Newly Written Reviews

Filiorum

This review by MeganRBooks is based off of the first three chapters. I am not a professional reviewer, so please feel free to take what works for you and ignore the rest.

Cover: 7/10

There's a distinct simplicity in your new cover that catches the eye. My only quibble is that it's a commonly-used stock photo that may not stand out on Wattpad, but it works for a Science Fiction story.

Summary: 9/10

The summary sets the stage: you've established the timeframe ("humanity has spread to the stars"), the world ("war rages between the Terran Coalition and the Separatists"), and the main characters (Amber, Elya, and Roy) immediately. The first three sentences are exactly what I like to see: short, concise descriptions that still manage to reveal the information through expert wordplay. And while I usually recommend that summaries define the stakes explicitly, your use of "battles are fought, stories are told, and humanity's past comes to light" offers a glimpse into a broader stake that works well for epic SciFi.

Title: 6/10

The title, Filiorum, is one of those titles that sounds meaningless without context. Within the first few chapters, filiorum is mentioned briefly as a Separatist catchphrase meaning "for the children", which I believe is a beautiful piece of foreshadowing. I'm a fan of unique, single-word titles (such as Dan Simmon's classic Hyperion, which this book reminds me of in several different ways), but I marked your title down only because it could imply ambiguity—Wattpad readers may question what language the story is written in, or decide it's too vague to give it a read. To give the title context, you might consider providing the meaning of Filiorum in the summary.

Grammar/Spelling: 10/10

The only issues I've noticed thus far have been the occasional comma splice, which I've noted inline when I was able to catch them. Your writing style is nearly flawless, effortlessly flowing between dialogue and action tags like a professional.

Plot: 10/10

Captain Amber Clark, injured in the line of duty, is assigned as a security specialist for Ambassador Elya Resnick during an important task at Canticum Spaceport. Roy is a professor with a fun love/hate dynamic with his wife, who works as a Merchant for the Mining Guild. The first few chapters are set up perfectly for character introductions through discussion and memories, offering a glimpse into the relationships that are bound to become important to the plot. The dialogue is sharp and real, but at the same time languid and sinuous, forcing the reader to take the time to really understand the characters while slowly unraveling the plot details. There is so much to learn: what are the Separatists fighting for? What is the Coalition hiding? What does Filiorum REALLY mean? I have a strong feeling that you've already established a story arc—with several "hero's journeys", to boot—to explain everything with some shocking plot twists.

The politics, technology, and interpersonal relationships are seamlessly interwoven to offer a vivid new world of intrigue with the potential for an intricate plot arc on par with modern bestselling SciFi novels.

Characters: 10/10

The characters are well-defined with individual quirks, backgrounds, and personalities. My favorite character so far isn't a main character, but Massi, the direct, tough-love Colonel who tasks Amber and encourages her to do the things she doesn't want to do, but needs to. His dialogue is fresh and funny with the hard edge of a seasoned military servicemember. While Amber can hold her own in a back-and-forth with him, he's still the perfect balance to her cynicism and post-trauma reclusiveness. Faqir is another interesting character with a history with Amber, Roy's dynamic with his wife is as mysterious as it is compelling, and I'm excited to learn about Elya's role as Ambassador and how she factors into the overall plot structure. Fantastic job with characterization.

Overall: 9/10

Ever since the Golden Age of SciFi, there's been a need for well-written, well-researched, well-thought-out Science Fiction that includes a strong female protagonist, and you've given us an incredible start to a book that I can easily see progressing into an epic space opera similar to James S. A. Corey's The Expanse series, Hyperion, or any of John Scalzi's series.

I don't often run across stories with this caliber of writing, so it should come as no surprise that I am recommending this to everyone who will listen. With a little polishing, you're eventually going to give John Scalzi a run for his money. I can't wait to purchase this book when it's published.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review your book!