BOOK REVIEW: Skeleton Crew

Mamma Bear Book Review

*A bear trundles in with a book under one, fuzzy arm*

 

Aboard the starship White Flower II, the dutiful geroo work, live, love, and die in the service of their immense, reptilian masters. Kanti works in the recycling center, driving the big dozers that turn the refuse and organics into the base substances that keep life on a starship possible. But Kanti has a secret that could mean his life. He was born without a birth token, an illegal child in a system where even one extra body could mean a cascade of failures that put the entire population at risk.

Skeleton Crew is hands down one of the most engaging furry novels I've ever read. The characters are lovable, flawed, and deeply individual. The setting is thoroughly realized, exciting, and full of both secrets and tension. The plot is  thrilling, fun, terrifying, and heartbreaking in turns. In short, I could not stop turning pages, and the second it was over I knew I had to have more.

The writing is very professional, well-edited, and free of errors, which is a delight but far overshadowed by the story itself ... which is a gem of a tale.

Skeleton Crew is a must read for furry readers as well as general sci-fi fans. The species involved are aliens but read enough like anthropomorphic animals to delight a furry audience.

 

Mamma Bear gives it a big ol five claws up!

 

Character: 

The characters in Skeleton Crew are well rounded fun and great at getting themselves into a good deal of trouble. I particularly enjoyed the scale difference between the geroo and their overlords and how that played into the plot.

 

World Building:

The setting in Skeleton Crew is entirely on board a space ship, but this is in no way limiting. The diversity and richness of scenes surprised me, and the world building was deep and dropped smoothly in small doses at just the right times.

 

Pacing:  

Skeleton Crew is fast-paced an has great conflict, but gives the reader enough "breathable" moments to pause and enjoy the characters and scenarios at the same time. It was a page turner for me, but one that was well balanced and highly enjoyable. 

 Shiny:

I think the setup on this one is what really went that extra mile for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the characters, but the idea of a ship with a population that is rigidly controlled and in complete balance dealing with an "extra" individual really hooked me. Additionally, the story repeatedly went in a direction I didn't expect, and never felt predictable in the least. 

My original review of Skeleton Crew as well as many other reviews of furry books by myself and others can be found at: https://furrybookreview.wixsite.com/blog

~Mammabear