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Drago Tell Dramis #1
Hestia 2781
Hestia 2781 is the first of three full-length novels set immediately after the short story Hera 2781.
The year is 2781. Lieutenant Drago Tell Dramis’s first mission as a newly qualified fighter pilot ended with him and his team leader saving one of humanity’s oldest colony worlds, Hera, from destruction. Now he’s discovering that saving a world can be simple compared to living with the consequences.
Both Drago and his team leader and second cousin, Jaxon, are famous now, given rapid field promotions, and are due to be awarded medals. Worryingly, Drago learns Jaxon has a mysterious secret and a past history of erratic behaviour. It’s vital that Drago keeps both of them out of trouble and away from nosy reporters until the medal ceremony, because Jaxon could do or say something that deeply embarrasses both the Military and their Betan clan.
The Military is helping by sending their fighter team on a mission somewhere inconspicuously boring until the medal ceremony. That destination definitely won’t be Hestia, the perpetual trouble spot of humanity.
The year is 2781. Lieutenant Drago Tell Dramis’s first mission as a newly qualified fighter pilot ended with him and his team leader saving one of humanity’s oldest colony worlds, Hera, from destruction. Now he’s discovering that saving a world can be simple compared to living with the consequences.
Both Drago and his team leader and second cousin, Jaxon, are famous now, given rapid field promotions, and are due to be awarded medals. Worryingly, Drago learns Jaxon has a mysterious secret and a past history of erratic behaviour. It’s vital that Drago keeps both of them out of trouble and away from nosy reporters until the medal ceremony, because Jaxon could do or say something that deeply embarrasses both the Military and their Betan clan.
The Military is helping by sending their fighter team on a mission somewhere inconspicuously boring until the medal ceremony. That destination definitely won’t be Hestia, the perpetual trouble spot of humanity.
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2021
8 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Janet Edwards
32 books494 followersLatest release:- Adversary, the fifth book in the Hive Mind series.
Please visit Janet's website to get more information, and sign up for her newsletter if you'd like to be kept informed of future releases.SET IN THE HIVE FUTURE
PERILOUS: Hive Mind A Prequel Novella
TELEPATH
DEFENDER
HURRICANE
BORDERLINE
ADVERSARY
SET IN THE 25th CENTURY PORTAL FUTURE
SCAVENGER ALLIANCE
SCAVENGER BLOOD
SET IN THE 28th CENTURY PORTAL FUTURE
Set in 2781
HERA 2781: A Drago Short Story
HESTIA 2781: A Drago Novel
ARRAY 2781: A Drago Novel
SOL 2781: A Drago novel
Set in 2788, the year before the Earth Girl Trilogy
EARTH 2788: The Earth Girl Short Stories
EARTH AND FIRE: An Earth Girl Novella 1
EARTH AND AIR: An Earth Girl Novella 2
FRONTIER: An Epsilon Sector Novella
Set in 2789, the Main Earth Girl Trilogy
EARTH GIRL
EARTH STAR
EARTH FLIGHT
Set in 2789 directly after the Earth Girl Trilogy
EARTH PRIME: The Earth Girl Aftermath Stories 1
SET IN THE GAME FUTURE
REAPER
EARTH GIRL:-
◾Voted an American Library Association YALSA Teens' Top Ten title for 2014.
◾A Tayshas 2014 choice.
◾Kirkus starred review for a book of exceptional merit.
◾A Kirkus best book of 2013.
◾Booklist starred review for being outstanding in its genre.
◾Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth, 2013.
◾An Amazon.co.uk best Young Adult book of 2012.
◾A Kobobooks.com best Young Adult book of 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 19, 2022
Overview:
So good!
Longer Overview: Directly continuing the story of Hera 2781 this is an excellent work of character and world building, clearly laying the foundations for the climactic third story Sol 2781.
Detailed thoughts (avoiding spoilers): I'm a big fan of Science Fiction (SF), really getting into it by diving in at the deep end with Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov and Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. These so-called "Golden Age", "Hard SF" books aren't exactly famous for character development or action sequences - they go in for big ideas that blow your mind or amazing scenes that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up due to the sense of wonder that they bring.
