Book Review: 'Iceflight' by Casey Lea.

The Synopsis

Darsey Ise never thought her first trip past Jupiter would claim the lives of her crew. But then she hadn’t expected to become the first person to make contact with aliens either.

Kidnapped, enslaved and lost on the Outer Rim of a mighty civilization light-years from Earth, the only person she can turn to is her enigmatic new owner. A dishonoured outcast, he is just as alone as Darsey. Exiled by his people and struggling to survive, the last thing he wants is a rebellious primitive as a slave. She complicates his efforts to hide a dangerous secret and to complete a quest that is likely to claim both their lives. They will only survive if they can find enough trust to forge an unwanted alliance.

However, even that might not be enough. An ancient evil, which has shaped every sentient species, is due to return and take what it wants from a new civilization. Once again, it aims to claim countless lives and this time, its plan begins with Darsey.

The Review

Iceflight is utter immersion into a whole other universe – a universe with multi-feathered and reptilian species, intergalactic travel, awesome futuristic spaceships, and hostile unknown planets. The story centres on the unlikely relationship between banished alien Nightwing, and his hostage, ‘primitive’ human Darsey, as they embark upon an epic journey to the Slave Auction of an icy planet and beyond.

The technology in this novel is fantastically futuristic and believable, although sometimes to the extent that I couldn't follow it! In parts it often left me with the same feeling as does watching an episode of Star Trek or A Town Called Eureka. However, that isn’t to say this was a bad thing, A Town Called Eureka was one of my all-time favourite programmes, and I enjoyed this book in the same, if slightly bemused, way.

The characters in the story were imaginative and likeable, with the simmering, long-to-be-realised romance between two of them predictable yet endearing. Many of the characters speak in ‘Bridge’ – a modified and often witty version of English – which I enjoyed a lot. I even found myself, quite bizarrely,