Jethabel by L.L. Watkin



       I've noticed since I began doing reviews that I've received several requests for stories that take place in space. Some pure sci-fi, some sci-fi fantasy, and even an erotica sci-fi fantasy, among others. At first I worried that I would run into at least one carbon copied space adventure that would be way to close to another that it would be impossible to enjoy it, let alone be able to give an honest review that would do the justice that the story would deserve.

      Luckily with Jethabel by L.L. Watkin, this isn't today. Instead of a clone of some of the more popular science fiction, you get a mash up of a thrilling sci-fi adventure with a little fantasy sprinkled in.

     The story begins on a planet in the Sheraton system in the middle of a galactic war. The ruthless Tren are systematically destroying ships, fleets and colonies in an attempt to expand their reach leaving thousands behind to eventually starve to death. This planet is also where we begin to meet our protagonists, and where the seemingly non-stop opening action takes place as the crew of the crippled warship the Eleisus gathers as many civilians it can carry on its new mission to escort its passengers to safety.

     This is a problem when the ship is caught in a fire fight as it exits the planet and becomes, yet again, crippled. The one glimmer of hope that the hundreds of civilians and military personnel on board have is a derelict, or alien ship, that is left over from a species that has long been extinct. Not much is known about these ships, but fortunately for the crew of the Eleisus the ship is large enough for them to dock inside and get a needed reprieve from the advancing Tren forces.

     Once on board the crew attempts to interface with the alien craft, and discover it is way more than meets the eye. It is learned that the ship is made up of organic parts, and even possesses a conscious of its own.

     As the story deepens Watkin does a wonderful job of growing the story while maintaining the smooth flow that starts from the first page and continues until the end.

     There are a multitude of pros in this story, as usual I've narrowed down a few that I feel are most important:

• As I just mentioned the story flows very very well. Each chapter, and mid-chapter transition is smooth and seamless.
• The story is one that shows of Watkin's creativity and overall skill as a writer. The shear scope of the story is immense, yet there is never a moment where you feel lost.
• The characters all have incredibly individual personalities. There are several instances where you can tell whose talking even before reading who made the statement.

     I had trouble picking anything out that I feel would be a true con to the story. I honestly wasn't able to really come up with anything that I could consider a con to the story. There were a few places where ideas/words repeated themselves, though I mean very few, and it was more of a mark of an author still honing their craft.

     In the end Jethabel by L.L. Watkin is a wonderfully creative, well written work that takes you on a true journey. Unlike many of its fellow sci-fi stories it isn't limited to a sci-fi audience; the story itself could be read by any fan of an action story or a thriller.

     Overall I'm going to give Jethabel a solid 8/10 based on:

8/10 for readability - Watkin created a well written, smooth transitioning story that flows very well. Its one of those rare stories that is truly hard to put down once you start reading.

8/10 for story - The story itself is a very creative one that meshes up different genres to create something very new that you have never read  before.

8/10 for characters - The characters are all very well done and each has his/her own personality. As I mentioned above each character has his/her own voice and you can tell who is talking most of the time by the way they're speaking.

Jethabel is such a well rounded, solid story that picking an x-factor is difficult. Each category above presents an intricate part of the story; without each one in this case it may have missed the mark, but Watkin brought everything together and created a great read.

A big thank you to L.L. Watkin for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to read and review Jethabel. I look forward to reading more of the series, and I know others will be too.

If you'd like to check out Jethabel yourself click here.