Rachel Reviews: Afterburn by D. Andrews

D. Andrews's Afterburn is a vividly imagined tale which concerns itself with Kara and Caethiid who have known each other since childhood. Both are orphans and so it seems only natural that they should become friends, thrown as they are into the same orphanage and having no-one else. However, Caethiid is also intrigued by Kara due to her difference.

Kara is a nonner, which means that she can't communicate telepathically and this causes her to be the subject of derision. Caethiid is there to support her in the face of this as well as more aggressive behaviour, and their bond becomes stronger.

The book starts with Kara believing Caethiid to be dead and we see her life: bare and scant. But he's not and suddenly, he reappears in her life, Andrews then taking us back to see where their bond formed and then, their relationship becomes the central hub around which the story rotates.

There is no doubt that Andrews can write. Her prose flows and I was able to clearly visualise the scenes in the book at various points for Kara. The book is about a relationship which could be potentially toxic: Caethiid may be a megalomaniac, intent on being the universe's saviour or presenting himself that way and part of the novel is about whether or not he can be trusted. In this regard, it is an interesting presentation of a relationship which could be one of protection or one of stifling control. I liked the fact that Andrews toys with you: in the same way that Kara is not sure, neither are you as a reader and pointers are sent your way in the form of indistinct memories and others who know Caethiid who warn, but can they be trusted too? In this, Andrews presents the confusion of Kara very well.

However, the narrative skips about: it is not linear in terms of the events and I think this was deliberate, a device to reflect the distress and fogginess that Kara feels, that she doesn't really know what's going on. Ultimately, for me, I found this disorienting but I can imagine that there will be readers who will very much enjoy this manipulation and be intrigued by it.

There is much to like here and some ideas which surprised me, concerning Kara's attraction to Caethiid.

It's original and for fans of sci-fi, worth a look.

Rachel Rating: 3/5 stars

This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC:

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