Brand of Light (Ronie Kendig) – Review

Posted 4 December 2019 by Katie in Christian Fiction, Review, Science Fiction, Speculative / 7 Comments

Title: Brand of Light
Author: Ronie Kendig
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Series: #1 The Droseran Saga
Publisher: Enclave
Release date: 3 December 2019
Pages: 467

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About the Book

There’s a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they’re not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she’s borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order—not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted—or cursed—with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted.

Excerpt

Review

Oh. My. Goodness.

Where do I even start?

I’m not a reader who naturally gravitates towards science fiction, much less space opera, but I AM a reader who gravitates towards brilliant storytelling, and that is what this book is. Completely, utterly, all-other-synonyms-for-100% brilliant storytelling. The kind of storytelling that sucks you in heart and soul before delivering an ending that simultaneously eviscerates you and leaves you begging for more.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

The worldbuilding is superb. It’s vivid, varied, and complex, yet never overwhelmingly so, as can often be the case for me in scifi/fantasy, and that’s partly because this world is so logically constructed that the reader discovers it intuitively as the story unfolds. And the political undercurrents and power plays… Not only is this world is loaded with them, but I get the feeling we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface in this first book in the series.

But it’s the characters that really sell this story. Tigo, Kersei, and don’t even get me started on Marco, because I will not shut up about him once I do. I mean, the guy is a highly trained tracker with an enhanced sense of smell (every person has their own unique scent and he can smell emotions), and his parkour skills are crazy! He’s so intense!!! Argh! One of my favourite characters EVER!!! (I told you I wouldn’t shut up if you let me get started!!!) Not that this surprises me, since Ronie Kendig’s characters are ALWAYS brilliant. Some of the most well developed characters you will ever come across. She knows how to push them to their limits and beyond, and this is arguably her most compelling plot yet!

Basically, I couldn’t put this story down, and you better believe I can’t get my hands on the next in the series soon enough.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

About the Author

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty titles. She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband live a short train ride from New York City with their children and retired military working dog. Ronie’s degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters.