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Frontier #1
Frontier Incursion
For Shanna, joining the Scout Corps had been a dream come true. The Scouts were charged with expanding their knowledge of Frontier, a hostile planet their ancestors had crashlanded on 300 years before. As the youngest in her class, Shanna struggles to find acceptance and respect amongst her older peers - a task made more difficult by the fact that she has not just one, but two of the colonists' huge feline companions, their starcats.On a routine patrol, she and the other cadets are swept up in the greatest challenge yet to be faced by the settlers of Frontier. Now they find themselves on the very frontline of a war they knew nothing about, and possibly the Federation of Race's last chance against the hostile Garsal. Suddenly their world has changed, and in ways never dreamed of by Shanna and her fellow scouts.
278 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2012
About the author
Leonie Rogers
9 books173 followersGrowing up in Western Australia, Leonie was an avid reader from an early age. Her mother vividly recalls her stating “I can read faster with my eyes than you can with your mouth, Mum…” at around the age of six. Her parents and great aunt encouraged her interest in literature, providing her with books of many different genres, and . She began writing during high school, placing in the Western Australian Young Writers Award in 1980, and she fondly remembers several of her English teachers, who encouraged her to write, both fiction and poetry.
Leonie trained at Curtin University as a physiotherapist and moved to the remote north west of Western Australia, as a new graduate, in late 1986. She continued to write poetry for herself and for friends. Living in the remote northwest, she had the opportunity to work with camels, fight fires as a volunteer fire fighter, and develop vertical rescue and cyclone operation skills with the State Emergency Service.
After relocating to NSW with her husband and two children, Leonie continued to work as a physiotherapist, while still dabbling with writing. Finally deciding to stop procrastinating, Leonie decided to write the novel she’d had sitting in the back of her head for the last twenty years. Her husband children have been extremely tolerant of the amount of time she has devoted to writing in the last few years.
Leonie trained at Curtin University as a physiotherapist and moved to the remote north west of Western Australia, as a new graduate, in late 1986. She continued to write poetry for herself and for friends. Living in the remote northwest, she had the opportunity to work with camels, fight fires as a volunteer fire fighter, and develop vertical rescue and cyclone operation skills with the State Emergency Service.
After relocating to NSW with her husband and two children, Leonie continued to work as a physiotherapist, while still dabbling with writing. Finally deciding to stop procrastinating, Leonie decided to write the novel she’d had sitting in the back of her head for the last twenty years. Her husband children have been extremely tolerant of the amount of time she has devoted to writing in the last few years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 27, 2017
There's a lot to love about this book.
[1]: It made me remember why I loved reading science fiction when I was young(er), this story really brought back to life the love, curiosity and adventure I always found in the best sci-fi.
[2]: It got me emotionally invested in the main characters. Especially Shanna and her two starcats Storm and Twister. But not limited to them alone, I found myself really caring what happened to scout team 10.
[3] The starcats - lovingly drawn and imagined.
A story to remember, a story to recommend, and a story to follow up with the next installment, Frontier Resistance.
[1]: It made me remember why I loved reading science fiction when I was young(er), this story really brought back to life the love, curiosity and adventure I always found in the best sci-fi.
[2]: It got me emotionally invested in the main characters. Especially Shanna and her two starcats Storm and Twister. But not limited to them alone, I found myself really caring what happened to scout team 10.
[3] The starcats - lovingly drawn and imagined.
A story to remember, a story to recommend, and a story to follow up with the next installment, Frontier Resistance.
August 15, 2016
Frontier Incursion is the first book in the Frontier series by Australian author, Leonie Rogers. At fifteen, Shanna was young to be a cadet. Training to be a Frontier Scout would be challenging: being away from her family was hard (she loved her parents, starcat breeders Janna and Adlan, and she was so proud of her younger brother, Kaidan’s archer abilities); and gaining the friendship and respect of the older cadets in her group was complicated by the fact that she had two starcats. But Shanna was determined to do her best.
When, during their routine post-storm damage survey, they came across evidence of a wrecked aircraft, her group was at once excited but nervous. After three hundred years on this rather hostile planet, did it mean rescue? Or something else? Her group knew their training would be tested to the limit when they accompanied the experienced Patrol Ten, leaving the relative safety of the Plateau for the hazardous wilderness of Below. Their bond with their starcats would be vital.
On the Garsal colony ship, Anjo, one of many human slaves, made surreptitious observations: he knew, though, that escape would not be easy. And if he ever succeeded, survival outside the laser perimeter fence, at the mercy of this planet’s dangerous plants and fierce predators would certainly be difficult, if not impossible. But to continue at the mercy of this cruel insectoid race was surely worse.
What a superb start to this speculative fiction trilogy! Rogers gives the reader a highly original plot, a resourceful and quietly determined young heroine, and an imaginative setting that contains that a wealth of interesting plants and animals. Rogers does her world building very subtly: there are no information dumps to distract from the story, which boasts an exciting climax (or two) and flows neatly into the next book, Frontier Resistance.
The starcats are, of course, the scene-stealers, having a combination of all the best feline attributes together with the strong loyalty that is usually more a canine feature. Rogers has feline behaviour well and truly nailed down: her descriptions of the starcats are very evocative, portraying the way cats behave, their little tics, quirks, and traits with consummate ease. Herding these cats might not present the usual challenge: amenable and co-operative describes starcats well. Even readers who don’t necessarily feel an affinity for cats are likely to want their own starcat.
It may be described as Young Adult, but older readers are bound to enjoy this book too, and fans will be pleased to know that Rogers has penned two further books to be enjoyed. A splendid read.
When, during their routine post-storm damage survey, they came across evidence of a wrecked aircraft, her group was at once excited but nervous. After three hundred years on this rather hostile planet, did it mean rescue? Or something else? Her group knew their training would be tested to the limit when they accompanied the experienced Patrol Ten, leaving the relative safety of the Plateau for the hazardous wilderness of Below. Their bond with their starcats would be vital.
On the Garsal colony ship, Anjo, one of many human slaves, made surreptitious observations: he knew, though, that escape would not be easy. And if he ever succeeded, survival outside the laser perimeter fence, at the mercy of this planet’s dangerous plants and fierce predators would certainly be difficult, if not impossible. But to continue at the mercy of this cruel insectoid race was surely worse.
What a superb start to this speculative fiction trilogy! Rogers gives the reader a highly original plot, a resourceful and quietly determined young heroine, and an imaginative setting that contains that a wealth of interesting plants and animals. Rogers does her world building very subtly: there are no information dumps to distract from the story, which boasts an exciting climax (or two) and flows neatly into the next book, Frontier Resistance.
