Gir from the Stars is a five book series by Cheree Alsop. I read the first book Daybreak, which I thought was fine, but not nearly good enough for me to invest in purchasing four more books. I might have ordered the rest from the library, if my library carried this series. Since I found the series lackluster, I wasn’t going to write a review. It wasn’t terrible enough to deserve a good rant and not good enough to share with the world. Still, beware of spoilers.

But that changed. I was browsing the synopsis of the other four books – out of curiosity – when I discovered these books have really high ratings, life 5 stars (out of five). Why? I am baffled. While the plot chugged along, the characters were not the best I have read. The crew of the SS Kratos is a cliched mix of different aliens. But since the aliens were not well described, I feel like they are all early Star Trek – humans with different coloured skin and eyes. Especially as the lead is half human half damaclan. Clearly we have some mingling of genetics which means the aliens are more human than not. 

*** Insert break while I actually read the reviews of other readers, rather than just looking at the star count. ***

Okay, I am going to do something a bit different I am going to comment on some of the common reviews of other people. 

First, I am noticing that people who liked the book liked the fast pace adventure and the main character’s ability to kick ass. I will agree that Liora Day (the half Damaclan warrior with a traumatic past) can kick ass. She is also filled with flaws, like the inability to work with or communicate with others. An interesting problem as she is also a telepath. Yes, I appreciate that she can fight hordes of bad guys, but I am less enthused by the fact she is constantly being rescued by men. This does detract from her strength as a character.

Sure, the story moves quickly. Unfortunately this fast pace means we skip past actual character and plot development. For example (because examples are important): in the opening chapters of the story, the Captain of the SS Kratos is killed. One of the Lieutenants is sworn in as new captain. What is mentioned in passing, is the new Captain is the son of the previous Captain. There is no explanation as to why father and son are serving together. There is very little time spent on how  Devren is coping with the loss of his father. He is granted one moment of grief, then continues on his day. Also, why did Devren rescue Liora from the cruel circus? And why not any of the other imprisoned species? 

I will ignore the giant world destroying artifact that is tossed into the book as a key plot element that everyone will fight over. But I will not just support Captain Devren’s decision to withhold the device from his government. Yes, I am sure many of his superiors are corrupt and going to use the artifact for evil purposes. But, Devren is the son of a Captain. He has a long space military history. He is used to following orders – at least he should be. Why is he suddenly defying generals, throwing his lot in with the rebels he had previously been fighting against and in one quick move condemning the rest of the crew who we are led to believe Devren views as family? A little more dialogue would have gone a long way on this point. 

A number of people commented on the books ending, or lack thereof. I can see what they mean about it being abrupt. However, I am not entirely opposed to the loose ends of the final chapters. I am more bothered by the journey to that point. The motivations of the characters and how they interact with each other and their world is the greater flaw. Devren is a great example of a character who does things because the plot says so. There is very little justification. Liora also does things, like go off on her own to hunt down her stepfather she suddenly learns is still alive. As a character she swings back and forth between running away from everyone else and trying to belong. While this is a great internal conflict, it needs to be explored more thoughtfully. Otherwise her actions hold no logic.

This feels like the author wanted an epic space opera. There are elements of Star Trek in the superficial nature of the universe and the multiple species, all working well together and all appearing mostly human. Unfortunately, the book lacks the character development to make the crew of the SS Kratos memorable. Thus it is difficult to be bothered by their deaths. Also, how big is this crew? Or the ship for that matter? 

The kick ass nature of Liora, her random falling in love with the doctor, and the mysterious (yet very evil) creatures of her childhood feels more like Star Wars. Unfortunately, neither aspect is well developed. So the reader meanders between two leads: the ship’s crew and the female warrior. In the end, neither side is satisfied, but a lot of messy action happens in between. 

For the potential of the storyline and the effort to have a non-sexual male-female relationship, I give this story 3 out of 5 stars. Hopefully, the writing gets tight over the rest of the series, though I doubt I will ever know.