Conquest

February 10, 2014
Connolly (The Creeps) teams up with newcomer Ridyard to deliver a fast-paced, intricately-woven tale of continuing human resistance to an alien occupying force, first in a series. Sixteen-year-old Syl Hellais is the daughter of the Illyri governor of Europe, the first of her race born on Earth, secretly sympathetic to the natives who refuse to give up. When she helps free human rebels Paul and Steven Kerr from prison, she's ultimately forced to flee with them, struggling to reach the resistance in the Scottish Highlands. Meanwhile, factions within the Illyri jockey for position and dominance, even as a deadly secret threatens to destroy the status quo once and for all. Political intrigue meshes with science fiction action with a hint of romance, in what might be taken as an allegory for any unwanted occupation. Though the authors pack a lot into the complicated storyline, it's a solid start to a promising series. Agent: Clare Wallace, Darley Anderson Agency.

February 15, 2014

Earth has been occupied by an alien force, but pockets of resistance still exist among humanity in this first volume in a new sf series written in collaboration between thriller writer Connolly (Charlie Parker series) and debut novelist Ridyard. Syl, 16, is one of the invading Illyri, the first of the alien children born on Earth and adored and protected by her father, the Governor of Illyrian forces in Europe. She is ordered to stay within the walls of Edinburgh Castle for her own safety, owing to the growing violent clashes between human resistance fighters and the Illyri forces, but being a curious teen she often sneaks outside. On one such excursion she meets human teenager Paul Kerr and his younger brother, and their fates are intertwined when she risks everything to save him from an Illyrian noose. VERDICT Although this novel is very YA, the setup of the invasion and the dual perspective of invader and resistance fighter will work for some adult sf fans. However, it probably will not click with fans of Connolly's adult thrillers. Competently plotted, the book works best in the more action-focused sequences. A good addition for libraries looking for sf that will appeal to both adults and teens.

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