The starcats are, of course, the scene-stealers, having a combination of all the best feline attributes together with the strong loyalty that is usually more a canine feature. Rogers has feline behaviour well and truly nailed down: her descriptions of the starcats are very evocative, portraying the way cats behave, their little tics, quirks, and traits with consummate ease. Herding these cats might not present the usual challenge: amenable and co-operative describes starcats well. Even readers who don’t necessarily feel an affinity for cats are likely to want their own starcat.
It may be described as Young Adult, but older readers are bound to enjoy this book too, and fans will be pleased to know that Rogers has penned two further books to be enjoyed. A splendid read.
April 5, 2014
With the Remembrance Ceremony due to start at any time, Shanna was annoyed at her brother Kaidan for not being there on time. The Ceremony was an annual tradition which was vitally important, and to miss it would incur the displeasure of the Masters. But with seconds to spare, Kaidan arrived, dishevelled and red-faced – the reason he would tell Shanna later. Living on Frontier for the past three hundred years, Shanna’s ancestors had crash landed on the planet. The survivors had built a safe and secure environment, one which saw Shanna and her family living in peace and harmony with the rest of Frontier’s inhabitants.
Living on their farm on the outskirts of Watchtower, Shanna, Kaidan, mum Janna and dad Adlan bred and trained starcats for the rest of the community. Starcats had evolved over the years and were now intelligent panther-like cats, companions to almost everyone. Their shining tidemarks set them apart from anything else and their ability to know what their owners required was uncanny. Shanna, at just fifteen years of age, was encouraged to choose her life’s work on the planet; she would also be able to pick a starcat for her very own.
Joining the Scout Corps found Shanna the youngest in her group, also the only one who brought along two starcats. Brothers Storm and Twister had both chosen her, so training the cubs was double the fun, headaches, lack of sleep and devotion that came with them! As first year cadets of the Scout Corps their training was intense. With Shanna being so knowledgeable, she was chosen to train her group about the starcats and their abilities – this created problems, especially from another cadet, Taya, who was jealous and angry about being told what to do by someone younger than she was.
Suddenly, while on a training patrol with their senior Scouts, a discovery was made. They had to go further than cadets this new had ever been – they had heard of Below, the terrible dangers of this uncharted part of their planet, knew they would go there eventually, but that day the lives of the colonists on Frontier were set to change. The invasion of a race of aliens called Garsal had begun – if they weren’t stopped their lives would never be the same again. What would happen to young Shanna, her starcats and the rest of her Scout group? Would they survive the horrors of the invasion?
I absolutely loved this book! I loved the starcats, particularly Storm and Twister; the detail woven through the story by the author made it so that I could visualise them, their traits and abilities. Shanna was a wonderful character and her slow emergence as an accepted member of her group, one who gained the respect not just of her fellow cadets but of the Senior Scouts as well was heartwarming. I was sad when I reached the ending; but gratified to learn the sequel isn’t too many months away! Leonie Rogers is another Aussie author I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
Living on their farm on the outskirts of Watchtower, Shanna, Kaidan, mum Janna and dad Adlan bred and trained starcats for the rest of the community. Starcats had evolved over the years and were now intelligent panther-like cats, companions to almost everyone. Their shining tidemarks set them apart from anything else and their ability to know what their owners required was uncanny. Shanna, at just fifteen years of age, was encouraged to choose her life’s work on the planet; she would also be able to pick a starcat for her very own.
Joining the Scout Corps found Shanna the youngest in her group, also the only one who brought along two starcats. Brothers Storm and Twister had both chosen her, so training the cubs was double the fun, headaches, lack of sleep and devotion that came with them! As first year cadets of the Scout Corps their training was intense. With Shanna being so knowledgeable, she was chosen to train her group about the starcats and their abilities – this created problems, especially from another cadet, Taya, who was jealous and angry about being told what to do by someone younger than she was.
Suddenly, while on a training patrol with their senior Scouts, a discovery was made. They had to go further than cadets this new had ever been – they had heard of Below, the terrible dangers of this uncharted part of their planet, knew they would go there eventually, but that day the lives of the colonists on Frontier were set to change. The invasion of a race of aliens called Garsal had begun – if they weren’t stopped their lives would never be the same again. What would happen to young Shanna, her starcats and the rest of her Scout group? Would they survive the horrors of the invasion?
I absolutely loved this book! I loved the starcats, particularly Storm and Twister; the detail woven through the story by the author made it so that I could visualise them, their traits and abilities. Shanna was a wonderful character and her slow emergence as an accepted member of her group, one who gained the respect not just of her fellow cadets but of the Senior Scouts as well was heartwarming. I was sad when I reached the ending; but gratified to learn the sequel isn’t too many months away! Leonie Rogers is another Aussie author I have no hesitation in recommending highly.
July 30, 2014
I really enjoyed this book and like everyone else who has read it I want a Star cat of my own! I am a science fiction fan from way back and this story pushed all my buttons. There was a lot of information about the planet, presented in not too large dollops, and a story line which followed the day to day lives of the planet's inhabitants. There was not a lot of action for much of the book but the clever way the author introduced little bits of information about the Garsal into nearly every chapter made them very threatening and let the reader know bad things were going to happen. The latter part of the book turned up the heat and it was impossible then to stop reading until the very last page. I am so glad there is a sequel to look forward to in the near future.
February 22, 2017
Wow, when is the movie coming out?
Frontier Incursion is a wonderful action packed story of adventure and survival by a group of inhabitants on a hostile planet for the last 300 years. As siblings Shanna and Kaidan enter into their young adulthood, they are finding their niche in the community and choosing their ‘careers’. As they are training in their fields, there are new threats upon their community, not to mention the beasts and the storms that are constantly a normal threat to their survival. This community is living on the edge (almost literally) and dealing with creatures of all shapes and sizes. Until this point in my life, when a “slider’ swarm continued past” me, it was an order of hamburgers for a table of diners at a restaurant. Not. Any. More.
Leonie Rogers is drawing on some great humane teaching concepts here creating a close family dynamic and strong community spirit. Being an Aussie, survival skills are inbred in us all. A fun read and more books to follow, this book is recommended for all, particularly cat lovers. Go Starcats!!!
