Review of Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers and New International Giveaway!

I'm excited to showcase another promising new writer, Leonie Rogers, and her book, Frontier Incursion!

Goodreads Book Description: For Shanna, joining the Scout Corps had been a dream come true. The Scouts were charged with expanding their knowledge of Frontier, a hostile planet their ancestors had crashlanded on 300 years before. As the youngest in her class, Shanna struggles to find acceptance and respect amongst her older peers - a task made more difficult by the fact that she has not just one, but two of the colonists' huge feline companions, their starcats.

On a routine patrol, she and the other cadets are swept up in the greatest challenge yet to be faced by the settlers of Frontier. Now they find themselves on the very frontline of a war they knew nothing about, and possibly the Federation of Race's last chance against the hostile Garsal. Suddenly their world has changed, and in ways never dreamed of by Shanna and her fellow scouts.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: The author gave me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers was an unexpected find for me-- I didn't realize I would love it so much! This book stars Shanna (and to a lesser extent her brother, Kaiden), who is a teenager who has decided to become part of the Scouts, an organization whose purpose is to explore the uncharted territories of their planet. She has grown up training Starcats, the gorgeous colorful panther like creatures, who are the permanent companions of each Scout. She brings this talent to the group. Dangers lurk on their home planet as well as beyond, and the Scouts need to use all of their talents together to save the planet they call home.

There are so many wonderful things about this book. Possibly the strongest aspect of the book is Shanna, the true heroine of the piece. She is likeable and spunky, and it is easy to read about her as she works very hard to learn new skills but with a humility beyond her years. She struggles with trying to teach an older classmate, which is an intriguing storyline. But even more, I marveled at the world building. The starcats are an ingenious invention-- they are beautifully written and described-- I wish I had one of my own! I loved all the adventures Below, the uncharted terrain of their home planet, and all of the new species that they encounter of both plant and animal life. It is clear that the author has had some experience with this kind of camping/exploration. The novel shines at these points.

My one big issue with this novel was the introduction of the "bad guys." Small paragraphs about them are scattered after each chapter, without really adding much. I imagined what the book would be like without these additions and only having the book through Shanna's eyes, and I think it would have been stronger that way. The small advances in plot could have easily been hidden from us until Shanna observed them directly herself.

Overall, a very strong first novel with terrific characters and world building. I'll definitely be watching for the sequel. 

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