Title: Between Fleets

Author: Andrew C. Merrick

Genre: Romantic science fiction

 

In Andrew C. Merrick’s Between Fleets, Royal Star Navy officer Luke saves Shaera, a young woman from another race, in space, when she lands on the planet Irillian and is attacked by a xenophobic veteran. Shaera is of the Kherrian race, who have lost their home planet and have a rocky history with Luke’s race, the Casarians. Despite their differences, they fall in love, and what is more, their connection sparks hope for the future, but is it enough for two warring factions to find peace?

Merrick’s book opens with a prologue that sets the stage for the current conflict between the interstellar races who have spread throughout the Andromeda Galaxy in the far future. Although some of the invented terms and language for the world he’s building can be confusing at times, the author includes a whole index at the back of the book and an explanation of how to pronounce certain terms at the beginning. This is helpful, especially for people who aren’t as well versed in the world-building necessary for science fiction. Merrick clearly has a deeply complex world and has put a lot of time and effort into creating the backdrop for his characters.

Where Merrick shines, however, is in his characters. His characters are all flawed and realistic. Even in a fictional world or on a futuristic star fleet, we connect with characters like Luke and Shaera. The xenophobia persistent among certain members of Luke’s Casarian race can feel topical. The Casarians are basically humans in the future, making reference to Earth as Old Terra. Meanwhile, the Kherrians are an evolved offshoot of the human race, which proves that the Casarians and the Kherrians have more in common than what makes them different. Luke and Shaera’s budding romance makes this abundantly clear.

What starts as an unplanned rescue blossoms into an easy friendship, then something more. Although Luke feels responsible for Shaera on this strange world for her, she came there for her peregrination, a journey all young people take from her world by stepping out into the universe and exploring. Together, they work to overcome pre-existing negative attitudes toward the Kherrians. Shaera is brave and kind and simply being herself around others shows that her race is not evil. Likewise, Luke is understanding and patient.

There is no huge escalation, despite the background between the Casarians and the Kherrians. Luke and Shaera make a huge discovery that forever changes the future, but given the fraught differences between their races, perhaps more conflict would be warranted. Most of the conflict is internal for Luke and Shaera, as the chapters are told from changing close third-person perspectives, as well as the personal attacks Shaera directly receives from certain Casarians.

For readers who enjoy romance and science fiction, Between Fleets is a nice balance of both. Merrick’s strong world-building and compelling characters make this 90,000-word read a fast one. Between Fleets is an outstanding addition to the science fiction genre.

 

 

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