The Kindred by Alechia Dow, 392 pages. Inkyard Press, 2022. $19.
Language: R (36 swears, 5 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Felix is a duke of the kingdom, and Joy, his Kindred, is of the poorest class. While linking members of the kingdom through the Kindred program is supposed to help merge the gap between classes and give everyone a voice, the kingdom calls the pairing between Felix and Joy a mistake. They’ve always known that being together was impossible, but, when emergency circumstances force them to meet in person, the impossible starts to feel right.
I am blown away by how quickly Dow made me fall in love with these fictitious alien cultures and places. The characters and the story, though, took a few chapters for me to start enjoying. And then, just as I was starting to get pulled in, my interest stalled again when Earth got involved. Felix and Joy develop in ways that encourage readers to similarly make a positive impact on the world and stand up for themselves–and others–and the scifi world built is mesmerizing as Dow paints with words, but I didn’t love the execution of the plot. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, innuendo, and nudity.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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