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Earthrise (Her Instruments – 1) by MCA Hogarth

Reese Eddings has enough to do just keeping her rattletrap merchant vessel, the TMS Earthrise, profitable enough to pay food for herself and her micro-crew. So when a mysterious benefactor from her past shows up demanding she rescue a man from slavers, her first reaction is to say “NO!” And then to remember that she sort of promised to repay the loan. But she doesn’t remember signing up to tangle with pirates and slavers over a space elf prince… Book 1 of the Her Instruments trilogy is a rollicking space operatic adventure set in the Pelted Paradox universe.

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Author’s Bio

Daughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.

Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.

Website

My Review

4 stars

Captain Theresa “Reese” Eddings barely owns the ship Earthrise. Being agoraphobic makes things interesting being stuck on a space ship and makes her difficult to deal with at the best of times. But she does manage to work with her crew enough to take jobs that keeps the ship in her name and a crew with her. Then a donor comes looking for payment in the form of rescuing an elfin alien prince that has been kidnapped and about to be sold to slavers. Reese agrees to save Eldritch and ends up on the run and hiding out trying to fix her ship.

Reese has issues that make her a good and funny character yet at times so pig headed and difficult that I wanted to slap her. Because of this she finds herself and her crew in serious trouble numerous times. But if not for that, there would not be the action and trouble that she finds herself in.

I absolutely loved this world, it is so well developed with all kinds of creatures that just enrich it. It was so easy to fall into this story and hard to put down, even when I got irritated at Reese. Over all this is a great sci-fi without being overwhelmed with science. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Ari at Candid Book Reviews for the opportunity to read and share this book.