Frontier Incursion is a wonderful action packed story of adventure and survival by a group of inhabitants on a hostile planet for the last 300 years. As siblings Shanna and Kaidan enter into their young adulthood, they are finding their niche in the community and choosing their ‘careers’. As they are training in their fields, there are new threats upon their community, not to mention the beasts and the storms that are constantly a normal threat to their survival. This community is living on the edge (almost literally) and dealing with creatures of all shapes and sizes. Until this point in my life, when a “slider’ swarm continued past” me, it was an order of hamburgers for a table of diners at a restaurant. Not. Any. More.
Leonie Rogers is drawing on some great humane teaching concepts here creating a close family dynamic and strong community spirit. Being an Aussie, survival skills are inbred in us all. A fun read and more books to follow, this book is recommended for all, particularly cat lovers. Go Starcats!!!
April 26, 2015
Well written Young Adult science fiction / space opera
We read this as one of our books of the month for the Space Opera Fans community. It's a rare Young Adult sci-fi space opera about a girl who lives on a distant colony, Frontier, and her remarkable, sentient 'starcats' that resemble enormous black panthers. Life on Frontier is difficult as it was not an intentional colony, but the settlers worldship crash-landed there generations ago, and every single person, even the teenagers, are expected to work and help expand the boundaries of the sometimes hostile world as 'Rangers.'
This is one of the better books I've read this year, and then I handed it to my teenager and she enjoyed it as well. It's really difficult to find well-written Young Adult science fiction that's not just earthbound dystopia, so I was happy to read this. Got the second book on order.
We read this as one of our books of the month for the Space Opera Fans community. It's a rare Young Adult sci-fi space opera about a girl who lives on a distant colony, Frontier, and her remarkable, sentient 'starcats' that resemble enormous black panthers. Life on Frontier is difficult as it was not an intentional colony, but the settlers worldship crash-landed there generations ago, and every single person, even the teenagers, are expected to work and help expand the boundaries of the sometimes hostile world as 'Rangers.'
This is one of the better books I've read this year, and then I handed it to my teenager and she enjoyed it as well. It's really difficult to find well-written Young Adult science fiction that's not just earthbound dystopia, so I was happy to read this. Got the second book on order.
May 3, 2014
Three hundred years ago a starship carrying a group of humans crashed on an alien world. Although they believe that it's just a matter of time before they are eventually found and rescued, while they wait they have successfully built themselves a self-sufficient community and learnt to live with the occasionally fearsome weather and the strange and often dangerous animals and plants on the planet. Unknown to them, their planet has already been found by an alien insect-like life form called the Garsal, an aggressive species that creates giant breeding hives wherever it can and is gradually taking over the Universe.
Shanna and Kaidan are teenagers whose parents have a farm where they breed and train starcats, beautiful black panther-like cats with iridescent ripples of blue, red or purple colour in their coats. They are highly intelligent and can be trained to obey commands and form a life-long empathic bond with a human of their choosing.
Much of the planet is uncolonised and unexplored with many dangerous plants and animals that can kill or poison the untrained, and some that may also offer useful medicines. The settlers have established a group of Scouts who patrol the wild areas around their settlements and learn about the new life forms out there. When Shanna nears the completion of her schooling and has to decide what career she wants to follow, she chooses to join the Scout Corps. All Scouts have their own starcat that they train to help in their exploration and Shanna is lucky enough to be chosen as a companion by two beautiful young brothers, Storm and Twister, raised by her own family. She also takes on the role as her cadet troop’s starcat training which brings her it’s own trials and tribulations. It is on the cadets first training trip to the wilderness area that the Scouts first discover evidence of the Garsal presence on their planet and realize that their own presence and survival on the planet may be under threat.
I greatly enjoyed this novel and am so glad the next instalment in the series will be released soon as I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next. I really enjoyed the author’s world-building with the many weird and wonderful plants and animals that she has imagined and described in detail. The characters in the story are also well drawn and developed, particularly Shanna and her brother Kaidan, who is emerging as an important character, but also the older experienced Scouts and trainers involved in working with the cadets. The starcats are also amazing and I’m sure everyone who reads this book will want their own beautiful creature by the end of the novel. 4.5★
Shanna and Kaidan are teenagers whose parents have a farm where they breed and train starcats, beautiful black panther-like cats with iridescent ripples of blue, red or purple colour in their coats. They are highly intelligent and can be trained to obey commands and form a life-long empathic bond with a human of their choosing.
Much of the planet is uncolonised and unexplored with many dangerous plants and animals that can kill or poison the untrained, and some that may also offer useful medicines. The settlers have established a group of Scouts who patrol the wild areas around their settlements and learn about the new life forms out there. When Shanna nears the completion of her schooling and has to decide what career she wants to follow, she chooses to join the Scout Corps. All Scouts have their own starcat that they train to help in their exploration and Shanna is lucky enough to be chosen as a companion by two beautiful young brothers, Storm and Twister, raised by her own family. She also takes on the role as her cadet troop’s starcat training which brings her it’s own trials and tribulations. It is on the cadets first training trip to the wilderness area that the Scouts first discover evidence of the Garsal presence on their planet and realize that their own presence and survival on the planet may be under threat.
I greatly enjoyed this novel and am so glad the next instalment in the series will be released soon as I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next. I really enjoyed the author’s world-building with the many weird and wonderful plants and animals that she has imagined and described in detail. The characters in the story are also well drawn and developed, particularly Shanna and her brother Kaidan, who is emerging as an important character, but also the older experienced Scouts and trainers involved in working with the cadets. The starcats are also amazing and I’m sure everyone who reads this book will want their own beautiful creature by the end of the novel. 4.5★
March 14, 2014
I loved FRONTIER INCURSION and I want a blue Starcat of my very own that will purr and hum to me! The story opens with Shanna being accepted into the Scouts the youngest person ever. Her family breeds Starcats so she is very familiar with living with them and training them. This knowledge of Starcats means that she is asked to train the rest of the new cadet intake into bonding and working with their own Starcats chosen just after Shanna arrives at the training school. Life on Frontier is routine and early on the reader is introduced to how the humans arrived, survived and then adapted to the environment, and there are three small settlements on the high plateau. Down ‘Below’ the planet is pretty much as it was when the humans first arrived. There was a long term goal to one day leave the planet but in reality most of the people are happy with the way things are. Then at the end of the chapter the reader gets a glimpse of an incursion of nasty, nasty critters called Garsal that have been slowly enslaving the universe and have their eyes set on Frontier. The Garsal mothership has landed unnoticed by the humans and have started to set up a new hive with the help of human slaves. However, despite their advanced technology they seem to be no match for the native flora and fauna. The Garsal send out two reconnaissance aircraft just as a huge storm hits the planet. The people of Frontier know how to batten down the hatches when these huge storms hit, but the Garsal aircraft crash and the noise is reported back to Scout headquarters. Shanna and the other recruits are subsequently sent out to investigate the noise in the care of a more advanced unit. What they didn’t expect to find was a crashed spaceship, neither did they expect to see the body of a giant insect at the controls. From this point the whole story moves towards the inevitable first contact between the two species, and I found myself torn between wanting to sit down and read the book in one sitting or savouring it – reading a little at a time as I did not want to leave this wonderful world. Author Leonie Rogers was very clever in how she introduced the Garsal’s – little snippets of information and what they were up to, at the end of each chapter.