I later stumbled onto Anne McCaffrey's SF stories. These were totally different. Ms McCaffrey still made you think, but she wrote about characters that you really cared for, that became almost real in your mind. When a book finished I really missed them. She wrote about complex societies that by the end of a book felt like somewhere you could actually visit. Clarke and Asimov were brilliant thinkers, but I feel that McCaffrey was far and away the better storyteller.
Hera and Hestia (they really are one story) really combine the best of "Hard SF" with McCaffrey's genius for storytelling. Hestia has moments in it which felt almost pure Asimov gold, early in the story there is a long conversation over a game of chess, it's basically just two people talking - no action, no explosions, and yet it had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath as I discovered point after point about the world and a complex puzzle was slowly built. The pacing was perfect and I really think that this is the best example of this sort of scene since Asimov.
This book also gave me a huge dose of the "sense of wonder" as well, there are some moments that really gave me that magical feel, almost like when the astronauts enter Rama for the first time. It was just wow.
These scenes had no explosions, but the book has plenty of action too. In her recent releases Ms Edwards has flexed her action writing muscles, practically giving me a heart attack in her last book, Earth Prime. The action and adventure scenes in this book are spaced out... I tried to think of how to explain the pacing and I came up with "it's like a fireworks show". Good fireworks shows go "crackle, crackle, spark, BOOM, whoosh, crackle...pause....BOOM BOOM BOOM...pause...BOOM" the quiet moments make the loud more exciting, and the glorious explosions make the quiet moments more magical. That's how I felt about the structure of the book. I can confirm that the action scenes were well written due to the actual genuine sweat-hand-prints on my ereader cover. (OK, it may be gross, but it's physical evidence).
What really makes the action scenes work is Ms Edwards' greatest skill - creating characters you care about. I mean if a character is a cardboard cut-out I'm not fussed if they are in danger - but this is Drago, I know him! He's a good guy! I don't want him hurt! . It's the characters, their backgrounds, their fears passions and growth that drive this book, and all of Ms Edwards stories. Combine this with a world that is just utterly fascinating and getting more complex and interesting with every page turn and you can see why I was annoyed about things like having to sleep for getting in the way of reading.
I didn't want to finish this book because I knew what was going to happen. I keep feeling like I have to check in with my friends Drago and Jaxon to see how they are doing. I've got to be honest and say that I can't place my finger on how she does it, but when Ms Edwards writes a character they really come alive. In this way, and in her worldbuilding, I find Ms Edwards reminds me of Anne McCaffrey more than any other writer. Then again, Ms Edwards is my favorite writer publishing books today.
I'm waiting with excitement for the next Drago book: Sol 2781: A Drago Novel, I want to spend more time exploring this universe (I need to invest in a cloak...) and I can't wait to see what trouble Drago gets himself into (and out of) this time!
Thank you Janet Edwards!
Longer Overview: Directly continuing the story of Hera 2781 this is an excellent work of character and world building, clearly laying the foundations for the climactic third story Sol 2781.
Detailed thoughts (avoiding spoilers): I'm a big fan of Science Fiction (SF), really getting into it by diving in at the deep end with Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov and Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. These so-called "Golden Age", "Hard SF" books aren't exactly famous for character development or action sequences - they go in for big ideas that blow your mind or amazing scenes that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up due to the sense of wonder that they bring.
I later stumbled onto Anne McCaffrey's SF stories. These were totally different. Ms McCaffrey still made you think, but she wrote about characters that you really cared for, that became almost real in your mind. When a book finished I really missed them. She wrote about complex societies that by the end of a book felt like somewhere you could actually visit. Clarke and Asimov were brilliant thinkers, but I feel that McCaffrey was far and away the better storyteller.
Hera and Hestia (they really are one story) really combine the best of "Hard SF" with McCaffrey's genius for storytelling. Hestia has moments in it which felt almost pure Asimov gold, early in the story there is a long conversation over a game of chess, it's basically just two people talking - no action, no explosions, and yet it had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath as I discovered point after point about the world and a complex puzzle was slowly built. The pacing was perfect and I really think that this is the best example of this sort of scene since Asimov.
