J.S. Fields

I really enjoyed reading this. Sorin was a great rep for the non-binary (and I say this as someone who is non-binary myself). I loved following Sorin's journey, their adventures, their relationships with others. The book flowed smoothly, and I didn't want to put it down once I started. I adored that Sorin refused to just accept what the world considered their destiny, and instead decided to carve their own path. A brilliant fairy tale of sorts especially for those who don't feel like they show more fit into the labels others have given them. show less

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Ardulum First Don

To some the traveling plant of Ardulum is a legend, to others, it has become a focal point for worship. For Neek, it is a point of rebellion. The planetary government refuses to change its ways, blindly following the teachings left behind by the Ardulans. Neek makes a stand to speak out against the teachings and is rewarded with exile. Cast out into the galaxy, she finds her way aboard Mercy’s Pledge, a transport ship that show more doesn’t hesitate to smuggle an item or two. But when their newest cargo consists of a young Ardulan, Neek’s entire worldview is thrown off course.

Ardulum First Don will take readers on a journey across the galaxy as the main characters embark on a quest to find answers and try to keep those they care about safe. A wide array of cultures will be introduced, and readers will find themselves immersed in a multicultural world filled with various cultures, beliefs, and representations.

My favorite character was Emm. When readers first meet Emm she is a child, naïve to the politics she is fully immersed in. As an Ardulan, there are those among the various planets who wish to exploit her for their own gains. Emm undergoes a journey of self-discovery as she is thrown into conflicts beyond her control, and ends up aboard the Mercy’s Pledge. While the crew is unsure how to handle a young Ardulan, they do their best to keep her safe. But the threat grows ever larger as keeping her hidden becomes increasingly difficult. Emm’s journey was the highlight of Ardulum First Don.

But Emm isn’t the only character with challenges to overcome. Neek was indoctrinated to believe in the worship of Ardulans. However, as she grew, she began to question the beliefs of her people and whether Ardulans existed. When she is exiled from her planet, cast adrift with nowhere to call home, Yorden offers her a place aboard Mercy’s Pledge. And when Neek comes face to face with what appears to be a true Ardulan, she begins to question everything. Readers will become engaged in Neek’s emotional battle as she struggles to understand what is truth and what is a lie.

Ardulum First Don is a space adventure filled with interplanetary politics, space battles, and an underlying theme of found family. While it may have taken my mind a while to understand the biological terms used to explain the technology, the overarching story was captivating. Not to mention J. S. Fields built her characters in a way that left plenty of room for growth. Sci-fi is a hard sell for me, however, this is one series I hope to continue reading. show less

Elements of this world and this story hooked me, but on the whole, the disparate pieces of the story didn’t come together or didn’t fully engage me. The alchemy was one of the elements that initially made me want to pick up the book. The blending of science and magic or the scientific approach to magic are approaches I often enjoy in fantasy. Sorin’s work with fungal extracts and their interactions with various solvents was a unique direction to take. Their excitement in experimenting show more and thrill at their discoveries also immediately made me sympathetic to their stubborn desire to take this path against their mother’s wishes.
However, after getting hooked in the introduction, I never really became grounded in the story, like it wasn’t moving forward in any tangible way. In part, this may have been because the plot quickly went in a direction that distanced it from the main character’s goals and anything they cared about. They are drawn in the wake of another character, somewhat unhappily, but mostly just with disinterested grumbling.
Sorin as a character was also so malleable at times their opinions and beliefs almost became nonsensical. Their views on alchemy and magic and their convictions about who they were and what they wanted flip-flop wildly. There was some insight into why but it often didn't feel strong enough or it was hard to follow why they abandoned or accepted some way of thinking so completely given their previous beliefs. I didn’t feel whatever emotions must have been driving that.
Sorin’s relationship to their gender as a nonbinary person in a culture that doesn’t have (or doesn’t have widely known?) concepts or language for that experience was well written. In their narration, they articulated the struggle of essentially having social dysphoria that they couldn’t resolve and having discomfort with their body as a result, but not inherently having physical dysphoria on their own. It impacted their relationships (romantic and familial) and the way they interacted with society. Sorin couldn’t or wouldn’t even express much of their experience or what they want from other people outside of their own head. Relatable, but I wish they would have. I wish there could have been some progression. Please communicate instead of always being frustrated and miserable.
Also weird to me was Magda's treatment as heir to the throne. The queen mysteriously vanished (that’s sort of downplayed too). Thus Magda was essentially acting queen at a time when it was crucial for the queendom to have their royalty present to represent them, but nobody cared when she ditched her duties to go on this quest personally; she ran around without any guards; and her life was openly threatened with no consequences. show less

This is a little more in the hard-sci-fi space-opera realm than I normally enjoy, but on the whole, I'm glad I picked this up and discovered the press. Fields is a fantastic writer, and although I was a bit less engaged in the second half where the reader is pulled between more POVs, and the head-hopping threw me off a bit in various spots, the characters here are easy to fall in love with, and the overall world-building is well worth the price of admission.

I hadn't previously been aware of show more this indie press, but they're definitely on my radar now, and I imagine I'll probably continue on with this series when I'm ready for more hard sci-fi.

Absolutely recommended for sci-fi readers intrigued by the concept. show less