The pacing of the story was great, starting off slow then gradually the tension built until the action packed climax. The descriptions were terrific, the strange animals and killer plants just came alive on the pages. As did the characters who all grew in experience as the story progressed, Shanna especially grows as a person through the book. Starting off as a simple farm girl living dependently with her parents she becomes an independent master at wilderness survival, learns how to deal with difficult people and never lose her sense of heart. As for her two Starcats, Twister and Storm, I want them – if I couldn’t have them then I would have any of the others if the truth be told. Taya is another character that shows great growth in her character and I feel there is more to her story that maybe will be followed up on in the next books.
The relationships between, and feelings of, the various humans contrasted with the impersonal interactions between the Garsal. The writing was wonderful and Leonie Rogers’ words pulled me into her planetary world, with its laughter; arguments; adventure; interaction between humans, between humans and their Starcats, and between Starcats and Starcats (Starcat romances are something to behold) and as all good space adventures should there is even sadness, yes I was moved to tears and this was the point that the tears fell:
“…There was something totally heartbreaking about a Scout sitting in the midst of the carnage, slowly stroking the silky fur of a companion who would never pace by their side again, whose tidemark will never flicker and glow, or a living starcat curled by the unmoving form of their Scout partner, those same tidemarks dimmed to the dullness of grief. The now bereft halves of loving partnerships were left to grieve in quiet peace…”
FRONTIER INCURSION is the first in a planned trilogy – ‘Frontier Resistance’ is not too far away from release which is good because I am already turning blue (as blue as a Starcat) as I hold my breath in anticipation. A truly wonderful reading experience
The pacing of the story was great, starting off slow then gradually the tension built until the action packed climax. The descriptions were terrific, the strange animals and killer plants just came alive on the pages. As did the characters who all grew in experience as the story progressed, Shanna especially grows as a person through the book. Starting off as a simple farm girl living dependently with her parents she becomes an independent master at wilderness survival, learns how to deal with difficult people and never lose her sense of heart. As for her two Starcats, Twister and Storm, I want them – if I couldn’t have them then I would have any of the others if the truth be told. Taya is another character that shows great growth in her character and I feel there is more to her story that maybe will be followed up on in the next books.
The relationships between, and feelings of, the various humans contrasted with the impersonal interactions between the Garsal. The writing was wonderful and Leonie Rogers’ words pulled me into her planetary world, with its laughter; arguments; adventure; interaction between humans, between humans and their Starcats, and between Starcats and Starcats (Starcat romances are something to behold) and as all good space adventures should there is even sadness, yes I was moved to tears and this was the point that the tears fell:
“…There was something totally heartbreaking about a Scout sitting in the midst of the carnage, slowly stroking the silky fur of a companion who would never pace by their side again, whose tidemark will never flicker and glow, or a living starcat curled by the unmoving form of their Scout partner, those same tidemarks dimmed to the dullness of grief. The now bereft halves of loving partnerships were left to grieve in quiet peace…”
FRONTIER INCURSION is the first in a planned trilogy – ‘Frontier Resistance’ is not too far away from release which is good because I am already turning blue (as blue as a Starcat) as I hold my breath in anticipation. A truly wonderful reading experience
February 10, 2013
The author gave me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers was an unexpected find for me-- I didn't realize I would love it so much! This book stars Shanna (and to a lesser extent her brother, Kaiden), who is a teenager who has decided to become part of the Scouts, an organization whose purpose is to explore the uncharted territories of their planet. She has grown up training Starcats, the gorgeous colorful panther like creatures, who are the permanent companions of each Scout. She brings this talent to the group. Dangers lurk on their home planet as well as beyond, and the Scouts need to use all of their talents together to save the planet they call home.
There are so many wonderful things about this book. Possibly the strongest aspect of the book is Shanna, the true heroine of the piece. She is likeable and spunky, and it is easy to read about her as she works very hard to learn new skills but with a humility beyond her years. She struggles with trying to teach an older classmate, which is an intriguing storyline. But even more, I marveled at the world building. The starcats are an ingenious invention-- they are beautifully written and described-- I wish I had one of my own! I loved all the adventures Below, the uncharted terrain of their home planet, and all of the new species that they encounter of both plant and animal life. It is clear that the author has had some experience with this kind of camping/exploration. The novel shines at these points.
My one big issue with this novel was the introduction of the "bad guys." Small paragraphs about them are scattered after each chapter, without really adding much. I imagined what the book would be like without these additions and only having the book through Shanna's eyes, and I think it would have been stronger that way. The small advances in plot could have easily been hidden from us until Shanna observed them directly herself.
Overall, a very strong first novel with terrific characters and world building. I'll definitely be watching for the sequel.
Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers was an unexpected find for me-- I didn't realize I would love it so much! This book stars Shanna (and to a lesser extent her brother, Kaiden), who is a teenager who has decided to become part of the Scouts, an organization whose purpose is to explore the uncharted territories of their planet. She has grown up training Starcats, the gorgeous colorful panther like creatures, who are the permanent companions of each Scout. She brings this talent to the group. Dangers lurk on their home planet as well as beyond, and the Scouts need to use all of their talents together to save the planet they call home.
There are so many wonderful things about this book. Possibly the strongest aspect of the book is Shanna, the true heroine of the piece. She is likeable and spunky, and it is easy to read about her as she works very hard to learn new skills but with a humility beyond her years. She struggles with trying to teach an older classmate, which is an intriguing storyline. But even more, I marveled at the world building. The starcats are an ingenious invention-- they are beautifully written and described-- I wish I had one of my own! I loved all the adventures Below, the uncharted terrain of their home planet, and all of the new species that they encounter of both plant and animal life. It is clear that the author has had some experience with this kind of camping/exploration. The novel shines at these points.