This book also gave me a huge dose of the "sense of wonder" as well, there are some moments that really gave me that magical feel, almost like when the astronauts enter Rama for the first time. It was just wow.
These scenes had no explosions, but the book has plenty of action too. In her recent releases Ms Edwards has flexed her action writing muscles, practically giving me a heart attack in her last book, Earth Prime. The action and adventure scenes in this book are spaced out... I tried to think of how to explain the pacing and I came up with "it's like a fireworks show". Good fireworks shows go "crackle, crackle, spark, BOOM, whoosh, crackle...pause....BOOM BOOM BOOM...pause...BOOM" the quiet moments make the loud more exciting, and the glorious explosions make the quiet moments more magical. That's how I felt about the structure of the book. I can confirm that the action scenes were well written due to the actual genuine sweat-hand-prints on my ereader cover. (OK, it may be gross, but it's physical evidence).
What really makes the action scenes work is Ms Edwards' greatest skill - creating characters you care about. I mean if a character is a cardboard cut-out I'm not fussed if they are in danger - but this is Drago, I know him! He's a good guy! I don't want him hurt! . It's the characters, their backgrounds, their fears passions and growth that drive this book, and all of Ms Edwards stories. Combine this with a world that is just utterly fascinating and getting more complex and interesting with every page turn and you can see why I was annoyed about things like having to sleep for getting in the way of reading.
I didn't want to finish this book because I knew what was going to happen. I keep feeling like I have to check in with my friends Drago and Jaxon to see how they are doing. I've got to be honest and say that I can't place my finger on how she does it, but when Ms Edwards writes a character they really come alive. In this way, and in her worldbuilding, I find Ms Edwards reminds me of Anne McCaffrey more than any other writer. Then again, Ms Edwards is my favorite writer publishing books today.
I'm waiting with excitement for the next Drago book: Sol 2781: A Drago Novel, I want to spend more time exploring this universe (I need to invest in a cloak...) and I can't wait to see what trouble Drago gets himself into (and out of) this time!
Thank you Janet Edwards!
July 26, 2021
Janet also helpfully provided me with a copy of her short story ‘Hera 2781’. And I’m very glad she did, as the events that occur in Hestia 2781 immediately follow on from the short story. While I don’t think I’d have been floundering without having read the story, I definitely got a lot more out of the novel by having read it first and my firm advice is to track it down, before tucking into this one.
This offering is set in the same world as Janet’s best-selling and successful Earth Girl series, and provides an intriguing and rather poignant glimpse into Jarra’s background. Jarra – the Earth Girl – is the main protagonist of the series, and I loved this extra raft of information regarding her backstory, even though she doesn’t make an appearance in the book.
The main character who tells the story in first-person viewpoint, is young Drago. He is a Betan, whose culture and traditions revolve around family, honour and service. And the demands that culture makes on its young people is the main theme that is explored in this story – amongst the adventure and action that is also kicking off. Drago and his cousin Jaxon are frankly disaster magnets of the first order – and after their escapades have made them famous across all human-settled worlds, they need to lie low for a while. You won’t be surprised to learn that the plan to keep the pair of them gainfully occupied somewhere they can’t get into further trouble doesn’t work…
I always enjoy Janet’s writing. Her books and short stories radiate a positive, upbeat energy often lacking in science fiction and which right now, I find particularly appealing. That doesn’t prevent her from tackling some gnarly subjects, such as prejudice, terrorism and kidnapping – but she manages to approach these issues without slipping into the world-weary cynicism that often pervades such adventures. As ever, Janet delivers a cracking good read set in a detailed, complex world that I think works particularly well – and I’m very happy to note that there is another planned featuring Drago. While the author provided me with a review copy of Hestia 2781, this hasn’t affected my honest opinion of the book.
