‘They thought it was a rescue. They didn’t expect a war…’

So goes the strap line for this novel. Fearless is the first novel in an exciting science fiction trilogy: The Fractal Series. As Allen says, ‘Spaceships were broken in the making of this story!’ He’s certainly right about that (and why wouldn’t he be, he wrote it!).

The story is told from the point-of-view of three characters, all written in first person. A challenge, for sure, for both writer and reader. In this case, I’m happy to report that all three characters are engaging with very different takes on life and their purpose in the world. Shann, the captain, takes center stage, with the difficult decisions she must make and how that impacts on her both emotionally and psychologically. Johansson, communications specialist, is both ambitious and eager to please, and yet impetuous enough to disregard orders and take risks with her own life, if she feels that’s the right thing to do. Sellis, a technician, finds himself in an impossible position when his past catches up with him.

Two of Stroud’s characters have a physical impairment. Captain Shann was born with no legs and has a career and a home on board the rescue ship the Khidr, which she loves. Johansson has a prosthetic arm which is just as good as the real thing, except when it’s damaged and she has to function without it in order to save her life and those of the crew. I must admit that Sellis is my favorite character; his struggle to understand himself and his gambling addiction was, well, addictive.

Betrayal abounds! But who is the traitor and is there more than one? As well as the intrigue, there is plenty of action and suspense as our favorite characters face one challenge after another. I’m looking forward to reading the next in The Fractal Series: Resilient and the ongoing adventures of Captain Shann and her crew.