Conquest
Ratings1
Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
"The first in a stunning new science fiction trilogy, Conquest introduces a world where humanity has been conquered by a powerful alien rulership--unless a group of young rebels can unlock their powers and help rescue humankind from its terrible fate. Earth has been invaded by the Illyri--a beautiful, civilized, yet ruthless alien race. The Resistance grows stronger against the invaders, for it is up to the young people of the Earth to lead the battle and save humanity. Syl Hellais, conceived among the stars, is the oldest alien child on Earth. The daughter of one of the planet's rulers, she has hidden gifts and powers that she does yet fully understand. But all is not as it seems. Secret experiments are being conducted on humans, the Illyri are at war among themselves, and the sinister Nairene Sisterhood has arrived on Earth, hungry for new blood. When Syl helps a pair of young fighters escape execution, she finds herself sentenced to death and pursued by her own kind. Soon, she even risks breaking the greatest taboo of her race by falling in love with a human. Now the hunter has become the hunted, and the predators have become prey. And as Syl is about to learn, the real invasion is yet to begin."
Reviews with the most likes.
Pros: compelling story, political machinations, minor romantic elements
Cons: slow opening
Conquest takes place roughly 16 years after the Illyri, a race similar to humans, take over the Earth. Syl, conceived among the stars and the first Illyri born on Earth, lives with her father, the governor of Britain and Ireland, in Edinburgh castle. On her 16th birthday she and a friend sneak out of the castle and encounter two human teenagers, members of the Resistance just as a bomb goes off on the Royal Mile. Events spiral into a series of political machinations that change the world as these 4 youths know it.
The book gets off to a slow start, as there's a lot of background information the reader needs to know in order to follow what happens after the bombing in Edinburgh. Once things start happening they happen fast. By page 100 I found that I couldn't put the book down, I was so invested in the characters and what was happening.
While a lot of the politics happen off stage, given the ages of the protagonist, there's still a fair amount of political maneuvering, among the humans (different resistance groups) but mainly among the Illyri (the sisterhood, the military and the diplomatic corps). It's the alien politics that fascinate, and I'm hoping the next book includes more information about the sisterhood.
There are a lot of SF elements borrowed from other sources, but the authors do a great job of using those elements in new ways. The addition of a burgeoning romance between one of the humans and Syl only enhances the difficulties the two races face. And the ending contained some great twists.
This book is more complex than humans: good, aliens: bad. Having protagonists on both sides makes both sides partly sympathetic. And partly not. It's a great start to a series.