9/10
This offering is set in the same world as Janet’s best-selling and successful Earth Girl series, and provides an intriguing and rather poignant glimpse into Jarra’s background. Jarra – the Earth Girl – is the main protagonist of the series, and I loved this extra raft of information regarding her backstory, even though she doesn’t make an appearance in the book.
The main character who tells the story in first-person viewpoint, is young Drago. He is a Betan, whose culture and traditions revolve around family, honour and service. And the demands that culture makes on its young people is the main theme that is explored in this story – amongst the adventure and action that is also kicking off. Drago and his cousin Jaxon are frankly disaster magnets of the first order – and after their escapades have made them famous across all human-settled worlds, they need to lie low for a while. You won’t be surprised to learn that the plan to keep the pair of them gainfully occupied somewhere they can’t get into further trouble doesn’t work…
I always enjoy Janet’s writing. Her books and short stories radiate a positive, upbeat energy often lacking in science fiction and which right now, I find particularly appealing. That doesn’t prevent her from tackling some gnarly subjects, such as prejudice, terrorism and kidnapping – but she manages to approach these issues without slipping into the world-weary cynicism that often pervades such adventures. As ever, Janet delivers a cracking good read set in a detailed, complex world that I think works particularly well – and I’m very happy to note that there is another planned featuring Drago. While the author provided me with a review copy of Hestia 2781, this hasn’t affected my honest opinion of the book.
9/10
April 2, 2025
This book has action - lots of action! - and great characters. But more importantly, it has a STAGGERING amount of backstory for the Earth Girl trilogy. It feels organic to the story, so if you hadn't read Earth Girl, you wouldn't realize how pretty much every detail is supporting the previous books. And HOLY COW, realizing what Jarra's loss meant to the clan - now I want to see many of the Earth Girl scenes from other perspectives (short stories, hint, hint!).
So obviously, I'm a big Earth Girl fan. What is it I love about these books? They are utopian, not dystopian. There are problems in this world, but overall, humanity has learned from past mistakes and is doing pretty well. It's a refreshing change from most current SF, as well as from the current news.
Also, Janet Edwards’s characters have both brains and humility aren’t afraid to use them. I hate the current fashion of fake character arcs - having characters make a string of awful decisions that turn a bad situation into a crisis (cough, Last Jedi, cough, JJ Abrams’ Wrath of Khan, cough) then when it all comes out right in the end (well, not for Vice-Admiral Holdo or San Francisco) the characters proudly get accolades. /rant The characters in Hestia aren't perfect - this book deals with the fallout from previous poor actions - but we see that the characters are concerned not with their egos, but with doing better going forward for the good of humanity. Happy sigh.
Okay, this turned into more of a review of the whole series, but this book is primarily a support for the series, even though it is a standalone. So read them all!
So obviously, I'm a big Earth Girl fan. What is it I love about these books? They are utopian, not dystopian. There are problems in this world, but overall, humanity has learned from past mistakes and is doing pretty well. It's a refreshing change from most current SF, as well as from the current news.
Also, Janet Edwards’s characters have both brains and humility aren’t afraid to use them. I hate the current fashion of fake character arcs - having characters make a string of awful decisions that turn a bad situation into a crisis (cough, Last Jedi, cough, JJ Abrams’ Wrath of Khan, cough) then when it all comes out right in the end (well, not for Vice-Admiral Holdo or San Francisco) the characters proudly get accolades. /rant The characters in Hestia aren't perfect - this book deals with the fallout from previous poor actions - but we see that the characters are concerned not with their egos, but with doing better going forward for the good of humanity. Happy sigh.
Okay, this turned into more of a review of the whole series, but this book is primarily a support for the series, even though it is a standalone. So read them all!
November 6, 2021
After reading this I don't blame Jarra's fate on Jaxon anymore. I blame it on the Tell clan legal department not doing their due diligence on how many days Jarra's parents had to decide if they moved to her. They had a whole week to read through the laws of Hospital Earth and it appears they didn't bother? Instead Jaxon became the scapegoat for their failure. Yes, he is the cause of the whole thing but the adults of the Tell clan handled this crisis awfully!
