With high hopes, I began The Kindred and I ended it completely in love. I was hoping I would love Dow’s second book, and I did.on board with promoting the heck out of YA SFs for 2022! And I’m Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…
Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.
Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.
Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
There’s no lack of things I loved about The Kindred. First of all, I have so much admiration for what Alechia Dow has done with the world building. It’s one of those settings or world building kernels where I’d spend days inside. There’s a sense of history, of thought, and attention to detail. From every moment whether it be the social structure or the past, Alechia Dow’s world blooms in front of you. Secondly, the characters, Felix and Joy, are so fully dimensional, quirky, and charming.
Apart they are endearing and flawed and wonderful. I was enamored with Joy’s optimism and I loved Felix’s defenses, the ways he hides his vulnerabilities. Together they are dynamite. Their vibes, banter, and dynamic is not only heart warming, but also entertaining to read. It’s so easy to ship them because of how genuinely we love them as individuals. While reading The Kindred, I found myself being swept away with the evolution of them as characters, but also together.
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Dow asks us whether their love can survive in a world that is destabilized by their bond, their hope, and their promise. The Kindred is emotional from start to finish. It’s a must read for all YA SF fans and to me has the same fantastic combo of SF and romance like Winter’s Orbit.
Find The Kindred on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
This is one I wish I’d had a copy of already because it sounds so good! Glad to hear it was good as well. Great review!
OMG YES! It’s such a beautiful and moving story about love and our place in the universe!