My one big issue with this novel was the introduction of the "bad guys." Small paragraphs about them are scattered after each chapter, without really adding much. I imagined what the book would be like without these additions and only having the book through Shanna's eyes, and I think it would have been stronger that way. The small advances in plot could have easily been hidden from us until Shanna observed them directly herself.
Overall, a very strong first novel with terrific characters and world building. I'll definitely be watching for the sequel.
March 20, 2019
Very good YA sci-fi story!
November 13, 2017
I quite enjoyed this book. It started a little slowly, and built up slowly as well, to a long and drawn out climax. I was a little disappointed how the world building was interspersed with the story, but it did lead to some amusing discovered with the second story line. The cliff hanger ending was a tiny bit mean, and I can't wait to see if this world is expanded on.
September 12, 2016
Fun and imaginative
This is a fun science fiction book with strong fantasy influence. This book brought to mind the skills of the old mountain men pitted against flora and fauna of a whole new world. Highly enjoyable
This is a fun science fiction book with strong fantasy influence. This book brought to mind the skills of the old mountain men pitted against flora and fauna of a whole new world. Highly enjoyable
April 13, 2021
I’ve read this at least three times now. Quite enjoyable. YA, set on a struggling, dangerous, unintended colony planet. Then the aliens try to invade.
August 23, 2015
I absolutely loved this story and read the book in almost one day. I just couldn't put it down. Even now, I'm still going through the story in my mind. That's quite an accomplishment for the author, as I read so many books, most of them I never think about again. What drew me in right from the beginning were the Starcats. I'm feline by nature and love cats, especially big cats. The symbiotic relationship between the Starcats, and their partners, put me in mind of the Dragonriders of Pern. They didn’t have the same telepathic or emotional abilities, but who knows, maybe they will, as Leonie hasn't finished with the Frontier world, or it's people yet.
The characters and the world of Frontier are well-written and very detailed, but not to the point of being boring. I felt as though I was trekking right along with the Scout Patrols as they explored new areas of Below, tracking down the invading insectoid Garsals. And the descriptions of some of the fauna was very intense, like the Sliders and the Tornado Snake. Very imaginative and totally believable. I can’t wait to see what happens with Shanna, her Starcats Storm & Twister, and Patrol 10.
If you love big cats, and richly detailed fantasy worlds, you'll love this story. I give it 5 feathers and I can't wait to read the 2nd book.
The characters and the world of Frontier are well-written and very detailed, but not to the point of being boring. I felt as though I was trekking right along with the Scout Patrols as they explored new areas of Below, tracking down the invading insectoid Garsals. And the descriptions of some of the fauna was very intense, like the Sliders and the Tornado Snake. Very imaginative and totally believable. I can’t wait to see what happens with Shanna, her Starcats Storm & Twister, and Patrol 10.
If you love big cats, and richly detailed fantasy worlds, you'll love this story. I give it 5 feathers and I can't wait to read the 2nd book.
September 18, 2016
From Andre Norton to Honor Harrington to CJ Cherryh, we love our feline aliens.
This YA story of adventure on a lost planet of humans who crashed there and lost all of their technology is very well balanced. There is no romance and very little teen angst. The development of Shanna and her brother as they learn the skills to be a Scout is very natural. A pending threat accelerates the story without creating false urgency.
It wasn't until the end that I realized that this was a "To be continued..." It's not a full-on cliff-hanger, but there is more to be done.
This reads like a Heinlein or McCaffery tale - maybe not as refined as those Masters, but the same level of detail and solid world-building.
This YA story of adventure on a lost planet of humans who crashed there and lost all of their technology is very well balanced. There is no romance and very little teen angst. The development of Shanna and her brother as they learn the skills to be a Scout is very natural. A pending threat accelerates the story without creating false urgency.
It wasn't until the end that I realized that this was a "To be continued..." It's not a full-on cliff-hanger, but there is more to be done.
This reads like a Heinlein or McCaffery tale - maybe not as refined as those Masters, but the same level of detail and solid world-building.
March 1, 2015
Fantastic worldbuilding, and intriguing mysteries.
With fascinating worldbuilding, and a gripping unfolding story, this book kept me reading. That makes it a great book. Many interesting twists as the scale of the story expands. The starcats are a lot of fun, and I can't wait to learn more about their abilities.
That having been said, there were a few issues - poor editing, primarily in the first half of the book, interfered with my enjoyment of the story. The main character is a bit of a Mary Sue, but is still relatable.
I won't hesitate to pick up the sequel - this is a great start to what looks to be a really entertaining series.
With fascinating worldbuilding, and a gripping unfolding story, this book kept me reading. That makes it a great book. Many interesting twists as the scale of the story expands. The starcats are a lot of fun, and I can't wait to learn more about their abilities.
That having been said, there were a few issues - poor editing, primarily in the first half of the book, interfered with my enjoyment of the story. The main character is a bit of a Mary Sue, but is still relatable.
I won't hesitate to pick up the sequel - this is a great start to what looks to be a really entertaining series.
January 4, 2015
This is science fiction at it's very best and make sure that when you start reading this book, there are enough hours in the day to finish it in one sitting. The book 'pulls you in' and you become part of the story, living with the characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it.
April 1, 2017
I received this book through Goodreads giveaways. I enjoyed the fact that this novel being dystopian, had a unique premise. It's nice to read a young adult novel with a very strong female lead. I loved the star cats, and the other creatures. The book tended to give a little too much information at points and that slowed the pace at certain times. Once I hit the last third of the book it definitely picked up, and sucked me in. Overall an interesting dystopian/sci fi adventure.
July 29, 2017
Although the slow start and editing errors were a little difficult, the story picks up and draws the reader in. A lost human colony on a harsh world waiting to reconnect to the rest of humanity. A wonderfully drawn world with companion cats. The author does a good job making both human and non-human character life-like and unique. A worthwhile read.
February 26, 2021
I really enjoyable Science Fiction/Fantasy novel with only a couple of very minor criticisms. About three quarters of the way through the book I was getting a bit irritated with the Taya storyline and a few times the main story seemed to drag a little, but as soon as I finished I downloaded the next book in the series.
Read
September 1, 2020enjoyed it rich world and story continued and obtained the other 2 as I want to see what happens and how they deal with the situation
October 24, 2020
Excellent book with big cats as companions. It encompasses all the joy of big cats with extra abilities and an incredible adventure on a hostile planet. Great for a first time reader of sci-fi and also for long time readers. Any age can read, a simple story with varied storyline. It was like reading Anne McCaffrey stories.
