Week Six - February 5th - February 11th

Title: Verdant Ink

Author: pixelmum

Genre: Science Fiction

Number of Chapters: 13

Completed? Yes

Link (Added as an in-line comment):

Blurb:

The Alliance's top galactic terraformer, Pelin Demir, uses state-of-the-art biotech to transform barren rocky planets into lush habitable ecosystems. Seeking escape from a dying Earth and a tragic past, Pelin has devoted a decade to serving the Alliance in the seemingly-endless galactic turf war between post-Earth humans and powerful warrior lifeforms, the Karinja.

Pelin's life of quiet order is thrown into chaos when her Alliance leaders inexplicably force her to train Midori, a surly rookie navigator. When a terraforming mission spirals into a catastrophic Karinja ambush, Pelin discovers the dazzling secret that Midori, and the generals of the Alliance, are desperate to keep hidden. 

Forced to navigate deep space, draconian Alliance protocols, and her own turbulent past, Pelin charts a galactic course to protect Midori at all costs from the Karinja assassins hunting her, and from the sinister Alliance generals aiming to use her as a weapon of war. Yet Pelin can't seem to protect herself from her growing feelings towards her abrasive protégé. As the conflict for galactic control reaches a climax, Pelin struggles to keep Midori, and her own heart, safe.

Goose's Thoughts:

For the first time, we are delving into the Science Fiction world and following some future humans as they refuse to learn from the past!

For my first ever dive into Science Fiction, I loved this story so much! Pixel does an amazing job at creating such an awesome world that is constantly expanded upon throughout the story. We learn new details all the time and I love the intricacy of the world presented to us. So much thought has gone into this story and it shows from chapter to chapter.

The descriptions throughout are so detailed that I was in awe of some of the fictional location described throughout. They actions scenes are tense that I was on the metaphorical edge of my seat through most of the last few chapters. Pixel's writing works so well for a story such as this an the descriptions and narrative really help to expand the world and make it seem so real.

I loved the developing relationship between Pelin and Midori. Pelin really grows throughout the story as we see her fall for Midori and eventually admit her love for her. Their relationship is so well done and woven together throughout. Every character in the story is so well thought out and they're all so different from each other. There are characters I hated, and characters I loved.

I also never thought I would become emotionally attached to a hairbrush, but here we are.

I'm so glad this was the first Science Fiction story I had the honour to read.

Thank you for writing such an amazing, detailed story, Pixel!

-Goose