And after the calamity happened, Jaxon couldn't even get therapy because he couldn't trust the therapists from the allied clan? The clan of doctors and therapists the Tell clan had been entrusting their lives to for centuries? That part is contrived! I am not a fan of characters not getting therapy solely because it would ruin the plot (or in this case, would contradict the plot of the already existingmain trilogy).
Other than those two gripes I loved this part. Particularly learning why Draco hates being promoted. His promotion having to happen because of politics sucks for his own career. I loved learning about the solar arrays too and I learned to hate Hospital Earth even more! The scene with the giant mob of terrorist supporters rushing the portalling hub was pretty scary and Hestia reminded me of similar disputes on Earth (Palestine vs Israel, Northern Ireland etc.)
I also love the Military even more. How they fight politics with politics to stay as neutral as possible is commendable and it was fascinating to meet Renton Mai.
After finishing this series I want to at some point reread the Earth Girl trilogy, especially the scenes with Drago, Jaxon and Gemelle in it.
And after the calamity happened, Jaxon couldn't even get therapy because he couldn't trust the therapists from the allied clan? The clan of doctors and therapists the Tell clan had been entrusting their lives to for centuries? That part is contrived! I am not a fan of characters not getting therapy solely because it would ruin the plot (or in this case, would contradict the plot of the already existingmain trilogy).
Other than those two gripes I loved this part. Particularly learning why Draco hates being promoted. His promotion having to happen because of politics sucks for his own career. I loved learning about the solar arrays too and I learned to hate Hospital Earth even more! The scene with the giant mob of terrorist supporters rushing the portalling hub was pretty scary and Hestia reminded me of similar disputes on Earth (Palestine vs Israel, Northern Ireland etc.)
I also love the Military even more. How they fight politics with politics to stay as neutral as possible is commendable and it was fascinating to meet Renton Mai.
After finishing this series I want to at some point reread the Earth Girl trilogy, especially the scenes with Drago, Jaxon and Gemelle in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2021
I'll start by announcing that I'm still hooked into Edwards's Portal Future stories. It is a treat for me anytime I get to visit there on a new adventure. With that said, this book was a little underwhelming for me. Sure, stuff happened, but it was resolved pretty easily. Also, there is...a lot...of dialog. I'm a reader who generally doesn't mind witnessing full, quality conversations. And the discussions are, generally, both full and quality; but it's almost like this book is built entirely on these conversations. A writing teacher of mine once told me it was best to "show, not tell". Well, within this tale there is a lot of telling.
Still, sign me up for the next book!
Still, sign me up for the next book!
July 3, 2021
Finally a new book by Janet Edwards!
So much happened, and I'm sill so much in awe that I don't know how to deal...
Now there are sooooo many novellas I need to be written so I'll know more stuff 😅
I so can't wait for Sol 2781 to be released in August!
I want to read more about Drago.
Jaxon is growing on me... Like a foot fungus or something like that 👀
But Gemelle! By far the superior Tell we were able to meet in all of Janet Edwards books so far!
So much happened, and I'm sill so much in awe that I don't know how to deal...
Now there are sooooo many novellas I need to be written so I'll know more stuff 😅
I so can't wait for Sol 2781 to be released in August!
I want to read more about Drago.
Jaxon is growing on me... Like a foot fungus or something like that 👀
But Gemelle! By far the superior Tell we were able to meet in all of Janet Edwards books so far!
July 6, 2021
Another amazing book by Janet Edwards, with well developed characters and a storyline that quickly draws you in. A sequel to the short story Hera 2781, and a prequel to the main Earth Girl Trilogy, its an amaz book. Totally zan! I would recommend to everyone who likes science fiction to read both this book and all others by Janet Edwards.
July 4, 2021
I loved this and all the new details it adds about the solar arrays, drago, and Jarra's family, as well as General Renton Mai. A brilliant and delightful read as always from Janet Edwards.
The inclusion of a canonical ly transgender/genderfluid character made me so happy.
The inclusion of a canonical ly transgender/genderfluid character made me so happy.
