Kendricks–attorney by trade and marine life volunteer by heart–finds herself connected via a strange bolt of lavender lightning to, not only her beloved beluga whale, Juneau, but to an alien child named Essi, who both have taken up residence in Shannon’s brain. Unfortunately it is quite exhausting to a human’s physicality to house other consciousnesses beyond one’s own. In order to literally not die, Shannon must take in a constant stream of energy-producing calories in what turns into an interesting parody on how contemporary women sometimes relate to eating calorie- and sugar-rich foods. Additionally unfortunate: sweet, young Essi isn’t the only alien who has discovered the way to Earth where there are so many humans (and wild animals and pets) that could so easily be overtaken.
Turns out Earth is a paradise ripe for demonic plucking by entities like Tharm, who are also able to feed false images into the minds of their hosts. This can wreck havoc on personal relationships, of which emotionally-detached loner Shannon Kendricks has tried to have precious few. But in order to save herself–as well as every other living being on the planet–Shannon is going to have to learn when and how it’s okay to rely on others when help is desperately needed. Fertile with nontraditional two- and four-legged heroes, along with logistically believable conundrums such as: who should be called in the kind of emergency where the enemy that threatens can easily transfer themselves again and again into other bodies–including those of any police officers responding to a 911 call–thus making detection and eradication supremely difficult.
POWER OF THREE: The Novel of a Whale, a Woman, and an Alien Child by Cathy Parker is a fanciful frolic into the blessings and dangers of sharing one’s mind with uninvited guests from this world…and others. Filled with appealing human, animal, and off-world characters, the story could use some plot tightening and a bit deeper character/dialog development, but overall the sprawling fantasy novel is a winner.
~C.S. Holmes for IndieReader