Immerse yourself in an unconventional world.
Take your time to let the setting and culture surround you, and experience the journey of Khe. ( )

3.5/5

Overall, I really liked this book. It's a fast paced adventure that takes place in a world not like our own but the author takes great care to detail it (at least in first two thirds of the book). This is definitely one of the more original sci-fi stories I've read in a long time and at just over 200 pages it's an easy read (important if you're busy like me and just want some light reading before bed!)

I thought the first half was solid, the second half was okay but introduced too many characters too late that would become central to the climax of the story. Khe's concern for her new "sisters" seems to come a little fast, and the whole metaphysical explanation of who the Powers are and how they're destroyed is a bit bungled, but other than that, it's a good book. There is a sequel coming out soon apparently and I look forward to reading it!

The one thing I think the author should improve upon (other than creating a stronger SciFi explanations) is the formatting of the kindle book - it was a bit off in the second half of the book (text italicized when it shouldn't be, and normal when it should be italicized) ( )

Very entertaining story, the author creates a very interesting world, populated with a race where the males and females live separately and once per year they reunite to mate. But that happens as an impulse that you cannot control, and our heroine misses this impulse and is sent for treatment. Initially the treatment seems to work, but then some side effects start to happen and the whole story develops from there. While seeking for a cure to her problem outside her village, she finds others affected by similar problem and she ended up finding the answer for a much more high level question, who are those entities that came to their world and caused the society to behave as they do nowadays. Very well written, characters full developed and environment well described. Nice cover. It took me around 10 hours to read the whole book.

I recommend this book to the permanent library of all readers that enjoy a very well written science-fiction book. I bought this book from Amazon.com and I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.
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The world in this book is more than amazing. It's intriguing. As it unfolds you can't help but want to learn more. This is an alien world that both feels truly alien and yet works really well. Add to that a compelling and well written story and this book is a must read. ( )

Science fiction, for all its great successes over the decades, has at times earned a reputation for producing too many works that are cookie-cutter or derivative. That’s why it’s refreshing to see a book like Khe which, while taking the form in interesting new directions, still nails the basics—a sympathetic main character, exciting adventure, and world building that unfolds gradually and leaves room for surprises at the end.

The book opens with Khe, a female humanoid alien on a distant planet, living as a laborer in one of many agricultural “communes” (actually, it opens with a prologue which consists of a tense scene from the middle of the book, but the story proper begins at the commune). Khe’s species differs in a few ways from humans—the most notable being the mating ritual known as Resonance, where fertile females are guided to their mates by colors that appear to them in the sky. Khe’s life is turned upside down when, despite being of age, she fails to experience the Resonance, leaving her “broken.” An operation intended to allow her to mate appears successful, until she realizes its side effects: a mysterious power over plant life, and seemingly accelerated aging. Facing premature death, she sets out across the Wilderness towards the city of Chimbalay in search of help.

Aside from the detailed world, what I enjoyed most about Khe were the unconventional themes. Topics such as the meaning of fertility, acceptance in one’s community and self-sacrifice are rarely touched on in science fiction, and may resonate (sorry) with female readers. However, I found myself wishing at times that some of them were explored more fully, or some situations or characters fleshed out before Khe moves on to other parts of her journey. The ending in particular resolves very quickly, and doesn’t leave much room for closure on some of the topics explored in the narrative.

Also, Khe contains a set of illustrations interspersed throughout the pages, and while I thought they were generally well-drawn and helpful for visualizing the story, the last one sort of gives away the ending of the book. Reader be warned.

Still, I would recommend Khe to any fan of science fiction or science/fantasy adventure, especially those bored of the typical “man on a spaceship” archetype. I look forward to what Ms. Razevich’s wild imagination produces next.

Rating: Four Resonance sacs out of five. ( )