July 29, 2020
Enjoyable
An entertaining read with great characters, enough action to keep me reading and a new fun spin on this genre.
An entertaining read with great characters, enough action to keep me reading and a new fun spin on this genre.
February 28, 2017
Leonie has a smooth writing style. Her work reminded me strongly of Andre Norton's Beast Master series in the Stellar Patrol universe, with a hint of Macaffrey's work with Pern for the lost colony concept. The story flow is smooth, her characters interact in a believable manner, and the alien biology of her plot world seems to be internally consistent and plausible.
As the first book in a trilogy, we get a good overview of the politics and science underlying the human adaptations to their new world, and the opening events of an alien invasion that will threaten the colonists and as well as learning more about the biggest change to human lifestyles; the starcats.
As the first book in a trilogy, we get a good overview of the politics and science underlying the human adaptations to their new world, and the opening events of an alien invasion that will threaten the colonists and as well as learning more about the biggest change to human lifestyles; the starcats.
November 4, 2013
Some adults look at YA novels and are turned off by them because they think they are more geared towards kids. This is not true the only thing that makes YA novels different then adult novels is that they don’t have as much adult content and usually the main characters are young people. This doesn’t mean that YA novels don’t have great stories or fascinating characters. One example of this is Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers.
Humans crash landed on a planet they named Frontier 300 years ago. Life was hard on the planet, there were several species of dangerous animals that live there and some of the plant life was also deadly. The humans survived and adapted to the environment and built small settlements. They always said they would return to the stars some day but they liked their new home.
One of Frontier’s inhabitants is a teenage girl named Shanna, she lives on a farm with her family who breeds and raises starcats. Shanna is at a point where she needs to decide how she will contribute to society, so she decides to become a Frontier scout. The scouts job is to explore Frontier and help people in need when disasters happen. One day when Shanna and some other young cadets are exploring, they discover aliens called the Garsal creating a hive . The Garsel have plans on taking over this world and the inhabitants of Frontier suddenly find themselves in a war with a race that they know nothing about.
There is so much going on in Frontier Incursion that it’s hard to give a short description of the plot. At the heart of this book is a coming of age story. You see Shanna at the beginning as a young girl helping her parents on the farm and then you see her join the scouts. She then teaches other cadets on training starcats, learns how to deal with difficult people and learns to live in the wild and to survive under harsh circumstances. Also to a lesser extent the book follows her brother Kaiden as he learns how to master archery and take on more responsibility.
Leonie Rogers did a great job of creating some deep characters and she does an excellent job of world building. As you follow Shanna’s story, you learn more about the world they live in. You also get a look at the other people who live there and I loved how the cadets all had starcats to accompany them wherever they went. The starcats are panther like creatures with glowing marks on them which make great companions.
Frontier Incursion is an excellent science fiction fantasy tale that people of all ages will enjoy. My only issues with it was that it could have used a little more action. What this book lacks in action it makes up for in great characters and the description of a new world.
My favorite part of this story was how the inhabitants were raised to believe that it is their destiny to go to the stars again but you see how many of them don’t want to return to space and are happy on Frontier. I also liked how small glimpses are given of the Garsel, leaving the reader to realize that life is about to become hard for the people of Frontier. If you like epic Science fiction check out Frontier Incursion.
Humans crash landed on a planet they named Frontier 300 years ago. Life was hard on the planet, there were several species of dangerous animals that live there and some of the plant life was also deadly. The humans survived and adapted to the environment and built small settlements. They always said they would return to the stars some day but they liked their new home.
One of Frontier’s inhabitants is a teenage girl named Shanna, she lives on a farm with her family who breeds and raises starcats. Shanna is at a point where she needs to decide how she will contribute to society, so she decides to become a Frontier scout. The scouts job is to explore Frontier and help people in need when disasters happen. One day when Shanna and some other young cadets are exploring, they discover aliens called the Garsal creating a hive . The Garsel have plans on taking over this world and the inhabitants of Frontier suddenly find themselves in a war with a race that they know nothing about.
There is so much going on in Frontier Incursion that it’s hard to give a short description of the plot. At the heart of this book is a coming of age story. You see Shanna at the beginning as a young girl helping her parents on the farm and then you see her join the scouts. She then teaches other cadets on training starcats, learns how to deal with difficult people and learns to live in the wild and to survive under harsh circumstances. Also to a lesser extent the book follows her brother Kaiden as he learns how to master archery and take on more responsibility.
Leonie Rogers did a great job of creating some deep characters and she does an excellent job of world building. As you follow Shanna’s story, you learn more about the world they live in. You also get a look at the other people who live there and I loved how the cadets all had starcats to accompany them wherever they went. The starcats are panther like creatures with glowing marks on them which make great companions.
Frontier Incursion is an excellent science fiction fantasy tale that people of all ages will enjoy. My only issues with it was that it could have used a little more action. What this book lacks in action it makes up for in great characters and the description of a new world.
My favorite part of this story was how the inhabitants were raised to believe that it is their destiny to go to the stars again but you see how many of them don’t want to return to space and are happy on Frontier. I also liked how small glimpses are given of the Garsel, leaving the reader to realize that life is about to become hard for the people of Frontier. If you like epic Science fiction check out Frontier Incursion.
September 5, 2014
Review Courtesy of April Hollingworth
Frontier Incursion is the first book in what promises to be an outstandingly brilliant trilogy. The richness of the writing brings to life the magnificent detail of the people, animals and the wilderness. If a starcat popped out of the book, you wouldn't be too surprised as they are written with such life. Leonie Rogers has proven to be an author to remember, and I look forward to reading the next book in this amazing series.
Opening Scene:
SHANNA tapped one foot as she waited outside the Records Precinct.
The Review:
On the day Shanna finds out she is allowed her own starcat, the huge feline companion and protector of the colonists, she also finds out she must decide what she wants to do with her future. Joining the Scout Corps is a dream come true. They’re charged with expanding their knowledge of Frontier, a hostile planet their ancestor’s crash landed on 300 years ago. As the youngest in her class, Shanna struggles with finding friendship, acceptance and respect from her fellow classmates. A task made more difficult, by the simple fact that she has not one starcat like the others, but two.
When a routine patrol, sweeps the cadets into a greater challenge than the settlers of Frontier have ever faced, they find themselves on the very frontline of a war they have no knowledge of. They are possibly the Federation of Race’s final chance against the hostile Garsal. Suddenly everything has changed beyond the dreams of Shanna and her fellow scouts.