July 22, 2021
This really adds a full new dimension to Gemelle and Jaxon, not just Drago as I had expected. It goes into a lot of depth that makes the main Earth Gril trilogy make so much more sense, as well as being a really well written story on its own. I'd highly recommend this book!!!
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August 4, 2021I'm a fan of Janet Edwards, and have enjoyed several of her series. This one was interesting, although certain parts of it seemed to go on too long. I enjoyed the main character and am looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 6, 2021
This is such a fun story. Really enjoying learning more about Drago Tell Dramis.
Also, Mason Leveque is one of my favourite characters in the series, so I was thrilled we got to see so much of him in this book!
Also, Mason Leveque is one of my favourite characters in the series, so I was thrilled we got to see so much of him in this book!
January 22, 2025
I like Drago and I like this bookverse but I really struggled with this book. There's too much explaining, even things that feel incredibly irrelevant to the story. There were too many infodump moments.
December 2, 2023
really great story
February 13, 2024
'
Fun to read.
Very futuristic. Especially enjoyed the portal travels. Something to kook forward to.
Thank you very much for these novels.
Fun to read.
Very futuristic. Especially enjoyed the portal travels. Something to kook forward to.
Thank you very much for these novels.
February 14, 2024
Hestia 2781 was yet another great read. It picks up right after the events of Hera 2781 in the aftermath of the Hera comet blockade. Drago and Jaxon are heroes now but neither of them want the attention they are getting. Drago is still feeling guilty about how he treated Gemelle and doesn’t want to receive any rewards for his actions since both Gemelle and Jaxon have now forgiven him.
However, Drago’s actions have far reaching consequences because of his newly acquired fame. Because of it, he now has key role to play in helping solve a major Military crisis but in order to do so he and Jaxon will have to stay perfect examples of Military officers. Drago’s record is squeaky clean but Jaxon’s is horrendous so he needs to stay firmly out of the spotlight.
Keeping Jaxon out of the spotlight proves to be difficult once he starts going absent without leave and doesn’t tell anyone where he’s going. Drago has to get help from Gemelle to figure out where Jaxon keeps vanishing off to and why. More importantly, he has to stop it. The issue turns out to be the mysterious reason behind Jaxon’s mood swings and self destructive behavior.
Once Drago learns the truth, he’s torn between sympathy and anger towards Jaxon but he has to put his feelings aside to keep his cousin out of trouble. They all need to work together to carry out urgent repairs to Earth’s solar arrays. There’s major damage to the arrays and the power supply is approaching critically low. It’ll take everyone to keep the power on for all of Earth.
At the same time, the political situation on Hestia is once again spiraling out of control. Drago keeps getting dragged into helping contain the conflict even as he is trying to stay out of the spotlight and lay low. Once the Hestia situation starts to spread beyond the planet, Jaxon and the whole fighter team are forced to join in fighting political militants intent on attacking civilians.
I loved seeing the whole relationship dynamic between Drago and Jaxon and getting all of this new background information. We finally get to see exactly what happened when Jarra was born and how badly it’s affected Jaxon through all these years. We also get to see the different issues between Jaxon and Gemelle that Jarra didn’t know about in the Earth Girl trilogy.
My favorite part of this book though is really getting to know Drago as a person not just from Jarra’s perspective but as a whole. We get so much fascinating background on him and his family relationships and his proud Betan culture. It’s especially interesting to see just how badly everyone felt about being forced to abandon Jarra and the lengths they went to in order to try and get her back.
I was a little upset when Hestia 2781 first came out since I was eagerly waiting on the release of Adversary but Drago won me over with one of his charm attacks. I enjoyed every single page of this book and can’t wait for the next Drago book. It was nonstop action and intrigue mixed with startling revelations and well timed humor. There’s also a true heart of inspiration to the story. Another must read.
However, Drago’s actions have far reaching consequences because of his newly acquired fame. Because of it, he now has key role to play in helping solve a major Military crisis but in order to do so he and Jaxon will have to stay perfect examples of Military officers. Drago’s record is squeaky clean but Jaxon’s is horrendous so he needs to stay firmly out of the spotlight.
