cover image The Silvers

The Silvers

J.A. Rock. Riptide, $18.99 trade paper (346p) ISBN 978-1-62649-432-9

Rock (the Subs Club series) brings readers a poignant tale of extraterrestrial love and danger. B is captain of the spaceship Byzantine, whose crew is on a mission to the Silver Planet to find potable water. The humans are eager to learn more about the docile inhabitants of the planet, the Silvers. When B falls in love with the Silver Imms, he decides to take him back to Earth. However, Imms is seen as an oddity rather than a living thing, and the lovers are the subject of heavy scrutiny by those around them. Rock's characters are suffused with life; there is a subtle wit and intricacy to her prose that is refreshing to read. The indecencies of human life are exposed as Rock plumbs questions of addiction, want versus need, and the price of human dignity. This entertaining and thought-provoking book is a welcome addition to the futuristic romance genre. (July)