Notable Scene:
“Today begins a new lesson. You will all take turns as instructors over the next few months, in the subjects that you have expert knowledge in. Today after your choosing, Shanna will be instructing you in starcat care and training. Her family breeds starcats, and today some of you may choose, or be chosen by, cats that they have bred. She will formally instruct you and your cats for two hours per day for the next six months. I suggest you listen to her. As you can see, she has already chosen her own cats.”
Five pairs of eyes stared shocked at Shanna, who attempted to meet their gaze without flinching too much. She could feel hot colour rising in her cheeks, understanding belatedly exactly how Kaiden felt much of the time.
“She will also explain later today exactly why she has two starcats – I understand the tale is quite amusing.” Master Lonish flicked a reassuring grin at Shanna. Master Peron must have used the time she had spent sorting her room out to fill the other Masters in, as he seemed quite unperturbed about the whole thing. The other students were a completely different matter, however. Verren still wore his closed look. Taya, one of the other two female students, was looking like a thunder cloud; Amma simply looked shocked, while Ragar and Zandany looked as though they’d both eaten something that disagreed with them. Shanna attempted a conciliatory smile. It came off a little wobbly.
FTC Advisory: Andrew Harvey provided me with a copy of Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers. Published through Hague Publishing. Kindle Edition. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Frontier Incursion is the first book in what promises to be an outstandingly brilliant trilogy. The richness of the writing brings to life the magnificent detail of the people, animals and the wilderness. If a starcat popped out of the book, you wouldn't be too surprised as they are written with such life. Leonie Rogers has proven to be an author to remember, and I look forward to reading the next book in this amazing series.
Opening Scene:
SHANNA tapped one foot as she waited outside the Records Precinct.
The Review:
On the day Shanna finds out she is allowed her own starcat, the huge feline companion and protector of the colonists, she also finds out she must decide what she wants to do with her future. Joining the Scout Corps is a dream come true. They’re charged with expanding their knowledge of Frontier, a hostile planet their ancestor’s crash landed on 300 years ago. As the youngest in her class, Shanna struggles with finding friendship, acceptance and respect from her fellow classmates. A task made more difficult, by the simple fact that she has not one starcat like the others, but two.
When a routine patrol, sweeps the cadets into a greater challenge than the settlers of Frontier have ever faced, they find themselves on the very frontline of a war they have no knowledge of. They are possibly the Federation of Race’s final chance against the hostile Garsal. Suddenly everything has changed beyond the dreams of Shanna and her fellow scouts.
Notable Scene:
“Today begins a new lesson. You will all take turns as instructors over the next few months, in the subjects that you have expert knowledge in. Today after your choosing, Shanna will be instructing you in starcat care and training. Her family breeds starcats, and today some of you may choose, or be chosen by, cats that they have bred. She will formally instruct you and your cats for two hours per day for the next six months. I suggest you listen to her. As you can see, she has already chosen her own cats.”
Five pairs of eyes stared shocked at Shanna, who attempted to meet their gaze without flinching too much. She could feel hot colour rising in her cheeks, understanding belatedly exactly how Kaiden felt much of the time.
“She will also explain later today exactly why she has two starcats – I understand the tale is quite amusing.” Master Lonish flicked a reassuring grin at Shanna. Master Peron must have used the time she had spent sorting her room out to fill the other Masters in, as he seemed quite unperturbed about the whole thing. The other students were a completely different matter, however. Verren still wore his closed look. Taya, one of the other two female students, was looking like a thunder cloud; Amma simply looked shocked, while Ragar and Zandany looked as though they’d both eaten something that disagreed with them. Shanna attempted a conciliatory smile. It came off a little wobbly.
FTC Advisory: Andrew Harvey provided me with a copy of Frontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers. Published through Hague Publishing. Kindle Edition. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 24, 2013
This book really was an amazing ‘let yourself go and be absorbed by this world’ sort of book. I rarely come across one I so freely was able to fall into and become a part of so quickly. Yes I grew up in a part of Australia where plants and animals (and even the dirt) was poisonous and or venomous and we had storms with the potential to flatten the city every year, but I don’t think that’s why I clicked with the story so quickly!
Although the beginning and its Remembrance Ceremony could have been setting the scene for any of your typical ‘we crash landed’ sort of sci-fi story, you quickly learn to relate to Shanna and her brother Kaiden and their lives with their starcats. As the story progresses the world of Frontier starts as the usual sci-fi survivor camp now settlement type story but then unfurls its tendrils of mystery and danger to show it’s not your typical sort of world. But rather a very dangerous one and these are some very clever people to have survived for so long over the centuries. And done so by accepting the planet and all its dangers and moulding themselves to fit into it all, rather than try and mould it to fit them.
I love the scouting parties and the graphical and in-depth views of the world Below in all it’s amazing danger and beauty entwined. It really did keep me wanting to read and wanting to know more. I mean, this book had me up until one thirty in the morning a lot of the time as I’d get to the end of a chapter and my mental mantra of ‘just one more chapter’ would have me winding my way back through the wilderness to see how, when and what would happen when Shanna, Anjo and the Garsal all finally met.
The main story followed by the snippet of Garsal activity pegged onto the end of each chapter can truly be blamed for keeping me so riveted and interested to read that one more chapter a night!
I highly recommend this book, loved it and actually told Leonie off for having it end the way she did as it just had me grinding my teeth with frustration to know what was going to happen and how dare she leave it hanging like that. All in good humour or course! I am so happy there is a sequel coming out next year and I really look forward to reading it. It takes a very good author to do that to you.
I rarely give a five out of five for a book, but this one had me so enraptured for over a week that I now have withdrawal symptoms for having nothing new to learn about Shanna, Twister and Storm. That shows it is a good book and deserves all five stars.
Although the beginning and its Remembrance Ceremony could have been setting the scene for any of your typical ‘we crash landed’ sort of sci-fi story, you quickly learn to relate to Shanna and her brother Kaiden and their lives with their starcats. As the story progresses the world of Frontier starts as the usual sci-fi survivor camp now settlement type story but then unfurls its tendrils of mystery and danger to show it’s not your typical sort of world. But rather a very dangerous one and these are some very clever people to have survived for so long over the centuries. And done so by accepting the planet and all its dangers and moulding themselves to fit into it all, rather than try and mould it to fit them.
