The Last Scion of Ra by K. Aten is a fantastic mash-up between superhero fanfic and science fiction.
Nearly two decades after the catastrophic Chromodec Uprising, the world will never be the same again. Kaelen Ra-Evon lands on her new home (a place that’s full of surprises and confusing rules) called planet Earth. It’s a planet where alien refugees are granted citizenship and they are allowed to live and work side by side with human beings. She has experienced so many devastating losses but she found love when she wasn’t looking for it and awesome friends who became her chosen family. It hasn’t been easy for Kaelen to come to terms with her loss, fully adapt to her new life on Earth and nurture a beautiful relationship with the CEO of Lockheed International, Leah Lockheed-Tuck while she tries to live up to her role as the last member of her house.
She’s not a huge fan of the Chromodec Office of Restraint and Protection also known as the CORP because it’s a US organization that monitors and apprehends people with extraordinary powers even if they are doing good deeds and they have no intentions of harming anyone. Kaelen will go above and beyond to protect Leah, so she becomes a vigilante called Scion and she has no regrets whatsoever.
Will Kaelen be able to keep Leah and her found family safe or will the CORP get in her way?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I’m a huge fan of this author’s writing because she never fails to blow my mind with her awesome world-building skills and I’m always treated to vivid descriptions of amazing realities that I couldn’t have imagined and this story gave me all of the above and so much more. For as long as I could remember, I’ve always wondered if life exists outside of our planet and this story brought to mind one of my favorite childhood fantasies—befriending a being from out of space (thanks to watching sci-fi films like Star Wars, E.T. and the ALF TV Series).
I really enjoyed following Kaelen and Leah’s journeys from the traumatic events that occurred in their childhoods to watch them grow into powerful, resilient and kindhearted women who just wanted to use their knowledge and technology to make the world a better place. Plus, the romance between Leah and Kaelen made my nerdy heart jump for joy because their relationship was a slow build up from the awkward stage of boss/employee to friends and then they became lovers. By the way, have I mentioned how much I adore this gorgeous book cover?
Cons And Heads Up
Zero complaints.
The Conclusion
If you’re in the mood to sit back and enjoy a captivating superhero/sci-fi novel that features a delightful workplace romance, found family, a sassy AI house-bot and vengeful chromodecs on the loose, then I’d advise you to clear your schedule for a few days because you won’t want to stop reading once you get past the first page!
Excerpt from The Last Scion of Ra by K. Aten
Kaelen turned to look at Leah, eyes moving down to take in the hoverchair, and stared for perhaps a bit longer than anyone was comfortable with. Before Leah could say anything, Kaelen asked, “Why do you use that chair for locomotion, Leah Lockheed-Tuck?”
Leah frowned at the invasive question but answered anyway, understanding that Kaelen was clearly still learning Earth culture and social norms. “I was in an accident when I was thirteen. My family died and I suffered a paralyzing injury. Ellie is my adoptive mother.”
Kaelen leaned forward. “You also lost your family?” She touched her head then her chest in what looked to be a show of respect. “We are kindred in a way. Wex says I’ve probably made you uncomfortable, that it would be considered rude to ask such questions. I apologize.”
“Why did you ask?”
“The question?”
“Yes.”
Kaelen tilted her head. “If it is a nerve injury as you say, why wouldn’t you use simple nanotechnology to repair it and restore limb function? It is a wonderful piece of equipment, but still quite primitive in some respects. I would love to see the design of it—” She paused and swallowed. “Um, I mean, should you hire me for this position.”
Everyone in the room froze with the exception of Kaelen. Repairing nerve damage was one of the main goals of the SPL on Leah’s direction, and they’d only just begun working with nanotech. Ellie and Einstein knew exactly what the research meant to her.
Kaelen spoke into the silence. “Did I say something wrong?”
Her comment broke the heavy pause and Leah dared to breathe again. “On the contrary, you said something very right. You’re hired and your first project at L-I will be to work with Einstein on his current nanotech project, developing treatment that can repair nerve damage on a cellular level.” She began to move away from the table but stopped at the sight of Kaelen’s outstretched hand.
“Please, there is another reason I wanted to work for this company specifically. I know that a large corporation such as Lockheed International has resources that the average citizen would not, and would contain some of the most brilliant minds on Earth.”
“Continue.” Leah inclined her head, curious about what Kaelen was going to say.
“Wex cautioned me not to mention earlier that my ship detected an Argonian beacon when we first entered the solar system, and again after arriving in Los Angeles. I don’t know if it’s a fellow survivor of our planet’s destruction, or an explorer on long assignment. My greatest hope is that it’s a member of my house. Unfortunately, the computer system of my personal craft is insufficient to track a microsecond-long coded communication burst that only activates once every month and a half. I would like to ask for aid in my search for this other ship.”
Leah thought about the problem. While aliens were living openly on Earth and had at last gained rights to citizenship across the majority of the planet, plenty of discrimination could still be found around the world. If there was another Argonian living on Earth, they could be well-hidden. “Once you’ve gone through your orientation, we’ll all sit down together and discuss strategy to build the equipment you need to find the source of your mystery signal.”
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1619295261
Publisher: Flashpoint Publications
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