A heartening tale packed with perseverance, loyalty, and interstellar fun.
A year on Earth for Orin, Juna, and their friends feels like an excruciatingly long time when their home is limited to a cave system. Guarded by human soldiers with questionable intentions, these refugees are getting antsy, the excitement of Earth having lost its appeal. Subsisting on little more than watermelon and military rations, the Cambrians miss the familiar comforts of their home, and hope of returning is wearing thin. More than just a desire to be back on Cambria, the volatile situation on their home planet makes their homecoming of imminent importance. Lives are on the line, and it isn’t just the oppressed Cambrians that need a hero. Fortunately, the General has a new mission. The plan is to cripple Emperor Volara’s most powerful tool, a space portal known as the Gate. From there, the escaped Cambrians can reconnect with on-planet rebels to finally reclaim peace. But things are never that easy. Opposing sides will have to find a way to trust each other because the emperor will not go down without a fight. Relationships will be tested to the limit, and the definition of family will be reimagined.
Maybe it’s been some time since you last stepped foot in Ken Deeprose’s Mech world, but the gripping prologue in Coming Home will draw you in with unexpected ferocity. From there, the vivid descriptions of exciting, far-flung locations will keep you glued to the page. Finally, the resilience of the characters as they embrace their challenging journey will leave you glad you got to hitch a ride to Cambria on this grand adventure. The intricately drawn cast is where this book really shines. Juna is such a lovable protagonist. Not only has she been forcibly exiled, but her initial welcome back to Volara isn’t exactly warm. But for tireless Juna, she handles it all in stride, maintaining her devotion to the city, people, and planet she loves. This installment features even more of the quirky personalities of the endearing collection of Mechs we’ve gotten to know. As if giant robots weren’t cool enough, innovative tech like invisibility blankets and loopback transducers will remind you that you’re reading an intergalactic story with limitless possibilities. The writing style is so fluid, so visual, and so effortless that it reads like a supersonic action movie. The series might be aimed at middle-grade readers, but adults will fully enjoy the antics of the extended cast and the dramatic, heroic quest of the main characters. A heartening tale packed with perseverance, loyalty, and interstellar fun, Mech – Coming Home is a well-deserved conclusion to a sensational science fiction series.