Keeping Jaxon out of the spotlight proves to be difficult once he starts going absent without leave and doesn’t tell anyone where he’s going. Drago has to get help from Gemelle to figure out where Jaxon keeps vanishing off to and why. More importantly, he has to stop it. The issue turns out to be the mysterious reason behind Jaxon’s mood swings and self destructive behavior.
Once Drago learns the truth, he’s torn between sympathy and anger towards Jaxon but he has to put his feelings aside to keep his cousin out of trouble. They all need to work together to carry out urgent repairs to Earth’s solar arrays. There’s major damage to the arrays and the power supply is approaching critically low. It’ll take everyone to keep the power on for all of Earth.
At the same time, the political situation on Hestia is once again spiraling out of control. Drago keeps getting dragged into helping contain the conflict even as he is trying to stay out of the spotlight and lay low. Once the Hestia situation starts to spread beyond the planet, Jaxon and the whole fighter team are forced to join in fighting political militants intent on attacking civilians.
I loved seeing the whole relationship dynamic between Drago and Jaxon and getting all of this new background information. We finally get to see exactly what happened when Jarra was born and how badly it’s affected Jaxon through all these years. We also get to see the different issues between Jaxon and Gemelle that Jarra didn’t know about in the Earth Girl trilogy.
My favorite part of this book though is really getting to know Drago as a person not just from Jarra’s perspective but as a whole. We get so much fascinating background on him and his family relationships and his proud Betan culture. It’s especially interesting to see just how badly everyone felt about being forced to abandon Jarra and the lengths they went to in order to try and get her back.
I was a little upset when Hestia 2781 first came out since I was eagerly waiting on the release of Adversary but Drago won me over with one of his charm attacks. I enjoyed every single page of this book and can’t wait for the next Drago book. It was nonstop action and intrigue mixed with startling revelations and well timed humor. There’s also a true heart of inspiration to the story. Another must read.
June 3, 2023
Not as exciting as Hera, but how could you top that?
While there's still action, this book shows the fallout from events in Hera and focuses more on relationships, both familial and professional.
Although I liked Drago in the Earth Girl series, I was not especially enthusiastic about his spin-off. I was wrong. Besides being a great character, he's also the best choice to show what happened when Jarra was born, how it affected both her immediate family and her clan. He's close enough without being too close.
This series won't go far out enough, but there's more I'd like to see of this storyline leading up to Earth Girl. The anticipation of Jarra's turning 14 and finding out her birth parents and the disappointment when she does not reach out. How long did her parents wait before taking the Planet First mission?
Or an alternate scenario where Jarra does contact her parents at 14 and lashes out at them (as she planned to lash out at her classmates in Earth Girl). The clan apologizes, welcomes her, and she kicks out Jaxon. Or how would he have convinced her not to?
While there's still action, this book shows the fallout from events in Hera and focuses more on relationships, both familial and professional.
Although I liked Drago in the Earth Girl series, I was not especially enthusiastic about his spin-off. I was wrong. Besides being a great character, he's also the best choice to show what happened when Jarra was born, how it affected both her immediate family and her clan. He's close enough without being too close.
This series won't go far out enough, but there's more I'd like to see of this storyline leading up to Earth Girl. The anticipation of Jarra's turning 14 and finding out her birth parents and the disappointment when she does not reach out. How long did her parents wait before taking the Planet First mission?
Or an alternate scenario where Jarra does contact her parents at 14 and lashes out at them (as she planned to lash out at her classmates in Earth Girl). The clan apologizes, welcomes her, and she kicks out Jaxon. Or how would he have convinced her not to?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2022
Another hit!
I loved getting to Drago and Jaxon better. And hearing some of Jarra's past was fascinating. Those little tidbits into the Portal Universe in general was fun to read.
I loved getting to Drago and Jaxon better. And hearing some of Jarra's past was fascinating. Those little tidbits into the Portal Universe in general was fun to read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews