Blog Tour Review: Lost Solace – Karl Drinkwater
In today’s post, I have the privilege to share my review of Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater. I originally shared my review back in February, but I’m back today having touched up my review to share as part of the blog tour!
As always, a huge thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the tour and to the author Karl Drinkwater. I received a review copy of the earlier edition of the book and as you will see, I thought the book was fantastic!
If you’re looking for a fun science-fiction novel to pick up and potentially explore the further series, look no further!
Lost Solace – Karl Drinkwater
Genre: Science-fiction
Pages: 258
Audience: Adult
Publisher: Organic Apocalypse
Original Publication Date: 15 Oct 2017
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
They’re called the Lost Ships … but sometimes they come back.
And when they do the crews are missing, while the ships have been strangely altered, rumoured to be full of horrors.
Opal Imbiana has been seeking something her whole life. It’s a secret so precious she’s willing to risk her life recovering it from a recently discovered Lost Ship, in a lonely nebula far from colonised space.
She’s just one woman, entering an alien and lethal environment. But with the aid of an amazing AI companion and experimental armoured suit, Opal might just stand a chance.
This blast of a book kickstarted the much-loved Lost Solace series, about an unlikely friendship between two women who keep hope alive in the darkest of times.
Purchase Links:
https://books2read.com/karldrinkwater
https://karldrinkwater.myshopify.com
My Thoughts
Plot
If you enjoy fast paced, action-led plot-lines then Lost Solace is a book you won’t want to miss! Full of twists and turns, within is a compelling storyline in which we explore many interesting facets of lore in this world.
Opal is determined to explore the hostile environment of a re-emerged Lost Ship. Not only does she have the local environment to overcome, but she is also challenged by other humans on her quest for discovery. With an AI, Clarissa, on her side, she sets out to do what would appear to be impossible.
In a race against time, will Opal and Clarissa prevail?
Setting
The Lost Ship is an eerie setting we get to explore in detail throughout the narrative. Whilst Opal and Clarissa feel very isolated in their quest, they are far from alone. If the local hostile environment wasn’t enough to contend with, Opal is being hunted down.
The tension and atmosphere Karl Drinkwater incorporates into this already busy narrative is impressive. Although the book overall is very action-led, there is plenty of world-building and description incorporated into the narrative to construct an immersive, deserted and eerie atmosphere present throughout.
Characters
Lost Solace is told from the perspective of two strong female leads. The first of these is Opal. She is a strong and inquisitive individual, empowered by her determination and force of will. Opal is accompanied by an AI known as Clarissa. She is incredibly smart – as can only be expected from a supercomputer. However, this isn’t just where her strengths lie.
For artificial intelligence, she is full of humour and dry wit. It’s a facet of personality that I expected from her character as a result of reading Helene, but otherwise would have been surprised by. It works very well too! Clarissa stands out and the personality quirk adds depth to her character.
The interactions between Opal and Clarissa are hilarious to read and their relationship is one of my favourite aspects of the book. Their witty dialogue is interspersed within the action in the book, making for a well-rounded read.
As a little extra, we also get to see characters from Karl Drinkwater’s other Lost Tales of Solace series. It was fun to see the overlap and get to revisit some of these individuals!
Narrative Style
Lost Solace has an easy to read, flowing narrative style. The book is approachable for readers of all levels and experience. Although a science-fiction novel, the content isn’t so technologically advanced that readers are unable to understand what’s going on. It strikes just the right balance of setting the scene, but also being clear and descriptive so no presumed knowledge is required.
At under 300 pages, it is also a quick read. I am a fast reader anyway, but a book of this length is definitely approachable for anyone interested in (or wants to try) the genre, and for any level of commitment.
Summary
I am a fan of science-fiction, so I was never not going to love Lost Solace. It is the first book in a series that I will be continuing with as soon as possible!
Lastly, I cannot help but share the dedication that Karl includes in the opening of this book. I loved it!
To strong women everywhere, at all times.
Author Bio
Karl Drinkwater is an author with a silly name and a thousand-mile stare. He writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you’re in the right place. Welcome!
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Go to karldrinkwater.uk to view all his books grouped by genre.
As well as crafting his own fictional worlds, Karl has supported other writers for years with his creative writing workshops, editorial services, articles on writing and publishing, and mentoring of new authors. He’s also judged writing competitions such as the international Bram Stoker Awards, which act as a snapshot of quality contemporary fiction.
DON’T MISS OUT!
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Social Media Links
Newsletter (and Substack) https://karldrinkwater.substack.com/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5766025.Karl_Drinkwater
Thank you Rebecca, I love the way you break reviews down into headings and cover every key aspect! You’re spot on in every point. I especially enjoyed referring or reintroducing characters in later books, for that “Aha!” moment. 🙂 The world on the page is probably a tenth of what has been built in my head and notes, which may explain the richness. Merci beaucoup!