I love the scouting parties and the graphical and in-depth views of the world Below in all it’s amazing danger and beauty entwined. It really did keep me wanting to read and wanting to know more. I mean, this book had me up until one thirty in the morning a lot of the time as I’d get to the end of a chapter and my mental mantra of ‘just one more chapter’ would have me winding my way back through the wilderness to see how, when and what would happen when Shanna, Anjo and the Garsal all finally met.
The main story followed by the snippet of Garsal activity pegged onto the end of each chapter can truly be blamed for keeping me so riveted and interested to read that one more chapter a night!
I highly recommend this book, loved it and actually told Leonie off for having it end the way she did as it just had me grinding my teeth with frustration to know what was going to happen and how dare she leave it hanging like that. All in good humour or course! I am so happy there is a sequel coming out next year and I really look forward to reading it. It takes a very good author to do that to you.
I rarely give a five out of five for a book, but this one had me so enraptured for over a week that I now have withdrawal symptoms for having nothing new to learn about Shanna, Twister and Storm. That shows it is a good book and deserves all five stars.
June 26, 2015
Frontier Incursion is a perfect book for young teens with imagination. My teenage daughter, bored with nothing to do pestered me until I gave her Leonie's book to read (which I was reading at the time myself). She ended up reading the book in a few days and then pestered me for Leonie's next book, which was not out yet, so she read the book again and again until I pestered her to give it back to me so I could finish reading it to complete this review. I finally got the book back, but in poor condition as she's a typical teenager who curls the pages so half the books pages curled frontwards and the other half curled the other way. There are a few editing mistakes mainly in the first half, but most books do have a few editing problems in them so you just have to take them into account when you read books. Now back to the book it's self, when I finally got the chance to read the whole book I found it interesting and imaginative. Leonie has built a new world with strange and wonderfully dangerous plants and animals (the foremost would be the Star Cats). She built a civilization of refugees from a starship that crush 300 years before the start of the story. They had great technology, which most was lost in the crush and but due to the harsh conditions on the planet most of the surviving technology was found to be almost useless. They had to learn to live by other means and over the years the people themselves slowly changed as well as their cats, which developed into the Star Cats in the story. Leonie describes the environment in great detail and if you closed your eyes you could imagine that you were there, that is how my daughter had described it to me and she felt like she was apart of the scout group traveling below and I partly felt the same as I read the story, but not to the some extent as my daughter. So if you are a teenager or have a great imagination then Frontier Incursion would be the perfect book to emerge into and leave this world behind for a while (like going on a holiday) and you'll return refreshed. Well done Leonie.
October 21, 2014
As much as I hate summary as a form of review, here I am at it again :)
This is a YA Adventure + Sci-Fi book.
At the beginning of the book, we learn about the past of the settlement called Frontier, which resulted in an accidental crash 300 years ago; ever since then, the goal is to "re-gain the stars."
At first they barely survived, but as they pressed into survival, all the history of space travel is basically lost as they try to come to grips with huge hurricanes and poisonous plant life.
Our Protagonist is Shanna. Her parents think she is ready to pick her role in society and to have a starcat as her very own. As Shanna reaches towards her future, she ends up with 2 starcats and an assignment with the Scouts. Scouts go into the un-civilized parts of the planet, down in the "Below" far from the 3 outposts of Frontier life on the plateau.
Scout patrols are made up of team-mates with essential skills for working below to find useful plant-life that is used for medicine. As the trained navigators of the uncharted wilds, they are the first to sight signs of alien life. Suddenly, the Scouts are the first line of defense, beginning with rescue of two human slaves of the aliens known as the Garsal.
Next book in series: FRONTIER RESISTANCE. See reviews HERE:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.netgalley.com/reviewer/re...
http://martysreads.blogspot.com/2014/...
This is a YA Adventure + Sci-Fi book.
At the beginning of the book, we learn about the past of the settlement called Frontier, which resulted in an accidental crash 300 years ago; ever since then, the goal is to "re-gain the stars."
At first they barely survived, but as they pressed into survival, all the history of space travel is basically lost as they try to come to grips with huge hurricanes and poisonous plant life.
Our Protagonist is Shanna. Her parents think she is ready to pick her role in society and to have a starcat as her very own. As Shanna reaches towards her future, she ends up with 2 starcats and an assignment with the Scouts. Scouts go into the un-civilized parts of the planet, down in the "Below" far from the 3 outposts of Frontier life on the plateau.
Scout patrols are made up of team-mates with essential skills for working below to find useful plant-life that is used for medicine. As the trained navigators of the uncharted wilds, they are the first to sight signs of alien life. Suddenly, the Scouts are the first line of defense, beginning with rescue of two human slaves of the aliens known as the Garsal.
Next book in series: FRONTIER RESISTANCE. See reviews HERE:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.netgalley.com/reviewer/re...
http://martysreads.blogspot.com/2014/...
June 15, 2020
Coming of age sci fi, sort of
Shanna is 15, and about to choose her specialized education, beyond the general education everyone gets. It's a big decision, as it determines her life course. There is a possibility of change, but it's uncommon.
She chooses Scouts, the hardy individuals who guard the perimeter of their settlements, and carefully explore the wilderness. Frontier is a dangerous planet and all the humans know how precarious their existence is. Fortunately, they have starcats; panther-like partners.
Frontier is dangerous, made more so when ravenous aliens arrive. The humans have this one chance to keep the invaders from enslaving them. High tech versus local know how.
This book covers the 1st six months of her training, with some glimpses of events in her younger brother's life. The information about Shanna, her family, and her world is revealed gradually. The author does a good job of world building, without ever leaving me feeling like I just read an infodump.
This is the 1st book in the series, so while some plot elements are resolved, others continue to later books.
Shanna is 15, and about to choose her specialized education, beyond the general education everyone gets. It's a big decision, as it determines her life course. There is a possibility of change, but it's uncommon.
She chooses Scouts, the hardy individuals who guard the perimeter of their settlements, and carefully explore the wilderness. Frontier is a dangerous planet and all the humans know how precarious their existence is. Fortunately, they have starcats; panther-like partners.
Frontier is dangerous, made more so when ravenous aliens arrive. The humans have this one chance to keep the invaders from enslaving them. High tech versus local know how.
This book covers the 1st six months of her training, with some glimpses of events in her younger brother's life. The information about Shanna, her family, and her world is revealed gradually. The author does a good job of world building, without ever leaving me feeling like I just read an infodump.
This is the 1st book in the series, so while some plot elements are resolved, others continue to later books.
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