cover image Dreadnought and Shuttle

Dreadnought and Shuttle

L.J. Cohen. Interrobang, $4.99 e-book (327p) ISBN 978-1-942851-01-1

Cohen continues to display her talents for engaging characters and a believable universe in her teen-friendly third Halcyone Space adventure (following Ithaka Rising), traits that more than balance out uneven storytelling and pacing. Chief Engineer Ro Maldonado, captain of the AI space freighter Halcyone, and most of her crew are working on Daedalus Station, while ship botanist Micah Rotherwood attends an Earth university under an assumed identity. A warning from mysterious rebel Dr. May about Ro’s dangerous smuggler father, Alain, is received too late to alert Micah’s bright new roommate, urban archeology student Devorah “Dev” Martingale Morningstar; Alain takes her hostage in an attempt to extort money from Micah, both as an act of revenge and to stave off his criminal creditors. The admirably brave and übercompetent Dev shines as a stellar addition to the genre, and Cohen bestows significant contributing tasks upon all of the supporting characters. However, too many of the mysteries of the allies and adversaries of the universe remain in question after the abrupt ending. New readers are advised to begin at the beginning; Cohen makes few allowances for those joining midseries. (BookLife)