Friday Book Review: Starfire by S.V. Stockton

Starfire by Stuart Vaughn Stockton (Book 1 in The Mending series)

When I first read the description of Starfire, I was intrigued. I love dinosaurs, but knew that this book, with its “dinosaur-people” would either be very good or awful. I am glad to say that I really enjoyed this wonderful book. Stockton’s world is at once alien and familiar and the worldbuilding is superb. Within the first pages the reader is fully enmeshed in a world where the dominant species is sentient dinosaurs, called Saurians, who even has and uses technology far surpassing our own. Yet, although there is not one human character, the Saurians are human enough in their struggles even on this alien world, that the reader is completely emotionally involved in the story.

The main character, Rathe, is a young warrior of low hatch status. Because of a lie told after he had rescued a hatchling, he gets the chance at a future he would not otherwise have had. In preparing for and during his first tour of duty as part of the Karn Imperial Army, he meets many different Saurians of different backgrounds and beliefs. He soon finds himself in over his head as he is chosen for a destiny he could never have imagined. “And the only things informing Rathe’s decision are affection for a small Saurin under his care and the admonitions from the mystical representative of a god Rathe doesn’t believe in” as the description so aptly says. Soon Rathe has to make choices and it seems that, no matter what choice he makes, it will lead to the destruction of his world.

Although Starfire is Christian speculative fiction, Stockton does not make everything black and white or skim over the character’s problems. The book also doesn’t preach, but does touch upon the way in which different characters share different beliefs with one another and have to live and survive together.

I’ll admit that the different breeds and the ranking system of the army is a bit confusing to get used to at first, but luckily a scale chart of the different Saurians are included, as well as a character guide. Although not everyone likes glossaries and the like, I enjoy extra material when it comes to specfic books – especially those set in alternative worlds.

The worldbuilding of the world, cultures, technology, fauna and flora (I especially enjoyed the Jeshar vines and Golub) has been thoroughly done and fully integrated into the story. I can highly recommend this book for lovers of sci-fi and fantasy – or even if you just like dinosaurs. I think this is also a wonderful example of what Christian speculative fiction can be.  

For this, and other Marcher Lord Press titles, check out their website at www.marcherlordpress.com or visit Stockton’s blog Galactic Lore or his website Ritersbloc.

Published by Marcher Lord Press

*I received a copy of this book from Marcher Lord Press and requested to give my honest review.