'Starchild: Exile' is the first book in
J Washburn's new space opera series and it was a fun read!
The initial plot was very reminiscent of the original 'Star Wars' film - a band of rebels on a daring prison break, and then grouping together to take on a tyrannical galactic empire in an epic battle - 'Starchild' definitely pays homage and takes its cues from some of the film's beats, but 'Star Wars' has influenced a whole generation or two, and here it was all done in a way that still felt original and intriguing enough to keep on reading, without feeling overly familiar of a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
The world building was really crafted well and you got real sense that Taiberos and his Witch Hunters really had the galaxy in the grip of an iron fisted rule, and that it would take a supreme effort for our heroes to best that might. Not everything goes to plan, on either side, bringing a feel of believability to the events of the book.
The magic system at play was really good as well. Very philosophical and Eastern inspired, which infused a kind of thoughtfulness and spirituality, adding another layer of depth to Washburn's space opera.
I liked the way the main cast of characters were written too. Each coming across as very three dimensional, complete with their own flaws, perspectives and motivations, as well as some good dialogue and witty banter, especially between Nak and Cup, and the scene between Cup and Kalh was a stand out. Together it all made each character very relatable and feel alive.
The vocabulary for time periods took a bit of getting used to, as did the literal blanking out of profanity uttered in the dialogue, but these are just nitpicks. 'Starchild: Exile' is a solid entry in a new space opera series, one that has a compelling and engaging story of good vs evil and is filled with great characters, mystical magic and epic world building with plenty of action, humour and a bit of romance. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Only currently available as ebook.
