Book Blurb:
In this thrilling space opera, a seventeen-year-old female genius named Zendra, born on the planet Solitude Seven in the periphery of the galaxy, Via Lactea, finds herself at the center of a galactic conflict that will test her prodigious abilities to the fullest. When the malevolent leader Drang the Gray of Triangulum Galaxy and his Horde Armada threaten the very existence of the human race, Zendra must rise to the occasion and use her genius-level intellect to save humanity from implacable ruin.
Set against the vast backdrop of the Virgo Supercluster of Galaxies, "Zendra of the Periphery" is the first installment in Seth T. Thatcher's new series, "The Galaxies Like Dust." This transgalactic space opera blends cutting-edge science fiction with high-stakes drama, as Zendra navigates the complexities of interstellar politics and confronts the challenges of ensuring humanity's survival in a universe teetering on the brink of annihilation.
With its compelling protagonist, imaginative worldbuilding, and thrilling plot twists, "Zendra of the Periphery" is a must-read for fans of epic science fiction and those who dream of humanity's future among the stars.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/xeOtgaA
Author Bio:
Seth T. Thatcher is an award-winning (The BookFest - Fall 2024) science fiction author who has worked in the public and private sectors, managed state and local political campaigns, and has been a locally elected public official. Having become an author is the most rewarding and fulfilling achievement in his life. Nothing gives Seth more satisfaction than making up strange characters and having them travel through transgalactic space under desperate circumstances. Seth's favorite science fiction authors are Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, John Scalzi, Marko Kloos, Joe Haldeman, and Chris Fox. He lives with his sassy and adorable wife, Kelly, in Stephens City, Virginia and enjoys giving back to his community.
Editorial Review:
Zendra is a 17 year old genius. She wants to get accepted into college. Going to college is, like, being on another planet. While some current students (and their parents!) might be nodding in agreement at this point, college in “Zendra of the Periphery” by Seth T Thatcher is on another actual planet. The real kind, you know, the ones that are in space. And perhaps it’s best that Zendra is diverted from college, because there’s a space opera to be told, including evil villains, (Drang the Gray of the Triangulum Galaxy), a major threat to the human race, and the all-too-human concerns of a teenage girl.
It’s the worldbuilding of this novel that is so spectacular. While that does mean there is some descriptive background included in the storyline, lovers of sci-fi will rapidly be immersed in the plot, with Zendra being a highly relatable heroine who is a worthy foil for the significant conflict and angst that Thatcher creates throughout the book. The use of language in dialogue hints at different dialects, with thought being put into “translation”. Each character has a clearly differentiated speech pattern with each other, which further illustrates personality. Zendra and her robot ALVAN have a special relationship, joking and talking with each other just as human friends might.
“Zendra of the Periphery” is told from multiple third-person viewpoints, which provides the reader with different insights into the characters. These chapters are headed by quotes, and other background material. Some readers may find the frequent use of quotes distracting, with philosophical comments from Oscar Wilde, Thomas Edison and other well-known earthlings taking the focus away from the space opera genre and monumental galactic threats. The structure of the book, and the way the story is told, tends toward being episodic rather than purely chronological, but the pages will turn regardless!
Those of us who were paying attention at school (or college!) may also recognize the significance of the author’s reference to Via Lactean, and there are also hat-tips to other sci-fi stories and media throughout the books, which dedicated fans of the genre will smile at.
Readers of “Zendra of the Periphery” by Seth T Thatcher will be completely immersed in the world created for this space opera, in which Zendra must combat the forces of evil while also battling teenage angst. The result is pure escapism in the best tradition of science fiction. It is a tribute to the author that readers of such an established genre will find this novel to be innovative while still conforming to expected tropes. A great read, with a level of deeper meaning.
*****
“Zendra of the Periphery” by Seth T Thatcher receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
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