cover image Wild Sun: Unbound

Wild Sun: Unbound

Ehsan Ahmad and Shakil Ahmad. Uproar, $16.95 trade paper (376p) ISBN 978-1-949671-13-1

The Ahmad brothers follow Wild Sun with this solid but predictable addition to speculative fiction’s freedom fighting subgenre. Following years of enslavement to the rapacious Vitaari aliens, Cerrin led more than 60 of her people out of a mining camp and into freedom. Now she and her comrades seek safe harbor where they can lick their wounds and make plans for revolution. But their escape was a humiliating personal failure for Vitaari Count Derzitt Kan Talazeer, and he seeks vengeance against Cerrin in the hopes of restoring his reputation among his powerful family. With Talazeer hot on their heels, Cerrin and her would-be rebels appear to be doomed, but with some newly gained weapons and enough determination they may just live long enough to reshape the world. There are some nice character moments among the rebels, but for the most part the novel sticks to a familiar escape narrative, including a timely intervention from outsiders offering desperately needed help. Despite the formulaic plot, fans of the first entry will be pleased with this competent continuation.[em] (Feb.) [/em]